SoundingBoard vs Visual Choices AAC
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.
Visual Choices AAC
This app provides a communication tool for early communicators, aiding in language and speech development. It offers customizable choice boards, integrated AAC, and speech promotion features, designed with early intervention experts.
- Present choices using photos
- Build language with AAC and signing videos
- Promote speech with lip animations
- Convert voice to instant choices
- Printable choice boards
- Multilingual support
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Visual Choices provides an easy way to communicate, and develops natural speech. It is made for early communicators with autism. Developed with early intervention experts and trusted by speech therapists, special education teachers, clinical directors, parents, and grandparents. The app: • Helps you discover what your child wants by making it easy to present choices; • Uses photos your child will respond to; • Promotes speech with lip animations and visual phonics; • Builds language with integrated AAC and signing videos; • Provides access to over 50,000 SymbolStix pictures; • Lets you type and dictate into the AAC sentence bar; • Enables easy modeling with voice-to-highlight; • Lets you convert your voice to instant choices for on-the-fly use; • Lets you print out boards as a no-tech option; • Lets you make choices with eye gaze for hands-free use; • Can be used offline; • Supports English, Spanish, and Russian; • Works on its own or alongside an existing AAC system. Terms of use: https://skieslearn.com/visualchoices_terms_of_service
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Visual Choices AAC at 98% against SoundingBoard's 48%. Visual Choices AAC also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.5) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). 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 Visual Choices AAC sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Visual Choices AAC holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 34 and 168 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of SoundingBoard's written reviews are positive against 98% of Visual Choices AAC's.
SoundingBoard ships an update every 3 months, Visual Choices AAC fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SoundingBoard | Visual Choices AAC |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.5 (34 ratings) | 4.8 (168 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 48.2% of reviews | 97.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 34 | 168 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Fortnightly — 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 | 161 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | AbleNet | Su-Kam Intelligent Education Systems Inc |
Customer experience
SoundingBoard
Visual Choices AAC
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
Visual Choices AAC
From 168 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 User-friendly and easy to use
- 💡 Great for choice boards and communication
- 🚀 Efficient for creating visuals on the go
- 💰 Affordable and free option available
- 🗣️ Records voice for choice words
Room to improve
- 💸 No lifetime purchase option
- 🤔 Layout can be confusing
- 🗣️ Voice to text issues in noisy places
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
Visual Choices AAC
Reported bugs
1 issue- Eye gaze not tracking accurately for some users
Requested features
5 requests- Lifetime purchase option
- Locking section for child use
- Ability to type choices directly for visual boards
- Option to change font
- Make instructional videos/tips paid, core features free
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
Visual Choices AAC
- Monthly Subscription1 Month trial2 variants$6.991 Month
- Annual Subscription1 Month trial$59.991 Year
- 1 Coaching Credit$25.99
- 3 Coaching Credits$60.99
- Lifetime Access$179.99
Questions
Is SoundingBoard free?
Is Visual Choices AAC free?
Which has better reviews, SoundingBoard or Visual Choices AAC?
Do SoundingBoard or Visual Choices AAC have ads?
Which is updated more often, SoundingBoard or Visual Choices AAC?
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