Comparison

Cued Articulation vs simPODD

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

Head to head
About

Cued Articulation

This app provides a visual and interactive guide to hand cues for teaching individual speech sounds. It features video demonstrations, animated mouth illustrations, and color-coded consonant cues to aid in understanding sound production and spelling.

Highlights
  • Hand cues for individual speech sounds
  • Video demonstrations of cues
  • Animated mouth and throat illustrations
  • Color-coded consonant cues
  • Interactive consonant and vowel tables
  • Examples of sounds in everyday words
Features
Read full description

Cued Articulation is a set of hand cues for teaching the individual sounds in a word. It is useful for speech pathologists, speech and language therapists, remedial and recovery teachers and primary teachers in the classroom. The hand movements are logical – each hand movement represents one sound and the cue gives clues as to how and where the sound is produced. Colour coding is also used to indicate the consonant sounds represented by the written letters. Jane Passy devised the cues while working as a Speech Pathologist with a group of children with severe speech and language problems. These children had problems in auditory recall and needed a visual aid to learning. Teachers found that using the cues not only helped the children with difficulties, but it also raised the sound awareness skills of everyone in the class. Jane developed the system to include 26 consonants and 23 vowel cues. This app is intended as a handy reminder of how each of the cues is made, and how it relates to the sound it represents and the letters that spell that sound. Using interactive consonant, vowel and diphthong tables, the app displays video cues of each sound, as well as an animated illustration of the mouth and throat while producing the sounds. It includes the colour coding that is central to the program, and provides examples of each sound within everyday words. The app is an extra resource to the suite of Cued Articulation materials produced by ACER Press. It is recommended that users have the underlying knowledge of sounds and the sound system of English. A full Cued Articulation course is recommended. See: http://acer.ac/cuedart www.soundsforliteracy.com.au www.soundsforliteracy.co.uk

About

simPODD

This app simplifies augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for individuals who cannot speak. It integrates digital PODD page sets with a printing interface, offering streamlined editing and access to various vocabulary options. Designed in collaboration with the PODD system's creator, it aims to make communication more accessible and efficient.

Highlights
  • Digital PODD page sets
  • Integrated printing interface
  • Streamlined editing
  • SymbolStix integration
  • Multiple text-to-speech voices
  • Regionally specific vocabulary
Features
Read full description

simPODD is an app for the popular PODD system that makes communication more simple for those who can’t speak. Built in collaboration with Gayle Porter, it’s the only PODD app for iPad to bring digital page sets and a printing interface into one app. From the makers of Proloquo2Go, this augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) app is sure to become a favorite among PODD users, because it's the only PODD app built specifically for their needs. “simPODD’s integration of PODD communication books and electronic page sets in a single product supports people to "say what I want to say, to whoever, whenever and however I choose to say it.” - Gayle Porter, creator of the PODD system Highlights • Access to all PODD digital page sets: 15 Preschool, 15+ Preschool, 15 School, 15+ School, 60 Complex Syntax, 60 Expanded Key Word • Fully integrated printing interface in the app to print direct access individual and group PODD books (with yearly subscription) • Streamlined and simplified editing process • Uses SymbolStix • Regionally specific vocabulary and American, British and Australian voices • 38 natural-sounding text-to-speech voices including genuine children’s voices • Free 1-month trial How it works simPODD makes using PODD much simpler. First, it brings the digital page sets and printing experience into one app. No need to manage different payments and subscriptions, or learn how to use multiple programs. It’s all rolled into one. It’s easy to use, no matter who you are: parent, teacher, speech therapist or PODD user. Customizing and editing digital page sets is also very straightforward with simPODD. Quickly edit the vocabulary, create new buttons and link folders without following a lot of complicated steps. Since we worked closely with PODD users while building the app, we took all of the hassle and frustration out of these processes. The easiest PODD book printing experience The printing function for PODD books is right inside the app. Just select a book and customize. Print the book all at once, instead of page by page. It only takes a few minutes! You can create as many books as you need, and print them for all of the people in a PODD communicator’s life. What is PODD? PODD (Pragmatic Organisation Dynamic Display) is a popular AAC system created and owned by Gayle Porter. PODD organizes vocabulary around communication function and predicted likely usage to make it more efficient to get something across. PODD's range of books and page sets support language development from first words to complex syntax. The books and page sets for early communicators also include strategies like pragmatic branch starters. This supports more intelligible and varied communication. Comprehensive support We’re there for you every step of the way. Help articles on the website are there to guide you through set up. New to AAC? Our website has background resources in the Learn AAC section. You can also connect directly with our community on our Facebook groups. Questions? Our support team is available 7 days a week. Choose the subscription that’s right for you: Yearly Digital + Print or Monthly Digital. Yearly Digital + Print • Print direct access PODD books right from the app • Full access to all of the digital page sets • Regular updates • Save money - 2 months free compared to the monthly subscription Monthly Digital • Full access to all of the digital page sets • Regular updates • Cancel month to month, so you only pay for what you use • An inexpensive way to try PODD Try the app out with our 1-month free trial! How payment works • Payments will be charged to your Apple ID (after your free trial ends) • Subscriptions renew automatically. Payment is charged 24 hours before the current subscription period ends • Don’t want to renew? Cancel more than 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period • Want to cancel or change your subscription? Manage it in your account settings on the App Store

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: simPODD at Free against Cued Articulation's $25.99. simPODD also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.5) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 12 months). Cued Articulation's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On review sentiment, ads 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

simPODD is free to download; Cued Articulation costs $25.99 up front. simPODD sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $13.99 per month. Cued Articulation asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

simPODD holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: simPODD has 21 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Cued Articulation's written reviews are positive against 78% of simPODD's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cued Articulation ships an update every 12 months, simPODD every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 17, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Cued Articulation versus simPODD: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCued ArticulationsimPODD
Price$25.99Free — better
Rating2.5 (2 ratings)4.5 (21 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews77.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings221 — better
Update frequencyEvery 12 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPadiPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size41 MB539 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAustralian Council for Educational ResearchAssistiveWare

Customer experience

Cued Articulation

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

simPODD

All ratings21 ratings
Positive90.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative9.5%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive77.8%
Neutral11.1%
Negative11.1%

In-app purchases

None

Cued Articulation

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

simPODD

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Digital1 Month trial$13.991 Month
  • Yearly Digital + Print$139.991 Year
  • Yearly Digital + Print*1 Month trial$139.991 Year
One-time1
  • One Year Digital$139.99

Questions

Is Cued Articulation free?
Cued Articulation costs $25.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is simPODD free?
simPODD is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Cued Articulation or simPODD?
simPODD is rated higher. Cued Articulation averages 2.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while simPODD averages 4.5 from 21 ratings.
Do Cued Articulation or simPODD have ads?
Neither Cued Articulation nor simPODD shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cued Articulation or simPODD?
Cued Articulation ships an update every 12 months, and simPODD every 2 months. Most recently, Cued Articulation was updated on September 17, 2026 and simPODD on September 17, 2026.

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