# Next Keyboard vs Background Keyboards

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Background Keyboards at 100% against Next Keyboard's 74%. Background Keyboards also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.3) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Next Keyboard sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and Background Keyboards sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Background Keyboards holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 44 and 93 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of Next Keyboard's written reviews are positive against 100% of Background Keyboards's.

Next Keyboard ships an update every 2 months, Background Keyboards every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Next Keyboard | Background Keyboards |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (44 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/next-keyboard/id1555423767/reviews) | **[4.6 (93 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/background-keyboards-nika/id6446252620/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 44 | **93** |
| Positive reviews | 73.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 75 MB | 56 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PURE PLANT PRO LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1853067348) | [Appsy Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/1772913485) |

## What reviewers say

### Next Keyboard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/next-keyboard/id1555423767)

Create and customize your mobile keyboard with a wide array of options. Personalize backgrounds, colors, fonts, and button styles. Save and manage multiple custom keyboards for easy switching.

**Highlights:** Customizable keyboard themes, Background image/color options, Font and sound customization, Save and edit custom keyboards, Prebuilt keyboard library, Unicode and social fonts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly | $19.99 | per year |


### Background Keyboards

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/background-keyboards-nika/id6446252620)

Personalize your device's keyboard with a vast selection of themes, fonts, and design options. Create unique looks with custom colors and patterns, or use handwriting styles. Streamline typing with an auto-paste feature for frequently used text.

**Highlights:** DIY custom keyboard themes, Vast library of pre-made themes, Extensive color and pattern options, Handwriting-inspired fonts, Auto Paste feature for quick text insertion, Personalized typing experience

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| DIY Themes Premium | $3.99 | per month |
| Weekly Full Themes Premium | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly Full Themes Premium | $24.99 | per year |
| DIY Full Premium Lifetime | $14.99 | one-time |
| DIY Keyboard Themes Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Next Keyboard free?

Next Keyboard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Background Keyboards free?

Background Keyboards is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Next Keyboard or Background Keyboards?

Background Keyboards is rated higher. Next Keyboard averages 4.3 out of 5 from 44 ratings, while Background Keyboards averages 4.6 from 93 ratings.

### Do Next Keyboard or Background Keyboards have ads?

Both Next Keyboard and Background Keyboards show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Next Keyboard or Background Keyboards?

Next Keyboard ships an update every 2 months, and Background Keyboards every 5 weeks. Most recently, Next Keyboard was updated on November 3, 2026 and Background Keyboards on November 3, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*