# Special Characters++ vs ICONA

The clearest difference is rating: ICONA at 3.9 against Special Characters++'s 3.5. ICONA also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (188 vs 19). Special Characters++'s advantage is price ($0.99 vs $1.99). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Special Characters++ costs $0.99 and ICONA $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ICONA holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ICONA has 188 ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of Special Characters++'s written reviews are positive against 49% of ICONA's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Special Characters++ ships an update every 7 months, ICONA every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Special Characters++ | ICONA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$0.99** | $1.99 |
| Rating | [3.5 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/special-characters-plus-plus/id932623050/reviews) | **[3.9 (188 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icona-logo-maker/id1122455744/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 19 | **188** |
| Positive reviews | **55.0% of reviews** | 48.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 2 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [James Spencer](https://appshunter.io/developer/356003751) | [RoadRocks](https://appshunter.io/developer/1295007260) |

## What reviewers say

### Special Characters++

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/special-characters-plus-plus/id932623050)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### ICONA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icona-logo-maker/id1122455744)

Create professional logos with a powerful yet intuitive design experience. Access over 1 million customizable designs, hundreds of fonts, and advanced editing tools. No prior design experience needed to visualize your brand's value.

**Highlights:** 1 Million+ customizable logo designs, 200+ fonts in 9 families, Smart layering, Fill & stroke coloring, Solid & gradient coloring, HD exports for digital and print

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Extensive library of icons and design assets
- 👍 User-friendly and intuitive interface
- 💰 Affordable one-time purchase price
- ⚡ Quick and easy logo creation process
- 🎯 Great for beginners and non-designers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes during save operations
- ⚠️ Non-functional on iPad Pro devices
- 🔍 Search feature unreliable and broken
- ❌ Cannot access large portion of image library
- 🖼️ Unwanted vertical lines appearing on design assets

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when saving projects
- Crashes when clicking text tool
- Blank white or black screen on launch
- Incompatible with iPad Pro (all models)
- Search returns no results for valid keywords

**Requested features**

- Auto-save functionality
- Duplicate/copy-paste feature for objects
- Layer management system
- Landscape orientation support
- Snap-to-grid alignment tool


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Special Characters++ free?

Special Characters++ costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ICONA free?

ICONA costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Special Characters++ or ICONA?

ICONA is rated higher. Special Characters++ averages 3.5 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while ICONA averages 3.9 from 188 ratings.

### Do Special Characters++ or ICONA have ads?

Neither Special Characters++ nor ICONA shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Special Characters++ or ICONA?

Special Characters++ ships an update every 7 months, and ICONA every 2 months. Most recently, Special Characters++ was updated on October 24, 2026 and ICONA on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*