# 12 WhiteBoards vs Simeji

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: 12 WhiteBoards at none against Simeji's 19. 12 WhiteBoards also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 64%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Simeji's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 16 months) and ratings volume (1.2K vs 129). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Simeji sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. 12 WhiteBoards asks for nothing beyond the download.

Simeji holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simeji has 1.2K ratings behind it against 129, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 82% of 12 WhiteBoards's written reviews are positive against 64% of Simeji's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

12 WhiteBoards ships an update every 16 months, Simeji every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | 12 WhiteBoards | Simeji |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (129 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/12-whiteboards/id604395964/reviews) | **[4.6 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simeji/id899997582/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 129 | **1.2K** |
| Positive reviews | **81.7% of reviews** | 64.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 16 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 5 MB | 193 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [hideko ogawa](https://appshunter.io/developer/412806000) | [Baidu Japan Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/382165332) |

## What reviewers say

### 12 WhiteBoards

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/12-whiteboards/id604395964)

This application provides a digital canvas with 12 distinct drawing boards for sketching and note-taking. Users can customize pen size and color, add shapes, and export high-resolution images with transparent backgrounds.

**Highlights:** 12 drawing boards, Customizable pen size and color, Add shapes like hearts and stars, High-resolution image export, Transparent background export

**In-app purchases:** none


### Simeji

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simeji/id899997582)

This keyboard app offers a customizable Japanese input experience with a vast library of emoticons, emoji, and stickers. It features a cloud-based dictionary for up-to-date slang and phrases, along with options to personalize your keyboard's appearance. Advanced users can enjoy VIP features like OCR and unlimited theme customization.

**Highlights:** Skinnable keyboard with custom wallpapers and themes, Extensive emoticon and emoji library with rankings, Cloud-based dictionary with 2M entries, Preset and user-shared phrases, Popular Simeji stickers, VIP exclusive themes and custom parts, OCR function for text conversion

**Features:** Safari Extension, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (18)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 月間会員 | $1.99 | per month |
| Simeji月間 VIP | $2.99 | per month |
| Simeji 月間VIP | $2.99 | per month |
| Simeji VIP Lv1 1ヶ月コース（初月半額） | $2.99 | per month |
| 月額会員 | $3.49 | per month |
| プレミアムサービス | $9.99 | per 6 months |
| Simeji VIP | $15.99 | per year |
| 年間会員 | $21.99 | per year |
| Simeji VIP年間会員 | $30.99 | per year |
| Simeji VIP Lv2 年間コース | $199.99 | per year |
| ガーリーうさぎ | $1.99 | one-time |
| クールブルー | $1.99 | one-time |
| ゆめかわユニコーン | $1.99 | one-time |
| ユリ | $1.99 | one-time |
| クラシックピアノ | $1.99 | one-time |
| きらきらジュエリー　シルバー | $1.99 | one-time |
| 白薔薇切り絵 | $1.99 | one-time |
| 有料 まふまふきせかえ | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 No ads for keyboard
- 👍 More keyboards than Facemoji
- 👍 Easy to switch between English and Japanese
- 👍 Includes kaomojis and GIFs
- 👍 Cute/better-looking keyboards

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🌐 Only available in Japanese
- 🤖 Uses AI that is destroying artists' careers

**Reported bugs**

- Keyboard keeps asking for full access
- Saved emojis/emoticons disappear
- Intrusive popup ads

**Requested features**

- Add English language support
- Improve QWERTY keyboard layout
- Add auto-capitalization feature
- Introduce simplified and traditional Chinese keyboards


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 12 WhiteBoards free?

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

### Is Simeji free?

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

### Which has better reviews, 12 WhiteBoards or Simeji?

Simeji is rated higher. 12 WhiteBoards averages 4.4 out of 5 from 129 ratings, while Simeji averages 4.6 from 1.2K ratings.

### Do 12 WhiteBoards or Simeji have ads?

Both 12 WhiteBoards and Simeji show ads.

### Which is updated more often, 12 WhiteBoards or Simeji?

12 WhiteBoards ships an update every 16 months, and Simeji every 2 weeks. Most recently, 12 WhiteBoards was updated on October 29, 2026 and Simeji on October 29, 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.*