Comparison

Step & Star vs Visual Schedule

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

Head to head
About

Step & Star

This app helps create visual schedules for children and adults with predictable routines. It uses "First, Then" picture cards to guide users through tasks, offering audio prompts and celebrations upon completion. It's designed to build independence and reduce anxiety through clear, step-by-step guidance.

Highlights
  • First-Then visual schedule creation
  • Step-by-step auto-advancing cards
  • Built-in symbol library and custom photos
  • Text-to-speech and custom voice recording
  • Optional countdown timers
  • Celebrations for task completion
  • Multiple user profiles
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

Step & Star turns everyday routines into simple "First, Then" picture cards — show what to do now, and the good thing that comes next. Step & Star is for kids and adults who do their best when they can see what comes next — and for the parents, teachers, and therapists who cheer them on. Predictable routines bring calm, confidence, and a lot more "I did it!" moments — whether it's one child at home or a whole classroom. Setting up a board takes seconds. Then they see one big, friendly card at a time — tap to hear it read aloud, finish the step, and watch it advance with a little celebration. WHY FAMILIES AND CLASSROOMS LOVE IT Predictable routines ease anxiety Builds independence and confidence Works at home, school, and in therapy FEATURES First-Then boards that auto-advance step by step Cards from a built-in symbol library, your own photos, or safe web image search Every card reads aloud, or record your own voice Optional countdown timers with a gentle chime Celebrations when a reward or the finish is reached Multiple profiles to keep each child or student separate Caregiver PIN lock so the board can be handed over safely Works offline, with data stored privately on your device FREE AND PREMIUM Free to use with one profile, multiple boards, the symbol library, photos, text-to-speech, timers, and celebrations. Premium unlocks unlimited profiles and boards, safe web image search, and custom voice recordings, available monthly, yearly, or as a one-time Lifetime purchase. Made with care for the people who need it most. Step & Star Premium is available as an auto-renewable subscription or a one-time purchase: Monthly — $3.99 per month Yearly — $19.99 per year (includes a 7-day free trial) Lifetime — $49.99, one-time purchase Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the period. You can manage or cancel anytime in your device's App Store account settings. Privacy Policy: https://myday-support.com/step-%26-star-privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Visual Schedule

Features
Read full description

Turn one sentence into picture steps you can review and change. A child like yours? Would you like your board pictures to show a child with similar features? No photo needed. Optional. Choose only details you want shown. PictoCue helps families, caregivers, teachers, and neurodivergent people create clear visual boards. Enter a short routine, choose friendly illustrations, simple pictograms, or realistic pictures, and PictoCue creates an editable draft after you choose to share it for AI processing. Change every word, picture, and step before saving, or build the complete board yourself without AI. Main features: - Optional sentence-to-board suggestions with three picture styles and explicit sharing consent - Editable words, built-in pictures, order, and one-step mode - Photo cards with your own pictures and short labels - First/then boards, flexible routines, choice boards, and calm cards - Quiet full-screen Use Mode with optional on-device voice labels - PDF, print, Share Sheet, AirDrop, and portable backup - Local storage and no account required For the optional AI feature, the sentence you enter, selected language, selected picture style, and generated step labels are sent through the secure gateway to Replicate and OpenAI or Google after you confirm. Photos, existing boards, and profile names are not sent. The manual board builder remains available. PictoCue is an organizational aid. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Terms of use: https://smartaitomation.com/termspictocueapp.html

Screenshots

Step & Star4 screens
Visual Schedule4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Visual Schedule at every 3 days against Step & Star's monthly. Step & Star's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Step & Star sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Visual Schedule sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Step & Star ships an update monthly, Visual Schedule every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Step & Star versus Visual Schedule: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStep & StarVisual Schedule
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEmily SmithSmart Automation SRL

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Step & Star

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium Lifetime$49.99
2 purchases

Visual Schedule

Subscriptions2
  • PictoCue Premium Weekly$3.997 Days
  • PictoCue Premium Yearly7 Days trial$34.991 Year

Questions

Is Step & Star free?
Step & Star is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Visual Schedule free?
Visual Schedule is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Step & Star or Visual Schedule have ads?
Neither Step & Star nor Visual Schedule shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Step & Star or Visual Schedule?
Step & Star ships an update monthly, and Visual Schedule every 3 days. Most recently, Step & Star was updated on October 15, 2026 and Visual Schedule on October 14, 2026.

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