Comparison

First Phrases Lite vs Buddy’s timer

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

Head to head
About

First Phrases Lite

This app helps toddlers and children learning basic English phrases to develop language skills. It uses interactive animations and audio to teach verb-noun combinations, encouraging both listening and speaking practice.

Highlights
  • Interactive animations
  • Audio and visual learning
  • Record and playback speech
  • Verb + noun phrase practice
  • Speech therapy support
  • Early literacy development
Features
Read full description

This interactive, beautifully illustrated and animated app for the iPad, iPhone and Mac is perfect for the toddler or speech-delayed child who is learning how to put two-three words together or any child who is learning basic English phrases. Developed by an experienced speech-language pathologist, this app provides many opportunities to both hear (receptive), see, and say/record (expressive) 10 different verb + noun combinations, such as: eat the carrot, drive the train, close the door, drink the juice, sleep on the bed, turn on the light, and more. A delightful cat performs them, with 28 possible animation combinations. It is also a great way to teach the article “the” in a meaningful phrase context. **For more verb and character choices, we suggest upgrading to the full version of this app. First Phrases Lite includes user settings for 1 child and 1 guest player. Only one user can keep data. Hamaguchi Apps is dedicated to the mission of bringing high-quality apps to the general public and professionals for affordable prices. We do not have subscriptions for our apps--you download them and they are yours. How you play: Tell the cat what to do! By touching the illustrated parts of the phrases in order (verb+ object forms: “eat the carrot”) the child hears the pre-recorded spoken phrase modeled. The user has the option to repeat this action once, twice or three times in the settings for maximum auditory input. The child then watches an animation of the cat performing the command to help the child associate the words and their meaning. Now it’s the child’s turn to say it and tell the cat what to do! Touch the microphone and record, listen again, and watch the animal follow your direction. Use the optional visual support by tapping on the shapes above the microphone. An adult can score the parts of the phrases. All correct? The cat gives a thumbs up and we hear a praise phrase such as "Awesome!". Tap on End Session to see the data and replay any missed items. This format is especially powerful for children with speech delays and autism spectrum disorders who need strong visual support with as little background clutter as possible, and for use in speech therapy sessions. The format also is a terrific way to support early literacy for left to right orientation, reading (with text on feature) and word boundaries. Options include text on/text off, recording feature on/off, presentation of the phrase in 3 segments (verb + the + object) or 2 segments (verb + the object). Developed by noted speech-language pathologist Patti Hamaguchi, who is the author of several books in the speech-language pathology field including, "Childhood Speech, Language & Listening Problems: What Every Parent Should Know". Patti is also the author or co-author of several standardized tests including the RESCA-E, the TAPS4, the ELCI and upcoming tests the RESCA-ELD, RESCA-A and the Hamaguchi Speech-Language Screening Test. PRIVACY POLICY: We do NOT collect personal data from our users and have no ads! Personal data regarding user performance on the tasks on this app are self-contained and not transmitted in any way to any third parties including us. It is on your device only. *Please contact our tech support at info@hamaguchiapps.com if you are experiencing any technical issues with our apps. We will always help you troubleshoot it and get back to you generally within one business day. To find out more about this app and our other upcoming projects, visit our website: www.hamaguchiapps.com

About

Buddy’s timer

This app helps young children, including those on the autistic spectrum, understand the concept of time. It visually represents remaining time for activities, reducing frustration associated with waiting. Settings range from 1 to 60 minutes with audio and secure screen options.

Highlights
  • Visual time representation
  • Reduces waiting frustration
  • Settings from 1-60 minutes
  • Secure screen mode
  • Piano key chime
  • Suitable for autistic children
Features
Read full description

Have you heard of the Buddy's timer ? It can be used with very young children and is perfectly suited for children on the autistic spectrum. It is the ideal tool to help learn the concept of time. The time timer "materializes" the time left for an activity at home, in school or during a therapy session. It helps reduce frustrations from waiting. Buddy’s timer is very simple to use. Settings from 1 to 60 minutes – secure screen mode – piano key chime for audio support - fully functional, no in-app purchases. Please visit our website and help improve existing applications and create exciting new ones.

Screenshots

First Phrases Lite4 screens
Buddy’s timer2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: First Phrases Lite at 86% against Buddy’s timer's 0%. First Phrases Lite also leads on rating (3.7 vs 3.0). Buddy’s timer's advantage is monetization model (free vs paid) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.6). On price, ratings volume, update cadence 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

First Phrases Lite holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of First Phrases Lite's written reviews are positive against 0% of Buddy’s timer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

First Phrases Lite ships an update every 4 months, Buddy’s timer every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
First Phrases Lite versus Buddy’s timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFirst Phrases LiteBuddy’s timer
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (3 ratings) — better3.0 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews86.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings33
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.68.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size612 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHamaguchi Learning & Development, LLCDigital PlayWare

Customer experience

First Phrases Lite

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews50 reviews
Positive86.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative4.0%

Buddy’s timer

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral33.3%
Negative66.7%

Bugs and requests

First Phrases Lite

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Upgrade credit issue
  • App doesn't work right anymore
  • Same verb every time
  • App is slow to recognize touch
  • Record button freezing on launch
Show 1 more
  • Phrases need tapping multiple times

Requested features

7 requests
  • Credit for light version upgrade
  • App to improve articulation
  • Longer recording time
  • Option for British narrator
  • Detect speech for animation
Show 2 more
  • Disable pause button
  • Disable screen touch pause

Buddy’s timer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

First Phrases Lite

No in-app purchases

None

Buddy’s timer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is First Phrases Lite free?
First Phrases Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Buddy’s timer free?
Buddy’s timer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, First Phrases Lite or Buddy’s timer?
First Phrases Lite is rated higher. First Phrases Lite averages 3.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Buddy’s timer averages 3.0 from 3 ratings.
Do First Phrases Lite or Buddy’s timer have ads?
Neither First Phrases Lite nor Buddy’s timer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, First Phrases Lite or Buddy’s timer?
First Phrases Lite ships an update every 4 months, and Buddy’s timer every 2 months. Most recently, First Phrases Lite was updated on November 6, 2026 and Buddy’s timer on November 6, 2026.

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