30 Best Speech Therapy Apps for SLPs in 2026
Let’s talk about how speech therapy apps can reinforce speech and language therapy!
When it comes to supporting student engagement, smart devices can be a go-to tool in speech therapy. We’ll be taking a tour of our favorite apps and how they can be used for interactively targeting communication skills.
Using speech therapy apps in speech-language therapy has become more common over the last decade. However, it can be challenging to evaluate the quality of speech therapy apps for clinical use (Furlong et al., 2018; see ASHA’s guidance on evaluating procedures, products, and programs: https://www.asha.org/slp/evaluate/). While there’s evidence to support the use of articulation-based apps in conjunction with trained clinician feedback (McLeod et al., 2020), further research is needed to explore the effects of interactive speech therapy apps on different skills, such as social communication (Griffith, Hagan, et al., 2020). As SLPs, we find ourselves in this scenario pretty often: technology is constantly developing, researchers are keeping up as best as they can, so in the meantime, evidence-based decision making largely depends on our clinical judgment and the needs of our students.
There are thousands of speech therapy apps related to our scope of practice, so where do we begin? Before we dive in, here are 9 Tips for SLPs to Use an iPad Like a Pro, just in case you find yourself needing to organize any newly downloaded speech therapy apps from this list. (Note: for the majority of free apps included in this post, you’ll notice they come with a trial, a “lite” version, or frequent ads. While these speech therapy apps have been reviewed, the ads have not. For an extra charge, you can upgrade to get rid of the ads if that’s your preference. Also worth knowing: several long-standing apps in this space, including the app formerly known as Articulation Station, have shifted from one-time purchases to subscription models in recent years. We’ve flagged those below.)
1. Articulation Apps
Articulation Station Hive – Heads up: the classic version of Articulation Station has been officially retired and is no longer available. It’s been replaced by Articulation Station Hive, a rebuilt app with more than twice the activities and content of the original, covering isolation through conversation-level practice. Flashcards, syllable sliders, spinners, minimal pairs, and conversation scenes all make this interactive, and you can take data and encourage self-monitoring. For language goals and mixed groups, the original approach still applies; check out this post on How to Use Articulation Station for Language Therapy. iOS. Price: Subscription-based “Little Bee Hive” membership. Individual Parent tier (this app only): $6.99-$9.99/month. Individual Professional tier (both Hive apps): around $9.99/month. Group/district licensing: $95.99-$119.99/year per license. 14-day free trial.
Erik X. Raj Articulation Apps – These articulation apps target later-developing sounds such as /s, z, r, l/ and “sh”/”ch”/”th” using play-based activities like charades, secret missions, and trivia. iOS. Price: $4.99/app.
SCIP (Sound Contrasts in Phonology) – If you’re treating phonological patterns, this app has 5 approaches to choose from (Multiple Oppositions, Minimal Pairs, Maximal Oppositions, Treatment of the Empty Set, and Vowel Contrasts). While there aren’t extra interactive features, students can be involved in collecting their own data to help with self-monitoring. iOS. Price: $59.99.
2. Speech-Language Apps
These speech therapy apps were designed for speech-language therapy, so you can directly target communication skills with your students. Most of the apps in this list were designed by fellow speech-language pathologists.
Cough Drop – When it comes to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), there are a lot of things for your team to consider when selecting a device and program. In this list, we’ve included a user-friendly and easy-to-try AAC program. Check out our earlier post: CoughDrop: An Innovative App that is Changing AAC. Note: pricing increased in 2023. iOS, Google Play, Amazon, Windows, Web Browser. Price: Free publicly shared boards; free trial, then $9/month or $295/lifetime.
Speech Blubs Pro – This is the clinician-facing version of the popular Speech Blubs app, built specifically for speech therapists, teachers, and educators. The standout feature is the “session builder,” which lets you personalize therapy sessions and homework for each student, choosing between repetition and recognition exercises. iOS & Google Play. Price: Subscription-based, contact for pricing.
Little Stories – This is another speech therapy app by Little Bee Speech, filled with stories that can be used to target speech sounds, reading fluency/comprehension, sequencing, story retell, and conversation. Plus there are coloring pages and scavenger hunts built into the app. Unlike Articulation Station, this one has not changed models and remains available as a standard purchase. iOS. Price: Free lite version; $0.99/additional story or $59.99 for all stories.
