Comparison

Pathways for Core First vs Articulation Test Center Hive

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

Head to head
About

Pathways for Core First

This app provides expert guidance, lesson plans, and real-world videos to help parents, teachers, and therapists effectively use a communication system. It offers tools for skill assessment, progress tracking, and customizing communication components.

Highlights
  • Expert advice and best practices
  • Lesson plans and scripts
  • How-to videos
  • Interactive goals grid for assessment and tracking
  • Skill-building resources
  • Customization guides for communication components
  • Top tips for effective use
Read full description

Pathways for Core First is a FREE, one-of-a-kind companion app for Core First that is packed with expert advice for how to meaningfully impact the user’s communication success. Based on best practices from experts in the field, Pathways for Core First provides lesson plans, top tips, and real-world videos to show parents, teachers, and therapists how to get the most out of Core First with confidence. Designed by experts in the field, Pathways for Core First is a clear, easy-to-follow blueprint for getting started and continuing to grow skills with Core First. It was developed to empower communication partners to apply best practices and proven techniques for the user in a simple, straight-forward way. Pathways for Core First is an essential resource to help you guide the user to communication success. What’s inside? Getting Started – Set up Core First and use it with an example. You’ll also find: • Helpful how-to videos. • Scripts based on the individual’s grid size. Goals Grid – Use this proven resource tool that is now interactive to: • Assess an individual’s current skills and identify goals. • Track progress in Pathways and email or print status to share with others. • Access at least one lesson plan per goal. Build Skills – Discover and share (email, print) how to build the user’s skills through lessons and resources. We’ll equip you to: • Teach core vocabulary through Core Word Lessons & Books. • Transitioning from PECS. • Select and implement positive behavior supports. Customize Core First – Print or email cheat sheets and view video instructions on how to easily customize components of Core First: • Add or rearrange vocabulary. • Grow core words systematically. • Simplify or grow language. Top Tips – Identify the most important things about using Core First with the user. Here you’ll learn about: • Modeling. • Providing a positive communication environment. • Looking for success. Why It Works – Review and share the research and myths about AAC, Core First, and Pathways.

About

Articulation Test Center Hive

This app provides a comprehensive tool for assessing speech sound disorders in children and adults. It offers flexible testing options, intelligent scoring, interactive scenes for speech sampling, and auto-generated reports to save time for speech-language pathologists.

Highlights
  • Flexible testing options (Screener, Full Test)
  • Intelligent scoring with auto-marked phonological processes
  • Interactive speech scenes for connected speech samples
  • Comprehensive test results and progress graphs
  • Auto-generated, editable reports
  • Speech sample audio recording and playback
Features
Read full description

Articulation Test Center Hive (ATC Hive) is a criterion-referenced, articulation and phonology test, created by SLPs for SLPs to assess speech sound disorders in children and adults. It is a smart testing solution that offers flexible testing options, interactive speech scenes, comprehensive test results, and auto-generated, data-driven reports that will save you time! ARTICULATION TEST CENTER HIVE OFFERS: FLEXIBLE TESTING OPTIONS: Screener: Assesses the sounds and words that are developmentally appropriate based on age. Full Test: Assesses all the speech sounds in the English language including initial sounds, medial sounds, final sounds, blends, vowels, and R sounds or any combination of these sound sets. INTELLIGENT SCORING: - Quickly mark sounds incorrect or approximate - Easily mark substitutions and omissions - Enjoy 19 auto-marked phonological processes & distortions - Rate intelligibility INTERACTIVE SPEECH SCENES: Speech Sample: Offers two beautifully illustrated and interactive speech scenes for children to explore with question prompts to keep them talking. It is a fun and easy way to record and save a connected speech sample for assessing a student’s speech and language skills, and it provides a more accurate way to measure intelligibility. COMPREHENSIVE TEST RESULTS: Scores Overview: Displays progress graphs for Percent Phonemes Correct and Intelligibility, and a list of tests given. Words Tested: Displays all the words tested, how they were scored, and phonological processes & distortions marked. You can listen to recordings made and view notes. If edits are needed you can return to the test to make changes. Sound Errors: Displays the sound errors by sound position and age of acquisition. You can also mark sound errors for stimulability. Place/Manner: Displays sound errors based on the place of articulation and on the manner of articulation. It also displays vowel errors by position and quadrant. Substitutions: Displays all the substitutions made and omissions marked. Processes/Distortions: Displays all the phonological processes and distortions marked in the test. It does this with a visual graph as well as a list of processes marked. Speech Sample: The audio recording taken from the speech sample is saved and available for playback. The intelligibility can be updated and a transcription can be entered or viewed. Recommendation: Shows a quick summary of sounds and phonological processes recommended for practice and sounds processes that should be monitored for appropriate development. AUTO-GENERATED REPORTS: The Report tab presents a full written report summarizing the test results. The report can be edited and/or shared with parents, teachers, and others involved in the intervention process. Once you immerse yourself in ATC Hive’s many testing and reporting features you will come to know we invested an enormous amount of our resources and our best thinking in both the testing experience, and in the test administrator–YOU! We’re proud to offer ATC Hive as part of the Little Bee Hive membership which includes access to both Articulation Test Center Hive and Articulation Station Hive. If you are already subscribed to Articulation Station Hive (Pro tier) you may download and login to Articulation Test Center Hive with your same login information at no additional cost. SUBSCRIPTION, PRICING & TERMS: Articulation Test Center Hive offers a 14-day free trial which includes unlimited access to both Articulation Test Center Hive and Articulation Station 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

Articulation Test Center Hive4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Articulation Test Center Hive at 64% against Pathways for Core First's 0%. Articulation Test Center Hive also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.2) and ratings volume (158 vs 9). Pathways for Core First's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.0). 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. Articulation Test Center Hive sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Pathways for Core First asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Articulation Test Center Hive holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Articulation Test Center Hive has 158 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Pathways for Core First's written reviews are positive against 64% of Articulation Test Center Hive's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Pathways for Core First versus Articulation Test Center Hive: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPathways for Core FirstArticulation Test Center Hive
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.2 (9 ratings)4.8 (158 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews64.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings9158 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS9.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size206 MB162 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTobii Dynavox LLCLittle Bee Speech

Customer experience

Pathways for Core First

All ratings9 ratings
Positive55.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative44.4%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Articulation Test Center Hive

All ratings136 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral1.5%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive64.3%
Neutral14.3%
Negative21.4%

In-app purchases

None

Pathways for Core First

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Articulation Test Center Hive

Subscriptions2
  • Hive Pro (Monthly)14 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • Hive Pro (Yearly)14 Days trial$119.991 Year

Questions

Is Pathways for Core First free?
Pathways for Core First is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Articulation Test Center Hive free?
Articulation Test Center Hive is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pathways for Core First or Articulation Test Center Hive?
Articulation Test Center Hive is rated higher. Pathways for Core First averages 3.2 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Articulation Test Center Hive averages 4.8 from 158 ratings.
Do Pathways for Core First or Articulation Test Center Hive have ads?
Neither Pathways for Core First nor Articulation Test Center Hive shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pathways for Core First or Articulation Test Center Hive?
Pathways for Core First ships an update monthly, and Articulation Test Center Hive monthly. Most recently, Pathways for Core First was updated on October 24, 2026 and Articulation Test Center Hive on October 24, 2026.

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