# Unicode Pad Express vs CharMap

The clearest difference is rating: Unicode Pad Express at 4.6 against CharMap's 4.0. Unicode Pad Express also leads on review sentiment (63% vs 53%) and iOS requirement (12.4 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

Unicode Pad Express holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 121 and 56 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of Unicode Pad Express's written reviews are positive against 53% of CharMap's.

Unicode Pad Express ships an update every 7 months, CharMap every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Unicode Pad Express | CharMap |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (121 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unicode-pad-express/id368394740/reviews)** | [4.0 (56 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charmap-unicode-characters/id369798229/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **121** | 56 |
| Positive reviews | **62.8% of reviews** | 53.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 51 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.4** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ziga Kranjec](https://appshunter.io/developer/368394743) | [Conor Mulligan](https://appshunter.io/developer/347188860) |

## 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


### CharMap

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charmap-unicode-characters/id369798229)

Explore and manage Unicode characters with this utility. Organize favorites, view details, and copy characters to your clipboard. Use the custom keyboard to insert them anywhere and sync collections across devices.

**Highlights:** Browse curated character categories, Organize favorite characters, View character details and copy to clipboard, Insert characters with custom keyboard, Discover characters and blocks, Sync collections across devices, Preview system fonts

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Genuinely amazing for needs
- 💡 Custom keyboards brilliant
- 💯 Has every Unicode
- ✨ Very impressive
- 👍 Great for computer science

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❌ No return/enter key
- ❓ Feature not obvious
- ⚠️ Characters omitted in other apps
- ⚪ Keyboard looks like white rectangle
- 😵 UI is ugly and old

**Reported bugs**

- Characters omitted in other apps
- Keyboard looks like white rectangle in some apps
- Private Use Area characters not shown
- Collections feature quit working
- App crashes every time it's opened

**Requested features**

- Add return/enter key
- Batch add characters to collections
- Multi-font support
- Unicode 18.0 support
- Add Unicode 17.0


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Unicode Pad Express free?

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

### Is CharMap free?

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

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

Unicode Pad Express is rated higher. Unicode Pad Express averages 4.6 out of 5 from 121 ratings, while CharMap averages 4.0 from 56 ratings.

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

Neither Unicode Pad Express nor CharMap shows ads.

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

Unicode Pad Express ships an update every 7 months, and CharMap every 4 months. Most recently, Unicode Pad Express was updated on October 18, 2026 and CharMap on October 16, 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.*