Tactus Conversation Therapy– For older students, this speech therapy app can support generalizing speech goals, grammar targets, and language skills in conversation. Start by selecting relevant topics, then follow along with the guided questions and problem-solving scenarios. iOS & Google Play. Price: Free lite version; $24.99 for the full version.
Word Vault– This app offers stimuli for articulation, phonology, language, and social communication skills. Users can unlock more interactive features like pictures, games, and audio recordings with a subscription. iOS. Price: Free lite version; subscription for $5.99/month or $54.99/year.
SLP Now This web application is for speech-language pathologists who want literacy-based, evidence-based materials, and tried-and-true caseload management tools to systematize their speech therapy planning and streamline their paperwork. SLP Now offers over 6,000+ materials and interactive Smart Decks. Price: Free for 14 days + 5 free PDF downloads and unlimited Smart Decks.
3. Language Stimulation & Brain Break Activities
While these apps aren’t directly designed for use in speech therapy, they are great at eliciting language, indirectly targeting speech skills, or supporting engagement during speech therapy sessions. Sprinkle some interactive breaks throughout speech therapy or celebrate with a game at the end, whatever your style is.
ABCya– This app features educationally relevant games from Pre-K to 6th grade. Many of the games involve spatial concepts, customizing items, and curriculum-based learning. iOS, Google Play, & Web Browser. Price: Free version; full version for $9.99/month or $69.99/year.
Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame – For younger children, this app is a great way to explore self-regulation strategies and problem-solving skills. There’s a bubble-popping activity that is a great way to unwind. iOS & Google Play. Price: Free.
ChatterPix Kids– This app is an SLP Now favorite. With it, your students can make anything talk: pictures of people/pets, favorite characters, doodles, and more. Duck Duck Moose is now part of Khan Academy, which means ChatterPix Kids and all their other apps are 100% free with no ads or subscriptions. iOS & Google Play. Price: Free.
Khan Academy Kids – This is a comprehensive free learning app for kids ages 2-8 covering reading, writing, math, and social-emotional development, with zero ads or subscriptions. iOS, Google Play, & Web Browser. Price: Free.
Fantastic 4 In A Row Go – Games like Connect Four are great for maximizing speech trials (e.g., “say X words and then take a turn”). EnsenaSoft Games also has other digital board games. iOS. Price: Free with ads, upgrade with in-app purchases.
GoNoodle – This app is filled with movement breaks, dance choreography, and mindfulness exercises. Great for self-regulation and following directions. iOS, Google Play, & Web Browser. Price: Free.
Heads Up! & Heads Up! Kids– This barrier game puts describing and language skills to the test in a fun and competitive way. The original version includes written words and pop culture topics, while the kids’ version includes pictures of familiar animals, actions, and items. iOS & Google Play. Price: Free, in-app purchases available; separate kids’ version available.
PBS KIDS Games – These games focus on educational skills and social-emotional awareness while incorporating PBS characters. Feel free to browse through PBS KIDS Apps for more. iOS, Google Play, & Web Browser. Price: Free.
Shoe the Goose Apps– These hands-on apps give kids the opportunity to design their own treats, clothes, and trucks. They’re filled with lots of language-rich targets, such as describing and sequencing. iOS. Price: $0.99/app.
Toca Boca Apps– In the Toca world, students can pretend to be chefs, hairdressers, medics, performers, designers, and more, targeting language skills like basic concepts, directions, object functions, and description. Note: Toca Boca has retired many of its older standalone titles and consolidated most content into two current apps, Toca Boca World and Toca Boca Jr, both free to download with in-app purchases. iOS & Google Play. Price: Free versions available; in-app purchases for full content.
4. Interactive Speech Therapy Tools
You may have heard about using these tools on the computer; well, there’s an app for that, too. We’ve also included some apps that can be used to adapt materials into digital formats.
Epic– There’s a massive digital library of picture and chapter books on this platform, which makes literacy-based therapy even more accessible. Free for educators and students during the school day (roughly 7am-4pm on weekdays) through Epic School; Epic Family is the paid plan for anytime access. iOS, Google Play, & Web Browser. Price: Free for educators during the school day; Epic Family from $9.99/month or $71.99/year.
