Comparison

Marlee Signs vs ASL Kids

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

Head to head
About

Marlee Signs

Learn American Sign Language with video lessons from Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin. Master the alphabet, vocabulary, and common expressions at your own pace. Spell out words with a dedicated signing feature.

Highlights
  • Signed alphabet instruction
  • Basic vocabulary lessons
  • Common expression videos
  • Spell any word in signs
  • Slow motion video playback
  • Progress tracking
Features
Read full description

Learn American Sign Language with Marlee Signs© from Marlee Matlin – Academy Award© winning Deaf Actress. Ever wanted to learn more about Sign Language? Marlee Signs© is for you. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• FEATURED ON: • Apple’s “New & Noteworthy” section! • The App Store’s #19 Top Free Education app! • CBS and KCAL news! COVERED BY: • Rob Rich of 148apps.com! • Emily Price of Mashable.com! • Jennifer Beese of TodaysiPhone.com! • Brittany Chan of iMedicalApps.com! •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• THE A-B-Cs OF A.S.L. Marlee Signs© is the perfect app for learning to express yourself in American Sign Language. This app will teach you the fundamentals of ASL – from the signed alphabet and basic vocabulary through to common expressions in everyday life – using high-quality video demonstrations starring Marlee Matlin herself. PRACTICE AT YOUR PACE Each lesson is broken down into individual videos, making it easy to learn at your own pace. The app checks off completed lessons so that you can quickly pick up where you left off, and the “Slow Motion” setting enables you to watch any video in greater detail. You even get your first lesson pack free! SPELL IT OUT Need to spell something in signs? Let Marlee help you with the “Spell” section. This nifty feature shows you how to spell any word in signs. Simply type the word and watch Marlee spell it for you! GET YOUR HANDS ON MORE Marlee Signs© offers a library of useful lesson packs that will help build your understanding while motivating you to learn more. Tap into a dimension of new ideas, new perspectives and a new lens through which to view your world. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ We are proud to call Marlee Signs a Shiny MEDL Object. You can see all of them at MEDLmobile.com.

About

ASL Kids

This app helps families learn American Sign Language (ASL) through videos of children signing. It includes beginner and baby signs, quiz games, and fingerspelling, with an option to purchase more signs.

Highlights
  • Child role models for learning
  • Intuitive, image-based interface
  • Beginner and baby ASL signs
  • Interactive quiz games
  • Fingerspelling practice
  • Offline functionality (no ads/links)
Features
Read full description

Get the whole family excited about learning American Sign Language (ASL) by watching other kids sign! The ASL experts in our app are between the ages of 1 and 12, and they teach you common signs from the ASL dictionary and baby sign language. All hand signs, furthermore, are accompanied by a large image and an audio button designed to stimulate speech and hearing. This free app has all the functionality you can imagine, including quiz games, fingerspelling and 58 free signs. An optional pack of 200+ more signs is available to help you increase your knowledge of ASL. Important Message for Parents and Teachers - NO Direct links to social networking websites - NO ads - Parents have the option to monitor and control all in-app purchases If you have an issue, please email us for help at info@asl-kids.com. Why this app? When we found out our son had hearing loss, our whole family was eager to learn sign language. That was when we discovered that our kids benefited from interactive visual material. However, it was hard to find suitable apps on signing specifically designed for kids. The next thing we knew, we had decided to design one ourselves. How do children learn best? By imitating other kids! My son loves this app, and I hope you will too. How does it work? The app is kid-proof and was designed to be used without the help of an adult. There are no external links or ads, so no internet connection is needed to work the app. While there is no complex text, kids will have no issues navigating our clear and tappable images. **** Support **** We are dedicated to creating and expanding a high-quality app that unlocks your child’s learning potential in a fun way. Looking for more tips for improvement? Go to asl-kids.com and let us know. Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ASLkids **** Features: **** - Peer role models: How do children learn best? By imitating other kids! - Intuitive interface: No need to read. Clear tappable images. - Easy signs: Carefully selected signs that are easy for children to master. - Fun: Includes an interactive quiz game to test your knowledge of ASL. - Fingerspelling: Learn your ABC's by swiping through the letters - No ads or external links: No internet connection required after download. - Video: Videos can be (re)played by tapping the screen. - Learned signs can be marked as Learned. - Easy navigation: Simple menu and buttons for easy browsing. - Audio: Separate audio button to hear how a word is pronounced. - iPad / iPhone optimized Download now and learn ASL! Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ASLkids and visit https://asl-kids.com for more information

