SoundingBoard vs SnapType
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.
SnapType
This app allows students to easily complete school worksheets by adding text to images of their assignments using their device's keyboard. It's a helpful tool for those who struggle with handwriting, enabling them to share their completed work via print, email, or other sharing options.
- Add text to worksheet images
- Import worksheets from device
- Use device keyboard for input
- Print completed worksheets
- Email completed worksheets
- Share completed worksheets
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SnapType helps students keep up with their peers in class even when their penmanship holds them back. Students can easily complete school worksheets with the help of an iPad or iPhone. With SnapType, students can take a picture of their worksheets, or import worksheets from anywhere on their device. They can then use their iOS device keyboard to add text to these documents and print, email, or share their creations. It is the perfect solution for kids, and even adults, who struggle with their handwriting. Just read a few of our amazing testimonials: "Dear Amberlynn, Thank you so much for creating this app. You have changed the way my 12 year old son with dyspraxia functions in school. He is more independent and I cannot thank you enough. Please continue to help kids like my son. You are changing lives. Thank you." "Thank you for this ! I am going to talk to my sons teachers about this -you are a blessing ! I can honestly tell you that I have spent many hours crying inside an Hurting watching my son struggle to write pages of sentences and spelling words and other homework - to the point that I have stopped him and honestly wrote for him left handed to make it look more like a neater version of his because I could not take it anymore ! Thank you" "I just wanted to personally thank you for creating it, as this is an app that I use nearly every day with my son to do his homework. You have created an app with a simple interface, but with an incredibly powerful impact. Thank you." "It is wonderful and something so simple yet so so so important for little guys like mine who cannot write BUT is learning to type and has so much to say and SHOW." "We trialed SnapType with an 8-year old who is receiving school-based occupational therapy due to visual motor and visual perceptual issues. The biggest complaint from teachers about handwriting for this student was related to illegible answers on worksheets. The student quickly learned to take images of the worksheets with her iPad, upload them to the device and type in her answers. In addition to making her writing legible and eliminating issues with visual perceptual skills, the child's interest in the task was greatly improved, as was her pride in her work." "Thank you so much Amberlynn. What a wonderful idea and gift to those kids that struggle with dysgraphia. I have converted many a workbook page for my son. This is WONDERFUL!" "Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm a mother of twins. My son is autistic and my daughter has cerebral palsy. They are still only 2 and a half... but I'm sure they will both need and use this. The fact that you have also made it free and are paying for it out of pocket is just the sweetest thing ever. I read about this last night and cried tears of joy. You are amazing! And I'm going to be telling everyone who will listen about you, this story, and your app. Thank you again, I truly appreciate it!!”
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: SnapType at 4.5 against SoundingBoard's 3.5. SnapType also leads on update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (64% vs 48%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 SnapType sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $49.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
SnapType holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SnapType has 366 ratings behind it against 34, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of SoundingBoard's written reviews are positive against 64% of SnapType's.
SoundingBoard ships an update every 3 months, SnapType every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SoundingBoard | SnapType |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.5 (34 ratings) | 4.5 (366 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 48.2% of reviews | 64.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 34 | 366 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 4 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 26 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | AbleNet | SNAPTYPE, LLC |
Customer experience
SoundingBoard
SnapType
User reviews
SoundingBoard
From 34 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Highly customizable boards
- 💡 Ability to use own photos
- 🗣️ Record own voice
- 🔗 Link boards together
- 🆓 Free to try/use
Room to improve
- 🐛 App crashing on startup
- 🐛 Boards disappearing/not saving
- 🐛 Edit lock not working
- 🐛 Inconsistent icon activation
- 🐛 Poor UI/UX for creation
SnapType
From 366 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great for learning difficulties
- 👍 Helps with handwriting struggles
- 👍 Improves work quality
- 👍 Text-to-speech is helpful
- 👍 Fills an unmet need
Room to improve
- 🐛 Location is inaccurate
- 🐛 Boxes don't move
- 🐛 Automatic blur problem
- 🐛 Voice is unnatural
- 🐛 New version is expensive
Bugs and requests
SoundingBoard
Reported bugs
19 issues- App crashing on startup after purchase
- Folders not saving changes
- Created boards disappearing
- Edit lock not working, student can edit pictures
- Cannot record voice over preloaded boards
Show 14 moreShow fewer
- App crashes after in-app purchase
- App crashes every time going into the app
- User created boards not showing up correctly
- Cannot record voice, does not save
- Cannot create new boards with new symbols, save button does nothing
- Sound quit working on iPad 2 with OS 6
- Two touches needed to activate icon/button
- Last time content was added, it didn't work
- Recordings play back very quietly
- Audio does not work at all
- Does not work on iPod touch
- Images are small, cells are small, does not utilize entire screen
- Difficult to get back to the home screen
- Losing new pages after saving
Requested features
20 requests- Large button icons for board selection
- Login system to save boards across platforms
- Ability to log in and save boards across devices
- User login system for shared boards
- Ability to erase pre-made boards
Show 15 moreShow fewer
- Choose a default board to open with
- iPad version to avoid magnification issues
- Sentence strip option
- Improve picture library search
- Facility to play music tracks directly
- More picture cards for school-related content
- More choices for layout on initial screen
- Option to change background color
- Improve navigation for board design
- Basic pre-formatted pages
- Editing options for pics and boards (size, placement)
- Basic communication symbols (yes/no, alphabet)
- More PX available on a page
- Better contrasting pictures with black background
- Universal or iPad version
SnapType
Reported bugs
10 issues- Location is never where you tap
- Boxes don’t move when you want it to
- Automatic blur problem
- Upgrade doesn't restore
- Crashes when trying to install on iPad
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- Keeps crashing
- Will not let me delete more than 3 documents
- Bought pro and when I tap restore it crashes
- Can not save
- Having issues getting the desired document or pic of worksheet to open
Requested features
5 requests- Fix automatic blur
- Add erasing function for Apple Pencil
- More space for documents (basic version)
- Ability to write on SnapType (free version)
- Enable text-to-speech for worksheet directions
In-app purchases
SoundingBoard
- Mealtime_MaleFree
- Mealtime_FemaleFree
- Getting Dressed_MaleFree
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- Getting Dressed_FemaleFree
- General Conversation_MaleFree
- General Conversation_FemaleFree
- Fast Food Restaurant_MaleFree
- Fast Food Restaurant_FemaleFree
- Movies_MaleFree
- Movies_FemaleFree
SnapType
- Everything Unlocked14 Days trial$49.991 Year









