Comparison

MBraille vs Pikunoki

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

MBraille

This app provides a mobile braille keyboard for typing, editing, and sending messages. It offers extensive braille support for various languages and allows interaction with other applications, making mobile devices more accessible.

Highlights
  • Mobile braille keyboard
  • Type, edit, and send messages
  • Support for contracted and uncontracted braille
  • Call contacts and send emails
  • Facebook status updates and calendar entries
  • Internet search queries
  • Third-party application interaction
Features
Read full description

MBraille: Braille-First Notetaker for iPhone and iPad MBraille turns your iPhone or iPad into a braille-first workspace for writing, editing, and everyday tasks. More than a keyboard, it combines fast touchscreen braille entry with navigation, editing, commands, and file tools for users who want an efficient eyes-free workflow. Write with a customizable 6-dot layout, hear immediate speech feedback, and control the app with short gestures. MBraille supports both contracted and uncontracted braille in many languages, so you can work the way you already know. Key features: - Fast touchscreen braille input with customizable dot positions - Designed for VoiceOver and supports self-voicing when VoiceOver is off - Rich editing with cursor movement, read-back, selection, copy, cut, paste, undo, erase, and search - Notes, saved files, bookmarks, command history, and quick navigation - Command mode for messages, phone calls, email, calendar events, web search, opening apps, file management, and help - On-device voice dictation - Aliases and gesture bindings for repeated phrases and frequent commands - Cloud sync for MBraille files with Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive - One-handed mode and external keyboard support - Speech feedback by character, word, sentence, and more MBraille is built for real daily use: taking notes, writing messages, managing files, launching actions, and staying in braille from start to finish. If you want a braille-first notetaker and Swiss army knife for iPhone or iPad, MBraille gives you speed, control, and flexibility in one app. EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Pikunoki

Create pixel art with a variety of tools, including basic pencils, erasers, and layers. Select colors from presets and utilize undo/redo functions. Optimized for iPad and Apple Pencil.

Highlights
  • Pixel painting
  • Layers support
  • Basic pencil and eraser tools
  • Color selection with presets
  • Undo and redo functionality
  • Optimized for Apple Pencil
Features
Read full description

Pikunoki is a pixel art creation app for iPhone and iPad. With simple, intuitive controls, you can draw pixel art, work with layers, and create animations. Pikunoki also supports Apple Pencil, making it especially comfortable to use on iPad. The app includes useful tools for pixel art creation, such as a pen, eraser, fill tool, move tool, rectangular selection tool, and eyedropper. Choose colors, stack layers, move parts of your artwork, and build detailed pixel illustrations one dot at a time. Pikunoki also supports frame-by-frame animation. You can add, duplicate, reorder, and delete frames, preview your animation, use onion skinning, adjust the frame duration, and export your animation as a GIF. You can import photos and images as new pixel art layers, and share your finished artwork as a PNG image. Pikunoki is designed for anyone who wants to enjoy drawing pixel art, from quick sketches to more detailed layered artwork and animations. If you have feedback or feature requests, feel free to contact us through a review or by email. Email: pikunoki@koukilab.com

Screenshots

MBraille1 screens
Pikunoki4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pikunoki at 100% against MBraille's 70%. Pikunoki also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). MBraille's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 27.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. MBraille sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Pikunoki sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MBraille ships an update every 3 weeks, Pikunoki every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
MBraille versus Pikunoki: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMBraillePikunoki
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.6 — better27.0
Further details — not scored
Size123 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMPajaKouki Saito

Customer experience

MBraille

Written reviews60 reviews
Positive70.0%
Neutral3.3%
Negative26.7%

Pikunoki

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

MBraille

Reported bugs

25 issues
  • Subscription prompt for full version owners after update
  • App not working smoothly since iOS 26 update
  • Restore purchase not finding previous full version purchases
  • Multiple exclamation marks problem
  • Third-party MBraille Keyboard from within apps not working
Show 20 more
  • App no longer speaks after iOS 13.1 update
  • Typing not recognized correctly
  • Help function links not working
  • Cannot use delete whole word gesture
  • Standard virtual keyboard impossible to find in other apps
  • Three finger swipe gesture inconsistent
  • Clipboard functions hit and miss
  • Self-voicing mode has erratic touch behavior
  • App doesn't always recognize all fingers on screen
  • Fixed position of dots requires finger adjustment
  • Cannot correctly translate inputted braille to print
  • Does not use iOS braille tables
  • Clipboard is very difficult to clear
  • Feature that sends text directly from mBraille is inconsistent
  • Erratic touch behavior with VoiceOver on iOS 7
  • App not working at all
  • Black screen with white dots along the edge, no response
  • Not working for some users
  • Cannot use 6 dots to write 'for'
  • Accidental tapping on banner when notification comes through

Requested features

14 requests
  • Bring back working third-party MBraille Keyboard from within apps
  • Fix multiple exclamation marks problem
  • Lower the full price to about five dollars at the maximum
  • Fix beeps to clicks for key presses
  • Add sound similar to brailler embossing head for blank line command
Show 9 more
  • Add a gesture to send messages
  • Improve iPad support
  • Expand to a fully integrated notetaker
  • Implement braille properly on iPhone (developer suggestion)
  • Add switchable keyboard orientations to iPad version
  • Improve clipboard clearing functionality
  • Implement more braille contractions
  • Fix issues with pasting text to other apps
  • Make the feature that sends text directly from mBraille consistent

Pikunoki

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

MBraille

Subscriptions2
  • MBraille Monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • MBraille Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time3
  • MBraille Keyboard$9.99
  • MBraille Documents and Keyboard$14.99
  • MBraille Full Version$39.99
2 purchases

Pikunoki

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Pro yearly$16.991 Year

Questions

Is MBraille free?
MBraille is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pikunoki free?
Pikunoki is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do MBraille or Pikunoki have ads?
Neither MBraille nor Pikunoki shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MBraille or Pikunoki?
MBraille ships an update every 3 weeks, and Pikunoki every 6 weeks. Most recently, MBraille was updated on November 1, 2026 and Pikunoki on October 18, 2026.

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