# CharMap vs azooKey

The clearest difference is update cadence: azooKey at every 3 weeks against CharMap's every 4 months. azooKey also leads on review sentiment (71% vs 54%) and rating (4.2 vs 4.0). CharMap's advantage is ratings volume (57 vs 5). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

azooKey holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CharMap has 57 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of CharMap's written reviews are positive against 71% of azooKey's.

CharMap ships an update every 4 months, azooKey every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CharMap | azooKey |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (57 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charmap-unicode-characters/id369798229/reviews) | **[4.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/azookey-flex-japanese-input/id1542709230/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **57** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 53.7% of reviews | **71.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 28 MB | 179 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Conor Mulligan](https://appshunter.io/developer/347188860) | [Keita Miwa](https://appshunter.io/developer/1542709232) |

## 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


### azooKey

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/azookey-flex-japanese-input/id1542709230)

This app offers a highly customizable Japanese keyboard with advanced conversion and typing assistance. It features offline processing, user-defined layouts, and privacy-focused design. Enjoy effortless Japanese typing with personalized shortcuts and smooth cursor control.

**Highlights:** Neural kana-kanji conversion engine, Customizable key layouts and tabs, Live, real-time text conversion, Cursor movement and one-handed mode, Clipboard history and user dictionary support, Offline processing for privacy

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CharMap free?

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

### Is azooKey free?

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

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

azooKey is rated higher. CharMap averages 4.0 out of 5 from 57 ratings, while azooKey averages 4.2 from 5 ratings.

### Do CharMap or azooKey have ads?

Neither CharMap nor azooKey shows ads.

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

CharMap ships an update every 4 months, and azooKey every 3 weeks. Most recently, CharMap was updated on October 23, 2026 and azooKey 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.*