Virtual MotivAider vs Understanding Behavior BCBA
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
Read full descriptionHide 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.
Understanding Behavior BCBA
Prepare for your BCBA/BCaBA certification exam with this comprehensive study tool. Access free practice questions, mini mock exams, and courses. Connect with a supportive community and find affordable study materials to help you pass.
- Free mini mock exams
- Free fluency questions
- Free courses (coming soon)
- Notifications for free study groups
- Access to paid study products
- Community interaction
Read full descriptionHide full description
Prepare for your BCBA/BCaBA exam on the go with the Understanding Behavior App!! Nick's expertise has brought 1000s of BCBAs through the finish line to pass that BEAST of an exam. Want to be next? You're in the right place! Try out our FREE mini mocks, fluency questions, and courses created by an instructor with over 7 years experience teaching BCBA exam prep (and over 13 years of being a bona fide behavior geek!) Liking what you try? Our materials are affordable and effective and can be accessed directly through the app to study on the go!! In this app enjoy: -FREE mini mocks -FREE fluency questions -FREE courses (coming soon) -Notifications of FREE study groups (3+ weekly!!) -Convenient access to paid Understanding Behavior products -A supportive and welcoming community to interact with! -And MORE!!! What are you waiting for? Download the app and start training to crush the beast now!!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Understanding Behavior BCBA at 100% against Virtual MotivAider's 23%. Understanding Behavior BCBA also leads on price (Free vs $3.99) and rating (5.0 vs 2.9). Virtual MotivAider's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and chart position (#125 vs unranked). On 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
Understanding Behavior BCBA is free to download; Virtual MotivAider costs $3.99 up front. Understanding Behavior BCBA sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Virtual MotivAider asks for nothing beyond the download.
Understanding Behavior BCBA holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Understanding Behavior BCBA has 89 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 23% of Virtual MotivAider's written reviews are positive against 100% of Understanding Behavior BCBA's.
Virtual MotivAider ships an update every 8 months, Understanding Behavior BCBA every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Virtual MotivAider | Understanding Behavior BCBA |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 2.9 (7 ratings) | 5.0 (89 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 23.1% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 7 | 89 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | #125 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 15.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 27 MB | 119 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Behavioral Dynamics, Inc. | Understanding Behavior LLC |
Customer experience
Virtual MotivAider
Understanding Behavior BCBA
In-app purchases
Virtual MotivAider
No in-app purchases
Understanding Behavior BCBA
- Study Hall Notes & Recordings$19.99
- Fluency Questions$39.99
- Mini Mocks UB$99.00
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Comprehensive BCBA Exam Course$324.99
Questions
Is Virtual MotivAider free?
Is Understanding Behavior BCBA free?
Which has better reviews, Virtual MotivAider or Understanding Behavior BCBA?
Do Virtual MotivAider or Understanding Behavior BCBA have ads?
Which is updated more often, Virtual MotivAider or Understanding Behavior BCBA?
Other comparisons















