SoundingBoard vs CoughDrop
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SoundingBoard
Create custom communication boards quickly using pre-made symbols or your own words. This app provides a powerful tool for individuals needing alternative communication methods. It supports switch access for enhanced usability.
- Customizable communication boards
- AbleNet symbol integration
- User-added words
- Switch access support
- Compatible with AbleNet Blue2 Switch
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SoundingBoard transforms your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad into the latest in communication technology. In just minutes, you can create custom boards using AbleNet symbols or your own words. Perfect for children in special education, persons on the autism spectrum, and adults with disabilities. SoundingBoard includes switch access and is compatible with the AbleNet Blue2 Switch.
CoughDrop
This app provides a modern communication and support tool for individuals with complex communication needs. It offers customizable boards with symbols, images, and audio, along with reporting features for support teams.
- Customizable communication boards
- Rich symbol set and image personalization
- User-recorded audio and speech synthesis
- Cross-device synchronization
- Support team access and collaboration
- Built-in reporting and messaging
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CoughDrop is a simple, modern AAC communication and support tool that empowers individuals and the teams around them. It is a full-featured communication app built for individuals with autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Rett syndrome, or other complex communication needs. CoughDrop is flexible and configurable enough to accommodate the access and comprehension needs of many communicators. CoughDrop users can install this app to access CoughDrop's communication and reporting features on their mobile device. The app includes starter boards for different levels of communication, and boards with large or small buttons can be personalized using the rich symbol set, user-provided images or camera photos, user-recorded audio, speech synthesis, etc. CoughDrop runs on multiple devices, so you can log in on your tablet, phone and computer and have access to the same communication tools and interface. In addition, users can be linked so parents, therapists and supervisors can access a communicator's boards from their own devices to better facilitate modeling, and to make it easier to modify boards without taking away the communicator's device. The built-in reporting and messaging tools also help the support team have a consistent strategy and know what's working across locations and times.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: CoughDrop at monthly against SoundingBoard's every 3 months. CoughDrop also leads on rating (3.7 vs 3.5). SoundingBoard's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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
Both are free to download. SoundingBoard sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and CoughDrop sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
CoughDrop holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 34 and 57 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of SoundingBoard's written reviews are positive against 52% of CoughDrop's.
SoundingBoard ships an update every 3 months, CoughDrop monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and August 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SoundingBoard | CoughDrop |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.5 (34 ratings) | 3.7 (57 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 48.2% of reviews | 52.4% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 34 | 57 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 26 MB | 59 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | AbleNet | CoughDrop, Inc. |
Customer experience
SoundingBoard
CoughDrop
In-app purchases
SoundingBoard
- Mealtime_MaleFree
- Mealtime_FemaleFree
- Getting Dressed_MaleFree
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- Getting Dressed_FemaleFree
- General Conversation_MaleFree
- General Conversation_FemaleFree
- Fast Food Restaurant_MaleFree
- Fast Food Restaurant_FemaleFree
- Movies_MaleFree
- Movies_FemaleFree
CoughDrop
- Evaluator Access$29.99
- Supporter Access$44.99
- Communicator Access$294.99







