# CharMap vs Keybuild

The clearest difference is price: CharMap at Free against Keybuild's $3.99. Keybuild's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months) and review sentiment (73% vs 53%). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

CharMap is free to download; Keybuild costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Keybuild holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 52 and 45 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of CharMap's written reviews are positive against 73% of Keybuild's.

CharMap ships an update every 5 months, Keybuild fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CharMap | Keybuild |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | [4.0 (52 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charmap-unicode-characters/id369798229/reviews) | **[4.2 (45 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/keybuild/id1547174534/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **52** | 45 |
| Positive reviews | 53.0% of reviews | **72.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 22 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.0** |
| 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


### Keybuild

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/keybuild/id1547174534)

Design and customize your own touchscreen keyboard. Choose layouts, assign custom functions to keys, and organize them into multiple panes for easy switching. Tailor your keyboard for specific tasks or personal preferences.

**Highlights:** Customizable keyboard layouts, Assign custom text/symbols to keys, Support for letters, symbols, and emoji, Multiple keyboard panes, Stack-based layout system, Layout options like Qwerty, Azerty, Colemak, VoiceOver support

**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 Keybuild free?

Keybuild costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

Keybuild is rated higher. CharMap averages 4.0 out of 5 from 52 ratings, while Keybuild averages 4.2 from 45 ratings.

### Do CharMap or Keybuild have ads?

Neither CharMap nor Keybuild shows ads.

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

CharMap ships an update every 5 months, and Keybuild fortnightly. Most recently, CharMap was updated on September 28, 2026 and Keybuild 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.*