Comparison

Smart Steps Mobile vs Weave Chat AAC

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

Head to head
About

Smart Steps Mobile

This app guides individuals with disabilities through challenging everyday situations with step-by-step instructions and helpful prompts. It offers customizable decision trees, safety tips, and emergency contact features to foster independence and reduce anxiety.

Highlights
  • Step-by-step decision trees
  • Read-Aloud buttons
  • Profile screen for information sharing
  • Map button for directions
  • Emergency contact features
  • Customizable decision trees with images (upgrade)
Features
Read full description

Take the next step with confidence. Smart Steps helps teens and adults with disabilities handle tricky moments—one tap at a time. Whether it’s starting a new job, getting around campus, or asking for help, this app walks you through what to do. Designed by a teacher, Smart Steps is built for neurodivergent users, including those with autism, ADHD, intellectual and developmental disabilities, Down syndrome, or brain injuries. With simple Decision Trees and just-in-time tips, it’s like having a calm coach in your pocket. How it works: Pick a Decision Tree and follow one step at a time. You’ll get reminders, social cues, and safety tips when you need them most. End with a Success screen—or call for Backup if you need extra help. Features include: • Read-Aloud buttons (great for speaking out loud too!) • A Profile Screen to share helpful info • A Map Button for directions • Emergency Contacts for calls/texts (with upgrade) • A Decision Tree Maker to customize steps and add images (with upgrade) Plans available: Free Plan – Try it out! Includes built-in Decision Trees, Profile Screen, Map, and Read-Aloud. Monthly/Annual Plan – Unlock tree editing, image uploads, contact storage, and color customization. Group Plans – Share trees with a classroom, workplace, or family (2+ licenses). Build independence, reduce stress, and support problem-solving—one small win at a time. Learn more or sign up at SmartSteps4me.com Watch a quick intro: bit.ly/SmartStepsMobileIntro

About

Weave Chat AAC

This app provides a customizable Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) system. It features a wide range of vocabulary with color-coded categories and allows users to add their own images, phrases, and voices. Users can also modify board layouts and lock customization settings.

Highlights
  • Customizable AAC boards
  • Extensive vocabulary with weekly updates
  • Add custom images and categories
  • Create and save custom phrases
  • Select synthetic voice
  • Modify board layouts
  • Passcode lock for customization
Features
Read full description

Weave Chat AAC is a free, dynamic, and completely customizable AAC app that is available to a variety of devices. There are over 3,500 pre-configured words with a symbol library including more than 65,000 symbols that you can choose from. Weave Chat AAC offers a large variety of verbs (green), pronouns (yellow), questions (purple), nouns (tan/orange), adjectives (blue), and conversational words (pink). All color choices were made based on the Fitzgerald Key and new vocabulary is added weekly. Users can add their own custom images and categories in Settings —> Manage Custom Images. In addition, users can add their own custom phrases that can easily be accessed from their board; to add phrases, go to Settings —> Manage Phrases. Users can select a synthetic voice (dependent on their device settings) from Settings —> Change Voice Settings - here you can select your voice, vocal pitch, and rate of speech. Image and text size can be personalized from Settings —> Change Image & Text Size (select from default - small, medium, and large). Settings —> Configure Image Keyboard allows the user to turn on/off features that allow for the category text to be read aloud (synthetic voice for categories), to keep the user in the category after a image has been selected (stay on category after image selection), and disable the speech output for individual words so that it only reads aloud when the white text screen is touched (synthetic voice disabled for individual words). The AAC board can be modified in Settings —> Manage Board Builder. Here, the user can select from the default board (you must make a copy to edit it - to do this select “Add new keyboard” and then select “Hide Images” for Type of Keyboard); grid position boards (ranging in size from 1x2 - 7x15 rows/columns); and Board Builder (gives you the option to build a board from scratch). All boards are completely editable and all custom images and categories can be used from all boards. Lastly, Manage Pin Configuration allows the user to set a pin over all (or just some) aspects of customization to lock down features as needed. Feature List: - Dynamic, customizable, AAC boards - Large variety of verbs, nouns, and adjectives with additional vocabulary added weekly - Add custom images and custom categories - Create and save phrases - Select a synthetic voice (as available per your device settings) - Copy & Paste AAC picture icon messages via “share” - Create and/or modify AAC boards via 3 options: grid position boards (ranging from 1x2 - 7x15), hide images, and/or create a new board from scratch - “Text” others who have the app using AAC picture icons - Set a passcode to lock down features as needed - Weave Chat AAC currently only has English buttons/images

Screenshots

Smart Steps Mobile4 screens
Weave Chat AAC4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Weave Chat AAC at 80% against Smart Steps Mobile's 0%. Weave Chat AAC also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 8 months) and rating (4.7 vs 4.3). Smart Steps Mobile's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Weave Chat AAC holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Weave Chat AAC has 523 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Smart Steps Mobile's written reviews are positive against 80% of Weave Chat AAC's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Smart Steps Mobile ships an update every 8 months, Weave Chat AAC every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Smart Steps Mobile versus Weave Chat AAC: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSmart Steps MobileWeave Chat AAC
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (3 ratings)4.7 (523 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews79.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3523 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB115 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperSmartStepsWeave Chat, LLC

Customer experience

Smart Steps Mobile

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

Weave Chat AAC

All ratings523 ratings
Positive90.8%
Neutral4.2%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews89 reviews
Positive79.8%
Neutral9.0%
Negative11.2%

Bugs and requests

Smart Steps Mobile

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Weave Chat AAC

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Syncing issues causing long loading times
  • Inability to receive verification token during signup
  • Freezing when trying to share between devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Easier custom button editing from main board
  • More age-appropriate voice options
  • Increased custom button capacity
  • Pre-made vocabulary for sensitive topics
  • Improved volume and audio quality control

In-app purchases

None

Smart Steps Mobile

No in-app purchases

None

Weave Chat AAC

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Smart Steps Mobile free?
Smart Steps Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Weave Chat AAC free?
Weave Chat AAC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Smart Steps Mobile or Weave Chat AAC?
Weave Chat AAC is rated higher. Smart Steps Mobile averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Weave Chat AAC averages 4.7 from 523 ratings.
Do Smart Steps Mobile or Weave Chat AAC have ads?
Neither Smart Steps Mobile nor Weave Chat AAC shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Smart Steps Mobile or Weave Chat AAC?
Smart Steps Mobile ships an update every 8 months, and Weave Chat AAC every 8 days. Most recently, Smart Steps Mobile was updated on September 20, 2026 and Weave Chat AAC on September 25, 2026.

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