# IDDSI vs ableCARE

The clearest difference is rating: ableCARE at 5.0 against IDDSI's 1.6. ableCARE also leads on update cadence (every 7 months vs every 21 months). IDDSI's advantage is ratings volume (14 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ableCARE holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: IDDSI has 14 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

IDDSI ships an update every 21 months, ableCARE every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | IDDSI | ableCARE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.6 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iddsi/id1145593063/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ablecare/id1564779986/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **14** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 21 months | **Every 7 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 100 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative Iddsi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1650465352) | [AbleNet](https://appshunter.io/developer/390532170) |

## What reviewers say

### IDDSI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iddsi/id1145593063)

Access the IDDSI framework for food texture and drink thickness testing. This tool provides easy lookup of descriptors and tests, suitable for all ages and care settings to assist individuals with dysphagia.

**Highlights:** IDDSI framework access, Food texture descriptors, Drink thickness tests, Easy lookup, Applicable to all ages, Supports all care settings

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### ableCARE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ablecare/id1564779986)

Access support for assistive technology and speech devices. Connect with a product success team and explore a knowledge base with helpful videos and resources.

**Highlights:** Assistive technology support, Speech device support, Product Success team access, Knowledge base, Video resources

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is IDDSI free?

IDDSI is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ableCARE free?

ableCARE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, IDDSI or ableCARE?

ableCARE is rated higher. IDDSI averages 1.6 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while ableCARE averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do IDDSI or ableCARE have ads?

Neither IDDSI nor ableCARE shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, IDDSI or ableCARE?

IDDSI ships an update every 21 months, and ableCARE every 7 months. Most recently, IDDSI was updated on November 2, 2026 and ableCARE on November 3, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*