Comparison

Visual Attention Therapy vs DREX

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

Head to head
About

Visual Attention Therapy

This app retrains the brain to scan from left to right, improving reading, concentration, and memory. It features two modes to help individuals with left neglect and professionals assess and treat visual attention deficits.

Highlights
  • Left-to-right scanning training
  • Visual attention deficit assessment
  • Target finding exercises
  • Immediate feedback with cues
  • Automated scoring and reports
  • Adjustable difficulty and layouts
  • Printable exercise options
Read full description

RETRAIN THE BRAIN to move the eyes correctly by scanning from left to right across the screen. Strengthening this essential skill can improve reading, concentration, memory, attention to detail, and speed of processing. TWO POWERFUL MODES help brain injury and stroke survivors with left neglect improve at home while also helping occupational therapy (OT) and speech therapy (SLP) professionals to efficiently assess for right or left neglect and provide more effective treatment. * Use the Test mode to determine if and where a visual attention deficit exists. * Use the Practice mode to train scanning by finding targets in order. ++ SEE HOW IT CAN HELP – Download Visual Attention Therapy Lite for FREE! ++ ----------- CANCELLATION TASKS JUST GOT BETTER. This professional cognitive training app takes a familiar format for treating left neglect and transforms it into a dynamic, interactive tool for all ages. Visual Attention Therapy offers benefits that can only be achieved through technology: * Targets must be tapped from left to right, top to bottom in Practice mode, which trains users to slow down and scan the entire screen before they move on. * Immediate feedback with visual and auditory cues keeps users engaged. * Timed exercises increase motivation to work quickly and accurately. * Stop wasting time counting errors! Automated scoring includes data for accuracy by quadrant, time for completion, and mistakes in professional e-mailed reports. * Adjustable layouts and 10 levels of difficulty allow you to customize the experience to meet changing needs or multiple users. * Sidebar signal can flash in a variety of colors to draw attention to the left or right. * An endless variety of combinations eliminates the need to photocopy exercises, with the option to print screenshots when you need a traditional exercise. * Use only one target to focus on scanning, or use two targets at once to challenge users with working memory and alternating attention deficits. ----------- RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK to improve scores while improving cognitive and reading skills. Levels featuring letters can support literacy goals, while symbol-based levels challenge visual memory skills. It’s an occupational therapy dream come true! Visual Attention Therapy was developed by a certified Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) and is used worldwide in speech and occupational therapy (OT) to help adults with left neglect after stroke and brain injury. It is also used with children with dyslexia and attentional deficits by reading specialists and neuropsychologists. DON’T JUST TELL YOUR PATIENTS TO LOOK TO THE LEFT – TRAIN THEM. Modernize your occupational therapy or speech therapy exercises with a left neglect training tool that improves stroke and brain injury rehab. DOWNLOAD IT NOW! ----------- Looking for something different in a stroke therapy app? Tactus Therapy offers a wide range to choose from. Find the right one for you at https://tactustherapy.com/find

About

DREX

This free medical app provides training and assessment to help individuals compensate for partial visual loss. It offers self-adapting reading and exploration exercises that adjust in difficulty as you learn. You can also choose to share your progress data confidentially with healthcare professionals.

Highlights
  • Compensate for partial visual loss
  • Self-adapting reading training
  • Exploration training exercises
  • Regular assessments
  • Optional data sharing with clinicians
  • Home-based, unsupervised training
Features
Read full description

What is DREX? DREX is the Durham Reading and Exploration training. Through regular training and assessment this free app will teach you to compensate for your partial visual loss. How does DREX work? Training can be completed in your own home and at a time that suits you. You do not have to be supervised to complete this training. The app can be accessed by downloading it for free. DREX Training The DREX training consists of two parts: - The reading training requires you to decide whether a word is a real word or a non-word. - The exploration training presents you with a number of targets and you must find the target that is different from the rest by size, shape or colour. DREX training is self-adapting and increases in difficulty as you learn. DREX Assessment Whilst undergoing the DREX training you will be assessed at regular intervals. 5 assessments are used:- 1. Visual Field 2. Visual Search 3. Reading 4. Short Term Memory 5. Quality of life In this way we can learn whether the DREX training is an effective way of teaching you to compensate for your visual loss. Sharing your data You can also choose to share your data with your doctor, occupational therapist or clinician. In this way, they can track your progress and suggest other ways to maximise your compensation. This service is completely confidential and if you are uncomfortable with sharing your data you can still access the DREX training without this option. Contact us If you would like any further information then please feel free to contact by email drex.training@durham.ac.uk

Screenshots

Visual Attention Therapy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Visual Attention Therapy at 92% against DREX's 0%. Visual Attention Therapy also leads on rating (4.7 vs 1.0) and update cadence (every 6 months vs every 33 months). DREX's advantage is price (Free vs $19.99). On ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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

DREX is free to download; Visual Attention Therapy costs $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Visual Attention Therapy holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Visual Attention Therapy has 486 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of Visual Attention Therapy's written reviews are positive against 0% of DREX's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Visual Attention Therapy ships an update every 6 months, DREX every 33 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Visual Attention Therapy versus DREX: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVisual Attention TherapyDREX
Price$19.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (486 ratings) — better1.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews92.3% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings486 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 6 months — betterEvery 33 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS9.0 — better10.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB87 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperTactus Therapy Solutions Ltd.University of Durham

Customer experience

Visual Attention Therapy

All ratings486 ratings
Positive92.8%
Neutral3.7%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive92.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.7%

DREX

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

None

Visual Attention Therapy

No in-app purchases

None

DREX

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Visual Attention Therapy free?
Visual Attention Therapy costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is DREX free?
DREX is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Visual Attention Therapy or DREX?
Visual Attention Therapy is rated higher. Visual Attention Therapy averages 4.7 out of 5 from 486 ratings, while DREX averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Visual Attention Therapy or DREX have ads?
Neither Visual Attention Therapy nor DREX shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Visual Attention Therapy or DREX?
Visual Attention Therapy ships an update every 6 months, and DREX every 33 months. Most recently, Visual Attention Therapy was updated on October 13, 2026 and DREX on September 30, 2026.

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