Comparison

Co vs Lightspeed Activate

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

Head to head
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

About

Lightspeed Activate

This educational app allows teachers to remotely control classroom audio systems, listen to student groups, and communicate with them. It also enables recording of teaching and learning moments for later review.

Highlights
  • Control classroom audio system
  • Listen to student groups
  • Communicate with student groups
  • Record audio and video
  • Gain insights into student learning
Features
Read full description

Lightspeed Activate app pairs with a Lightspeed Instructional Audio system to control the Activate System, record video and audio in the classroom, and other advanced features. From their iOS device, teachers can simultaneously select individual 2-way audio Pods to listen into student small group collaboration, gaining critical insights to the learning process. Teachers can also speak to individual groups and enable student sharing from the palm of the hand. Finally, within the app, teachers can capture audio and video recordings of critical teaching and learning moments in the classroom.

Screenshots

Co4 screens
Lightspeed Activate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Lightspeed Activate at 4.4 against Co's 2.6. Co's advantage is review sentiment (8% vs 0%) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 12.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

Lightspeed Activate holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 17 and 7 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 8% of Co's written reviews are positive against 0% of Lightspeed Activate's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Co ships an update every 4 months, Lightspeed Activate every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Co versus Lightspeed Activate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCoLightspeed Activate
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.6 (17 ratings)4.4 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews8.3% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings17 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size45 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDon Johnston IncorporatedLightspeed Technologies Inc.

Customer experience

Co

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

Lightspeed Activate

All ratings6 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

None

Co

No in-app purchases

None

Lightspeed Activate

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Co free?
Co is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Lightspeed Activate free?
Lightspeed Activate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Co or Lightspeed Activate?
Lightspeed Activate is rated higher. Co averages 2.6 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Lightspeed Activate averages 4.4 from 7 ratings.
Do Co or Lightspeed Activate have ads?
Neither Co nor Lightspeed Activate shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Co or Lightspeed Activate?
Co ships an update every 4 months, and Lightspeed Activate every 7 months. Most recently, Co was updated on November 1, 2026 and Lightspeed Activate on November 6, 2026.

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