# CharMap vs ℂKey

CharMap and ℂKey both sit at 4.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 86% of ℂKey's written reviews are positive against 53% of CharMap's. ℂKey also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 26.0). CharMap's advantage is ratings volume (52 vs 13). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

CharMap holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 52 and 13 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 53% of CharMap's written reviews are positive against 86% of ℂKey's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

CharMap ships an update every 5 months, ℂKey every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CharMap | ℂKey |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (52 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charmap-unicode-characters/id369798229/reviews)** | [3.8 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/key-customisable-keyboard/id1164224433/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **52** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | 53.0% of reviews | **85.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 22 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Conor Mulligan](https://appshunter.io/developer/347188860) | [Jamie Froggatt](https://appshunter.io/developer/933327498) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### ℂKey

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/key-customisable-keyboard/id1164224433)

Create and customize your own keyboard layouts with unique keys and multiple panes. Ideal for specialized typing needs like math, science, or unique character sets. Includes a Unicode character picker and editing tools.

**Highlights:** Create custom keyboard keys, Organize keys into multiple panes, Built-in Unicode character picker, Editable text view for testing, Pre-made layouts (QWERTY, Dvorak, Maths), Alternate key forms, Advanced key editing and batch operations

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CharMap free?

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

### Is ℂKey free?

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

### Which has better reviews, CharMap or ℂKey?

CharMap is rated higher. CharMap averages 4.0 out of 5 from 52 ratings, while ℂKey averages 3.8 from 13 ratings.

### Do CharMap or ℂKey have ads?

Neither CharMap nor ℂKey shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CharMap or ℂKey?

CharMap ships an update every 5 months, and ℂKey every 3 weeks. Most recently, CharMap was updated on October 8, 2026 and ℂKey on September 30, 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.*