Unicode Pad Pro with keyboards vs Special Characters++
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Unicode Pad Pro with keyboards
Access and use over 155,000 Unicode characters with this comprehensive character map app. It features customizable keyboards for any iOS app, bundled and importable fonts, and detailed character information. Seamlessly copy, search, and organize characters for diverse writing needs.
- Access 155,000+ Unicode characters
- Customizable keyboards for any iOS app
- Install and import custom fonts
- Detailed character information and search
- Copy characters to clipboard
- Notepad for frequently used characters
- Drag and drop support
Read full descriptionHide full description
Unicode Pad Pro is the ultimate Unicode character map app for the iPad. Offering an extensive database of over 155,000 characters, it supports the latest Unicode 16 standard. This powerful tool features customizable keyboards, which can be used across any iOS app, bundled fonts, and the ability to import custom fonts. Users can easily browse, search, and copy characters, access detailed character information, and enjoy seamless multitasking with other apps. Perfect for everything from scientific notation to creative writing, Features: • Custom keyboards can be used in any other iOS app • Install bundled fonts for use in other apps • Import and use any custom font into the app • Support for Unicode 15.1 standard, which has many new symbols. • Huge selection of symbols (thousands), in fact all that are available on your device. Database itself actually contains data for all characters (over 140000!). • Copy characters to clipboard for use in other apps, like web, mail, chat, notes... any iOS app! • Detailed information on each Unicode character, including encodings, extra info, similar characters and availability in fonts • Extensive gesture support for smooth workflow! • Drag and drop support for text, PNG and PDF graphics! • Notepad with customizable keyboards, for your often-used characters and for copying several characters at once. Great for casual writing, too! • HTML entity names for relevant characters • UNIHAN english definitions for CJK ideograms for many characters • Egyptian hieroglyph definitions • Ideographic Description Sequences (IDS) for CJK ideograms • Share your custom keyboards with your friends! • Search for characters by name, hexadecimal codepoint or glyph! Find similar and related characters instantly! • Great support for iPad multitasking - works great together with other apps • Streamlined design, specifically optimized for each device. Support for all device orientations and Retina display. • Support for dark mode. • Fully tested on latest iOS • Support for Backspace, New line, Shift and Alternate special keys on custom keyboards. • Custom keyboard sizes up to 6x16=96 keys. • Flick left and right for next and previous characters in detail view • View extended character descriptions on Wikipedia, unicode.org charts or Emojipedia right from inside the app! • Copy glyphs as PDF graphics or PNG images • Sections of favourite and recently copied characters • One universal application works on iPhone, iPod and iPad! • Reference booklet of characters available on modern computers! Paper Unicode maps are over 1000 pages long! • Quick access to many groups of commonly used symbols! • Great for scientific, mathematical and physics notation, handles many superscripts, subscripts and other symbols! • Excellent for phonetic notation! • Developers: see which characters are available on your iOS device and in which fonts. • Perfect for writing Unicode poetry! • Awesome for making interesting app names!
Special Characters++
Access over 1000 unique symbols, glyphs, and characters not found on the standard iOS keyboard. Organize your favorites and quickly find characters with a dedicated search bar. Enhance your texts, emails, and notes with custom characters.
- Access over 1000 special characters
- Categorized character sections
- Quick Find search bar
- Favorites list for custom sorting
- Recently used character tracking
- Supports landscape and portrait modes
Read full descriptionHide full description
Special Characters is an iOS 8 keyboard that gives you access to all the symbols, glyphs, bullets, arrows and other special characters that you can't access from the standard iOS keyboard. Special Characters isn't a replacement keyboard but a companion that you can use to get to the characters & symbols you need when you need them. Choose from over 1000 characters separated into 10 sections. * Symbols * Pictographs * Currency Characters * Math Symbols * Punctuation * Bullets * Arrows * Parentheses * Numbers * Letter A - Z are there. * Quick Find Bar * Use the quick find bar to jump right were you want to be. * Favorites * You can also long tap on any key and store it in your favorites. Edit and sort your favorites list into what works for you. * Recently Used * Special Characters also keeps track of all your recently used characters like the Emoji keyboard. Finally, Special Characters works in both landscape and portrait. We are certain that Special Character keyboard will give your emails, texts and notes the special characters you need! So, make the leap with Jump Gap Software’s Special Characters keyboard for iOS 8.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Unicode Pad Pro with keyboards at 4.5 against Special Characters++'s 3.5. Unicode Pad Pro with keyboards also leads on review sentiment (81% vs 55%) and ratings volume (198 vs 19). Special Characters++'s advantage is price ($0.99 vs $6.99). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Unicode Pad Pro with keyboards costs $6.99 and Special Characters++ $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Unicode Pad Pro with keyboards holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Unicode Pad Pro with keyboards has 198 ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of Unicode Pad Pro with keyboards's written reviews are positive against 55% of Special Characters++'s.
Unicode Pad Pro with keyboards ships an update every 4 months, Special Characters++ every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Unicode Pad Pro with keyboards | Special Characters++ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $6.99 | $0.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.5 (198 ratings) — better | 3.5 (19 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 81.0% of reviews — better | 55.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 198 — better | 19 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months — better | Every 7 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 259 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ziga Kranjec | James Spencer |
Customer experience
Unicode Pad Pro with keyboards
Special Characters++
In-app purchases
Unicode Pad Pro with keyboards
No in-app purchases
Special Characters++
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Unicode Pad Pro with keyboards free?
Is Special Characters++ free?
Which has better reviews, Unicode Pad Pro with keyboards or Special Characters++?
Do Unicode Pad Pro with keyboards or Special Characters++ have ads?
Which is updated more often, Unicode Pad Pro with keyboards or Special Characters++?
Other comparisons















