Comparison

IssieBoard vs TypingTalk AAC

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

IssieBoard

This app offers a highly customizable virtual keyboard for iOS devices. Users can personalize key colors, letter appearances, and background themes to optimize typing for various needs, including learning disabilities and typing practice.

Highlights
  • Customizable key colors
  • Customizable letter appearances
  • Customizable background themes
  • Color customization by row/section
  • Blocking out letters for typing practice
  • Optimized for accessibility
Features
Read full description

IssieBoard is an accessible, fully customizable iOS keyboard, developed by Beit Issie Shapiro Technology Consulting Center in collaboration with SAP Labs, Israel. Designed for individuals with learning disabilities, visual impairments, motor impairments, or cognitive challenges - and for anyone learning to type - IssieBoard puts powerful personalization in the hands of caregivers, educators, and therapists. Setup is quick and simple. After downloading IssieBoard, go to iOS Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard, and add the IssieBoard keyboards you would like to use. Then select one of the IssieBoard keyboards and enable Allow Full Access. Once enabled, IssieBoard is available in any app that uses the keyboard - just tap the globe key to switch to it. POWERFUL CUSTOMIZATION • Key colors - set the color of keys, letters, and background across the entire keyboard • Zone & row styling - apply different colors to rows, or to left/center/right sections • Per-key styling - highlight individual keys with their own color • “Show only” - show only the letters you choose; all others are hidden, perfect for practicing specific words • Font control - choose letter size and font weight for any key group • Word suggestions – turn on intelligent word completion and next-word prediction as you type HEBREW & ARABIC SUPPORT • Full Hebrew keyboard with nikud (diacritics) support - tap a letter to get a pop-up, or use the dedicated nikud top row above the keyboard • Arabic keyboard with harakat support BUILT FOR REAL USE • Works as a standard iOS system keyboard - available in any app across the entire system • Instant live preview of every change you make • Multiple keyboard profiles - create and duplicate keyboards for different users • Share keyboards for easy integration across devices WHO USES ISSIEBOARD? IssieBoard is used by occupational therapists, special education teachers, parents, and individuals themselves. It adapts to a wide range of needs from high contrast and large keys for visual impairments, to limited-letter layouts for early typists.

About

TypingTalk AAC

This communication aid allows users to type text and have it spoken aloud via text-to-speech. It offers a wide selection of voices and languages, customizable phrase buttons with visual aids, and options for offline use and device syncing.

Highlights
  • Text-to-speech playback
  • Extensive voice and language options
  • Customizable quick phrases with visual aids
  • Offline voice support
  • Personal Voice creation
  • Phrase syncing across devices
Features
Read full description

This app provides an easy-to-use interface to play back the text you type as text-to-speech audio. It's made to be used as augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Some features: Voices • Select from all the voice styles & languages on your device • Choose between offline voices and Internet voices from Google, spanning 200+ voices in 60 languages. No download or login required • Supports Personal Voice on newer devices, letting you create an offline text-to-speech voice that sounds like you (English & Mandarin only) • Save your favorite voice settings in a convenient list Phrases • Save & categorize quick phrases to play back with a tap. Rearrange & color code your phrases • Create separate groups of phrases for every language you use • Add pictures, emoji labels, and/or alternate text to phrases • Search for free symbols on the online ARASAAC library to add to your buttons • Show text above or below pictures • Record, import and edit sound clips for your phrases • Create boards with any custom grid size from 1×1 to 16×16 • Save your phrases to a file, so you can backup or share with others • Sync with other devices using a Google Drive account • Print out your boards for a simple, low-tech solution Misc. • Speak individual characters, words or sentences as you type them • Auto clear the text field after pressing play • Play spoken text over phone calls (offline voices only) • Share audio clips as voice messages to other apps • Look at a history of messages you've played while using the app • Customize font size, text field size, button size, etc. to your liking. Save and load the layouts you create • Layout automatically adapts to all screen sizes, small & large • Convenient design where any action takes just a few taps • Light & dark modes This app is for anyone who needs help speaking, including those with conditions such as verbal apraxia, aphasia, autism, anxiety, & selective mutism, among others. Even if you've only temporarily lost your voice, or just want to play with text-to-speech, this app's for you! Please feel free to share feedback on how it’s working for you & how it can be more accessible, either at support@miyanour.com or with a review. Enjoy! Made with love by an AAC user with selective mutism. Visit my website at https://miyanour.com to help me keep providing updates. Thank you so much for your support. Apple Standard Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

IssieBoard4 screens
TypingTalk AAC4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: TypingTalk AAC at 5.0 against IssieBoard's 3.3. TypingTalk AAC also leads on ratings volume (20 vs 3). IssieBoard's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.2). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. TypingTalk AAC sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. IssieBoard asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

TypingTalk AAC holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TypingTalk AAC has 20 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

IssieBoard ships an update every 6 weeks, TypingTalk AAC monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
IssieBoard versus TypingTalk AAC: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIssieBoardTypingTalk AAC
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (3 ratings)5.0 (20 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings320 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.2
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBeit Issie ShapiroSamiya Noureen

Customer experience

IssieBoard

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

TypingTalk AAC

All ratings18 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

IssieBoard

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

TypingTalk AAC

Subscriptions2
  • Donate monthly$0.991 Month
  • Donate monthly$3.991 Month
One-time1
  • Donate one-time$7.99

Questions

Is IssieBoard free?
IssieBoard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is TypingTalk AAC free?
TypingTalk AAC is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, IssieBoard or TypingTalk AAC?
TypingTalk AAC is rated higher. IssieBoard averages 3.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while TypingTalk AAC averages 5.0 from 20 ratings.
Do IssieBoard or TypingTalk AAC have ads?
Neither IssieBoard nor TypingTalk AAC shows ads.
Which is updated more often, IssieBoard or TypingTalk AAC?
IssieBoard ships an update every 6 weeks, and TypingTalk AAC monthly. Most recently, IssieBoard was updated on October 24, 2026 and TypingTalk AAC on October 28, 2026.

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