Comparison

Keystrokes vs 1ook

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

Head to head
About

Keystrokes

Send short text messages that appear on your friends' and family's screens throughout the day. This app allows for a unique way to share brief thoughts and updates.

Highlights
  • Send slow messages
  • Text widgets on screen
  • Share with friends and family
  • Persistent message display
Read full description

Share slow messages with your friends and family. Leave them a short text. They will see it throughout the day!

About

1ook

Features
Read full description

1ook is a pager app for the modern world. You get a 5-digit number. Anyone who knows it can send you a short message from 1ook.uk — no app required on their end. You receive it on your device. That's all. No replies. No read receipts. No chat threads. No social graph. Messages go one way here. —— HOW IT WORKS Download the app. You're assigned a pager number instantly — no sign-up, no email, no password. Share your number however you like. Someone visits 1ook.uk, types your number and a message, hits send. It arrives on your device. —— THREE MESSAGE TYPES · Text — up to 160 characters · Pixel canvas — a hand-drawn 48×48 pixel image · Icon — a preset pixel art icon from a curated set —— WHY ONE-WAY? Because not every message needs a reply. Because being reachable shouldn't mean being always available. Because the best tool does one thing well. In a world of constant bidirectional noise, 1ook is a deliberate step back. You receive when you're ready. —— USE CASES · Async contact — be reachable without being available · Developer alerts — wire your monitoring tools to your pager number · Field work — dispatchers page workers, workers check when safe · Small business — table-ready alerts, customer arrivals, new orders · Privacy — share your pager number publicly, keep your phone number private · Personal — page me when you're leaving. Send a pixel heart. —— WHAT WE DON'T DO · No replies, ever · No read receipts · No account required to send · No behavioral tracking or analytics · No ads · Messages deleted from our servers immediately after your device receives them —— YOUR NUMBER IS YOURS Assigned at first launch. Protected by a recovery PIN in case you reinstall. One device, one number. Simple. 1ook — one way only.

Screenshots

Keystrokes3 screens
1ook3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Keystrokes at every 5 days against 1ook's fortnightly. 1ook's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Keystrokes ships an update every 5 days, 1ook fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Keystrokes versus 1ook: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKeystrokes1ook
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.115.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB21 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJenny KimNikita Sazonov

In-app purchases

None

Keystrokes

No in-app purchases

None

1ook

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Keystrokes free?
Keystrokes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is 1ook free?
1ook is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Keystrokes or 1ook have ads?
Neither Keystrokes nor 1ook shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Keystrokes or 1ook?
Keystrokes ships an update every 5 days, and 1ook fortnightly. Most recently, Keystrokes was updated on October 27, 2026 and 1ook on October 25, 2026.

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