Comparison

First Then Board vs NeuroDay

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

Head to head
About

First Then Board

This visual scheduling tool helps children and individuals who benefit from structure understand sequences of activities. It uses custom photos to create clear, calming visual schedules for daily routines and transitions. Progress can be logged and exported for care teams or educational updates.

Highlights
  • Customizable photo panels for routines
  • Multi-step routine creation
  • Photo import from camera or library
  • Progress logging and export
  • Ad-free premium experience
  • Unsplash photo integration
  • Scheduled boards
Features
Read full description

First Then Board is a visual schedule tool that helps children, and anyone who benefits from structure, understand what comes now and what comes next using their own photos or visual supports. Whether you're a parent, teacher, therapist, or caregiver, First Then Board provides a clear, calming way to communicate daily activities, transitions, and expectations without relying on words. With Premium, log each completed routine or note when more time was needed, then export a progress report to share with your care team. This began as a personal project to help my daughter with autism navigate daily routines, and it has grown into a tool designed to support other families facing the same challenges. FREE FEATURES • Free version supported by ads • Simple First and Then photo board • Add up to 5 middle steps for multi-step routines • Use photos from your camera or photo library • Add text labels under each image • Pinch to zoom and reposition photos • Drag to swap panels • Switch between vertical and side-by-side layouts • Reset boards quickly • English and Spanish • Step-by-step tutorial • Contact support from the menu PREMIUM FEATURES • Ad-free experience • Unsplash photo search • Activity timer with automatic celebration • Screen lock • Dark and light mode • Task completion overlays • Custom panel titles and header colors • Quick Boards to save and reuse routines • Scheduled routine reminders • Child profiles with separate photos, saved boards and history • Optional per-child PIN protection • Record completed activities and activities that needed more time • Reload boards from history • Export history to CSV • 90-day completion history • Saved photo library, favorites and search Premium is available through a yearly subscription or a lifetime purchase. Prices and any eligible offers are shown before purchase. Redeem App Store offer codes from the menu. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

NeuroDay

This app provides visual schedules, First-Then boards, and calming timers to help autistic individuals and those with developmental differences manage their daily routines. It offers customizable visual aids and offline functionality for privacy and ease of use.

Highlights
  • Visual step-by-step schedules
  • First-Then motivation boards
  • Calming visual timers
  • Customizable icons and photos
  • Saved routine templates
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

NeuroDay helps autistic individuals and people with related developmental differences navigate their day with confidence — through visual schedules, First-Then boards, and gentle, calming timers. Built by a nonprofit, for families, educators, and therapists. VISUAL SCHEDULE Build a step-by-step picture schedule for any routine — mornings, bedtime, therapy days, or anything in between. Choose from a library of clear, friendly icons, or add your own photos. Tap a step to check it off, and NeuroDay keeps the next step front and center so there's never any guessing about what's coming up. FIRST-THEN BOARD The classic, proven First-Then technique in a simple, beautiful format. Show what comes first and what comes after — perfect for transitions, motivation, and reducing anxiety around what's next. VISUAL TIMER A calm, visual countdown that fills and empties instead of just counting numbers — easier to understand at a glance than a ticking clock. Link a timer to any schedule step or First-Then activity, choose a gentle calming sound for the transition, and lock the screen during use so little hands can't accidentally pause or reset it. SAVED ROUTINES Save your favorite schedules as routines — Morning Routine, Bedtime Routine, or anything your family needs — and load them back in with one tap. BUILT FOR PRIVACY, FROM THE GROUND UP NeuroDay is a fully offline app. There are no accounts, no cloud storage, no analytics, and no ads — your family's schedules, photos, and routines never leave your device. PRICING The Visual Timer is free, forever. A NeuroDay subscription ($1.99/month or $18/year) unlocks the full Visual Schedule and First-Then board. If cost is a barrier, contact us for free access — no family should be turned away. A NONPROFIT MISSION NeuroDay is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.neuroday.org/privacy-policy

Screenshots

First Then Board4 screens
NeuroDay4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: NeuroDay at none against First Then Board's shown. NeuroDay also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). 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. First Then Board sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year and NeuroDay sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 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 — 5.0 for First Then Board against 5.0 for NeuroDay. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 4 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

First Then Board ships an update every 5 weeks, NeuroDay every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
First Then Board versus NeuroDay: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFirst Then BoardNeuroDay
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings34 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB41 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAngelo CipollaroNeuroDay

Customer experience

First Then Board

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

NeuroDay

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

First Then Board

Subscriptions1
  • First Then Premium Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • First Then Premium Lifetime$34.99
2 purchases

NeuroDay

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Annual$18.001 Year

Questions

Is First Then Board free?
First Then Board is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NeuroDay free?
NeuroDay is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, First Then Board or NeuroDay?
First Then Board and NeuroDay are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 4 ratings respectively.
Do First Then Board or NeuroDay have ads?
First Then Board shows ads; NeuroDay does not.
Which is updated more often, First Then Board or NeuroDay?
First Then Board ships an update every 5 weeks, and NeuroDay every 2 weeks. Most recently, First Then Board was updated on October 31, 2026 and NeuroDay on October 31, 2026.

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