# WordBoard vs IPA Phonetic Keyboard

The clearest difference is monetization model: IPA Phonetic Keyboard at free against WordBoard's freemium. IPA Phonetic Keyboard also leads on review sentiment (92% vs 77%) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.0). WordBoard's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. WordBoard sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and IPA Phonetic Keyboard sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

WordBoard holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WordBoard has 5.6K ratings behind it against 193, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 77% of WordBoard's written reviews are positive against 92% of IPA Phonetic Keyboard's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

WordBoard ships an update every 3 weeks, IPA Phonetic Keyboard every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | WordBoard | IPA Phonetic Keyboard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (5.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wordboard-text-expander/id960167417/reviews)** | [4.5 (193 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ipa-phonetic-keyboard/id1440241497/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.6K** | 193 |
| Positive reviews | 76.8% of reviews | **92.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 62 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bytesize Systems Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/650762528) | [Vincent Cai](https://appshunter.io/developer/1453621798) |

## What reviewers say

### WordBoard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wordboard-text-expander/id960167417)

This custom keyboard allows you to save and instantly insert frequently used text snippets, phrases, and even images directly from your keyboard. It helps you type faster, maintain consistency, and avoid errors across all your apps.

**Highlights:** Save and insert text snippets, Customizable quick replies, Insert images and GIFs, Smart templates with variables, AI-powered text transformation, Organize snippets into folders

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Pro Subscription | $7.99 | per month |
| Annual Pro Subscription | $49.99 | per year |
| Pro | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Time-saving
- 🚀 Convenient
- 🚀 Efficient
- 🚀 Productivity booster
- 👍 Customizable

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Privacy concerns with data sharing
- 💰 Expensive premium version
- 🐛 Sync and backup issues
- 🐛 Keyboard compatibility problems
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance

**Reported bugs**

- Keyboard not switching back to default
- Buttons/folders not saving/restoring properly
- Crashes when adding large amounts of data

**Requested features**

- Sync across devices
- Ability to attach files/photos
- More color/customization options
- Improved organization and folder management
- Automatic backup and restore


### IPA Phonetic Keyboard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ipa-phonetic-keyboard/id1440241497)

This free keyboard provides easy access to all IPA and extended IPA symbols. Its intuitive layout mirrors the IPA chart, making symbol input fluid and efficient for linguists, language learners, and enthusiasts.

**Highlights:** Full IPA chart (2020) symbols, ExtIPA chart (2016) symbols, Organized symbol sections, Intuitive symbol layout, Convenient input for common characters, Completely free, no ads

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Donation: Buy me a drink | $2.99 | one-time |
| Obsolete/Non-Standard Symbols | $5.99 | one-time |
| Donation: Buy me a meal | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Convenient IPA keyboard
- 💡 Extensive IPA symbol coverage
- 🚀 Smooth and responsive
- 🤩 Great for linguistics and conlanging
- 🎨 Visually appealing design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Paid access for some symbols
- 🔍 Keyboard layout could be more customizable
- 🐛 Occasional keyboard switching issues
- 🔇 Keyboard clicking sounds can't be disabled

**Reported bugs**

- Vowel [ʁ] displays incorrectly
- Keyboard disappears after switching, requiring settings access to re-enable

**Requested features**

- Add angle brackets and parentheses for orthographic notation
- Implement a 'frequently used' section for common symbols
- Allow users to rearrange the keyboard layout
- Add support for laryngeal notation in Proto-Indo-European


## Frequently asked questions

### Is WordBoard free?

WordBoard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is IPA Phonetic Keyboard free?

IPA Phonetic Keyboard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, WordBoard or IPA Phonetic Keyboard?

WordBoard is rated higher. WordBoard averages 4.9 out of 5 from 5.6K ratings, while IPA Phonetic Keyboard averages 4.5 from 193 ratings.

### Do WordBoard or IPA Phonetic Keyboard have ads?

Neither WordBoard nor IPA Phonetic Keyboard shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, WordBoard or IPA Phonetic Keyboard?

WordBoard ships an update every 3 weeks, and IPA Phonetic Keyboard every 4 months. Most recently, WordBoard was updated on November 6, 2026 and IPA Phonetic Keyboard on November 2, 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.*