Comparison • Updated

Speech Blubs vs Articulation Station

The verdict, up front

Pick Speech Blubs for a toddler or young child learning first words by copying other children, and Articulation Station Hive for a child with speech-sound goals who needs a structured hierarchy and data per sound; SpeechTherapyMagic is the option if you want each word scored in a browser.

These two are built for different stages. Speech Blubs is about getting a young child talking. Articulation Station is about getting a specific sound right, step by step. Speech Blubs runs on Android; Articulation Station does not.

We build SpeechTherapyMagic and are not affiliated with Blub Blub Inc. or Little Bee Speech. Everything below was checked on their sites and store listings in October 2026.

Side by side

A green tag marks the side that is stronger on that row. Rows without one are a difference, not a winner.

What it is

Speech Blubs

A video-modelling app: real children say each word on video and your child copies them, with face filters and games

Articulation Station Hive

An articulation program: 17 activities taking a sound from isolation through syllables, words, phrases, sentences, stories and conversation

Best age

Speech Blubs

Designed for ages 1–8; strongest for toddlers and first words

Articulation Station Hive

No published age band; it is organised by sound and level, not by age

Who it is built for

Speech Blubs

Parents at home, with no setup. SLPs get a separate free iPad app, Speech Blubs Pro

Articulation Station Hive

SLPs first (Professional tier), with a cheaper Parent tier

Structure

Speech Blubs

Themed sections to explore; content is added every week

Articulation Station Hive

A step-by-step hierarchy per sound, plus minimal pairs (7,500+) and phonological processes

Stronger here

Modelling

Speech Blubs

Video of real children modelling each word, which young children copy readily

Stronger here
Articulation Station Hive

Hand-cue videos at the isolation level and over 2,000 real-photo flashcards

Does it listen?

Speech Blubs

Speech recognition listens for the word and pops a star when it hears it. No score per sound

Articulation Station Hive

Records the response for you to play back; you mark it correct, approximate or incorrect

Data

Speech Blubs

A Progress section with reports for parents

Articulation Station Hive

Graphs per sound and session details from the responses you score; notes; sharing with parents

Stronger here

Devices

Speech Blubs

iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets. Not on desktop computers

Stronger here
Articulation Station Hive

iPhone, iPad, Apple Silicon Macs and Vision Pro. No Android, no browser

Price (checked October 2026)

Speech Blubs

$14.99/month or $59.99/year on its website ($14.49/month on the US App Store); 7-day free trial

Articulation Station Hive

Parent $9.99/month or $83.99/year (2 students); Professional $14.99/month or $119.99/year; 14-day free trial

Students and groups

Speech Blubs

One family account

Articulation Station Hive

Unlimited students and groups of up to 6 on Professional

Stronger here

Store rating

Speech Blubs

4.6 from 58K App Store ratings; 4.6 on Google Play

Articulation Station Hive

4.5 from 620 App Store ratings

Choose Speech Blubs if

  • Your child is 1 to 5 and working on first words and imitation
  • Your child engages with videos of other children
  • You use an Android phone or tablet
  • You want the cheaper option for one child

Choose Articulation Station if

  • Your child has specific speech-sound goals, such as /r/ or /s/
  • You want each sound taken from isolation to conversation
  • You are an SLP who needs unlimited students, groups and per-sound graphs
  • You work on iPads or iPhones

What a year costs

List prices in October 2026, US.

A parent, one child, billed yearly

Speech Blubs
$59.99
Articulation Station Hive
$83.99 (Parent)
SpeechTherapyMagic
$79.99

A parent, month to month for a year

Speech Blubs
$179.88 (12 × $14.99)
Articulation Station Hive
$119.88 (12 × $9.99)
SpeechTherapyMagic
$119.88

An SLP, 10 students, billed yearly

Speech Blubs
Speech Blubs Pro is free on iPad
Articulation Station Hive
$119.99 (Professional)
SpeechTherapyMagic
$499.15
  • SpeechTherapyMagic includes 3 students; each extra is $4.99/month, up to 10.

The gap both leave

Neither app tells you how each sound in a word went. Speech Blubs hears whether the word was said; Articulation Station saves the recording for an adult to judge. SpeechTherapyMagic scores each attempt out of 100 with a score for each sound and saves it by sound and word position, in any browser. It has no video modelling and a smaller library, so it is a different trade-off, not a drop-in replacement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Speech Blubs or Articulation Station better?
For a toddler or a young child working on first words, Speech Blubs: its videos of real children are what it does best. For a child with specific speech-sound goals, Articulation Station Hive: it takes each sound through a full hierarchy and keeps data per sound. Many SLPs would not see them as rivals at all.
Which one works on Android?
Speech Blubs. It runs on iOS and Android phones and tablets. Articulation Station Hive is Apple-only (iPhone, iPad, Apple Silicon Mac, Vision Pro). Neither runs on a desktop browser or Chromebook.
Which one is cheaper?
For one child, Speech Blubs at $59.99 a year against $83.99 for the Articulation Station Parent tier. For an SLP, Articulation Station Professional is $119.99 a year with unlimited students; Speech Blubs Pro for SLPs is a free iPad app.
Does either one score pronunciation?
Speech Blubs listens for whether the word was said and rewards it with a star. Articulation Station records the response and the adult scores it. Neither gives a score for each sound in the word.
Is there an option that scores each sound and runs in a browser?
SpeechTherapyMagic scores each spoken word out of 100 with a score for each sound, runs in any modern browser including Chromebooks, and costs $9.99/month or $79.99/year after a 7-day trial with no card. It has no video modelling and a smaller library. The score is practice feedback, not an assessment: it is not a clinical measure, it has not been validated on disordered child speech, and it does not detect distortions, so your ear still decides.

Sources (checked October 2026)

Keep comparing

Speech Blubs alternatives

Four options for older kids and computers.

Articulation Station alternatives

Six options, including Android and Chromebook.

Boom Cards vs Articulation Station

Another neutral head-to-head.

Score each sound, in any browser

Say the word and see how each sound went. 7 days free, no card.

Start free trial

7 days free • No card needed • Then $9.99/month or $79.99/year