SkillSteps vs Calmika
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
SkillSteps
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Every child deserves tools that speak their language. SkillSteps brings together everything your child needs β social stories, communication support, mood tracking, and calming sensory tools β in one beautifully simple app. No more juggling five different apps. No more losing progress between tools. Just one place where your child can learn, express, and feel safe. SOCIAL STORIES β BUILT IN MINUTES Create personalised social stories for any situation β visiting the dentist, starting a new school, handling a meltdown. Use your own photos or our icon library. Based on Carol Gray's evidence-based Social Storiesβ’ framework, trusted by thousands of therapists and parents worldwide. COMMUNICATION BUILDER Build visual communication boards tailored to your child's vocabulary and needs. Tap pictures to speak, construct sentences, and express needs confidently. Designed for children at every communication level β from first words to full sentences. MOOD TRACKER β UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY FEEL Help your child name and track their emotions each day with simple visual check-ins. Parents get a private dashboard showing patterns over time β invaluable for therapy appointments and spotting triggers before they become crises. SENSORY & STIM TOOLS β CALM IN THEIR POCKET When the world gets too loud, SkillSteps is ready. Pop bubbles, draw freely, or focus on your breathing. These sensory tools give children a safe, acceptable way to self-regulate β anywhere, any time. BUILT FOR CHILDREN. DESIGNED FOR PARENTS. Children enjoy the simple, colourful experience. Parents and caregivers get full control behind the scenes β create content, review mood history, share stories with therapists, and track progress over time. ALSO INCLUDES β’ Visual daily schedule builder β’ Emotion recognition activitiesβ’ Custom reward system β’ Calming breathing exercises β’ Offline mode β works without internet β’ No ads. Ever. Your child's world makes more sense with SkillSteps. Free to try β because every family deserves access.
Calmika
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Calmika helps families support autistic and neurodivergent children with calm, visual everyday tools. The app combines AAC communication boards, visual routines, first-then support, calm-down activities, social stories, coloring, music, learning games, and parent guidance in one child-friendly environment. Free core tools include AAC communication and Calm Corner support. Calmika Pro adds expanded family support features such as additional profiles, reports, backup/export, parent-guided content, and more routine and story tools. Calmika is built for predictable, low-pressure use: soft visuals, simple navigation, parent-gated settings, and a design focused on everyday family routines rather than ads or overstimulating rewards. Calmika does not provide medical diagnosis, treatment, or therapy replacement. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://calmika.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: SkillSteps at daily against Calmika's every 3 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. SkillSteps sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Calmika sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
SkillSteps ships an update daily, Calmika every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SkillSteps | Calmika |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Daily β better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 34 MB | 93 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Aaron Ball | David Kovacs |
In-app purchases
SkillSteps
- SkillSteps Full Access$4.99
Calmika
- Calmika Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
- Calmika Pro Annual$39.991 Year
- Calmika Pro Lifetime$69.99





