Short version
Pick Gboard for Google extras. Pick Clink when the keyboard itself is the product: materials, custom layouts, two-thumb swipe, and a typing path that never needs the network.
Side by side
Gboard: Search, GIFs, translate, glide typing, Google account gravity, Full Access usually needed for the useful bits, light themes. Clink: Liquid Glass / metal / 3D themes and a builder, custom layouts, swipe plus two-thumb Flow, offline autocorrect, no Clink account, Full Access optional for typing, Membership for tools and deep customisation.
Where Clink is stronger
Theme depth and materials. Layout editor (split, number row, custom keys). Two-thumb composition. Offline-by-default typing with no account. Optional Full Access.
Where Gboard is stronger
Built-in Google Search. GIF graph and sticker culture. Translate habits tied to Google. Brand familiarity and listicle defaults. If those are why you open a keyboard, stay on Gboard.
Switching
Install Clink, add it in iOS Keyboard settings, and pick it from the globe key. You can leave Gboard installed and switch per app.
- Open the Settings app.
- General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Add New Keyboard…
- Add Clink under Third-Party Keyboards.
Questions
Is Clink better than Gboard?
For ownership, themes, and private offline typing, yes. For Google Search and GIFs, no.
Does Clink have glide typing?
Yes. Swipe typing is built in, including two-thumb word composition.