Shape Coding Lite vs Clicker Writer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Shape Coding Lite
This app uses a visual coding system to help children and young people with language disorders improve sentence structure and grammar. It employs colors, arrows, lines, and shapes to represent word classes, tense, and sentence structure, aiding in understanding and producing English sentences.
- Visual coding system for grammar
- Color-coded word classes
- Arrow indicators for tense
- Line indicators for plurality
- Shape indicators for syntax
- Text-to-speech functionality
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SHAPE CODING® Lite is a free demonstration version of the full SHAPE CODING® app. This is designed for teachers and speech and language therapists / pathologists to use with children and young people who are having difficulties producing and understanding English sentence structure and grammar. As with the full SHAPE CODING® app, it uses the SHAPE CODING® system which has been shown in several research projects to help children and young people with language disorders increase the length and complexity of sentences they can understand and use and improve the accuracy of their sentence production. The SHAPE CODING® Lite app has less functionality and flexibility than the full SHAPE CODING® app but can be used to form simple sentences. The SHAPE CODING® system uses a visual coding system to show the rules for how words are put together in sentences, to develop the child’s understanding of spoken and written grammar and to develop their ability to use grammar successfully to express themselves. The system includes use of colours (word classes), arrows (tense and aspect) , lines (singular and plural) and shapes (syntactic structure). These are all included in the app (although not all are enabled in the Lite version), but the professional controlling the app can choose which features display for the student, so that it is personalised to their current levels and targets. Settings are preserved for the student between uses. The Lite app allows only a single teacher and student, but the full version can have multiple teachers and students. The SHAPE CODING® Lite app is equipped with a basic set of words which can be inserted into those shapes which are enabled to make simple sentences. A much wider range of shape options are enabled in the full version than the Lite version, so more grammatical rules can be taught and more complex sentences created. The app uses text-to-speech, so that students who struggle to read can also use the app. This app assumes a certain degree of familiarity with the SHAPE CODING system. For more information see www.shapecoding.com. Training on how to use the SHAPE CODING(R) system is available from https://training.moorhouseinstitute.co.uk/. For a demonstration of the features of the full version of the app (some of which are also enabled in the Lite version), see: https://shapecoding.com/demo-videos/, and for Frequently Asked Questions see: https://shapecoding.com/app-info/faqs/ Follow us on Twitter @ShapeCoding, Facebook @ShapeCoding and Instagram @shape_coding or if you have any problems or feedback, please contact us at training@moorhouseschool.co.uk Please review our privacy policy https://shapecoding.com/privacy-policy-apple/
Clicker Writer
This writing tool supports students of all abilities, from ages 5-11, to build confidence and improve their writing skills. It offers features like speech feedback, word prediction, and customizable grids with pictures to aid sentence construction and vocabulary development.
- Speech feedback for reviewing writing
- Clicker Grids for sentence building
- Picture-enhanced word banks
- Intelligent word prediction
- Voice notes for prompts
- SuperKeys for accessibility
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Develop students’ writing skills and build struggling writers’ confidence with Clicker Writer - the writing tool that provides differentiated support for students of all abilities. Continuously developed by Crick Software for 25 years, the Clicker product range is used in thousands of schools around the world. THE WRITING TOOL FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS Clicker Writer is designed for students aged 5-11 of all abilities. It incorporates all the extensive support features from the award-winning apps Clicker Sentences, Clicker Connect and Clicker Docs (and more, too), all within a single app. REVIEW WRITING WITH CLEAR SPEECH Students use the child-friendly keyboard to type into the simple word processor, and a range of speech options encourages them to review what they have written. This helps students to find and correct errors for themselves, enabling them to become more independent writers. BUILD WRITING CONFIDENCE WITH CLICKER GRIDS Clicker Grids provide students with point and click access to whole words and phrases. Beginner writers build sentences word-by-word, while developing writers use topic-based word banks to complement their keyboard writing. Browse LearningGrids directly from the app to access hundreds of free sets of Clicker Grids on a wide range of topics - or use the built-in editor to create your own in seconds! USE SYMBOLS AND PICTURES FOR EXTRA SUPPORT Clicker Writer’s Picturize tool makes it easy to add symbols or pictures to support understanding and writing across Clicker Grids, the spell checker, the word predictor, and your document. It includes 10,000 Widgit symbols and 4,500 curriculum pictures, and you can also add your own images. DEVELOP VOCABULARY AND SPELLING WITH WORD PREDICTION The intelligent word predictor suggests words that fit the context of students’ writing. The Predictor can be customized according to reading level, helping students use good vocabulary and create flowing text with accurate spelling. CHECK WORDS BEFORE THEY ARE USED Learners can listen to words before they write them, helping them to find the word they want and achieve writing success. Any word in a Clicker Grid or the Predictor can be heard before it is used by using our unique Sound Shift tool. ADD VOICE NOTES Voice Notes are a simple yet highly effective way for students to add their own prompts, so they don’t forget their train of thought – add them to the document at any time. WRITING TO BE PROUD OF The child-friendly Sassoon font included in the app makes Clicker documents look great. Save and print your documents directly on your device, or share them with Clicker 8 on your PC or Mac via Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive. Whatever your students’ current level, you’ll watch their confidence grow and their motivation soar as they experience writing success! ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL To make access easier for those with physical challenges, the unique SuperKeys option groups the letter keys into clusters, creating just six large areas to target. Just select the cluster containing the letter you want, and then choose the letter in the enlarged cluster. ORGANIZE IDEAS WITH CLICKER BOARD Organizing ideas is a vital first step in the writing process, and one that many learners struggle with. Clicker Board is a child-friendly mind mapping area that makes it easy to capture and organize thoughts using words, Voice Notes, and pictures. Clicker Boards take seconds to create, and you’ll find hundreds of free, ready-made boards on all kinds of curriculum topics in LearningGrids, available directly from the app.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Clicker Writer at 43% against Shape Coding Lite's 0%. Clicker Writer also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months). Shape Coding Lite's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Clicker Writer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Shape Coding Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.
Shape Coding Lite ships an update every 7 months, Clicker Writer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and July 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Shape Coding Lite | Clicker Writer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.5 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 42.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 2 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 17 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 357 MB | 174 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Moor House School & College | Crick Software |
Customer experience
Shape Coding Lite
Clicker Writer
In-app purchases
Shape Coding Lite
No in-app purchases
Clicker Writer
- Clicker Writer In-App Purchase$350.00
Questions
Is Shape Coding Lite free?
Is Clicker Writer free?
Do Shape Coding Lite or Clicker Writer have ads?
Which is updated more often, Shape Coding Lite or Clicker Writer?
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