Comparison

Grid Player vs Vocable AAC

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

Head to head
About

Grid Player

This app facilitates communication for individuals with speech impairments by converting typed sentences into spoken words. It offers extensive symbol libraries and prediction features to aid in expression, and can be used with other AAC software.

Highlights
  • Over 12,000 Widgit Symbols
  • Over 12,000 SymbolStix Symbols
  • High-quality male and female voices
  • TouchType word prediction
  • Symbol-assisted prediction suggestions
  • Copy sentences for social media
Features
Read full description

From 1 December 2026, Grid Player will no longer be available for new users to download from the App Store. If you already have Grid Player, you can keep using it, and you can download it again using the same Apple Account if it is removed from your device. Grid Player is built on old technology and we are no longer able to guarantee it will continue to work in the future. We want everyone who uses to have the best possible experience, and we can do that most effectively by focusing our time and care on Grid 3 and Grid for iPad. We have not developed new features or content for Grid Player for many years, and we want to direct our efforts towards the apps that can continue to grow with the people who use them. We recommend switching to Grid for iPad, our full AAC app. You can find full details and answers to frequently asked questions on the Smartbox Hub: https://hub.thinksmartbox.com/knowledgebase/grid-player-update-2026/ --- Grid Player is an Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) App that helps people who cannot speak or who have unclear speech to communicate. Sentences that you create are spoken out loud. Grid Player is suitable for a wide range of people with communication difficulties, including those who use symbols. Grid Player is designed for use with Grid 3 and The Grid 2, allowing you to play your grids on iPad. If you don't have Grid 3 or The Grid 2, you can use Grid Player with four complete grid sets: Symbol Talker A, Symbol Talker B, Talking Photographs and Text Talker Phrasebook. Please note that you need a Online Grids account to use Grid Player. You can create an account for free within the Grid Player app, or sign in to an existing account. GRID PLAYER FEATURES • Over 12,000 Widgit Symbols • Over 12,000 SymbolStix Symbols • High-quality male and female voices • “TouchType” word prediction for faster typing • Prediction suggestions with symbols to help with word recognition • Word list grids for large topics • Copy sentences to use with Twitter, Facebook, etc SYMBOL TALKER A and B • Dynamic screen AAC • Uses Widgit symbols • Over 2,000 unique words in over 50 topics • Two vocabulary sizes (levels A and B) TALKING PHOTOGRAPHS • Over 1000 vivid photographs • 42 categories • Inspirational for education and communication TEXT TALKER PHRASEBOOK • Over 100 instant phrases • 10 topics to discuss • Quick response buttons for answering questions Grid Player is suitable for people with a wide range of disabilities, including cerebral palsy, motor-neurone disease (ALS), autism, apraxia, traumatic brain injury, stroke and deafness. It can also be used in education for people with learning difficulties or special needs, and with young children. All over the world, thousands of people are communicating with Grid 3 and The Grid 2 from Smartbox. Install Grid Player and you can join the conversation today!

About

Vocable AAC

This app provides a voice for individuals who are unable to speak. It offers customizable word and phrase libraries and utilizes AI to aid in conversations. Users can interact via head tracking or touch.

Highlights
  • Head tracking input
  • Touch input
  • Customizable word library
  • Phrase creation
  • AI conversation assistance
  • Category organization
Features
Read full description

Through head tracking or touch, Vocable gives a voice to all. Users have the ability to create a customized library of words, phrases and categories for every day use, or use the power of AI to assist with active conversation. Devices that do not support head tracking will only work with touch. See a list of compatible devices on our website (www.vocable.app).  Note: Every patient's needs and movement abilities are different. This app is a communication tool. please consult a physician before use.

Screenshots

Grid Player1 screens
Vocable AAC4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Vocable AAC at 4.5 against Grid Player's 3.7. Vocable AAC also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Vocable AAC holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 26 and 62 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Grid Player's written reviews are positive against 64% of Vocable AAC's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Grid Player ships an update every 3 months, Vocable AAC monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Grid Player versus Vocable AAC: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGrid PlayerVocable AAC
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (26 ratings)4.5 (62 ratings) — better
Positive reviews59.6% of reviews63.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2662 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS15.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSensory Software InternationalWillowRoot Apps, LLC.

Customer experience

Grid Player

All ratings26 ratings
Positive65.4%
Neutral7.7%
Negative26.9%
Written reviews89 reviews
Positive59.6%
Neutral9.0%
Negative31.5%

Vocable AAC

All ratings55 ratings
Positive85.5%
Neutral7.3%
Negative7.3%
Written reviews44 reviews
Positive63.6%
Neutral18.2%
Negative18.2%

Bugs and requests

Grid Player

Reported bugs

21 issues
  • Doesn't work on iOS 26
  • Bug voix superposées (overlapping voices)
  • Black blue screen on startup
  • No grid appears
  • Cannot select voices
Show 16 more
  • App crashes
  • Sound stops working after a few minutes
  • No sound on phone version
  • App hasn't been updated for 6 years
  • Cannot access past registration page without Wi-Fi
  • Audio doesn't work after update
  • Missing ABC keyboard after re-installation
  • UK words used in US English version
  • Audio problem after latest update
  • Cannot create account online
  • Cannot get a password
  • Missing grid error message
  • No speech output for words
  • App crashes on all devices
  • Audio doesn't work
  • Sound not working

Requested features

13 requests
  • Add a keyboard for typing
  • Update app for newer devices/iOS
  • Allow Wi-Fi override
  • Add more language options for free
  • Add text-to-talk functionality
Show 8 more
  • Add a keyboard to type words not in the database
  • Update voice and vocabulary to American English
  • Add a keyboard to type instead of looking for words
  • Add a keyboard to type
  • Save own phrases into the app
  • Replace unused phrases or fill gaps
  • Add a way to text to talk
  • Add a keyboard

Vocable AAC

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Grid Player

No in-app purchases

None

Vocable AAC

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Grid Player free?
Grid Player is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Vocable AAC free?
Vocable AAC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Grid Player or Vocable AAC?
Vocable AAC is rated higher. Grid Player averages 3.7 out of 5 from 26 ratings, while Vocable AAC averages 4.5 from 62 ratings.
Do Grid Player or Vocable AAC have ads?
Neither Grid Player nor Vocable AAC shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Grid Player or Vocable AAC?
Grid Player ships an update every 3 months, and Vocable AAC monthly. Most recently, Grid Player was updated on November 13, 2026 and Vocable AAC on November 7, 2026.

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