Comparison

MBraille vs HelpUSee

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

HelpUSee

This app uses offline AI to describe scenes, recognize clothing colors, and read text from images for users with vision impairments. It offers camera and text modes, hands-free operation, and integration with Siri for quick access. All features are available offline and are completely free to use.

Highlights
  • Offline AI scene description
  • Clothing color recognition
  • Text reading from images
  • Hands-free operation
  • Braille-like text reader
  • Siri integration
  • iPad support
Read full description

HelpUSee is an app built for people with vision impairments. We value privacy for our users, the app uses offline AI to describe scenes, recognize clothing colors, and read text from images. Once fully installed, it works entirely offline—no internet or cloud needed. Usage is unlimited and the app is entirely free. Key Features: 1. Camera Mode, tap once to get a description of what’s ahead 2. Continuous Selfie Mode, ideal for checking clothing color: • You can flip or reverse your phone (e.g. hang it upside down) for hands-free color checks. • This feature was inspired by a request from the developer’s mother. 3. Continuously search text, and speak words near your finger • If text appears in front of the camera, you will be alerted. • Point your finger at the text you want to read • Going a step further, you can take snapshots to get even more detailed information. • If a snap contains text, you'll be notified. Triple-tap to reveal all the text. • A long slide on the screen enters the Text Mode Reader. 4. Text mode reader, Designed like a Braille-display experience: • Long slide screen to enter this mode if snapshop have text. • Tap or slide your finger on the screen to read aloud the text (like touching Braille). • Double-tap reads an image description; triple-tap reads all text. • Use two fingers to zoom or pan the content. • Long slide again to exit this mode. 5. iPad Support, text mode reader works well on iPad by larger screen helps. • To have better experience, position your iPad on a stand like a book holder. 6. Receive Images from External Sources - Want to know photo on your phone? "Share" it to this app. - Want to check what's on your screen at any time? Even pictures sent by friends? • In the "Shortcurs app", press "+" to start creating a shortcut. • Search action "Take screenshot" and clicking "i" on right and add it as the first step. • Search action "HelpUSee", then pickup "Receive Image" by clicking "i" on right. • Also press "+Add" to add the second item, then LONG press "Choose" on right. • Pick up the first item "Select Variable", and click a middle icon "Screenshot" for input. • Rename top of screen as a "magic words" you like. • Call Siri and speak magic words, it will take snapshot anytime and ask this app to work. 7. Quick Access via Siri • In the "Shortcurs app", press "+" to start creating a shortcut. • Search action "HelpUSee", then pickup "Look at this" by clicking "i" on right. • Also press "+Add" to add the second item • Check top of screen and rename it as a "magic words" you like, or keep it as is. • Call Siri and speak your magic words, or say "Hi Siri, look at his" if you keep as is at last step. • The app will pop up, count down and take a snapshot, speak a description, and then close. • If you want to continue using it, touch to take another snapshot before closing. 8. Quick Close, flip the phone face down to close the app quickly. Setup & Device Requirements: * This app needs A14 Bionic chip above to process, that is iPhone 12 or newer. For iPad, that is iPad 10, iPad Air (4th) or newer. Thank you for sharing this app to your loved ones, I built this app out of love — to help my mother, and now, to help many more people around the world.

Screenshots

MBraille1 screens
HelpUSee4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HelpUSee at none against MBraille's 5. HelpUSee also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 70%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). MBraille's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). On price, ads 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. HelpUSee asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MBraille ships an update every 3 weeks, HelpUSee weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
MBraille versus HelpUSee: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMBrailleHelpUSee
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size123 MB1.2 GB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMPajaLi-Ren Lin

Customer experience

MBraille

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

HelpUSee

All ratings2 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

HelpUSee

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
None

HelpUSee

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MBraille free?
MBraille is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HelpUSee free?
HelpUSee is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do MBraille or HelpUSee have ads?
Neither MBraille nor HelpUSee shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MBraille or HelpUSee?
MBraille ships an update every 3 weeks, and HelpUSee weekly. Most recently, MBraille was updated on October 11, 2026 and HelpUSee on October 24, 2026.

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