# Unicode viewer vs Symbol Keyboard

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Symbol Keyboard at 84% against Unicode viewer's 33%. Symbol Keyboard also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.0) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 12 months). Unicode viewer's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Symbol Keyboard holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Symbol Keyboard has 3.1K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Unicode viewer's written reviews are positive against 84% of Symbol Keyboard's.

Unicode viewer ships an update every 12 months, Symbol Keyboard every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Unicode viewer | Symbol Keyboard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unicode-viewer/id430174933/reviews) | **[4.7 (3.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/symbol-keyboard-character-pad/id811743313/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **3.1K** |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | **83.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 2 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [amtb fate](https://appshunter.io/developer/430174936) | [ShuMei Liang](https://appshunter.io/developer/811743316) |

## What reviewers say

### Unicode viewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unicode-viewer/id430174933)

Explore the full range of Unicode characters from U+0000 to U+FFFF. This utility app provides a simple interface to view and understand various characters.

**Highlights:** View Unicode characters, Supports U+0000 to U+FFFF range, Simple interface, Character exploration

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Symbol Keyboard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/symbol-keyboard-character-pad/id811743313)

Access hundreds of special characters and symbols for use in any application. Simply tap a character to copy it to your clipboard, then paste it into your desired app.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of special characters, Unicode symbols, One-tap copy to clipboard, Paste into any app, Quick access

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💎 Wide range of symbols
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🆓 Free app with no subscription
- 📚 Comprehensive symbol library
- 🗂️ Ability to organize symbols

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Difficult to find specific symbols
- 🧭 Unintuitive category organization
- 🚫 Ads interrupt usage
- 🔀 Keyboard integration issues
- 🔍 Lacking search functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when opening the app
- Keyboard fails to switch back to default

**Requested features**

- Add preset symbol organization (e.g. A-Z)
- Implement settings menu (dark mode, custom folders)
- Integrate keyboard with system for easier access
- Improve search to find symbols quickly


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Unicode viewer free?

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

### Is Symbol Keyboard free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Unicode viewer or Symbol Keyboard?

Symbol Keyboard is rated higher. Unicode viewer averages 3.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Symbol Keyboard averages 4.7 from 3.1K ratings.

### Do Unicode viewer or Symbol Keyboard have ads?

Symbol Keyboard shows ads; Unicode viewer does not.

### Which is updated more often, Unicode viewer or Symbol Keyboard?

Unicode viewer ships an update every 12 months, and Symbol Keyboard every 10 days. Most recently, Unicode viewer was updated on October 6, 2026 and Symbol Keyboard on October 17, 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.*