Gboard not your type? Survey reveals your favorite alternative keyboards

Gboard is one of those Android apps that many of us use every day without giving it a second thought. It feels familiar and is certainly good enough that switching away can feel like more hassle than it’s worth. But there are plenty of other Android keyboards out there that can offer some people an experience they prefer, so we wanted to know our readers’ favorite Gboard alternative if Google’s option suddenly disappeared.

That was the question we put to you via a poll in our recent guide to the best Gboard alternatives for Android. The article looked at a mix of keyboard apps that take different approaches, from feature-packed options like Microsoft SwiftKey and Samsung Keyboard to more stripped-back or privacy-focused picks like HeliBoard, FUTO Keyboard, and Simple Keyboard. The result wasn’t a runaway victory, but there was a clear favorite among readers.

After more than 2,300 votes, let’s find out which Gboard alternative came out on top.

Microsoft SwiftKey was the marginal but clear favorite in the poll, taking 34.3% of the vote from 815 readers. Samsung Keyboard was next with 28.6%, while HeliBoard took third place with 15.3%. FUTO Keyboard and Simple Keyboard were further back at 10.8% and 7.4%, respectively, and only 3.5% of readers opted for something else.

It’s a little surprising that Samsung Keyboard didn’t come out on top, given how many of the best Android phones come with it pre-installed. That said, the Samsung version has its detractors, and SwiftKey has a lot going for it: It’s been around forever, works across Android devices, and has long had a reputation as one of the most polished alternatives to Google’s keyboard. And in Samsung’s defense, we put our thumb on the scale a little by suggesting that SwiftKey is probably our favorite alternative in our article.

The results also highlight that while privacy-focused options like HeliBoard and FUTO have a real following, most readers would still reach for something familiar and feature-packed if Gboard suddenly went away.

The comments section of the previous article suggested that many readers still have niche favorites beyond the main poll options. One reader mentioned Yandex Keyboard, while another put forward Fossify Keyboard. Joeldf95 also had a throwback pick, writing, “I like the BlackBerry virtual Keyboard for Android.” That just underlines how personal keyboard preferences can be.

There was also a bit of love for mixing and matching. Cgandecha said, “I use Heliboard as it’s the closest I can get to how Swiftkey was in its prime, but with FUTO voice for dictation input.” Others were more directly enthusiastic about FUTO, especially its voice typing, while one commenter was less kind about Samsung Keyboard than the poll result might suggest. Daniel Teel said, “Basically, everyone with a Galaxy phone says Samsung Keyboard is hot garbage.” That estimate might be a bit of an exaggeration, but, funnily enough, the description is exactly the phrase my colleague used earlier this year. I also ran out of patience with it on my Galaxy S24 Plus, so I can see where he’s coming from.