I completely agree. I initially attempted to build a custom keyboard from scratch using Rork. While it functioned reasonably well, the typing experience wasn’t comparable to a production-level keyboard. Developing features like autocorrect and autocomplete at a high standard is a significant technical challenge, especially when aiming for the level of polish users expect from modern mobile keyboards.
After evaluating the trade-offs, I decided to subscribe to KeyboardKit Pro (Basic tier). The improvement in performance and overall typing experience has been substantial, and it has provided a solid foundation to build on.
There are still a few native iOS features I miss — specifically SMS code autofill, password detection, and swipe-to-type — but for now, I’m comfortable accepting those trade-offs in exchange for having a fully customizable shortcuts toolbar integrated directly into the keyboard.
Overall, it has been a worthwhile decision.