ASL Handshape Games vs Visual LightPad
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ASL Handshape Games
Interactive penguin-themed games designed to enhance ASL handshape recognition and build sign and print vocabulary. These dual-language games are co-designed with Deaf children to foster early language and literacy skills.
- ASL handshape recognition
- Sign and print vocabulary learning
- Interactive penguin-themed games
- Dual language (ASL-English)
- Progressive difficulty levels
- Memory and matching challenges
Read full descriptionHide full description
Co-designed with Deaf children, these dual language (ASL-English) games target ASL handshape recognition and sign and print vocabulary learning! This bundle includes 3 interactive penguin-themed games that encourage ASL handshape recognition, awareness of visual language patterns, and sign and print vocabulary learning - all important early language and literacy skills! Endless Waddle: Players must help the penguin move through 3 lanes on an icefield and select one picture/text (from a choice of 3) that matches a target ASL handshape. Beware of ice holes! Hungry Penguins: Penguins are standing along a shore and are waiting to be fed! But these penguins are picky eaters! They'll only eat fish whose picture/text matches the ASL handshape on their belly. Memory Match: Test your ASL handshape knowledge with this game of memory and concentration. Build your memory skills while improving your sign vocabulary and/or your print vocabulary. Hungry Penguins and Memory Match feature 2 gameplay options: Picture mode or Text mode supporting sign and/or print vocabulary learning and practice! Note: This app does not contain any audio.
Visual LightPad
Read full descriptionHide full description
Visual LightPad creates a bright illuminated surface for developing visual perceptual and visual motor skills in people with visual impairment. It's a cheaper alternative to expensive, dedicated hardware visual impairment light boxes. Think of it as a digital light box! Adjust Visual LightPad's brightness and color, then place semi transparent toys, numbers or letters on the iPad's screen. Where colors become difficult, open the color picker and change the background color to something that accentuates the toys. Where hardware light boxes can be associated with work, iPads tend to be associated with play. Visual LightPad helps develop awareness to color and light, but using objects also helps in the development of visual perceptual skills, hand eye coordination, and both visual scanning and tracking. Visual LightPad can also be used for; - Reading content printed onto acetate - Providing a reading backlight when paper documents are placed on top of it - Photo negative illumination - Sensory / mood lighting Visual LightPad is purposefully easy to use and relatively low on features. It supports presets for easy saving and recall of preferred settings. It is designed to run on iPad, but also runs on iPhone - meaning you can keep a small light box in your pocket at all times.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Visual LightPad at Free against ASL Handshape Games's $2.99. Visual LightPad also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 32 months). ASL Handshape Games's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On 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
Visual LightPad is free to download; ASL Handshape Games costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ASL Handshape Games ships an update every 32 months, Visual LightPad weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ASL Handshape Games | Visual LightPad |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 32 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 316 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sign2Read Literacy Initiatives, Inc. | AW Games |
In-app purchases
ASL Handshape Games
No in-app purchases
Visual LightPad
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is ASL Handshape Games free?
Is Visual LightPad free?
Do ASL Handshape Games or Visual LightPad have ads?
Which is updated more often, ASL Handshape Games or Visual LightPad?
Other comparisons















