Comparison

jKey vs BigKeys Large Key Keyboard

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

Head to head
About

jKey

Features
Read full description

Keys too small to hit? jKey replaces the tiny QWERTY grid with a few giant, high-contrast buttons. Tap a group, then your letter—or tap groups only and let jKey guess the word. Built for low vision, tremor and one-handed typing. Free to try; one-time Pro unlock; no subscription. HOW IT WORKS • The alphabet is split into five big groups. Tap a group and its letters open up, large and easy to hit. Tap your letter and you're back. • Cluster Only Mode skips choosing letters altogether: tap one group per letter and jKey offers the words that fit. Tap the one you meant. • The suggestion bar finishes the word you're typing and predicts the next one, and gets better at the word pairs you use. EASY TO SEE, EASY TO HIT • Four high-contrast themes, including yellow on black and black on yellow • Four text sizes, from Small to Extra Large • Big keys that suit tremor, limited dexterity and one-handed typing MADE FOR VOICEOVER • Every key is clearly labelled • Choose how keys respond: Standard, Touch Typing, or Direct Touch, where a single tap types • A guided, VoiceOver-friendly setup turns jKey on and lets you practice right in the app SAVE TYPING • Snippets type your name, email address or a common reply in one tap • My Words teaches jKey names and words it should suggest • Numbers, symbols and your favorite emoji are one tap away PRIVATE BY DESIGN Word suggestions come from a model built into the keyboard. Nothing you type leaves your iPhone or iPad, and there's no cloud or AI service involved. Full Access is optional: jKey only needs it for the Copy and Paste snippet commands. FREE AND PRO Everything you need to type is free, forever: both typing modes, word suggestions, My Words, every VoiceOver option, every high-contrast theme and every text size. Free includes 3 snippet categories of 3 snippets and 3 emoji groups. jKey Pro is a one-time purchase, not a subscription. It adds up to 6 snippet categories of 6 snippets, up to 6 emoji groups, custom keyboard colors, and Copy and Paste snippet commands. Pro works with Family Sharing, so one purchase covers your family. If you bought jKey before it became free, Pro is already yours. Requires iOS 18.2 or later. English only.

About

BigKeys Large Key Keyboard

This keyboard app features significantly larger keys and letters, designed to improve visibility for users with low vision. It employs a "hold and slide" typing method to prevent accidental presses and ensure accurate character selection.

Highlights
  • Larger keys
  • Larger letters
  • Hold and slide typing
  • Improved visibility
  • Customizable layout
Features
Read full description

Big, easy-to-read keys for seniors and anyone with low vision. Type in Messages, Mail and every other app with fewer typos. PAY ONCE One purchase, and BigKeys is yours. No subscription, no advertising, and nothing held back behind a later purchase — every feature on this page is included. MUCH BIGGER KEYS Each row of the usual keyboard is split across two rows, so every key is roughly twice as wide. The letters grow with them. Four sizes, from Medium up to about three times the standard key. MORE OF YOUR SCREEN, SAME BIG KEYS Turn on the thin strip above the keys and the keyboard takes less of the screen, while every key stays exactly as big. BIG EMOJI Tap the smiley key next to 123 for the iPhone's own emoji, as big as the keys. The ones you sent last come first. SEE THE KEY BEFORE YOU COMMIT Nothing is typed when you touch a key. Hold your finger down and the letter appears above it, very large. If it is the wrong one, slide to the right one and let go. Only then is it typed. COLOURS THAT WORK FOR YOUR EYES Yellow on black, white on black, black on yellow, black on white, or matching your iPhone's light and dark mode. If bright screens are painful, the dark themes are not a novelty — they are the point. HEAR WHAT YOU TYPE BigKeys can speak each key as your finger passes over it, and each word as you finish it. It works alongside VoiceOver rather than talking over it. WORD SUGGESTIONS Suggestions appear in large type as you type, and BigKeys learns the words you use most. All of it happens on your iPhone. TEN LANGUAGES, ONE KEYBOARD English, Hebrew, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian and Arabic — including right-to-left. Add it once and switch between them from the keyboard. NOTHING LEAVES YOUR IPHONE BigKeys never asks for "Allow Full Access". You can check: Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > BigKeys. There is no such switch. Without it iOS will not let a keyboard reach the network at all, so nothing you type can go anywhere. BEFORE YOU BUY iOS never allows any third-party keyboard into a password field. Apple's own keyboard appears instead. This is true of every keyboard app on the App Store and cannot be changed. Setting BigKeys up takes about a minute. The app walks you through it one step at a time, in large print, and tells you when it is working.

Screenshots

jKey4 screens
BigKeys Large Key Keyboard4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: jKey at Free against BigKeys Large Key Keyboard's $5.99. BigKeys Large Key Keyboard's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and update cadence (daily vs every 2 weeks). On 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

jKey is free to download; BigKeys Large Key Keyboard costs $5.99 up front. jKey sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. BigKeys Large Key Keyboard asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

jKey ships an update every 2 weeks, BigKeys Large Key Keyboard daily. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
jKey versus BigKeys Large Key Keyboard: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterjKeyBigKeys Large Key Keyboard
PriceFree — better$5.99
Rating—2.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Paid
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.216.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB7 MB
Age rating4++4
DeveloperDoxie Media LLCTzahi Bergman

In-app purchases

5 purchases

jKey

One-time5
  • Small Tip$1.99
  • jKey pro$4.99
  • Medium Tip$4.99
Show 2 more
  • jKey Pro$4.99
  • Large Tip$9.99
None

BigKeys Large Key Keyboard

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is jKey free?
jKey is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is BigKeys Large Key Keyboard free?
BigKeys Large Key Keyboard costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do jKey or BigKeys Large Key Keyboard have ads?
Neither jKey nor BigKeys Large Key Keyboard shows ads.
Which is updated more often, jKey or BigKeys Large Key Keyboard?
jKey ships an update every 2 weeks, and BigKeys Large Key Keyboard daily. Most recently, jKey was updated on October 26, 2026 and BigKeys Large Key Keyboard on October 31, 2026.

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