Comparison

Jayson vs Unicode Companion

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Jayson

This app allows you to view and edit JSON files directly on your device. It offers features like tabbed browsing, split-screen comparisons, and integration with Siri Shortcuts and the Share Sheet for easy JSON parsing and management.

Highlights
  • Browse JSON files
  • Table or syntax highlighted text view
  • Tabbed interface
  • Multiple splits for comparison
  • Siri Shortcuts integration
  • Share Sheet Actions
  • URL schemes
Features
Read full description

Jayson is a JSON viewer and editor for iPhone and iPad. Browse JSON as a structure, edit values, and save your changes back to the file. Whether you're inspecting an API response, checking a config file, or making a quick fix on the go, Jayson turns raw JSON into something you can actually read and change. BROWSE AND EDIT - Open JSON files stored on your device or in iCloud Drive. - Toggle between a structured table view and syntax highlighted text. - Add new values and keys, and save your changes back to the file. - Parse text or the contents of a URL from your clipboard into JSON. - Highlight a key from a child of an array to get a quick overview of your data. TABS, SPLITS, AND WINDOWS - Switch between files, or different objects in a single file, using tabs. - Compare JSON in a single file or across files using multiple splits. - Open multiple windows on the iPad. WORKS WITH SHORTCUTS Jayson integrates with Shortcuts, which comes in handy for debugging API calls, previewing JSON files, and building workflows around JSON. - Pass a response from Get Contents of URL to Jayson to see how it is structured. - Open JSON as a document you keep working on, or as a temporary preview. - Format JSON and hand the result to the next action, using spaces or tabs. FREE, WITH AN OPTIONAL UPGRADE Jayson's core functionality is free. Browsing, editing, saving, splits, Shortcuts, and working with up to two tabs at a time cost nothing. A one-time in-app purchase enables having more than two tabs open at once, switching between light and dark themes, and personalizing the app icon, accent color and type icons. One purchase, no subscription.

About

Unicode Companion

Features
Read full description

The Unicode reference tool for developers, designers, and curious minds. Unicode Companion puts the entire Unicode standard at your fingertips. Browse every block, search by name or value, inspect detailed properties, and copy characters in the exact notation your code or document requires — all in a clean, native interface built for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. BROWSE THE WHOLE STANDARD Every Unicode block is organised into clear categories with an expandable accordion list. Jump straight to Basic Latin, Mathematical Operators, Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs, or any of the hundreds of other blocks in seconds. Mark blocks you visit often as favourites so they're always one tap away. FIND EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR • Search within the current block as you type • Switch to global search to scan all 150,000+ characters at once • Search by character name, code point, or notation (type U+2603 and land directly on the snowman glyph) INSPECT EVERY DETAIL Tap any character to open a full detail view showing: • Large glyph preview with left/right navigation • Unicode name, block, category, and numeric value • Every useful encoding: U+Hex, Decimal, HTML Hex, HTML Decimal, HTML Named entity, CSS escape, Swift literal, Python literal, UTF-8 bytes, UTF-16 code units • Related glyphs (NFD decompositions, directional variants) • Confusable characters (Unicode TR39 lookalikes — invaluable for security and accessibility work) Tap any encoding row to copy it instantly. Tap the Block name to jump straight to that block in the grid. COPY IN THE FORMAT YOU NEED Long-press any character in the grid to copy it as Character, U+Hex, Decimal, HTML Hex, HTML Decimal, CSS escape, Swift literal, or Python literal. Set your preferred default format in Settings — it's used every time you select a character. SCAN REAL-WORLD TEXT Point your camera at a sign, book page, or screenshot and Unicode Companion identifies every character it contains, grouped by Unicode block. On Mac, drop or paste any image to run the same OCR analysis. Perfect for identifying unfamiliar scripts or tracking down unusual glyphs in the wild. BUILT FOR EVERY APPLE PLATFORM • iPhone — full-screen grid with floating search bar, toolbar menus for blocks, favourites, and recents • iPad — adaptive three-column layout in landscape; push navigation in portrait; floating glass block header • Mac — three-column NavigationView, keyboard shortcuts, native Settings window, image-based text scanner FAVOURITES AND RECENTS Star individual characters or whole blocks. Your last ten selections appear in the Recents list, each tappable to jump straight back. Everything persists across launches. THOUGHTFUL DETAILS • Liquid Glass interface on iOS/iPadOS 26 and macOS 26 • Full Dynamic Type and accessibility support • Share any character with its name and code point in one tap • Tips carousel on first launch to help you discover every feature

Screenshots

Jayson4 screens
Unicode Companion4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Jayson at Free against Unicode Companion's $4.99. Jayson also leads on chart position (#110 vs unranked). Unicode Companion's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Jayson is free to download; Unicode Companion costs $4.99 up front. Jayson sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Unicode Companion asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Jayson ships an update every 3 weeks, Unicode Companion every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Jayson versus Unicode Companion: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJaysonUnicode Companion
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating4.5 (448 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews80.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings448 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#110 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS26.017.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size41 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSimon B. StøvringMartin Bocker Dr

Bugs and requests

Jayson

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • App crashes when opening large JSON files (89MB+)
  • Crashes on regular use despite functionality
  • Device freezing for extended periods
  • Safari compatibility broken in recent updates
  • Navigation back through JSON structure is unreliable
Show 1 more
  • Accidental file exit when attempting to navigate

Requested features

9 requests
  • Search/find functionality within files
  • JSON editing and modification capabilities
  • XML format support
  • Split-view for comparing different arrays
  • Export functionality for edited JSON
Show 4 more
  • Comment recognition in JSON files
  • Plain text editor option
  • Improved file size handling for large documents
  • Better navigation controls on mobile devices

Unicode Companion

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Jayson

One-time1
  • Unlock Everything$4.99
None

Unicode Companion

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Jayson free?
Jayson is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Unicode Companion free?
Unicode Companion costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Jayson or Unicode Companion have ads?
Neither Jayson nor Unicode Companion shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Jayson or Unicode Companion?
Jayson ships an update every 3 weeks, and Unicode Companion every 4 weeks. Most recently, Jayson was updated on November 2, 2026 and Unicode Companion on October 31, 2026.

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