Unicode Pad Express vs IPA Phonetic Keyboard
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Unicode Pad Express
Access and insert a wide range of Unicode characters with this straightforward character map application. It provides a simpler interface for finding and using special symbols and text.
- Extensive character map
- Insert Unicode characters
- Simple interface
- Free version
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It is a simpler, free version of a more fully featured Unicode Pad Pro app.
IPA Phonetic Keyboard
This free keyboard provides easy access to all IPA and extended IPA symbols. Its intuitive layout mirrors the IPA chart, making symbol input fluid and efficient for linguists, language learners, and enthusiasts.
- Full IPA chart (2020) symbols
- ExtIPA chart (2016) symbols
- Organized symbol sections
- Intuitive symbol layout
- Convenient input for common characters
- Completely free, no ads
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Behold the first completely FREE IPA keyboard on the App Store designed for linguists, language learners, and hobbyists. It is designed to be lightweight and fluid, matching up to the user experience of the system emoji keyboard. =FEATURES= - Includes ALL symbols on the newest standard IPA chart (2020 ver.) - Includes most symbols (the ones available in Unicode) on the newest standard extIPA chart (2016 ver.) - Symbols are divided into sections just like the IPA chart(-duh!): consonants, non-pulmonic, other symbols, vowels, suprasegmentals, tones and word accents, and diacritics - Symbols are arranged naturally, with a layout designed for you to find the symbols you want more quickly (especially the vowels, it's cleverly designed to match the layout on the IPA chart) - Convenient input for "[]", "//", "~", "◌", space, and return on the top of the keyboard - Completely free, NO ADS =EXTERNAL LINKS= For more information on IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet), refer to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Phonetic_Alphabet The developer, Vince14Genius's GitHub: https://www.github.com/Vince14Genius/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Unicode Pad Express at none against IPA Phonetic Keyboard's 3. Unicode Pad Express also leads on iOS requirement (12.4 vs 14.0). IPA Phonetic Keyboard's advantage is review sentiment (92% vs 63%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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
Both are free to download. IPA Phonetic Keyboard sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Unicode Pad Express asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Unicode Pad Express against 4.5 for IPA Phonetic Keyboard. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 121 and 172 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of Unicode Pad Express's written reviews are positive against 92% of IPA Phonetic Keyboard's.
Unicode Pad Express ships an update every 7 months, IPA Phonetic Keyboard every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Unicode Pad Express | IPA Phonetic Keyboard |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (121 ratings) — better | 4.5 (172 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 62.8% of reviews | 92.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 121 | 172 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 4 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.4 — better | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 51 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ziga Kranjec | Vincent Cai |
Customer experience
Unicode Pad Express
IPA Phonetic Keyboard
User reviews
Unicode Pad Express
From 121 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great variety of symbols
- 👍 Easy to use (for some)
- 👍 Free version available
- 👍 Useful for special characters
- 👍 Good for stylizing posts
Room to improve
- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Some symbols not showing
- 🐛 Emojis mixed with symbols
- 🐛 Not designed well
- 🐛 Paid pro version needed for features
IPA Phonetic Keyboard
From 172 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Convenient IPA keyboard
- 💡 Extensive IPA symbol coverage
- 🚀 Smooth and responsive
- 🤩 Great for linguistics and conlanging
- 🎨 Visually appealing design
Room to improve
- 🔒 Paid access for some symbols
- 🔍 Keyboard layout could be more customizable
- 🐛 Occasional keyboard switching issues
- 🔇 Keyboard clicking sounds can't be disabled
Bugs and requests
Unicode Pad Express
Reported bugs
8 issues- App crashes when clicking too many categories
- Some characters not showing
- Emojis are displayed as symbols
- Black boxes appear instead of symbols
- App not working after iOS updates
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- Copy options covered by ads
- Not iOS 8 compatible
- Symbols show as boxes since iOS 7
Requested features
18 requests- Add a search system (by name or code)
- Ability to favorite symbols
- Create custom keyboards
- Rename private use characters
- Make emojis into symbols
Show 13 moreShow fewer
- More characters without font issues
- Include all Unicode blocks
- Add sample pictures for unsupported glyphs
- Make the app a keyboard
- Add new emojis
- Make the app free (instead of paid pro)
- Add bookmarking for characters
- Ability to email bookmarked characters
- Update for lower iPod versions
- Choose text color
- Add keyboard functionality for other apps
- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard
IPA Phonetic Keyboard
Reported bugs
2 issues- Vowel [ʁ] displays incorrectly
- Keyboard disappears after switching, requiring settings access to re-enable
Requested features
4 requests- Add angle brackets and parentheses for orthographic notation
- Implement a 'frequently used' section for common symbols
- Allow users to rearrange the keyboard layout
- Add support for laryngeal notation in Proto-Indo-European
In-app purchases
Unicode Pad Express
No in-app purchases
IPA Phonetic Keyboard
- Donation: Buy me a drink$2.99
- Obsolete/Non-Standard Symbols$5.99
- Donation: Buy me a meal$9.99
Questions
Is Unicode Pad Express free?
Is IPA Phonetic Keyboard free?
Which has better reviews, Unicode Pad Express or IPA Phonetic Keyboard?
Do Unicode Pad Express or IPA Phonetic Keyboard have ads?
Which is updated more often, Unicode Pad Express or IPA Phonetic Keyboard?
Other comparisons