Little Spinner– Spin a wheel full of category items (colors, shapes, vehicles, body parts) and follow along with the songs in the app. There’s also an option to create your own spinner using text and photos. iOS. Price: Free (some themes), $0.99 for additional themes and customization.
Notability– This is another SLP Now favorite; it’s a super-powered annotation app that allows you to add pictures, audio, drawings, and text. Heads up on pricing: Notability moved to a subscription model back in 2021. Free “Starter” tier has a limited number of edits, Plus (~$19.99/year) unlocks unlimited edits and handwriting recognition, and Pro (~$99.99/year) adds AI features. Schools using Apple School Manager can often get it free for students. iOS. Price: Free (limited); Plus ~$19.99/year; Pro ~$99.99/year.
Vooks– This platform makes reading more engaging than ever, courtesy of its animated, captioned storybooks. Their collection includes books for young readers that span genres and encourage social-emotional development. iOS, Google Play, & Web Browser. Price: Free trial; $4.99/month for standard users; free for educators in some cases.
YouTube Kids– When exploring a new concept or building background knowledge, YouTube always has something. The kids’ version of the app makes it easier to look things up on the fly with students. iOS, Google Play, & Web Browser. Price: Free with ads.
5. Family Communication
The last apps included here feature ways to connect with families and send speech and language homework. It can be really powerful to have students involved in this part. I try to make it a habit to send positive notes home to families, and this can reinforce participation in speech therapy for students.
Check out our previous post on this topic: Speech Therapy Homework: One Easy Solution. Many of these tools can be used at the end of a speech therapy session to help students connect the dots between what they’re working on in school and how they can apply these skills at home.
Class Dojo– With this app, you can share messages, photos, videos, and documents with families. It also has built-in language translation and reward features. Note: some premium features and parent-facing subscription options have been added over time, but the core app remains free for teachers. iOS, Google Play, & Web Browser. Price: Free (core features); optional premium upgrades available.
Bloomz– A free, award-winning parent-teacher communication app that’s grown a lot as a go-to alternative for schools moving away from discontinued tools. It combines messaging, photo/video sharing, event coordination, and volunteer sign-ups in one place, with support for 250+ languages. A solid replacement if you used to rely on Edmodo for this. iOS, Google Play, & Web Browser. Price: Free (optional paid add-ons for schools/districts).
Remind– This messaging tool pairs with learning management systems such as Google Classroom, OneDrive, and Canvas. iOS, Google Play, & Web Browser. Price: Free, with upgraded features available.
SeeSaw– This app allows educators to connect with families and share students’ digital portfolios. Note: SeeSaw has removed individual teacher free/premium plans. If your school doesn’t have a paid “SeeSaw for Schools” account, the individual free tier available to teachers is now significantly reduced compared to a few years ago. iOS, Google Play, Amazon, & Web Browser. Price: Reduced free tier for individual teachers; full features require a school/district subscription.
Bonus: If students have a favorite character from a book, show, movie, or video game, there might be an app that’s related to their special interest. I find this can really help with buy-in during speech therapy sessions, too.
Looking for more reinforcing activities for your speech therapy sessions? Here’s a post about the Best FREE Reinforcers for Teletherapy.
What other speech therapy apps do you use in therapy? Let us know in the comments below.
References
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (n.d.). What To Ask When Evaluating Any Procedure, Product, or Program. https://www.asha.org/slp/evaluate/
Furlong, L., Morris, M., Serry, T., & Erickson, S. (2018). Mobile apps for treatment of speech disorders in children: An evidence-based analysis of quality and efficacy. PloS one, 13(8), e0201513.
Griffith, S. F., Hagan, M. B., Heymann, P., Heflin, B. H., & Bagner, D. M. (2020). Apps as learning tools: a systematic review. Pediatrics, 145(1).
McLeod, S., Ballard, K. J., Ahmed, B., McGill, N., & Brown, M. I. (2020). Supporting children with speech sound disorders during COVID-19 restrictions: Technological solutions. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 5(6), 1805-1808.
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