# Next Keyboard vs Shifter

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shifter at none against Next Keyboard's 2. Shifter also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Next Keyboard's advantage is iOS requirement (15 vs 26.0). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Next Keyboard sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Shifter asks for nothing beyond the download.

Next Keyboard ships an update every 2 months, Shifter every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Next Keyboard | Shifter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (35 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/next-keyboard/id1555423767/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **35** | — |
| Positive reviews | 73.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 75 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PURE PLANT PRO LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1853067348) | [Matija Lukanc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1859391100) |

## 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 |


### Shifter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shifter-timetracker/id6756235954)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Next Keyboard free?

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

### Is Shifter free?

Shifter is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Next Keyboard or Shifter have ads?

Next Keyboard shows ads; Shifter does not.

### Which is updated more often, Next Keyboard or Shifter?

Next Keyboard ships an update every 2 months, and Shifter every 3 weeks. Most recently, Next Keyboard was updated on September 9, 2026 and Shifter on September 21, 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.*