Comparison

Virtual MotivAider vs FirstWork

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

Head to head
About

Virtual MotivAider

This tool helps users achieve desired behavioral changes by sending personalized prompts. It replicates the functionality of a dedicated device, reminding you to act on your goals with custom messages and adjustable notification intervals.

Highlights
  • Personalized message triggers
  • Customizable prompt types (vibration, sound, text)
  • Adjustable prompt frequency and intervals
  • Automatic prompt duration setting
  • Pause and resume prompting
  • Multiple behavior change projects
Features
Read full description

Virtual MotivAider® is designed to help users of all ages make desired changes in their own behavior and habits. ​ This app is intended to replicate much of the functionality of the MotivAider®, an ingeniously simple dedicated electronic device invented by a clinical psychologist. Since 1987, the MotivAider® device has helped thousands of people in over 50 countries make a wide range of desired behavioral changes. Like the MotivAider® device, Virtual MotivAider® corrects for a largely overlooked glitch in the design of the human mind -- the lack of a dependable mechanism for keeping good intentions "on the front burner" of your mind. By repeatedly sending you signals or prompts that remind and urge you to act in accord with any chosen behavioral objective or goal, the app prevents your good intentions from getting lost in the shuffle. To use the app, you first devise a brief personal message – a word, phrase or image -- that serves as a trigger to remind and urge you to take a specific action required to achieve your goal. Next, you simply associate your personal message with the app’s signals or prompts, so that whenever you receive the prompt, you'll automatically think your personal message and be reminded and urged to take the desired action. Then, you set the app to send you prompts – and therefore your personal message – as often as it takes to get the best possible results. By design, Virtual MotivAider® is simple and straightforward. It has no bells and whistles to distract you from its singular purpose, which is to keep your attention focused on making whatever change in behavior you decide to make. Virtual MotivAider® lets you: • Choose the type(s) of prompts you’d like to receive – from a simple vibration signal (if your device is capable of vibration) and/or a sound (you can even record your personal message in your own voice) and/or a text notification with your personal message. • Get prompts as often as you want – from as often as once every few seconds to as seldom as once a day. • Choose whether to get prompts at Regular intervals (for example, once every 5 minutes), at Average intervals (for example, from 15 minutes to one hour apart with an Average of 30 minutes apart), or even at Random intervals (for example, at random intervals that are no less than 10 seconds apart and no more than 10 minutes apart). • Choose how long to have prompting continue before stopping automatically. • Pause and resume prompting whenever you want. • Create and save multiple behavior change projects. (To achieve the best results, however, we recommend that you work on only one project at a time). • Access the same free habit change resources that help users of the dedicated MotivAider® device achieve great results.

About

FirstWork

This platform offers digital Discrete Trial Instruction (DTI/DTT) with thousands of ABA and SPED learning goals. It provides innovative rewards and deep customization for personalized learning programs, trusted by professionals.

Highlights
  • Thousands of ABA and SPED learning goals
  • Matching, Receptive Identification, FFC
  • Expressive Language and Phonics activities
  • Customizable spelling and counting exercises
  • Progress monitoring and export features
  • Focus Mode to limit distractions
  • Digital reward system with app access
Read full description

FirstWork is the most popular digital Discrete Trial Instruction(DTI/DTT) platform featuring the most common ABA and SPED learning goals, thousands of targets, innovative rewards, and deep customization options. FirstWork is trusted by thousands of ABA and SPED professionals for their personalized learning programs. Our Learning Categories - featuring thousands of targets for: Matching: Boost cognitive skills by pairing related items. Receptive Identification: Enhance understanding through auditory and visual prompts. Feature, Function, and Class (FFC): Develop categorization and critical thinking skills by identifying objects based on their attributes, roles, and classifications. Expressive Language: Practice vocal responses with instructor-scored expressive language lessons. Letter Sound Matching: Strengthen phonics with interactive letter-sound activities. Spelling: Improve spelling with dynamic and customizable exercises. Counting: Build foundational math skills through counting tasks. Arithmetic: Advance numeracy with a variety of arithmetic challenges. Key Features: Progress Monitoring: Easily graph and monitor learning progress with our intuitive view and export features, helping you stay informed of your learner’s development. Customizable Lessons: Adapt the app to suit your learner’s specific needs with various lesson modifications. Lesson Sharing: Send a copy of your lesson to other FirstWork users, such as colleagues. Focus Mode: During lessons, you can limit access to distracting apps on your device making it an environment more suitable for learning. Reward System: You can grant time on your learner’s favorite apps as a reward, after their time is up, they’ll be brought back to FirstWork for another lesson. It’s ideal for remote learning, learning at home, or learners who enjoy digital rewards. Whether you're a parent, teacher, or ABA professional, FirstWork makes learning easy and enjoyable. Terms of Use: https://firstworkapp.com/terms-of-service/ Privacy Policy: https://firstworkapp.com/privacy-policy/

Screenshots

Virtual MotivAider4 screens
FirstWork4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: FirstWork at 100% against Virtual MotivAider's 23%. FirstWork also leads on price (Free vs $3.99) and rating (4.7 vs 2.9). Virtual MotivAider's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). On ratings volume, 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

FirstWork is free to download; Virtual MotivAider costs $3.99 up front. FirstWork sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $12.99 per month. Virtual MotivAider asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

FirstWork holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 14 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 23% of Virtual MotivAider's written reviews are positive against 100% of FirstWork's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Virtual MotivAider ships an update every 8 months, FirstWork every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Virtual MotivAider versus FirstWork: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVirtual MotivAiderFirstWork
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating2.9 (7 ratings)4.7 (14 ratings) — better
Positive reviews23.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings714 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB63 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBehavioral Dynamics, Inc.FirstWork LLC

Customer experience

Virtual MotivAider

All ratings7 ratings
Positive42.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative57.1%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive23.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative76.9%

FirstWork

All ratings14 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Virtual MotivAider

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

FirstWork

Subscriptions1
  • Base$12.991 Month

Questions

Is Virtual MotivAider free?
Virtual MotivAider costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is FirstWork free?
FirstWork is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Virtual MotivAider or FirstWork?
FirstWork is rated higher. Virtual MotivAider averages 2.9 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while FirstWork averages 4.7 from 14 ratings.
Do Virtual MotivAider or FirstWork have ads?
Neither Virtual MotivAider nor FirstWork shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Virtual MotivAider or FirstWork?
Virtual MotivAider ships an update every 8 months, and FirstWork every 8 days. Most recently, Virtual MotivAider was updated on October 8, 2026 and FirstWork on October 6, 2026.

Other comparisons