What to look for
Privacy on the typing path. A custom keyboard can ask for Full Access. Treat that seriously: ask whether keystrokes leave the phone, whether there is an account, and whether prediction needs the network.
Control over the layout. Key height, width, spacing, number row, and alternate layouts matter more day to day than a theme pack you open once.
Voice typing you will actually use. If dictation is locked behind a subscription, most people never build the habit.
Price you can explain. Monthly, yearly, and one-time options should be clear. Hidden tiers and feature gates waste attention.
Languages and prediction. The keyboard should match how you write, not only English QWERTY.
Where Clink fits
Clink is a custom iOS keyboard (iOS 17+) with no accounts, no analytics, and no network on the typing path. Prediction and learning run on the phone.
You get 59 themes, 23 layouts, swipe typing with seven trail styles, and 11 built-in tool panels including dictation, clipboard, translate, calculator, handwriting, and on-device AI tools.
Voice typing is free forever. Full membership is $0.99 a month, $9.99 a year, or $19.99 once. Everything included, no feature tiers.
Full Access is optional. It unlocks haptics, clipboard history, and custom sounds. Themes, layouts, swipe, and prediction work without it.
Quick answers
Is there a single best keyboard for everyone? No. If you want ownership of look, feel, layout, and privacy with free voice typing, Clink is built for that.
Coming from Gboard or SwiftKey? Expect a day of muscle memory. Clink lets you move key size and spacing toward your thumbs instead of retraining them from scratch.
Worried about Full Access? Read the help article on what it actually does for Clink. The iOS warning is generic, not a description of this keyboard.