# Custom Boards Elite vs CardTalking

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Custom Boards Elite at 56% against CardTalking's 0%. CardTalking's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 7 months). On price, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Custom Boards Elite sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. CardTalking asks for nothing beyond the download.

CardTalking holds the better App Store score, 2.0 against 1.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 5 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 56% of Custom Boards Elite's written reviews are positive against 0% of CardTalking's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Custom Boards Elite ships an update every 7 months, CardTalking every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Custom Boards Elite | CardTalking |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.6 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/custom-boards-elite/id489935586/reviews) | **[2.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardtalking/id1094112787/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **55.6% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Size | 880 MB | 81 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Smarty Ears](https://appshunter.io/developer/348779167) | [章晟 潘](https://appshunter.io/developer/440223956) |

## What reviewers say

### Custom Boards Elite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/custom-boards-elite/id489935586)

Create custom visual support materials using a vast library of symbols or your own photos. Design boards, schedules, and worksheets for communication and learning. Print, save, or email your creations directly from the app.

**Highlights:** Activity creation center, 21,000+ built-in symbols, Add custom photos, Template library (120+), Print, save, and email, Organize with folders

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Six months Access | $49.99 | per 6 months |
| Yearly Access | $59.99 | per year |
| The ant | $0.99 | one-time |
| Placemat | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tech talk | $0.99 | one-time |
| Weekly | $0.99 | one-time |
| Orderly | $0.99 | one-time |
| Story Board | $0.99 | one-time |
| Purchase 10,000 Smarty Symbols | $19.99 | one-time |


### CardTalking

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardtalking/id1094112787)

This app provides visual support tools for children with autism, offering customizable boards for schedules, instructions, and choices. Parents and educators can create tailored courseware with built-in and custom cards to aid in training and communication.

**Highlights:** Visual Schedule boards, First-Then Boards, PECS Board for language training, Reinforcer Choice Boards, Customizable courseware layouts, User-created cards and classifications, Card sharing functionality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Custom Boards Elite free?

Custom Boards Elite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is CardTalking free?

CardTalking is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Custom Boards Elite or CardTalking?

CardTalking is rated higher. Custom Boards Elite averages 1.6 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while CardTalking averages 2.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Custom Boards Elite or CardTalking have ads?

Neither Custom Boards Elite nor CardTalking shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Custom Boards Elite or CardTalking?

Custom Boards Elite ships an update every 7 months, and CardTalking every 2 weeks. Most recently, Custom Boards Elite was updated on September 24, 2026 and CardTalking on October 13, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*