Caret Editor vs hot.keys
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Caret Editor
An AI-powered code editor designed for mobile devices. Write and edit code on your iPhone with intelligent assistance.
- AI-powered coding assistance
- Mobile code editing
- Runs on iPhone
- Vibe code anywhere
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An AI powered code editor that runs on your iPhone.
hot.keys
Enhance your mobile typing experience with a specialized keyboard designed for developers and content creators. It provides quick access to essential symbols, a dedicated number row, and navigation keys to streamline coding and writing.
- Always-on number row
- Dedicated symbol strip
- Left/right arrows and tab
- Backspace repeat on hold
- Live shift/caps labels
- Offline-first data collection
- Typing practice drills
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hot.keys brings a desktop-style keyboard to iPhone and iPad for code, Markdown, JSON, XML, and structured prompts. Keep numbers and common symbols visible while you type. KEYS WITHIN REACH • Always-visible numbers and quick access to brackets, braces, angle brackets, and other common symbols. • Larger letter keys in iPhone portrait mode. • Optional Left, Right, and Full Width positioning on wide layouts, with tap controls to switch sides or expand. • Left and right arrows for moving the cursor. • Tab inserts spaces, with a configurable indent size. • Hold Delete to keep deleting. • Tap Shift for a capital, hold Shift while typing, or slide from Shift to a letter. • A dedicated Caps Lock key and optional keypress haptics. TRY THE KEYBOARD Practice with 30-second typing drills in Easy, Medium, and Hard modes. See your words per minute, characters per minute, accuracy, and errors, then try again. OFFLINE AND PRIVATE No account is needed. hot.keys does not collect or transmit what you type. Core typing works without Full Access. Full Access is required to save and synchronize keyboard settings, including your preferred keyboard position. Without Full Access, position changes apply to the current keyboard instance. GET STARTED Add hot.keys in Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard. Then use the globe key in a text field to switch to hot.keys.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Caret Editor at 5.0 against hot.keys's 4.0. hot.keys's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 months). 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
Both are free to download. Caret Editor sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. hot.keys asks for nothing beyond the download.
Caret Editor holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 4 respectively.
Caret Editor ships an update every 3 months, hot.keys every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.
| Parameter | Caret Editor | hot.keys |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 4.0 (4 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 4 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 24 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Caleb Ouellette | Ting-Chun Matthew Man |
In-app purchases
Caret Editor
- 500 Credits$4.99
hot.keys
No in-app purchases
