Comparison

Splingo vs Speak Buddy

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

Head to head
About

Splingo

Engaging educational games designed by speech and language therapists to help children develop essential communication skills. Features interactive gameplay, bright visuals, and motivating reward systems. Targets various language areas from early words to complex directions.

Highlights
  • Therapist-designed games
  • Targets receptive language
  • Early words development
  • Following directions
  • Interactive gameplay
  • Reward games
  • Language assessment tool
Features
Read full description

Speech and Language apps for children Designed by Speech and Language Therapists/Pathologists, Splingo apps are fun and engaging educational games to help your child develop their speech and language skills. Specially designed by Speech and Language Therapists/Pathologists to target different areas of language development Fun and interactive gameplay with an emphasis on learning Bright, colorful images and animations In-built reward games to engage and motivate Recommended by Speech and Language Therapists/Pathologists Splingo games target all these areas of language development – Following Directions/Receptive Language Actions/verbs Pronouns Early Words development Past Tense Categories Adjectives / Describing Words Language Assessment Splingo also includes a professional’s Language Assessment tool designed to assess children’s receptive language skills. As Speech and Language Therapists / Pathologists with over 40 years experience between us we know what it takes to support children’s speech and language development! We’ve designed these Splingo games to be fun and educational by using bright, colorful images and animations. Splingo games can be customized to target specific language skill areas so you can be certain that your child is playing the right games at the right level. We’ve added high-quality, in-built reward games to motivate your child to keep on learning. The games also have an option to select between US voice and UK voice. Children love playing Splingo and parents and professionals tell us it’s an app that children ask for over and over again – they’re having fun whilst they’re learning! Used for over a decade by Speech and Language Therapists all over the world, Splingo is a go-to app for developing children’s language skills. **Frequently listed as a Top 10 Speech and Language App (Speech Sisters; District Speech; Therapy Tree; The Sped Guru; TechBooky**

About

Speak Buddy

This app provides a guided, research-informed speech therapy companion for autistic, nonverbal, and late-talking children. It offers structured lessons, voice-based games, and AAC-style communication boards to support communication development from home.

Highlights
  • 180+ structured speech therapy lessons
  • Voice-based speech games
  • AAC-style communication boards
  • Custom vocabulary card builder
  • Microphone-powered blowing games
  • Progress tracking and feedback
  • Sensory-friendly visuals
  • Offline access
Features
Read full description

SpeakBuddy: Help Your Child Speak with Joy Note: SpeakBuddy is a subscription-based app with a 3-day free trial. A subscription is required to access all features. Download is free and includes a preview. All core content is unlocked with an active subscription. Built by a parent. Backed by science. Made for children who need support finding their voice. SpeakBuddy is more than an app. It’s a guided, research-informed speech therapy companion designed specifically for autistic, nonverbal, and late-talking children. Whether your child is learning to make their first sound or building sentences, SpeakBuddy offers a safe, structured, and engaging path to communication — right from your home. Developed by a parent of a child with autism, this app combines professional methods with real-world sensitivity. SpeakBuddy is calming, gentle, and progress-focused — just what many parents wish existed sooner. All features listed below require a subscription. 3-day free trial included. Over 180 structured speech therapy lessons from early vocal sounds to full phrases Voice-based speech games that reward real attempts and encourage repetition AAC-style communication boards to help nonverbal children express themselves Custom vocabulary card builder to personalize therapy Microphone-powered blowing games for oral motor skill development Progress tracking and feedback tools to support long-term growth Sensory-friendly visuals created for overstimulated learners No ads, no distractions — just focused learning Offline access for on-the-go practice anytime Rooted in real-world therapy techniques and adapted for home use Who It’s For Parents seeking a practical and trusted home speech therapy tool Families of children with autism, apraxia, or speech delay Caregivers of non-speaking, late-talking, or minimally verbal children Educators and therapists supporting language development in special needs children Why Parents Trust SpeakBuddy Designed by a parent who understands the journey Easy to use even for tech-shy caregivers Made for real-life progress — not just play Loved by children for its calm, colorful, and rewarding interface Loved by parents for its clarity, simplicity, and results Subscription Details 3-day free trial included with all plans Choose from monthly or yearly options Full access to all games, lessons, AAC boards, and features Cancel anytime before the trial ends to avoid charges Subscription renews automatically unless canceled in your App Store settings Disclaimer SpeakBuddy is an educational support tool and does not replace clinical diagnosis or a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP). Please consult a professional for personalized therapy. Support and Policies Privacy Policy & Support: https://iamspecial.co/speak-buddy-privacy-support/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ speech therapy app for nonverbal autistic child AAC communication app for speech delay speech development app for autism home speech therapy for toddlers language learning app for special needs children oral motor skill games for nonverbal kids app to help my autistic child speak voice recognition games for speech practice autism-friendly educational app speech delay app for iPad and iPhone speech therapy app for nonverbal autistic child AAC app for speech delay and communication home speech therapy for toddlers with autism language development app for nonverbal children autism communication app with games speech therapy for late talkers speech delay intervention tools for parents early speech development app best speech therapy app for iPad and iPhone Let SpeakBuddy help your child take their first steps toward language and connection — with love, at their own pace, and in a way that truly understands their needs.

Screenshots

Splingo3 screens
Speak Buddy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Speak Buddy at 5.0 against Splingo's 3.3. Speak Buddy also leads on ads (none vs shown). Splingo's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and review sentiment (35% vs 0%). On price, 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. Splingo sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Speak Buddy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Speak Buddy holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Splingo has 7 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 35% of Splingo's written reviews are positive against 0% of Speak Buddy's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Splingo versus Speak Buddy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSplingoSpeak Buddy
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (7 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews34.8% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings7 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 months—
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size791 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSplingo LtdSaurabh Khare

Customer experience

Splingo

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews23 reviews
Positive34.8%
Neutral8.7%
Negative56.5%

Speak Buddy

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Splingo

One-time8
  • Splingos Language UniverseFree
  • Actions With Splingo$0.99
  • Categories With Splingo$0.99
Show 5 more
  • Describing Words With Splingo$0.99
  • Pronouns With Splingo$0.99
  • Past Tense With Splingo$0.99
  • Early Words With Splingo$0.99
  • Language Assessment$9.99
2 purchases

Speak Buddy

Subscriptions2
  • Speak Buddy Monthly$4.991 Month
  • SpeakBuddy_Yearly$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Splingo free?
Splingo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Speak Buddy free?
Speak Buddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Splingo or Speak Buddy?
Speak Buddy is rated higher. Splingo averages 3.3 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Speak Buddy averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Splingo or Speak Buddy have ads?
Splingo shows ads; Speak Buddy does not.

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