Comparison

Widgit Writer vs now>press>play

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

Head to head
About

Widgit Writer

This app assists users in writing documents with integrated speech feedback and visual symbol support. It offers over 14,500 symbols to enhance understanding as you type, with additional symbol packs available for purchase.

Highlights
  • Speech feedback for written text
  • Visual symbol support for words
  • Over 14,500 symbols available
  • In-app purchases for symbol packs
  • Symbol support via Widgit Online account
Features
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Widgit Writer is an app where you can write simple documents and have the support from speech feedback using the voices available in the iPad. You can also get the support from symbols showing the meaning of the words in your document as you type. You can buy the symbols as an In App Purchase, or get the symbol support via an account on Widgit Online. The Widgit Symbols includes more than 14.500 symbols.

About

now>press>play

Features
Read full description

A now>press>play Experience is normally delivered by a primary school teacher to a class, as part of classroom lessons. Our library of Experiences covers a wide array of curriculum topics, teaching the central learning objectives and providing rich follow-on activities for afterwards. This app forms part of a school’s access package or free trial to now>press>play services. HOW IT WORKS In a now>press>play Experience every child is given a pair of wireless headphones. Immersed in sound, they become the main character in a story, meeting people, discovering places and solving problems on an educational adventure they’ll never forget. From climbing through layers of rainforest canopy in the Amazon, to fighting a woolly mammoth in the Stone Age, these audio-only adventures are uniquely designed to stimulate children’s imaginations. now>press>play can be used as a whole class activity or with smaller groups for intervention work. Through a child-centred approach to learning, they extend children’s life experiences and are a fun and inclusive way to engage children in the curriculum. CONTENT There are currently 80 curriculum-based Experiences for EYFS, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 (i.e. 3 to 11 years old) covering a broad range of subjects across literacy, maths, history, geography, science, PSHE/SEL, religious education and foreign languages. The app gives you access to all our immersive audio adventures in one place, along with their follow-on resources: every Experience includes SATs-style Reading Comprehensions, Writing Opportunities, Quizzes, Storyboards and Discussion Questions, making it simple to plan and deliver quality lessons. WHAT EACH SCHOOL GETS Access to 80 immersive audio Experiences for EYFS, KS1 and KS2 Topics include Maths, Science, History, Geography, PSHE, RE, MFL, and Literacy Follow-on resources for each Experience: Glossary, Storyboard, Quiz, Reading Comprehension, Writing Opportunities, and post-Experience Discussion Questions ‘How It Works’ guides to get the best out of now>press>play for your class Opportunity to access all now>press>play content offline for use in various settings REVIEWS 'now>press>play is an experience the children will never forget; it brings to life for them the topic work, in a way which quite frankly I could never have achieved, in such a direct and engaging manner.' Year 6 Teacher, West Drayton Primary School ‘I was blown away by how the pupils in Year 5 responded to this magnificent Experience. They were plunged into the middle of World War 2, and embraced and internalised every second without question! It has had such an incredible impact on their learning. This is a resource we will continue to utilise at every opportunity.’ Year 5 Teacher, Marshfield School RATINGS & AWARDS ***** 4.9/5 EdTech Impact rating ERA 2020 Winner Bett Awards 2019 Winner

Screenshots

Widgit Writer2 screens
now>press>play4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: now>press>play at none against Widgit Writer's 1. Widgit Writer's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, 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

Both are free to download. Widgit Writer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. now>press>play asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Widgit Writer versus now>press>play: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWidgit Writernow>press>play
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews62.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size346 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWidgit Software Ltdnow>press>play

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Widgit Writer

One-time1
  • Symbols in English$35.99
None

now>press>play

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Widgit Writer free?
Widgit Writer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is now>press>play free?
now>press>play is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Widgit Writer or now>press>play have ads?
Neither Widgit Writer nor now>press>play shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Widgit Writer or now>press>play?
Widgit Writer ships an update every 2 months, and now>press>play every 2 months. Most recently, Widgit Writer was updated on September 20, 2026 and now>press>play on September 13, 2026.

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