Comparison

AbleText vs DocsPlus Universal

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

Head to head
About

AbleText

Capture text from photos, enhance readability with color adjustments and adjustable text size. Convert images to digital text that can be read aloud in multiple languages, copied, or shared.

Highlights
  • Photo text capture
  • High contrast color options
  • Adjustable text size
  • Text-to-speech functionality
  • Copy and share text
  • Digital text conversion
Features
Read full description

With AbleText you can take a photo of text from a book or paper with the high quality camera in your iPad. The photo can be manipulated with high contrast colours. Then transform this photo in to digital text. The text size can be made larger or smaller for easy reading. The text can be read out loud in the languages you have on your device. The text can be copied, shared or used in other applications.

About

DocsPlus Universal

Read full description

FOR STUDENTS AGED 11-ADULT DocsPlus is a specially designed word processor with an adult look and feel, yet provides extensive writing support through high quality speech, powerful word prediction and our acclaimed Wordbars. REVIEW WRITING WITH CLEAR SPEECH As students write, their work is read back to them as each sentence is completed. Research shows this active engagement with text encourages students to find and correct errors for themselves. DEVELOP VOCABULARY AND SPELLING WITH WORD PREDICTION The intelligent predictor suggests words that fit the context of students’ writing. It’s easily customized to the right reading level, helping students to use good vocabulary and create flowing text with accurate spelling. BUILD WRITING CONFIDENCE WITH WORDBARS The unique Wordbars provide tabbed vocabulary support for any subject or topic – just click a word to add it to the document. Make your own Wordbars in a flash to support any topic, or get free, ready-made ones from our LearningGrids site within the app which covers a range of curriculum topics. CHECK WORDS BEFORE THEY ARE USED Learners can listen to words before they write them, helping them to find the word they want and achieve writing success. Any word in the predictor, spell checker or Wordbar can be heard before it is used so students can be sure of their selection. ADD VOICE NOTES Voice Notes are a simple yet highly effective way for students to add their own prompts so they don’t forget their train of thought – add them to the document at any time. ORGANIZE IDEAS WITH WORKSPACE Organizing ideas is a vital first step in the writing process, and one that many learners struggle with. WorkSpace is a user-friendly mind mapping area that makes it easy to capture and organize thoughts using words, Voice Notes, and pictures. It takes seconds to create a WorkSpace, and you’ll find hundreds of free, ready-made ones on all kinds of curriculum topics on LearningGrids, available directly from the app. ACCESS CURICULUM CONTENT The integrated Document Reader reads aloud any PDF or Word document, providing equal access to worksheets, exam papers and more. Worksheets sit alongside the document being written for easy access. SIT EXAMS INDEPENDENTLY Students who qualify for additional access arrangements in exams can use DocsPlus instead of a human scribe or reader – it’s better for self-esteem and saves time and money. Students can even enter answers directly onto the exam paper if it’s provided as an editable PDF. USE IT YOUR WAY Choose between male and female American English voices (British and Australian voices also provided), and customize font and colors to suit the individual. Work with documents from your iPad, iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive. MS Word and PDF formats are supported, and DocsPlus works anywhere, whether or not you have an Internet connection. PART OF CRICK SOFTWARE’S FAMILY Based in the UK and US, Crick Software has a worldwide reputation for quality educational software for students of all abilities. To find more apps, search for Crick Software in the App Store.

Screenshots

AbleText4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: DocsPlus Universal at every 6 months against AbleText's every 16 months. AbleText's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. AbleText sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and DocsPlus Universal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AbleText ships an update every 16 months, DocsPlus Universal every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
AbleText versus DocsPlus Universal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAbleTextDocsPlus Universal
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 16 monthsEvery 6 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better17
Further details — not scored
Size179 MB177 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperABLECON ASCrick Software

In-app purchases

1 purchases

AbleText

One-time1
  • Upgrade$54.99
1 purchases

DocsPlus Universal

One-time1
  • DocsPlus Universal full$350.00

Questions

Is AbleText free?
AbleText is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DocsPlus Universal free?
DocsPlus Universal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do AbleText or DocsPlus Universal have ads?
Neither AbleText nor DocsPlus Universal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AbleText or DocsPlus Universal?
AbleText ships an update every 16 months, and DocsPlus Universal every 6 months. Most recently, AbleText was updated on September 23, 2026 and DocsPlus Universal on September 13, 2026.

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