Screenshots

Marlee Signs4 screens
ASL Kids4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Marlee Signs at every 2 months against ASL Kids's every 8 months. Marlee Signs also leads on review sentiment (45% vs 33%). On price, rating, ratings volume 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. Marlee Signs sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and ASL Kids sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Marlee Signs holds the better App Store score, 3.3 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 190 and 184 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 45% of Marlee Signs's written reviews are positive against 33% of ASL Kids's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Marlee Signs ships an update every 2 months, ASL Kids every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on June 9, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Marlee Signs versus ASL Kids: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMarlee SignsASL Kids
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (190 ratings) — better3.1 (184 ratings)
Positive reviews45.2% of reviews — better32.7% of reviews
Number of ratings190 — better184
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 8 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size108 MB94 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMEDL Mobile Enterprises, LLCNew-impulse media

Customer experience

Marlee Signs

All ratings190 ratings
Positive52.6%
Neutral13.7%
Negative33.7%
Written reviews146 reviews
Positive45.2%
Neutral17.1%
Negative37.7%

ASL Kids

All ratings184 ratings
Positive46.2%
Neutral14.1%
Negative39.7%
Written reviews104 reviews
Positive32.7%
Neutral17.3%
Negative50.0%

User reviews

Marlee Signs

From 190 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ✨ Excellent for beginners
  • 📚 Great for learning ASL vocabulary
  • 👍 Clear and easy-to-follow videos
  • 🌟 Marlee Matlin is an inspiring teacher

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Videos not working/black screen issues
  • 💰 Expensive for limited content
  • 🔄 Constant need to delete and reinstall app
  • 🔍 Poor search functionality

ASL Kids

From 184 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👶 Kid-friendly and easy to navigate interface
  • 📚 Effective for learning ASL basics and alphabet
  • 🎥 Visual demonstration with real children signing
  • ⏱️ Quick learning curve - users master content fast
  • 💰 Affordable pricing for expansion pack

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Videos frequently fail to play or freeze
  • 💸 Paid expansion pack frequently disappears after closing app
  • 🔊 Audio/sound issues or missing sound
  • 📱 Requires constant 'restore purchase' to access paid content
  • ⚠️ Some signs demonstrated inaccurately

Bugs and requests

Marlee Signs

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Videos not playing, showing black screens
  • Purchased lesson packs not restoring after reinstall
  • App crashing or freezing on certain devices
  • Connectivity issues even with good internet

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more lesson packs and content
  • Improve offline access and video playback
  • Implement better search and navigation
  • Add speech-to-sign and sign-to-speech features

ASL Kids

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • Videos won't play or freeze mid-playback
  • Expansion pack disappears after app restart
  • Restore purchase function unreliable and requires multiple attempts
  • Quiz feature unresponsive - selected answers won't submit
  • Audio files freeze or fail to load
Show 7 more
  • White screen on app launch
  • In-app purchase dialog won't close
  • Sound not working despite reinstallation
  • App crashes or force closes
  • Content fails to load after initial use
  • Restore purchase window blocks screen access
  • Inconsistent content availability between sessions

Requested features

13 requests
  • More signs and expanded vocabulary
  • Additional categories (nouns, verbs, common phrases)
  • Simultaneous video and audio playback
  • Favorites/bookmarking section
  • Competitive multiplayer or leaderboard features
Show 8 more
  • Ability to record and compare own signing
  • Custom vocabulary with personalized recordings
  • Landscape orientation support for tablets
  • More advanced/older kid difficulty levels
  • Better organization and categorization of signs
  • Automatic video playback without separate button
  • Improved facial expressions in demonstrations
  • More frequent content updates

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Marlee Signs

One-time5
  • Around You Lesson Pack$1.99
  • Home Lesson Pack$1.99
  • Around Town Lesson Pack$1.99
Show 2 more
  • Around World Lesson Pack$1.99
  • Baby Signs Lesson Pack$1.99
1 purchases

ASL Kids

One-time1
  • ASL dictionary$2.99

Questions

Is Marlee Signs free?
Marlee Signs is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ASL Kids free?
ASL Kids is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Marlee Signs or ASL Kids?
Marlee Signs is rated higher. Marlee Signs averages 3.3 out of 5 from 190 ratings, while ASL Kids averages 3.1 from 184 ratings.
Do Marlee Signs or ASL Kids have ads?
Neither Marlee Signs nor ASL Kids shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Marlee Signs or ASL Kids?
Marlee Signs ships an update every 2 months, and ASL Kids every 8 months. Most recently, Marlee Signs was updated on June 9, 2026 and ASL Kids on September 21, 2026.

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