SoundingBoard vs ERSB Lite
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.
ERSB Lite
This app builds early reading skills for students progressing from foundational literacy. It uses systematic instruction and assessments to help individuals read independently, proving effective for those with intellectual disabilities and autism.
- Early literacy skill development
- Systematic instruction
- Ongoing assessments
- Progress to 2nd-grade reading level
- Effective for intellectual disabilities
- Effective for autism
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Note: This is the Free version of ERSB. Level 1 with 5 lessons is Free! The rest of the levels are available through the in-app store. Early Reading Skills Builder™(ERSB) curriculum, based on a multi-year research project from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, is a stepping stone for graduates of Attainment’s ELSB Curriculum. ERSB takes students who mastered these early literacy skills to a 2nd grade reading level. It incorporates systematic instruction and ongoing assessments to teach students to read independently. It’s been proven effective for students with moderate to severe intellectual disability and/or autism, including those with complex communication needs.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: SoundingBoard at 48% against ERSB Lite's 0%. SoundingBoard also leads on ratings volume (34 vs 3) and device support (3 vs 1). ERSB Lite's advantage is rating (4.0 vs 3.5) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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 ERSB Lite sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
ERSB Lite holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SoundingBoard has 34 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 48% of SoundingBoard's written reviews are positive against 0% of ERSB Lite's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
SoundingBoard ships an update every 3 months, ERSB Lite every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 6, 2026.
| Parameter | SoundingBoard | ERSB Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.5 (34 ratings) | 4.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 48.2% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 34 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 months — 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 | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 26 MB | 253 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | AbleNet | Attainment Company |
Customer experience
SoundingBoard
ERSB Lite
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
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- 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
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- 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
ERSB Lite
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
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
ERSB Lite
- Levels 12-16$29.99
- Levels 17-21$29.99
- Levels 22-26$29.99
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- Levels 2-6$29.99
- Levels 7-11$29.99
