Handwriting Keyboard vs Selvy PenScript
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Handwriting Keyboard
Effortlessly convert your handwritten notes into typed text across any application. This keyboard works offline, supports Apple Pencil, and offers customizable input settings for a seamless user experience.
- Handwriting to text conversion
- Works in any app
- Offline functionality
- Apple Pencil support
- Customizable input settings
- Supports English and Japanese
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Write by hand. Type in your apps. Handwriting Keyboard lets you enter text with your finger or Apple Pencil in apps such as Messages, Mail, Safari, and Notes. Recognition runs entirely on your device, so the keyboard works offline. Full Access is not required. Your input is not transmitted, and the app does not collect data. IMPORTANT — SUPPORTED LANGUAGES Handwriting recognition supports U.S. English and Japanese only. Other languages, including British English, are not supported. HOW TO GET STARTED 1. Open the Handwriting Keyboard app and tap “Open Settings.” 2. Tap “Keyboards,” then enable English (US), Japanese, or both. Full Access is not required. 3. In a text field, touch and hold the keyboard switch key, then select Handwriting. When entering a password, iOS automatically switches to the system keyboard. If text is duplicated or does not appear correctly in an app with a custom text field, turn off Inline Input in Handwriting Keyboard settings. FEATURES • Three writing layouts: Free, Rows, and Boxes • U.S. English handwriting recognition • Japanese handwriting recognition with hiragana-to-kanji conversion • Write with your finger or Apple Pencil • Palm rejection when using Apple Pencil • Works entirely offline • No Full Access required • Scribble over part of your handwriting to erase it • Strike through handwriting to erase it together • Drag recognition candidates together to combine them • Adjustable auto-enter delay • Three writing-area sizes • Customizable Return key position • Two-finger scrolling or cursor movement • Adjustable line width and background color • Text Replacement support • Dark Mode and floating keyboard support • Quick Notes home screen widget SUPPORTED RECOGNITION LANGUAGES • U.S. English • Japanese British English and all other languages are not supported. Deutsch wird nicht unterstützt. El español no es compatible. O português não é compatível. Svenska stöds inte. Le français n’est pas pris en charge. 한국어는 지원되지 않습니다. MyScript® is a trademark of MyScript.
Selvy PenScript
Transform your handwritten notes into digital text with advanced AI recognition. Supports over 40 languages and various handwriting styles, offering a smooth and customizable input experience.
- Handwriting recognition
- Supports over 40 languages
- Cursive handwriting support
- Specialized ink for beautification
- Six ink color options
- Smooth, continuous input
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Are you fed up with keyboard typos? Do you miss handwriting on a daily basis? Selvy PenScript empowers you to use your own handwriting to input text on your iPhone. Whether your handwriting is neat, squiggly, or cursive, Selvy PenScript will recognize your handwriting based on 20 years of handwriting recognition research and technology brought to you by Selvas AI. Try it out now using either a stylus or your finger! Some of our key features include: ㆍ Specialized ink specially designed to beautify your handwriting ㆍ Six different ink colors you can choose from ㆍ Smooth, continuous input that provides a seamless handwriting experience ㆍ Recognition of over 40 languages with support for cursive handwriting ㆍ Our online handwriting service that enables you to select languages without having to download them Got a question? You can contact us through our customer center or Facebook page. ■ Customer Center: support@selvasai.comk ■ http://www.selvasai.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Selvy PenScript at Free against Handwriting Keyboard's $3.99. Selvy PenScript also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 13.6). Handwriting Keyboard's advantage is rating (4.0 vs 3.6). On review sentiment, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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
Selvy PenScript is free to download; Handwriting Keyboard costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Handwriting Keyboard holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 96 and 120 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of Handwriting Keyboard's written reviews are positive against 66% of Selvy PenScript's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Handwriting Keyboard ships an update every 3 weeks, Selvy PenScript monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Handwriting Keyboard | Selvy PenScript |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.0 (96 ratings) — better | 3.6 (120 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 63.8% of reviews | 65.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 96 | 120 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.6 | 8.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 77 MB | 48 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Catalystwo | SELVAS AI Inc. |
Customer experience
Handwriting Keyboard
Selvy PenScript
Bugs and requests
Handwriting Keyboard
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Selvy PenScript
Reported bugs
12 issues- App crashes on iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Keyboard not appearing or switching properly
- Floating keyboard missing buttons (backspace, enter, keyboard switcher)
- Language selection not working (only Japanese shows despite settings)
- Incompatible with iOS 15.1.1 and later
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- Caps lock malfunction with hardware keyboards
- Terms of Service screen blocks app startup
- Google Docs on Safari only types one letter at a time
- Keyboard assets disappearing in floating mode
- Undo function loses entire sentences
- Poor recognition with multiple languages simultaneously
- Kanji not recognized in Japanese mode
Requested features
17 requests- Dark mode support
- Larger writing area for iPad Pro
- Apple Pencil-only input mode (disable palm detection)
- Better punctuation and special character recognition
- Improved undo/redo functionality
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- Eraser tool for corrections
- Arabic language support
- Persian language support
- Kanji support for Japanese
- Customizable keyboard button sizes
- Floating keyboard improvements
- Better documentation and tutorials
- Dedicated punctuation button
- Ability to cross out words while writing
- Updated UI to match Apple design standards
- Support for iPad one-hand keyboard mode
- Adjustable writing space position
In-app purchases
Handwriting Keyboard
No in-app purchases
Selvy PenScript
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Handwriting Keyboard free?
Is Selvy PenScript free?
Which has better reviews, Handwriting Keyboard or Selvy PenScript?
Do Handwriting Keyboard or Selvy PenScript have ads?
Which is updated more often, Handwriting Keyboard or Selvy PenScript?
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