Boardmaker Alternatives: What Schools Are Switching To in 2026

Let me start with something that might be controversial in some SLP circles: Boardmaker was revolutionary. When it launched, it changed how we created visual supports and communication materials. I used it for years. I made thousands of boards with it.

But it's 2026, and the landscape has changed dramatically. I've watched district after district let their Boardmaker licenses lapse over the past three years, and when I ask why, the answers are always some combination of the same things: cost, an interface that feels stuck in the past, and newer tools that do more with less effort.

If you're evaluating what comes after Boardmaker for your school or district, this is the comparison I wish someone had written for me two years ago.

Why Schools Are Looking for Alternatives

The Cost Problem

Boardmaker's pricing has always been the elephant in the room. A single-user license runs $400+, and district-level licensing can hit five figures annually. For a tool that many staff members use only occasionally, that's a hard line item to defend at budget time. I sat in a meeting last year where our district had to choose between renewing Boardmaker licenses for 15 SLPs or buying new assessment materials. That shouldn't be a choice anyone has to make.

The Interface Problem

I'm not going to sugarcoat this: Boardmaker's interface feels dated. Staff members who grew up on modern apps find the learning curve steep and frustrating. I've trained new SLPs and paraprofessionals on Boardmaker, and the amount of time it takes before they can independently create a basic communication board is significantly longer than with newer tools. Every hour spent learning clunky software is an hour not spent with students.

The AI Gap

This is the big one. We're living in an era where AI can generate visual materials in seconds, and Boardmaker hasn't kept pace. When a teacher comes to me at 2:45 PM saying "Marcus is melting down every day at recess and I need a social story by tomorrow," I need a tool that can help me build something fast. Newer platforms with AI generation have completely changed what's possible in a time crunch.

The Sharing Problem

Boardmaker files live in Boardmaker. Sharing them with families who don't have the software means exporting to PDF and losing all editability. In 2026, when parents expect to access and modify their child's supports from their phone, that's a significant limitation.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Detailed Breakdown

Glint by Ner Chat: The Modern Replacement

LessonPix: The Budget Champion

SymbolStix Prime: The Diversity Leader

Canva + ARASAAC: The Free DIY Path

What About Staying with Boardmaker?

I'm not going to pretend Boardmaker has no advantages. If your team has been using PCS symbols for years, every student in your program recognizes them. Switching symbol sets mid-year for established AAC users requires careful planning. Boardmaker also has the largest legacy library of shared materials, with decades of user-created boards and activities.

If your district has active licenses, your staff is proficient, and the cost isn't a concern, there's no urgent reason to abandon ship tomorrow. But if your licenses are up for renewal and you're asking "is there something better?", yes, there is.

Migration Tips: Making the Switch Smooth

Don't Switch Everything at Once

Pick one use case to migrate first. Visual schedules are usually the easiest because they change frequently anyway. Get comfortable with the new tool on schedules before tackling communication boards, social stories, and other materials.

Handle Symbol Transitions for AAC Users Carefully

If a student is actively using a communication board with PCS symbols, don't swap their symbols overnight. Introduce new symbols gradually alongside familiar ones. For some students, this transition is seamless. For others, particularly students who are very concrete or have been using the same system for years, it takes patience and explicit teaching.

Export What You Can from Boardmaker

Before your licenses expire, export your most-used boards as PDFs. Even if you're moving to a new platform, having PDF copies of existing materials buys you time to recreate them without leaving a student without supports.

Take Advantage of Glint's Import Capabilities

Glint can work with uploaded images, so if you have photographs or custom symbols you've been using in Boardmaker, you can bring those into Glint and build new boards around familiar elements. This was a huge help when I transitioned. I uploaded photos of specific students' environments and combined them with Glint's symbol library.

Train Your Team

The best tool in the world is useless if your paraprofessionals and teachers don't know how to use it. Build in 30 minutes of hands-on training during a staff meeting. Create a one-page quick reference guide. Designate a "go-to" person on each team who can answer questions. I've found that most staff can become proficient with Glint after a single 20-minute training session, which is itself a significant advantage over Boardmaker's steeper learning curve.