Comparison

Smart Steps Mobile vs Co

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

Co

This app provides advanced word prediction and spelling support for students. It offers grammar-smart suggestions and access to millions of topic-specific dictionaries to aid in writing. Built-in text-to-speech functionality helps users review their work.

Highlights
  • Grammar-smart word prediction
  • Millions of topic-specific dictionaries
  • Flexspell™ technology for spelling errors
  • Built-in text-to-speech
  • Personalized vocabulary and settings
Features
Read full description

Co:Writer® Universal app and third-party keyboard gives students easy access to word prediction on iPad, iPad Pro, iPhone, and iPod Touch. Students simply sign in to their Co:Writer Universal accounts to write with their personal settings and vocabulary. ABOUT CO:WRITER UNIVERSAL This version is for schools with a Co:Writer Universal license only. Users without a Co:Writer Universal license must purchase the Co:Writer app. HOW DOES CO:WRITER WORK? As letters are typed, Co:Writer predicts the intended word with a selection of word suggestions using powerful grammar-smart word prediction. These suggestions can be read aloud with a swipe. Selecting the intended word places it into the writing document. For feedback while writing (and after writing) built-in text to speech can be used to read letters, words, sentences, and the entire document. 4+ MILLION TOPIC-SPECIFIC DICTIONARIES Co:Writer has access to a main prediction dictionary (that includes core words) and Topic Dictionaries (that includes topic specific words). Co:Writer can access over 4 million topic-specific dictionaries which are activated based on the writing task. A small sampling of the variety of topic dictionaries: - America's Cup - Apple II - Compare and Contrast - Dinosaurs - Grumpy Cat - History of the Peloponnesian War - Mahatma Gandhi - My Dog - Pig Latin - Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost - SpongeBob SquarePants - Tommy (album) - Wonders of the World SPELLING SUPPORT Co:Writer handles the widest range of spelling mistakes through its Flexspell™technology including phonetic spelling and inventive spelling errors (letter omissions, word ending omissions, letter reversals, etc). Examples of how Co:Writer aides with phonetic and/or inventive spelling: Before Co:Writer The blk jargon flu over the bra lfnt. R u hpy to ce me? I no hw to nor the fone. After Co:Writer The black dragon flew over the gray elephant. Are you happy to see me? I know how to answer the phone. GRAMMAR SUPPORT Co:Writer bases its prediction off of proper grammar, and uses its understanding of grammar to accurately predict words within the framework of valid sentence structures. Examples of how Co:Writer aides with grammar: Dogs are furry. (noun, verb, adj.) - When you typed d-o, you get plural noun choices Three very mangy dogs ran down the street. (adj., adv., adj., noun, verb… etc.) - After typing three, very, mangy, you get plural noun choices, then you get plural verb tenses. OTHER FEATURES - Built-in Text to Speech - Export

Screenshots

Smart Steps Mobile4 screens
Co4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Smart Steps Mobile at 4.3 against Co's 2.6. Co's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium) and ratings volume (17 vs 3). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

Smart Steps Mobile holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Co has 17 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 0% of Smart Steps Mobile's written reviews are positive against 8% of Co's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Smart Steps Mobile ships an update every 8 months, Co every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Smart Steps Mobile versus Co: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSmart Steps MobileCo
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (3 ratings) — better2.6 (17 ratings)
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews8.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings317 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.010.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB45 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperSmartStepsDon Johnston Incorporated

Customer experience

Smart Steps Mobile

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

Co

All ratings17 ratings
Positive29.4%
Neutral23.5%
Negative47.1%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive8.3%
Neutral16.7%
Negative75.0%

In-app purchases

None

Smart Steps Mobile

No in-app purchases

None

Co

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Smart Steps Mobile free?
Smart Steps Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Co free?
Co is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Smart Steps Mobile or Co?
Smart Steps Mobile is rated higher. Smart Steps Mobile averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Co averages 2.6 from 17 ratings.
Do Smart Steps Mobile or Co have ads?
Neither Smart Steps Mobile nor Co shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Smart Steps Mobile or Co?
Smart Steps Mobile ships an update every 8 months, and Co every 4 months. Most recently, Smart Steps Mobile was updated on October 26, 2026 and Co on October 20, 2026.

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