# Unicode Pad Express vs xKeyboard

The clearest difference is rating: Unicode Pad Express at 4.6 against xKeyboard's 3.2. Unicode Pad Express also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and review sentiment (63% vs 39%). xKeyboard's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 7 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. xKeyboard sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.29 per month. Unicode Pad Express asks for nothing beyond the download.

Unicode Pad Express holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 121 and 181 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of Unicode Pad Express's written reviews are positive against 39% of xKeyboard's.

Unicode Pad Express ships an update every 7 months, xKeyboard monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Unicode Pad Express | xKeyboard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (121 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unicode-pad-express/id368394740/reviews)** | [3.2 (181 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xkeyboard-custom-keyboard/id1440245962/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 121 | **181** |
| Positive reviews | **62.8% of reviews** | 39.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 51 MB | 103 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.4** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ziga Kranjec](https://appshunter.io/developer/368394743) | [煦 张](https://appshunter.io/developer/494537607) |

## What reviewers say

### Unicode Pad Express

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unicode-pad-express/id368394740)

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.

**Highlights:** Extensive character map, Insert Unicode characters, Simple interface, Free version

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great variety of symbols
- 👍 Easy to use (for some)
- 👍 Free version available
- 👍 Useful for special characters
- 👍 Good for stylizing posts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Some symbols not showing
- 🐛 Emojis mixed with symbols
- 🐛 Not designed well
- 🐛 Paid pro version needed for features

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- Add a search system (by name or code)
- Ability to favorite symbols
- Create custom keyboards
- Rename private use characters
- Make emojis into symbols


### xKeyboard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xkeyboard-custom-keyboard/id1440245962)

Design your own keyboard with custom layouts, keys, symbols, and Unicode characters. This app allows you to create specialized keyboards for various needs, from mathematical equations to phonetic alphabets, and use them across different text editing applications.

**Highlights:** Custom keyboard layouts, Symbol and Unicode integration, Specialized keyboards (Math, IPA, Chemistry), Template-based creation, Use in text editing apps

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VIP - 1 Month | $0.29 | per month |
| VIP - 1 Year | $2.99 | per year |
| VIP - Lifetime | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Highly customizable
- 👍 Versatile for various use cases
- 🚀 Powerful keyboard creation capabilities
- 👍 Useful for conlangs and rare scripts
- 👍 Allows creating custom characters

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Paywall for core functionality
- 🐛 Crashes when deleting/editing keys
- 👎 Confusing and unintuitive interface
- 👎 Lacks documentation and tutorials
- 👎 Missing basic features like autocorrect

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when trying to delete/edit keys
- Installed keyboards don't show custom layouts
- App crashes on certain script/language changes

**Requested features**

- Add ability to export/share custom keyboards
- Improve keyboard customization workflow
- Implement swipe typing and autocorrect
- Add more language/script support
- Allow creating custom characters/symbols


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Unicode Pad Express free?

Unicode Pad Express is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is xKeyboard free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Unicode Pad Express or xKeyboard?

Unicode Pad Express is rated higher. Unicode Pad Express averages 4.6 out of 5 from 121 ratings, while xKeyboard averages 3.2 from 181 ratings.

### Do Unicode Pad Express or xKeyboard have ads?

Neither Unicode Pad Express nor xKeyboard shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Unicode Pad Express or xKeyboard?

Unicode Pad Express ships an update every 7 months, and xKeyboard monthly. Most recently, Unicode Pad Express was updated on October 18, 2026 and xKeyboard on October 17, 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.*