The best keyboard apps, according to hackers
12 keyboard apps recommended in Hacker News comments over the past year, ranked by how many separate people recommend each one.
- Most recommendedGboard59 people recommend it
- Built to lastiOS keyboardowners report a median of 10 years
- Least regretUnexpected Keyboard15 recommend, 0 criticize
All keyboard apps
- GboardPeople recommend it for multilingual typing, adaptive swipe typing and prediction that beats default keyboards. Critics most often cite weak suggestions for smaller languages.59recommend
- FUTO KeyboardRecommended as a private, offline Android keyboard with on-device voice typing and many tweakable options. Critics note it is source-available, not open source.51recommend
- FUTO SwipePeople recommend it as a free, privacy-respecting swipe keyboard that performs about as well as Gboard. Common caveats are limited language support and a confusing license.40recommend
- iOS keyboardRecommended for reliable tap typing, accurate swipe typing and built-in multilingual support, though many critics report autocorrect and key errors that have worsened over time.28recommend
- Microsoft SwiftKeyRecommended for multilingual typing, sync across devices and good swipe and autocomplete. The most common caveat is Microsoft account prompts and Bing ads.21recommend
- HeliboardFree, open-source Android keyboard praised for two-finger and one-finger swipe typing and customization; the most common caveat is weak autocorrect.17recommend
- Unexpected KeyboardRecommended as a free Android virtual keyboard that adds Ctrl, Alt, Tab, Esc and function keys, which makes it useful for terminal work alongside Termux.15recommend
- Google KeyboardPeople recommend it for its functionality, swipe typing and preference over the iOS keyboard. Critics say autocorrect has slipped and it sometimes changes behaviour without notice.11recommend
- NintypePeople recommend it for fast swipe typing that needs no new layout; the main caveat is that the project is abandoned, with some bugs and slowdowns.9recommend
- Keybee keyboardA phone keyboard layout built for faster typing, with open-source code. Critics doubt it beats QWERTY and say it lacks swipe typing and autocorrect.8recommend
- Thumb-KeyFree two-row, 16-key smartphone keyboard that people recommend for fast thumb typing, including on very small devices.6recommend
- Hacker's KeyboardFree Android keyboard people use for Emacs and terminal work in Termux, with easy access to F12 and cursor keys.6recommend