IssieSign vs Otzar
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
IssieSign
This app offers a customizable library for learning and teaching signs and gestures, aiding communication for individuals with complex needs. It features video demonstrations, symbol pairing, and categorization for easy navigation and sharing.
- Customizable video library
- ARASAAC symbol integration
- Video and category sharing
- Google Drive backup
- Over 800 sign videos
- SymbolStix integration
- Categorized vocabulary
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IssieSign is an app that provides a simple solution for introducing and teaching signs and gestures using an intuitively designed and customizable library. It was developed in collaboration with The Technology Center of Beit Issie Shapiro and SAP Labs Israel. With a simple, clear and tailor-made design allowing for easy access and navigation for people with motoric or intellectual difficulties, IssieSign can be a significant means of communication and can help people with complex communication needs express themselves more effectively. IssieSign, is designed to meet needs identified in our work at Beit Issie Shapiro with people with disabilities. It is one of a series of apps we have created with the aim of improving participation and quality of life. IssieSign has two available versions: 1. My IssieSign: Allows you to create your own sign language library. Unique Features: - Clear and intuitive platform for creating and using the video library - Includes the ARASAAC symbol set for pairing symbols with your videos - Easily classify videos by category - Easily share videos and categories with others - Easily backup app content in Google Drive My IssieSign, is designed to meet needs identified in our work at Beit Issie Shapiro with people with disabilities. It is one of a series of apps we have created with the aim of improving participation and quality of life. 2. IssieSign for Hebrew Speakers: An app for learning how to sign basic vocabulary, based on Israeli Sign Language (ISL), for the purpose of expressing needs and ideas. Unique Features: - Over 800 videos within the app - Each sign appears in the video along with the spoken word, the written word, and a familiar symbol (SymbolStix* - used in many special education schools for communication) - Vocabulary for preschool and elementary aged children - Categories are classified by color for easy recognition and efficiency - Each video is structured according to the first stages of language development – each video contains the word as a one-word stage and as a two-word stage. For example, the video for "dog" will have a clip signing "dog" followed by the sign for "big dog"/ - Options to add categories, videos, and to share with others The Technology Center at Beit Issie Shapiro serves as a leading hub for promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in the field of Assistive Technology (AT), bringing more accessible and affordable solutions to people with disabilities. We provide consultation and training services to families and professionals and consultation and support to developers and entrepreneurs helping them create apps and products that are accessible to a wider audience including people with disabilities. A special thanks to the dedicated staff at SAP Labs, Israel, who are responsible for bringing this app from idea to product. Thank you to Anne Johnson-Oliss, from n2y, for guidance with Symbolstix, and to Lee Dan and Ella Okhotin for the translation to Israeli Sign Language. Copyright SymbolStix, LLC. 2018. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Otzar
This app helps you build Hebrew vocabulary by scanning words from real-life sources. It provides definitions in simple Hebrew, example sentences, and spaced repetition practice to aid long-term memory. Translations are available in English, Russian, and French.
- Scan words from books, signs, and menus
- Definitions in simple Hebrew with niqqud
- Real example sentences
- Personalized word treasure
- Spaced-repetition practice mode
- Translations in English, Russian, and French
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Otzar (אוצר — literally "treasure," the Hebrew idiom for vocabulary) turns real Hebrew you encounter into vocabulary you actually keep. Scan words you find in books, menus, signs, and ANYWHERE in real life and Otzar finds its root, explains it in simple Hebrew you can read, shows real example sentences, and adds it to your personal "word treasure" automatically. Translations in English, Russian, and French. Otzar is perfect if you: • Are an olah/eh (or any other medium to advanced Hebrew student) • Want to accelerate your learning to get comfortable listening to the news, reading journals, and enjoying the richness of Hebrew literature • Find Hebrew learning apps a bit too basic but looking every word up in milonim a bit overwhelming Chances are that you — like us — have found translators hardly reliable with Hebrew's tricky grammar, a bit cumbersome, and most importantly: cheat you out of a good learning experience. That's exactly the gap Otzar was designed for: not precisely a learning app, a dictionary, nor a translator, but a balance of all three with a focus on convenience. In practice mode, Otzar quizzes you with your saved words, letting you build long-term memory with our research-grade spaced-repetition engine. Based on how you've answered and when you looked them up, Otzar quietly decides what words are worth practicing next — new words from your treasury mixed with the ones about to slip away. No streaks, no guilt, no daily quotas. Just enjoy learning real Hebrew as you encounter it in the wild! • Camera word capture built for Hebrew print — lock onto a word and tap • Definitions in simple Hebrew, with niqqud on the word you looked up • Homographs handled properly — one word, all its meanings • Translations stay hidden until you ask — Hebrew first, always • Practice cards with self-grading Download our app, pick up a book or go out in the world, and start broadening your Otzar achshav!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Otzar at 100% against IssieSign's 50%. Otzar also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 7 months) and rating (4.5 vs 4.2). IssieSign's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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.
Otzar holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of IssieSign's written reviews are positive against 100% of Otzar's.
IssieSign ships an update every 7 months, Otzar every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | IssieSign | Otzar |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (5 ratings) | 4.5 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 37 MB | 28 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Beit Issie Shapiro | Roy Lirov |
Customer experience
IssieSign
Otzar
In-app purchases
IssieSign
No in-app purchases
Otzar
No in-app purchases









