Custom Boards Elite vs PixWriter Lite
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Custom Boards Elite
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.
- Activity creation center
- 21,000+ built-in symbols
- Add custom photos
- Template library (120+)
- Print, save, and email
- Organize with folders
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The Ultimate Visual Support & Activity Creator Empower communication and learning with Custom Boards Elite! Designed specifically for speech therapists, special education teachers, and parents, Custom Boards Elite is an evidence-based app that revolutionizes how you create visual supports. Whether you need a daily schedule, a communication grid, or an engaging articulation game, Custom Boards gives you the tools to build professional, customized materials in minutes. UNMATCHED SYMBOL LIBRARY Say goodbye to stick figures and limited clip art. Custom Boards includes over 29,000 high-quality, diverse symbols from the renowned Smarty Symbols library. Need something specific? You can easily upload and integrate your own photos directly from your device! 120+ READY-TO-USE TEMPLATES Stop starting from scratch. Choose from over 120 expertly designed templates categorized into six core areas: Activities & Games: Bingo, Dominoes, Board Games, and more. Devices & Switches: Perfect for AAC device overlays. Signs & Labels: Create classroom rules, labels, and directional signs. Grids & Boards: Standard communication grids from 1x1 up to complex layouts. Schedules & Calendars: First-Then boards, weekly schedules, and daily routines. Worksheets: Ready-made educational printables. DEEP CUSTOMIZATION Make every board your own. Our intuitive editor allows you to: Customize background and text colors for every single cell. Tweak border styles (solid, dashed, circular) to highlight specific targets. Easily edit text labels to match your student's specific vocabulary. BUILT FOR SPEECH THERAPISTS Save hours of prep time with our advanced search filters. Target specific speech goals by filtering the entire 21,000+ symbol library by Initial, Medial, or Final letter positions! EXPORT & ORGANIZE When your masterpiece is complete, you are ready to PRINT, SAVE, or E-MAIL the final template. Print directly from your iPad to any AirPrint-ready printer. Creating boards for a whole caseload? Keep your finalized templates neatly organized into custom folders inside the app's Archive. Join the revolution in special education and start creating beautiful, effective visual supports today!
PixWriter Lite
This picture-assisted writing tool helps beginning writers of any age compose documents independently. Students can select word bank buttons or type with a keyboard, with symbols automatically added. The Lite version can receive files from the full PixWriter app for reading aloud and printing.
- Picture-assisted writing
- Symbol support
- Highlighted text and speech
- Customizable vocabulary word banks
- Receive files from full PixWriter app
- Read aloud functionality
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Note: PixWriter Lite is a free app. It permits one file to be created and edited, but not shared or printed. PixWriter Lite can also receive files created with the PixWriter app. Students can use those files to write, read aloud, and print their own documents. The Lite version can be upgraded to the full version through the in-app Store. PixWriter™ is a picture-assisted writing tool for beginning writers of any age. The combination of symbol support with highlighted text and speech help students write independently. Students can compose written documents without mastering phonics, spelling, and alphabet skills. Students write by selecting word bank buttons, typing with a keyboard, or both. Word bank buttons are filled as the instructor types words followed by the spacebar; symbols are automatically added as words are typed. Customized vocabulary word banks can be created to fit the student’s abilities, assignment requirements, and IEP goals. Documents can be printed, saved, and shared via email and AirDrop. PixWriter Lite is a separate and free app. It can receive, read aloud, and print documents that have been created with the full featured PixWriter program.
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: PixWriter Lite at 5.0 against Custom Boards Elite's 2.2. PixWriter Lite also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). Custom Boards Elite's advantage is ratings volume (6 vs 1). 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. Custom Boards Elite sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and PixWriter Lite sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
PixWriter Lite holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Custom Boards Elite has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Custom Boards Elite ships an update every 7 months, PixWriter Lite every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Custom Boards Elite | PixWriter Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.2 (6 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 55.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 6 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 4 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 880 MB | 342 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Smarty Ears | Attainment Company |
Customer experience
Custom Boards Elite
PixWriter Lite
In-app purchases
Custom Boards Elite
- Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Six months Access7 Days trial$49.996 Months
- Yearly Access7 Days trial$59.991 Year
- The ant$0.99
- Placemat$0.99
- Tech talk$0.99
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- Weekly$0.99
- Orderly$0.99
- Story Board$0.99
- Purchase 10,000 Smarty Symbols$19.99
PixWriter Lite
- Full Version$69.99
Questions
Is Custom Boards Elite free?
Is PixWriter Lite free?
Which has better reviews, Custom Boards Elite or PixWriter Lite?
Do Custom Boards Elite or PixWriter Lite have ads?
Which is updated more often, Custom Boards Elite or PixWriter Lite?
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