# Unicode Pad vs Symbol Keypad for Texting

The clearest difference is price: Symbol Keypad for Texting at Free against Unicode Pad's $2.99. Symbol Keypad for Texting also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.5) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 8). Unicode Pad's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On review sentiment, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Symbol Keypad for Texting is free to download; Unicode Pad costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Symbol Keypad for Texting holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Symbol Keypad for Texting has 1.5K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of Unicode Pad's written reviews are positive against 81% of Symbol Keypad for Texting's.

Unicode Pad ships an update every 3 months, Symbol Keypad for Texting fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Unicode Pad | Symbol Keypad for Texting |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.5 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unicode-pad/id374098312/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/symbol-keypad-for-texting/id975780487/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **1.5K** |
| Positive reviews | 73.7% of reviews | **80.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 140 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ziga Kranjec](https://appshunter.io/developer/368394743) | [山 钟](https://appshunter.io/developer/842459640) |

## What reviewers say

### Unicode Pad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unicode-pad/id374098312)

Access and copy thousands of Unicode characters to use in any app. Create custom keyboards for frequently used symbols and share them with friends. Search characters by name, codepoint, or glyph, and view detailed descriptions.

**Highlights:** Copy characters to clipboard, Customizable keyboards, Share custom keyboards, Search characters by name/codepoint/glyph, View extended character descriptions, Thousands of symbols available

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Comprehensive symbol catalog
- 💡 Customizable keyboards
- 🚀 Easy to use interface
- 🔍 Powerful search functionality
- 🌟 Useful for nicknames and special characters

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 📦 Some characters display as boxes
- 🐌 Laggy scrolling and slow loading
- 🖱️ Manual copy-pasting required
- ⌨️ Limited keyboard space for custom keyboards

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when selecting notepad
- App crashes on startup
- Scrolling is laggy
- Custom keyboards take time to load
- Characters not appearing on keyboard after adding

**Requested features**

- Ability to add keyboards to other apps
- More space for custom keyboards
- Integration with iOS keyboard
- Add backspace/delete/return keys to custom keyboards
- Ability to rearrange keys on custom keyboards


### Symbol Keypad for Texting

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/symbol-keypad-for-texting/id975780487)

Easily insert a vast array of Unicode symbols and characters into your text messages and other applications. Explore thousands of symbols to express your information uniquely and enhance your communication.

**Highlights:** Access over 50,000 Unicode characters, Thousands of unique symbols available, Insert symbols into texts and other apps, Express information uniquely, Enhance communication with special characters

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for its niche
- 👍 Convenient and useful
- 👍 Lots of symbols to choose from
- 👍 Easy to use and set up
- 👍 Helpful for gaming and messaging

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Search and navigation issues
- 🐛 Compatibility problems with new iOS updates
- 🐛 Unintuitive interface
- 🐛 Missing common symbols
- 🔋 Ads can be intrusive

**Reported bugs**

- Keyboard not showing up properly on iPad
- Favorites and history not syncing correctly
- Some symbols not displaying correctly after iOS updates

**Requested features**

- Add more symbols, especially common fractions and Egyptian hieroglyphics
- Improve search functionality and navigation
- Add iPad support and optimize the UI for larger screens
- Allow customization of favorite symbols and their placement
- Provide an option to disable the dark mode


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Unicode Pad free?

Unicode Pad costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Symbol Keypad for Texting free?

Symbol Keypad for Texting is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Unicode Pad or Symbol Keypad for Texting?

Symbol Keypad for Texting is rated higher. Unicode Pad averages 3.5 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Symbol Keypad for Texting averages 4.7 from 1.5K ratings.

### Do Unicode Pad or Symbol Keypad for Texting have ads?

Symbol Keypad for Texting shows ads; Unicode Pad does not.

### Which is updated more often, Unicode Pad or Symbol Keypad for Texting?

Unicode Pad ships an update every 3 months, and Symbol Keypad for Texting fortnightly. Most recently, Unicode Pad was updated on September 29, 2026 and Symbol Keypad for Texting on September 19, 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.*