UKAPO vs PiCom
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
UKAPO
This app facilitates communication for individuals with speech difficulties to articulate their medical concerns. It provides a comprehensive set of medical symbols for clear and systematic interaction with healthcare professionals, ensuring accurate diagnosis and treatment.
- Medical symbol library
- Physician and pharmacist communication
- Consultation guideline support
- Health status tracking
- Body part identification
- Medication and product reference
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UKAPO solves the problem of persons with disease who can not speak to explain their medical issues. UKAPO offers a multitude of specific medical symbols especially for physicians and pharmacists but as well for helpers and volunteers to communicate systematically the acute matter. This leads simultaneously to the right treatment of the disease. UKAPO was developed based on pharmacies' wishes and realised in cooperation with them. The first two pages of UKAPO allow a consultation according to the consultation guidelines of the Deutsche Apothekerkammer. The other seven pages include health status, body parts, medication and other medical products and services. Symbols: METACOM © Annette Kitzinger
PiCom
This communication aid uses picture symbols and text-to-speech to assist individuals with speaking difficulties. It allows for customization of communication boards, supports various input methods, and can be used offline.
- Picture symbol communication
- Text-to-speech and recorded voice output
- Offline functionality
- Customizable communication boards
- Supports Open Board Format (.obf/.obz)
- Multiple input methods (switches, controllers, etc.)
- Accessibility features (high contrast, zoom)
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PiCom is an Augmentative Alternative Communication system (AAC) , which can be used within healthcare systems such as the UK's NHS, the schools systems, at home or when out and about. PiCom is a picture symbol communicator with text to speech or recorded voice output, that runs on a wide range of tablets, phones and computers. PiCom does not require a web connection to use as a communication aid. PiCom is designed to assist people who have difficulty speaking, due to a medical situation (short or long term). It can also be of great help in special education. PiCom brings change and more choice to digital communication aids. PiCom also supports the new Apple Personal Voice feature. Any personal voices created, will show within PiCom along with all other voices available on the device. Please note Personal Voice is only available on certain Apple devices at iOS17. PiCom has the great advantage in being able to open and create communication boards or grids with the Open Board Format (.obf or obz). This means that boards can be freely exchanged between users, creators and the AAC Apps that can support Open Board format. When you download PiCom, it includes a range of well established communicator grids from experts in the field. You can then edit these, changing images and names to help the communication aid user. PiCom also has is own set of communication symbols, as well as linking to other symbols and the ability to use your own photos (and sounds). The advantages continue, because you can edit or create boards in PiCom, and share to your user's device or computer - the PiCom app and boards will be the same on all devices, including within a web browser. PiCom is also highly accessible for people who might have physical difficulties using a device. PiCom can be operated with bluetooth switches, Microsoft X Box Controller and Microsoft Adaptive Control, special external mice, some novel light touch control methods as well as face control. PiCom has some helpful visual features, allowing background and button colours to be modified extensively. It has a high contrast display and a zoom capability. PICOM FEATURE LIST 1. PiCom includes a range of proven communicator templates, that can be used immediately and expanded or edited. 2. Connects to the text to speech voices on your device, giving a wide range of voice choices in many languages. Also supports Apple Personal Voice feature when available. 3. You can import (and export) existing created communication boards that are in the Open Board Format (file format .obf or .obz) 4. Edit buttons on existing and new boards, changing background colors, import different symbols, images or photos, change the labels and change the text that is spoken. Add recorded audio to buttons also, using the record feature or import audio. 5. Create your own Communicators and boards from scratch, you can define sizes, use the button editor to populate each button, and export or share the creator communicator in the Open Board format .obz 6. Many access control input methods are available for PiCom, including touch, touch zoom, mouse wheel control, joystick, X Box Controller, gamepad D pad/cursor key control, , switch control, face control and micro touchpad control. Microsoft Adaptive Controller and X Box controller support inbuilt, as most recent devices now support this controller. 7. PiCom can be run as a full screen communicator, or show the selected text/symbols in a viewing windows top or bottom 8. PiCom can operate in both landscape mode and portrait mode. 9. PiCom does not require an internet connection to work as a communicator. Internet is required to share and download new boards. 10. PiCom does not require an account to be created, contains no adverts and does not track data for external usage. 11. Over 2000 PiCom symbols included and available to boards and available from free download from our website at www.sensoryapphouse.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: UKAPO at 5.0 against PiCom's 4.0. UKAPO also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). PiCom's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 13 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
UKAPO holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
UKAPO ships an update every 13 months, PiCom every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | UKAPO | PiCom |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 4.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 13 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 96 MB | 93 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Quantumfrog Gesellschaft mit beschraenkter Haftung | Sensory App House Ltd |
Customer experience
UKAPO
PiCom
In-app purchases
UKAPO
No in-app purchases
PiCom
No in-app purchases








