KotoKey vs ARC Type Keyboard
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
KotoKey
Personalize your typing experience with custom themes and satisfying mechanical keyboard sounds. This utility app offers predictive suggestions and text replacements for faster input, making every keystroke feel more comfortable and unique.
- Mechanical keyboard sound effects
- Customizable keyboard themes
- Predictive text suggestions
- Text replacement for phrases
- Auto Shift and Smart Apostrophe
- English QWERTY and Japanese input
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KotoKey is a custom keyboard app that brings the look and sound of a physical keyboard to your iPhone. Make everyday typing feel more satisfying. Customize your keyboard with themes and typing sounds, and enjoy a typing experience that feels more personal and comfortable. Enjoy tapping keys on your Home Screen, too. Customize your widgets with your favorite keycap designs, labels, sounds, and layouts. Main features • Keyboard themes inspired by physical keyboards • Typing sounds you can choose to match your mood • Customizable Home Screen widgets with tappable keycaps and typing sounds • English QWERTY and flick input • Japanese flick and romaji input • Predictive suggestions for smoother input • Text Replacements for words and phrases you use often • Auto Shift, Double-Space Period, and Smart Apostrophe Save frequently used words, email addresses, and phrases as Text Replacements, then enter them faster whenever you type. Your input is processed on your device, and the basic keyboard features work without Full Access. Enjoy satisfying keyboard sounds with KotoKey, both while typing and on your Home Screen.
ARC Type Keyboard
Experience a faster, simpler typing method with a unique six-key layout. This keyboard offers on-device word predictions, auto-punctuation, and multiple language support. Customize its appearance and enjoy a privacy-focused design.
- Six-key ARC typing layout
- ABC grid mode
- Numbers and symbols view with calculator
- On-device word predictions
- Auto punctuation
- Multiple language support
- Customizable appearance
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ARC Type is a fast, private productivity keyboard designed to make everyday typing feel effortless. Built around on-device intelligence, ARC Type helps you write faster with smart word prediction, automatic punctuation, multilingual typing and useful productivity tools — all inside a clean, simple keyboard. POWERED BY NANOLM ARC Type uses NanoLM, our lightweight language prediction system designed specifically for fast on-device typing. Instead of relying on cloud processing, NanoLM analyzes language locally to surface words that naturally fit what you're writing. FAST ON-DEVICE WORD PREDICTION Get useful suggestions as you type without interrupting your flow. ARC Type is designed to anticipate the words that naturally come next, helping you finish sentences with fewer keystrokes. ULTRA PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your keyboard should be one of the most private parts of your phone. ARC Type is built around on-device processing, keeping its core typing intelligence local rather than sending your writing to a remote AI service. MULTILINGUAL TYPING Write naturally across: • English • Spanish • French • German • Italian ARC Type can adapt as you type, making multilingual conversations faster and easier. AUTOMATIC PUNCTUATION Spend less time switching between keyboard layouts. ARC Type helps insert punctuation naturally so you can stay focused on what you're writing. A KEYBOARD THAT FITS YOU Adjust the keyboard to better fit your hands and the way you type. Whether you're typing with one hand or two, ARC Type is designed to make reaching every key more comfortable. BUILT-IN CALCULATOR Access a powerful calculator directly from your keyboard without constantly switching apps. Perfect for quick calculations while messaging, working, shopping or taking notes. ULTIMATE PRODUCTIVITY TOOL ARC Type brings prediction, multilingual typing, punctuation, customization and useful tools together in one simple keyboard. No clutter. No distractions. Just a faster way to type. ARC Type is currently free for a limited time.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: KotoKey at 100% against ARC Type Keyboard's 50%. ARC Type Keyboard's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume, 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. KotoKey sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ARC Type Keyboard asks for nothing beyond the download.
ARC Type Keyboard holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 5 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of KotoKey's written reviews are positive against 50% of ARC Type Keyboard's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
KotoKey ships an update weekly, ARC Type Keyboard every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.
| Parameter | KotoKey | ARC Type Keyboard |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (8 ratings) | 4.6 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 66 MB | 33 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Natsumi Hayakawa | ARC Galaxia LLC |
Customer experience
KotoKey
ARC Type Keyboard
In-app purchases
KotoKey
- KotoKey Premium$2.99
ARC Type Keyboard
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is KotoKey free?
Is ARC Type Keyboard free?
Which has better reviews, KotoKey or ARC Type Keyboard?
Do KotoKey or ARC Type Keyboard have ads?
Which is updated more often, KotoKey or ARC Type Keyboard?
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