Shape Coding Lite vs Scene & Heard Pro
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/
Scene & Heard Pro
This app allows users to create dynamic visual scene displays and video scenes for communication support. It offers customizable hotspots for audio, video, and scene linking, along with features for literacy development and visual timetables. The app supports multiple languages and head tracking access.
- Create visual scene displays
- Prepare video visual scene displays
- Add audio and video hotspots
- Link to other scenes
- Transition To Literacy features
- Visual timetables
- Head tracking access
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Scene & Heard Pro is a visual scene display AAC app! Create visual scenes and video visual scenes quicker than before with either voice recordings or synthesised speech. Add hotspots that play audio, and videos, link to other scenes or activate Transition To Literacy features. To gain access to all of our amazing features, choose from our affordable monthly and yearly auto-renewing subscription plans. Features: * Make visual scene displays on the go with your clients and students * Prepare video visual scene displays to support communication and independence * Create hotspots anywhere on the photo * Add audio recordings or use text-to-speech * Include videos on hotspots * Link to scenes * Transition To Literacy for both sight words and decodable words * Set up visual timetables * Make grid based AAC pages using symbols and photos * Organise communication books by topics * Export and import scenes *Head Tracking access method available! No calibration or additional hardware required. *Available in 10 languages, which you can switch to after downloading the app: Arabic, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Hebrew, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Scene & Heard Pro at 100% against Shape Coding Lite's 0%. Scene & Heard Pro also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 7 months). Shape Coding Lite's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.6). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Scene & Heard Pro sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Shape Coding Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.
Shape Coding Lite ships an update every 7 months, Scene & Heard Pro every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and August 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Shape Coding Lite | Scene & Heard Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.3 (6 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 6 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 357 MB | 323 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Moor House School & College | Prentke Romich Company |
Customer experience
Shape Coding Lite
Scene & Heard Pro
In-app purchases
Shape Coding Lite
No in-app purchases
Scene & Heard Pro
- Monthly Subscription1 Month trial$8.991 Month
- Yearly Subscription1 Month trial$59.991 Year
Questions
Is Shape Coding Lite free?
Is Scene & Heard Pro free?
Do Shape Coding Lite or Scene & Heard Pro have ads?
Which is updated more often, Shape Coding Lite or Scene & Heard Pro?
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