App comparisons
Cochlear, MED-EL, and Advanced Bionics each publish a listening practice app. Some only work with their own hearing devices, and some are open to everyone. Here is the brand-lock picture, app by app.
Of the three big manufacturer training apps, one is locked and two are open. Cochlear CoPilot requires a Cochlear account, so only Cochlear-brand implant users can sign in. ReDi and WordSuccess carry manufacturer logos but work with any hearing device.
Independent apps — LACE AI Pro, Hearoes, eargym, Speech Banana, Angel Sound, and our own SoundSteps — never ask what brand you wear.
Cochlear CoPilot: Cochlear-brand implant users only
ReDi (MED-EL): any hearing device
WordSuccess (Advanced Bionics): any hearing device
Independent apps, including SoundSteps (ours): any hearing device, or none
CoPilot is free and well-designed, but signing in requires a Cochlear account, which means a Cochlear-brand implant. It is also iPhone-only, limited to the US and Canada, and has not been updated since August 2023.
The app leans toward coaching and practical tips more than repeated drills. If you are a Cochlear recipient in the US or Canada with an iPhone, it costs nothing to try. Everyone else will need a different app.
Cochlear CoPilot is brand-locked: Cochlear implant users only.
ReDi comes from MED-EL, but it is not locked to MED-EL hearing devices — hearing aid and cochlear implant users of any brand can use it. It is free, gives AI feedback on listening and speech, runs on iPhone, iPad, and Android, and gets updates more often than any other manufacturer app.
WordSuccess comes from Advanced Bionics and is just as open. It offers a deep library of recorded words organized into a long run of levels, a placement test, and a two-person Listening Coach mode, free on iPhone, iPad, and Android. Its store listings have not been updated since mid-2024, so treat it as finished software rather than a growing app.
Apps without a hearing device maker behind them have no reason to check your brand. Hearoes, eargym, Speech Banana, and Angel Sound all work regardless of what you wear. LACE AI Pro works with any hearing device too, though you register through a hearing care professional rather than the app store.
SoundSteps — our app — is in this group. It works with any hearing device or none at all, runs in any browser with a free version, and gives you full access for your first 7 days without a card.
Pick an app by its content and fit, not by the logo. A manufacturer name on an open app like ReDi or WordSuccess does not limit you, and an independent app loses nothing by lacking one. You can also combine them — some people use their brand's own app for brand-specific guidance and an open app for daily listening practice.
FAQ
No. CoPilot requires a Cochlear account, so it only works for Cochlear-brand implant users. It is also iPhone-only and limited to the US and Canada.
Yes. ReDi comes from MED-EL, but it is not locked to MED-EL hearing devices. Hearing aid and cochlear implant users of any brand can use it, free, on iPhone, iPad, or Android.
No. WordSuccess is made by Advanced Bionics but works with any brand of hearing device. It is free on iPhone, iPad, and Android.
No. Cochlear CoPilot is iPhone-only and has not been updated since August 2023. Android users can turn to open apps like ReDi, WordSuccess, or SoundSteps — our app — instead.
Open apps do not check. SoundSteps, our app, works with any hearing device or none, and independent apps like Hearoes and eargym work the same way. CoPilot is the exception, since it requires a Cochlear account.
Yes. Nothing stops you from pairing your brand's own app with an open one for broader daily practice. Many people do exactly that.
Related reading
SoundSteps never asks what brand you wear. Take the free listening check in your browser and start where you are.
