Comparison

FirstWork vs Cole R

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

Head to head
About

FirstWork

This platform offers digital Discrete Trial Instruction (DTI/DTT) with thousands of ABA and SPED learning goals. It provides innovative rewards and deep customization for personalized learning programs, trusted by professionals.

Highlights
  • Thousands of ABA and SPED learning goals
  • Matching, Receptive Identification, FFC
  • Expressive Language and Phonics activities
  • Customizable spelling and counting exercises
  • Progress monitoring and export features
  • Focus Mode to limit distractions
  • Digital reward system with app access
Read full description

FirstWork is the most popular digital Discrete Trial Instruction(DTI/DTT) platform featuring the most common ABA and SPED learning goals, thousands of targets, innovative rewards, and deep customization options. FirstWork is trusted by thousands of ABA and SPED professionals for their personalized learning programs. Our Learning Categories - featuring thousands of targets for: Matching: Boost cognitive skills by pairing related items. Receptive Identification: Enhance understanding through auditory and visual prompts. Feature, Function, and Class (FFC): Develop categorization and critical thinking skills by identifying objects based on their attributes, roles, and classifications. Expressive Language: Practice vocal responses with instructor-scored expressive language lessons. Letter Sound Matching: Strengthen phonics with interactive letter-sound activities. Spelling: Improve spelling with dynamic and customizable exercises. Counting: Build foundational math skills through counting tasks. Arithmetic: Advance numeracy with a variety of arithmetic challenges. Key Features: Progress Monitoring: Easily graph and monitor learning progress with our intuitive view and export features, helping you stay informed of your learner’s development. Customizable Lessons: Adapt the app to suit your learner’s specific needs with various lesson modifications. Lesson Sharing: Send a copy of your lesson to other FirstWork users, such as colleagues. Focus Mode: During lessons, you can limit access to distracting apps on your device making it an environment more suitable for learning. Reward System: You can grant time on your learner’s favorite apps as a reward, after their time is up, they’ll be brought back to FirstWork for another lesson. It’s ideal for remote learning, learning at home, or learners who enjoy digital rewards. Whether you're a parent, teacher, or ABA professional, FirstWork makes learning easy and enjoyable. Terms of Use: https://firstworkapp.com/terms-of-service/ Privacy Policy: https://firstworkapp.com/privacy-policy/

About

Cole R

Read full description

Introducing the brand new app for Cole R-1 School District. NEVER MISS AN EVENT The event section shows a list of events throughout the district. Users can add an event to their calendar to share the event with friends and family with one tap. CUSTOMIZE NOTIFICATIONS Select your student's organization within the app and make sure you never miss a message. CAFETERIA MENUS Within the dining section, you'll find an easy to navigate, weekly menu, sorted by day and meal type. DISTRICT UPDATES In the Live Feed is where you'll find updates from the administration about what's going on in the district right now. Whether that's celebrating a student's success, or reminding you about an upcoming deadline. CONTACT STAFF & DEPARTMENTS Find relevant staff and department contacts under an easy-to-navigate directory.

Screenshots

FirstWork4 screens
Cole R4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cole R at none against FirstWork's 1. FirstWork's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 5 weeks). On price, ads, device support 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

Both are free to download. FirstWork sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $12.99 per month. Cole R asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FirstWork ships an update every 8 days, Cole R every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
FirstWork versus Cole R: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFirstWorkCole R
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (14 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings14 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.016.0
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB148 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFirstWork LLCCOLE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT R-1

In-app purchases

1 purchases

FirstWork

Subscriptions1
  • Base$12.991 Month
None

Cole R

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FirstWork free?
FirstWork is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cole R free?
Cole R is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do FirstWork or Cole R have ads?
Neither FirstWork nor Cole R shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FirstWork or Cole R?
FirstWork ships an update every 8 days, and Cole R every 5 weeks. Most recently, FirstWork was updated on October 30, 2026 and Cole R on October 31, 2026.

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