Comparison

Study Notes ABA vs FirstWork

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

Head to head
About

Study Notes ABA

Prepare for the BCBA exam with a comprehensive study service. Access over 2500 practice questions, personalized study plans, live study groups, and motivational tools. Engage with a community of learners and utilize fun games and note-sharing features to master ABA concepts.

Highlights
  • 2500+ practice questions
  • Personalized study plan & countdown
  • Weekly live study group sessions
  • Leaderboard and motivational badges
  • Study tips and strategies
  • Note sharing and discussion board
  • Deep breathing tool and study games
Features
Read full description

Has studying for the BCBA Exam become #SUPERaversive for you? We get it and, as always, we got you boo. Our goal is to help you #passthedamntest and have tons of fun doing it! So download our app and #joinourclique. We took our real, relatable, and raw teaching methods that we've seen work for thousands of others and made them more accessible and affordable.  Our app includes: - Over 2500 fluency, application, and scenario questions organized by each task list item (yes, all 163) or randomized for a quick review sesh. We're obviously determined to help you get this stuff down. - A personalized test date countdown, reminders, and an individualized study plan based on your upcoming test date so you can spend less time planning and more time learning! Consider us #CheeringYouOn. EVERY. DAMN. DAY. Love ya. Mean it. - Weekly live study group sessions so you can #talkthisSTUFFout with study buddies from around the world. Because we all know - if you can talk it, you can test it. #BYOB - Leaderboard competitions, personal weekly stats, and #reinforcement badges to help keep you #motivatedAF. - Want to know what others did to #passtheDAMNtest? We've got you covered! We've included our favorite #tips and #strategies for you to utilize while studying. #worksmarternotharder - A StudyNotesABA doodle feed where you can share your #pretty notes and study using others'! - Discussion board so others can help you learn the most confusing concepts in #ABA. - A checklist to help you keep track of your progress in the StudyNotesABA #Collective course. - A deep breathing tool to help you take meaningful study breaks. #meditatewithPAV - Super fun games so you can challenge your friends, study at happy hour, or just beat your own PR #personalrecord. - And much, much more. So try it for FREE before you buy it so you can explore all of it! So, like, really...what are you waiting for? Come #sitwithus and #passthedamntest. Terms of Service: https://studynotesaba-3b603.firebaseapp.com/ Privacy Policy: https://studynotesaba.com/privacy-policy-app/ Subscription Information: The StudyNotesABA app provides premium subscription services. Our premium service gives users access to all content in every section of the app on a monthly or yearly basis. Subscription pricing is $19.99 per month or $119.99 per year.

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

Study Notes ABA4 screens
FirstWork4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: FirstWork at free with in-app purchases against Study Notes ABA's subscription. FirstWork also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 5 weeks) and review sentiment (100% vs 89%). Study Notes ABA's advantage is ratings volume (3.6K vs 14) and rating (4.9 vs 4.7). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Study Notes ABA sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month and FirstWork sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Study Notes ABA holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Study Notes ABA has 3.6K ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 89% of Study Notes ABA's written reviews are positive against 100% of FirstWork's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Study Notes ABA ships an update every 5 weeks, FirstWork every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Study Notes ABA versus FirstWork: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStudy Notes ABAFirstWork
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (3.6K ratings) — better4.7 (14 ratings)
Positive reviews88.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3.6K — better14
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.3 GB63 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperBx Connections LLCFirstWork LLC

Customer experience

Study Notes ABA

All ratings3,591 ratings
Positive97.4%
Neutral1.0%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews115 reviews
Positive88.7%
Neutral6.1%
Negative5.2%

FirstWork

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

Bugs and requests

Study Notes ABA

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Login screen freezes
  • App crashing on certain sections
  • Inconsistent marking of correct answers

Requested features

4 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • More explanations for answers
  • Improved proofreading of content
  • Better integration of live study groups

FirstWork

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Study Notes ABA

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly7 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • Updated Premium Yearly$119.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$199.99
1 purchases

FirstWork

Subscriptions1
  • Base$12.991 Month

Questions

Is Study Notes ABA free?
Study Notes ABA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is FirstWork free?
FirstWork is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Study Notes ABA or FirstWork?
Study Notes ABA is rated higher. Study Notes ABA averages 4.9 out of 5 from 3.6K ratings, while FirstWork averages 4.7 from 14 ratings.
Do Study Notes ABA or FirstWork have ads?
Neither Study Notes ABA nor FirstWork shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Study Notes ABA or FirstWork?
Study Notes ABA ships an update every 5 weeks, and FirstWork every 8 days. Most recently, Study Notes ABA was updated on September 22, 2026 and FirstWork on September 19, 2026.

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