# Keyman vs Phonetic Keyboard

The clearest difference is rating: Keyman at 3.8 against Phonetic Keyboard's 2.8. Keyman also leads on ratings volume (73 vs 4) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks). Phonetic Keyboard's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Keyman holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Keyman has 73 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 49% of Keyman's written reviews are positive against 40% of Phonetic Keyboard's.

Keyman ships an update every 3 weeks, Phonetic Keyboard every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Keyman | Phonetic Keyboard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.8 (73 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/keyman/id933676545/reviews)** | [2.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phonetic-keyboard-multi-language-support/id1155627904/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **73** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **49.2% of reviews** | 40.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 20 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Summer Institute of Linguistics, Inc (SIL)](https://appshunter.io/developer/1055116476) | [Vamsi Anguluru](https://appshunter.io/developer/461687799) |

## What reviewers say

### Keyman

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/keyman/id933676545)

Type in over 1,700 languages on your iPhone or iPad with system-wide keyboard installation. Supports numerous languages and offers custom keyboard building, predictive text, and a built-in browser for unsupported languages.

**Highlights:** Type in 1,700+ languages, System keyboard integration, Custom keyboard builder, Predictive text, Built-in browser for unsupported languages

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Phonetic Keyboard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phonetic-keyboard-multi-language-support/id1155627904)

Type in various languages phonetically, even if you only know how to speak them. Save your notes locally for future reference. Supports a wide range of global languages.

**Highlights:** Phonetic typing in multiple languages, Supports over 15 languages, Save notes locally, Write in your native language, Ideal for social media posts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Keyman free?

Keyman is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Phonetic Keyboard free?

Phonetic Keyboard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Keyman or Phonetic Keyboard?

Keyman is rated higher. Keyman averages 3.8 out of 5 from 73 ratings, while Phonetic Keyboard averages 2.8 from 4 ratings.

### Do Keyman or Phonetic Keyboard have ads?

Neither Keyman nor Phonetic Keyboard shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Keyman or Phonetic Keyboard?

Keyman ships an update every 3 weeks, and Phonetic Keyboard every 6 weeks. Most recently, Keyman was updated on October 17, 2026 and Phonetic Keyboard on October 6, 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.*