Comparison

Communication Buttons Expanded vs Articulation Station Hive

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

Head to head
About

Communication Buttons Expanded

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Communication Buttons is THE app for simple augmentative communication. Choose sets of 9, 16, 25 and 36 to use for touch communication. Each button can be customized with a picture and will accommodate voice recording – and you’re spontaneously communicating and demonstrating cause and effect. State “yes,” or “no,” sing a song or tell a story. Keep a lookout for additional versions with special options.

About

Articulation Station Hive

This app provides a comprehensive suite of tools and activities designed to improve speech clarity for learners of all ages. It offers a wide range of exercises targeting consonants and vowels from isolation to conversation levels, with features for tracking progress and sharing results.

Highlights
  • 17 targeted speech activities
  • Isolation, syllable, word, phrase, sentence, story, and conversation levels
  • Visual and auditory cues
  • Minimal pairs and phonological process practice
  • Custom word and image support
  • Progress tracking and recording
  • Group session support (Pro tier)
Features
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Articulation Station Hive is the most comprehensive speech therapy app on the App Store. It has all the tools and activities needed to teach learners of all ages how to speak more clearly. To start with, it has 17 different activities to target speech in both consonants and vowels from the isolation level through the conversation level. ARTICULATION STATION HIVE OFFERS: ISOLATION ACTIVITIES: - Hand cues provide a video model with a hand cue for each sound. - Picture cues offer fun animated illustrations for each sound. - Letter cues pair the letter with the sound in a playful way. SYLLABLE ACTIVITIES: - Syllable sliders allow learners to slide 2 sounds together to make a word. - Syllable spinners allow learners to spin 1, 2, and 3 syllable combinations. WORD ACTIVITIES: - Minimal Pairs illustrate the subtle differences sounds in words make. - Flashcards provide a quick and reliable tool for focused repetition. - Matching games (3 levels) keep kids (and adults) engaged in the activity. PHRASE ACTIVITIES: - Rotating phrases allow learners to spin a lead word and a target word for a limitless number of two word combinations. - Unique phrases are three-word descriptive phrases that are perfect for addressing both speech and language goals. SENTENCE ACTIVITIES: - Fixed rotating sentences are like long “carrier phrases” where the sentence stays the same and only one target word changes. - Mixed rotating sentences mix things up. With each spin a new pronoun, verb, adjective and target word spin into position. - Unique sentences are usually longer and at times more complex than the rotating sentences. STORY ACTIVITIES: - Level 1 stories are short, rhyming, and sometimes repetitive stories paired with picture prompts. - Level 2 stories are longer stories with larger vocabulary and even more opportunities to practice the target sound. CONVERSATION ACTIVITIES: - Conversation scenes allow the learner to scroll from right to left to explore the scene. Speech samples can be recorded, saved and scored. - Conversation questions offer four different types of questions. ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES & RESOURCES: - Phonological processes may be practiced in single words or with minimal pairs. - Multiple sounds allow learners to practice multiple sounds at a time at the word, phrase, or sentence level. - Custom words allow you to add images and words to help personalize the app. - Group sessions allow you to work with groups of students up to 6 at a time. *Pro tier only. - Themes include seasonal themes, holiday themes, just-for-fun themes, and multiple colored backgrounds. *illustrated themes are iPad only. SCORES: - View a summary of all your students’ sessions, and see graphs of your students’ performances on all targeted sounds. - View session details including all the correct, approximate, and incorrect responses. - Write and view notes, listen to recordings, and repeat sessions. - Share progress and notes with parents or adult users. We’re proud to offer Articulation Station Hive as part of the Little Bee Hive membership which includes access to both Articulation Station Hive and Articulation Test Center Hive in the Pro tier. If you are already subscribed to Articulation Test Center Hive you may download and login to Articulation Station Hive with your same login information at no additional cost. SUBSCRIPTION, PRICING & TERMS: Articulation Station Hive offers a 14-day free trial which includes unlimited access to both Articulation Station Hive and Articulation Test Center Hive. The subscription automatically renews unless the auto-renew feature is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment will be charged to your Apple account at the end of your 14-day trial period. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off at any time.

Screenshots

Communication Buttons Expanded4 screens
Articulation Station Hive4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Articulation Station Hive at Free against Communication Buttons Expanded's $6.99. Articulation Station Hive also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 27 months). Communication Buttons Expanded's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). On ads and device support 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

Articulation Station Hive is free to download; Communication Buttons Expanded costs $6.99 up front. Articulation Station Hive sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Communication Buttons Expanded asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Communication Buttons Expanded ships an update every 27 months, Articulation Station Hive monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Communication Buttons Expanded versus Articulation Station Hive: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCommunication Buttons ExpandedArticulation Station Hive
Price$6.99Free — better
Rating—4.5 (633 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—63.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—633 — better
Update frequencyEvery 27 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB638 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPreferred Mobile Applications, LLCLittle Bee Speech

Bugs and requests

Communication Buttons Expanded

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Articulation Station Hive

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Login/sign-up issues
  • Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions
  • Data loss or inability to access previous sessions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more words and vocabulary
  • Include British accent options
  • Allow one-time purchase option
  • Improve navigation and flow
  • Add more games and interactive activities

In-app purchases

None

Communication Buttons Expanded

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Articulation Station Hive

Subscriptions4
  • Hive Parent (Monthly)14 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Hive Pro (Monthly)14 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • Hive Parent (Yearly)14 Days trial$83.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Hive Pro (Yearly)14 Days trial$119.991 Year

Questions

Is Communication Buttons Expanded free?
Communication Buttons Expanded costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Articulation Station Hive free?
Articulation Station Hive is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Communication Buttons Expanded or Articulation Station Hive have ads?
Neither Communication Buttons Expanded nor Articulation Station Hive shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Communication Buttons Expanded or Articulation Station Hive?
Communication Buttons Expanded ships an update every 27 months, and Articulation Station Hive monthly. Most recently, Communication Buttons Expanded was updated on October 12, 2026 and Articulation Station Hive on October 26, 2026.

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