Comparison

KotoKey vs ARC Type Keyboard

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Mechanical keyboard sound effects
  • Customizable keyboard themes
  • Predictive text suggestions
  • Text replacement for phrases
  • Auto Shift and Smart Apostrophe
  • English QWERTY and Japanese input
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

KotoKey4 screens
ARC Type Keyboard4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. KotoKey sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ARC Type Keyboard asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

KotoKey ships an update weekly, ARC Type Keyboard every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
KotoKey versus ARC Type Keyboard: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKotoKeyARC Type Keyboard
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (8 ratings)4.6 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings8 — better5
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 2 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.5 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size66 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNatsumi HayakawaARC Galaxia LLC

Customer experience

KotoKey

All ratings8 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral12.5%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

ARC Type Keyboard

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

KotoKey

One-time1
  • KotoKey Premium$2.99
None

ARC Type Keyboard

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is KotoKey free?
KotoKey is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ARC Type Keyboard free?
ARC Type Keyboard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, KotoKey or ARC Type Keyboard?
ARC Type Keyboard is rated higher. KotoKey averages 4.3 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while ARC Type Keyboard averages 4.6 from 5 ratings.
Do KotoKey or ARC Type Keyboard have ads?
KotoKey shows ads; ARC Type Keyboard does not.
Which is updated more often, KotoKey or ARC Type Keyboard?
KotoKey ships an update weekly, and ARC Type Keyboard every 2 days. Most recently, KotoKey was updated on October 31, 2026 and ARC Type Keyboard on October 31, 2026.

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