Unicode Pad Express vs Symbol 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
Read full descriptionHide full description
It is a simpler, free version of a more fully featured Unicode Pad Pro app.
Symbol Keyboard
Access hundreds of special characters and symbols for use in any application. Simply tap a character to copy it to your clipboard, then paste it into your desired app.
- Hundreds of special characters
- Unicode symbols
- One-tap copy to clipboard
- Paste into any app
- Quick access
Read full descriptionHide full description
Character Pad gives you quick access to hundreds of beautiful and useful special characters. Simply tap on a character to copy it to clipboard, open any other app, and paste it.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Unicode Pad Express at none against Symbol Keyboard's shown. Unicode Pad Express also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and iOS requirement (12.4 vs 15.0). Symbol Keyboard's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 7 months) and review sentiment (84% vs 63%). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Unicode Pad Express against 4.7 for Symbol Keyboard. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Symbol Keyboard has 3.2K ratings behind it against 121, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of Unicode Pad Express's written reviews are positive against 84% of Symbol Keyboard's.
Unicode Pad Express ships an update every 7 months, Symbol Keyboard every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Unicode Pad Express | Symbol Keyboard |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (121 ratings) | 4.7 (3.2K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 62.8% of reviews | 83.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 121 | 3.2K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.4 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 51 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ziga Kranjec | ShuMei Liang |
Customer experience
Unicode Pad Express
Symbol 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
Symbol Keyboard
From 3.2K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💎 Wide range of symbols
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🆓 Free app with no subscription
- 📚 Comprehensive symbol library
- 🗂️ Ability to organize symbols
Room to improve
- 🔍 Difficult to find specific symbols
- 🧭 Unintuitive category organization
- 🚫 Ads interrupt usage
- 🔀 Keyboard integration issues
- 🔍 Lacking search functionality
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
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- 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
Symbol Keyboard
Reported bugs
2 issues- Crashes when opening the app
- Keyboard fails to switch back to default
Requested features
4 requests- Add preset symbol organization (e.g. A-Z)
- Implement settings menu (dark mode, custom folders)
- Integrate keyboard with system for easier access
- Improve search to find symbols quickly
In-app purchases
Unicode Pad Express
No in-app purchases
Symbol Keyboard
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Unicode Pad Express free?
Is Symbol Keyboard free?
Which has better reviews, Unicode Pad Express or Symbol Keyboard?
Do Unicode Pad Express or Symbol Keyboard have ads?
Which is updated more often, Unicode Pad Express or Symbol Keyboard?
Other comparisons
