# CharMap vs FontsX

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CharMap at none against FontsX's 2. FontsX's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 4 months) and rating (4.2 vs 4.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. FontsX sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. CharMap asks for nothing beyond the download.

FontsX holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 56 and 46 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of CharMap's written reviews are positive against 57% of FontsX's.

CharMap ships an update every 4 months, FontsX every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CharMap | FontsX |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (56 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charmap-unicode-characters/id369798229/reviews) | **[4.2 (46 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fontsx-light-iphone-keyboard/id1519657131/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **56** | 46 |
| Positive reviews | 53.0% of reviews | **57.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 28 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Conor Mulligan](https://appshunter.io/developer/347188860) | [科 曾](https://appshunter.io/developer/1322330151) |

## 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


### FontsX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fontsx-light-iphone-keyboard/id1519657131)

This keyboard app provides a variety of stylish fonts, emojis, and symbols to enhance your text directly within other applications. Create eye-catching bios, captions, and messages to express your unique style across social media and messaging platforms.

**Highlights:** Fancy text generation, Emoji and symbol integration, Direct typing in any app, Customizable bios and captions, Lightweight and simple interface

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FontsX Pro | $1.99 | per month |
| FontsX Pro | $12.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CharMap free?

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

### Is FontsX free?

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

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

FontsX is rated higher. CharMap averages 4.0 out of 5 from 56 ratings, while FontsX averages 4.2 from 46 ratings.

### Do CharMap or FontsX have ads?

Neither CharMap nor FontsX shows ads.

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

CharMap ships an update every 4 months, and FontsX every 6 weeks. Most recently, CharMap was updated on October 16, 2026 and FontsX on October 20, 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.*