Tengwar Messaging vs Exploring Tolkien
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Tengwar Messaging
Type messages using the elegant Tengwar script with a custom iOS keyboard. It offers a familiar QWERTY layout and a built-in transliteration tool. Messages can be sent via iMessage, displaying correctly for all recipients.
- Type in Tengwar script
- Familiar QWERTY layout
- Built-in transliteration tool
- iMessage extension for universal display
- Install Tengwar fonts on device
Read full descriptionHide full description
Type in the beautiful Tengwar script with this custom iOS keyboard and messaging app. Tengwar Keyboard lets you: • Type in the elegant Elvish-inspired script • Use a familiar QWERTY layout that's easy to learn • See both Latin and Tengwar characters on each key • Send messages that display as Tengwar to all your friends via iMessage - even if they don't have the app! • Convert regular text to Tengwar script with the built-in transliteration tool • Install the included Tengwar fonts on your device for viewing Tengwar text in other apps Perfect for fantasy language enthusiasts who want to write messages, notes, and social media posts in this beautiful script! PLEASE NOTE: Text written with this keyboard will only display as Tengwar for people who have a compatible Tengwar font installed on their device if sent directly. Otherwise, they will see "boxes" or other placeholder characters. However, the iMessage extension sends images that display correctly for everyone!
Exploring Tolkien
Dive deep into J.R.R. Tolkien's works with this comprehensive companion app. Access podcast episodes, news, videos, and exclusive member content. Engage with a dedicated community of fans and explore Middle-earth chapter by chapter.
- Podcast episodes (audio/video)
- Offline downloads
- Background playback
- Push notifications
- Tolkien news updates
- YouTube video integration
- AI Middle-earth portraits (members)
Read full descriptionHide full description
Exploring Tolkien is the app for serious Tolkien fans from the team at TheOneRing.com and the popular Exploring Tolkien podcast. Hosts Jonathan Watson and Michael Grumbine read through The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, and every Age of Middle-earth, chapter by chapter. We read closely, we read slowly, and we take the long road through Tolkien's works. WHAT'S INSIDE • Every episode of Exploring Tolkien, in audio or video (including offline downloads, background playback, and a sleep timer) • Notifications for new episodes and breaking Tolkien news • Tolkien news from TheOneRing.com: films, casting, books, products, and the conversations that follow • Today in Tolkien: every important date in Middle-earth and in Tolkien's life • Every video from our YouTube channel, in one place • Rank up with every episode you finish • A full iPad layout, too TRIVIA AND MONTHLY SWEEPSTAKES Test your Tolkien lore with new trivia quizzes: five questions, 20 seconds each, with bonus points for quick answers. Climb the weekly and all-time leaderboards. Every quiz you play earns you an entry into our monthly sweepstakes, up to five entries a month. Trivia is free for everyone, and membership gives no entry advantage. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal U.S. residents 18 and older. Void where prohibited. Official rules: https://www.theonering.com/giveaway-rules/ Apple is not a sponsor of the sweepstakes and is not involved in any way. MEMBERSHIP: $4.99/MONTH For our most dedicated listeners, an Exploring Tolkien Membership unlocks: • Extended episodes: the full discussion of every episode, in audio or video • Monthly live video chats with Jonathan and Michael • Middle-earth Portraits: create your own AI portrait in the style of Tolkien's world • Your Middle-earth alliance: Rohan, Gondor, the Shire, the House of Fingolfin, and more Cancel anytime from your iPhone or iPad Settings. ABOUT THE COMMUNITY TheOneRing.com has been home to Tolkien fans since 1999, one of the longest-running Tolkien communities on the internet. From Peter Jackson's films to Amazon's The Rings of Power, and everything in between, we've covered it all. Whether you're reading The Silmarillion for the tenth time or following Bilbo out of the Shire for the first, there's a chair at our table. — Subscriptions auto-renew at $4.99/month unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Manage or cancel anytime in Settings → [your name] → Subscriptions. Privacy Policy: https://www.theonering.com/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Exploring Tolkien at 100% against Tengwar Messaging's 0%. Exploring Tolkien also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.0) and ratings volume (5 vs 1). Tengwar Messaging's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. Exploring Tolkien sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Tengwar Messaging asks for nothing beyond the download.
Exploring Tolkien holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Exploring Tolkien has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Tengwar Messaging's written reviews are positive against 100% of Exploring Tolkien's.
| Parameter | Tengwar Messaging | Exploring Tolkien |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 5 — better |
| Update frequency | — | Every 9 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.4 | 18.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 38 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Melissa Benua | Jonathan Watson |
Customer experience
Tengwar Messaging
Exploring Tolkien
In-app purchases
Tengwar Messaging
No in-app purchases
Exploring Tolkien
- Exploring Tolkien Membership$4.991 Month
Questions
Is Tengwar Messaging free?
Is Exploring Tolkien free?
Which has better reviews, Tengwar Messaging or Exploring Tolkien?
Do Tengwar Messaging or Exploring Tolkien have ads?
Other comparisons















