Comparison

SFY vs Avaz AAC

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

Head to head
About

SFY

Experience the full capabilities of an advanced Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) app for 30 days. This trial allows users to explore extensive vocabulary, programming options, and helpful features to assess communication improvement before committing to the full version.

Highlights
  • 30-day free trial
  • Full vocabulary access (~5000 words)
  • Full programming capabilities
  • Search and history features
  • Hold That Thought feature
  • Voice options
Features
Read full description

IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS IS NOT A SUBSCRIPTION! AFTER THE 30 DAYS, IT JUST STOPS WORKING. You don't have to cancel it...YOU AREN'T GOING TO BE CHARGED. If Speak for Yourself is the right choice, purchase the full version! It’s FINALLY here! This is the answer to everyone who has been hesitant to purchase the full version of Speak for Yourself without being able to try it. SFY-Lite 2.0 (and above) gives you access to the full Speak for Yourself app capabilities* for a 30 day FREE trial!  SfY-Lite includes access to the almost 5000 word vocabulary, full programming capabilities, the unparalleled search feature, history feature, Hold That Thought, and voice options. By doing this, AAC users, SLPs, other professionals, and family members are able to use the intuitive programming and features of Speak for Yourself and access the library of almost 11,000 Smarty Symbols®. SFY-Lite is not intended to be an individual's permanent AAC language system. It was designed to determine if an individual is able to access the button size, activate the buttons, and use Speak for Yourself to improve communication.  The free trial will only last for 30 days. After the 30 days, it will go back to the static main screen where it started. HOWEVER, you will be able to access your history data and your vocabulary file, even after the trial ends. That means that any of your programming and customization will be saved so that you can transfer it into the full version. Speak for Yourself was designed by two ASHA-certified speech-language pathologists (SLPs) with an extensive knowledge of AAC devices and implementation. We're very excited to give EVERYONE the ability to have the full functionality of Speak for Yourself in their hands and homes for free! You have nothing to lose and every reason to take 30 days and give it a try. With the release of a new and improved SFY-Lite, we invite you to join us in our mission to change the world...one voice at a time. *The only features that are not available in SfY-Lite are Acapela premium voice offered in the full version as in-app purchases and multi-user capabilities (the full version can hold 40 different user vocabulary files).

About

Avaz AAC

This app empowers individuals with speech difficulties to communicate freely. It aids language development by presenting core words and allows users to form sentences and express themselves with over 40,000 pictures and high-quality voices. Customizable themes and effortless backup options enhance the user experience.

Highlights
  • Symbol-based communication
  • Text-to-speech functionality
  • Customizable themes
  • Automatic vocabulary backup
  • Research-based language development
  • High-quality voices
Features
Read full description

Avaz AAC is an assistive communication app that empowers children & adults with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Aphasia, Apraxia, and individuals with speech difficulties to communicate freely and build meaningful relationships. “My daughter has nearly mastered navigation, so much so that one day she brought it to me to show me she wanted Taco Bell for lunch. This made me cry. My child had a voice for the first time. Thank you for being the one to give my daughter that "voice". - Amy Kinderman Designed to aid language development, by presenting core words, which make up 80% of everyday speech, in a research-based order. This enables users to progress from using 1-2 word phrases to forming complete sentences. Avaz, a fully AAC text-to-speech app with over 40,000 pictures(Symbolstix) and a range of high-quality voices, enables users to form sentences and express themselves with ease quickly. Avaz is a customizable AAC app that empowers users to express themselves authentically and build meaningful connections! Effortless Backup and Themes Enjoy the convenience of auto backup for worry-free vocabulary progress. Simply choose how often you want your vocabulary progress backed up with our auto-backup interval selection option. Never lose your progress again! We understand our users have different preferences for cloud storage, so we made it easy to back up your vocabulary to your preferred platform, including popular ones like Google Drive. Explore our visual themes - Classic Light, Classic Dark (with high contrast), and Outer Space (a dark mode). Our default dark mode has been beneficial for adult users and those using Avaz with eye-tracking devices. Try Avaz AAC's free 14-day trial without adding credit card details! Make in-app purchases and choose from our affordable monthly, yearly, and lifetime subscription plans to keep benefiting from the amazing features. Now available in English US, English UK, Français, Dansk, Svenska, Magyar, Føroyskt is fully compatible with iPads and iPhones. If you’re new to AAC, don’t worry! Visit www.avazapp.com for beginner-friendly articles to help you get started. Connect with our passionate Avaz community on Facebook and other social media platforms. We are always happy to hear from you. For any assistance, please write to us at support@avazapp.com Note: Avaz AAC - Lifetime Edition is available for a one-time purchase and offers a 50% discount with VPP for 20+ licenses. Terms of Use - https://www.avazapp.com/terms-of-use/ Privacy Policy - https://www.avazapp.com/privacy-policy/

Screenshots

SFY4 screens
Avaz AAC4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Avaz AAC at every 4 months against SFY's every 52 months. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. SFY sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Avaz AAC sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for SFY against 4.1 for Avaz AAC. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 151 and 316 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 58% of SFY's written reviews are positive against 60% of Avaz AAC's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SFY ships an update every 52 months, Avaz AAC every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
SFY versus Avaz AAC: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSFYAvaz AAC
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (151 ratings) — better4.1 (316 ratings)
Positive reviews58.3% of reviews60.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings151316 — better
Update frequencyEvery 52 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.614.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1.4 GB169 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSpeak for Yourself LLCAvaz, Inc.

Customer experience

SFY

All ratings150 ratings
Positive77.3%
Neutral4.7%
Negative18.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive58.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative41.7%

Avaz AAC

All ratings316 ratings
Positive77.2%
Neutral7.9%
Negative14.9%
Written reviews93 reviews
Positive60.2%
Neutral12.9%
Negative26.9%

Bugs and requests

SFY

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Avaz AAC

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • App crashes when typing or entering letters
  • Screen freezes when searching for pictures
  • Voice functionality stops working randomly
  • Audio not playing despite correct volume settings
  • App loses voice after several uses
Show 6 more
  • Backup import puts boards into single folder instead of original structure
  • Screen rotation issues with keyboard
  • App takes long time to load on tablets
  • Sentence word order incorrect with screen reader (words with icons read last)
  • Internet connection error during subscription
  • Slow customer support response times

Requested features

10 requests
  • Free or significantly reduced pricing for disabled users
  • Longer free trial period (20+ days suggested)
  • Ability to save and reuse phrases
  • Online two-way communication capability
  • Video and user-created image support
Show 5 more
  • Vertical orientation option for small hands
  • Extended gender identity options beyond binary
  • Automatic phrase copying without premium
  • Lifetime membership after extended subscription period
  • Picture upload and backup/restore functionality

In-app purchases

1 purchases

SFY

One-time1
  • 30-day TrialFree
4 purchases

Avaz AAC

Subscriptions2
  • Avaz Auto Renewing Subscription$9.991 Month
  • Avaz Yearly Subscription$99.991 Year
One-time2
  • Lifetime Subscription2 variants$199.99
  • Lifetime Subscription$299.99

Questions

Is SFY free?
SFY is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Avaz AAC free?
Avaz AAC is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SFY or Avaz AAC?
SFY is rated higher. SFY averages 4.2 out of 5 from 151 ratings, while Avaz AAC averages 4.1 from 316 ratings.
Do SFY or Avaz AAC have ads?
Neither SFY nor Avaz AAC shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SFY or Avaz AAC?
SFY ships an update every 52 months, and Avaz AAC every 4 months. Most recently, SFY was updated on October 22, 2026 and Avaz AAC on October 26, 2026.

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