ReDi is MED-EL's free listening app, and one of the better ones — open to any device brand, with AI feedback on both your listening and your speech. So why look for an alternative? Usually for a web version, a different mix of practice, or a specific language. Here is what else is out there, our own app SoundSteps included.
Before switching, look at what you would be giving up. ReDi comes from MED-EL, but it is not locked to their devices — any hearing aid or implant user can use it. It is fully free.
It also stands out for upkeep and feedback. Its most recent update landed in July 2026, more recent than any other manufacturer app, and it gives AI feedback on both your listening and your speaking. A separate portal lets a hearing professional assign exercises for you to practice. Its store listing shows many languages. It runs on iPhone, iPad, and Android.
Fully free, any hearing device brand
Updated July 2026 — the most active manufacturer app
AI feedback on listening and speech
Many languages shown in its store listing
The most common reason is where you practice. ReDi runs on phones and tablets only. Its web address is a portal for hearing professionals, not a place you can practice, so there is no way to use ReDi in a browser on a computer.
Content mix is another. ReDi centers on listening and speech exercises with ready-made courses. If you want a steady ladder that runs from word pairs up through sentences, conversations, and stories, with background noise you control on each one, that is a different shape of practice. And while ReDi lists many languages, how deep the practice goes can vary by language — so if your language feels thin, a fuller option may serve you better.
You want to practice in a browser on a computer
You want a word-pairs-to-stories ladder, not ready-made courses
You want fuller practice in one specific language
SoundSteps is our app. Here is the pitch, maker included. It runs in any browser with nothing to install and no sign-up to start, which fills the web gap ReDi leaves. Practice runs from word pairs up through sentences, conversations, and stories, all real recordings, with background noise you can adjust on every activity. Difficulty adapts as you improve.
It works with any hearing device or none, and covers English, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian, French, and more, with full activities in each — not a translated menu over English audio. The free version costs nothing, and your first 7 days include full access without a card. One difference from ReDi: SoundSteps focuses on listening rather than grading your own speech.
WordSuccess, from Advanced Bionics, is another free, any-device app. It focuses on single-word practice, with a placement test and a long ladder of recorded words. Its store listings have not been updated since mid-2024, so treat it as finished software.
Two paid, game-style apps are worth a look too. Hearoes, from an Australian team, was built with audiologists and speech pathologists and starts early — everyday sounds and syllables up to sentences — for $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year. eargym, from the UK, pairs quick hearing checks with short training games for about $3.99 a month or $39.99 a year, though it has no iPad or web version. Both are free to download with limited content.
If ReDi's speech feedback is what you value, it is hard to beat for free, and you may not need to switch at all. If you want to practice on a computer or want a word-pairs-to-stories ladder, SoundSteps fills that gap. If you want a single-word foundation, WordSuccess is free and solid; if you want game-style sessions, Hearoes or eargym fit.
Most of these cost nothing to try, so the best test is your own. Give whatever you pick two to four weeks of steady practice before you decide.
FAQ
Yes. ReDi from MED-EL is fully free, with no subscription. It runs on iPhone, iPad, and Android.
MED-EL, the hearing implant maker. ReDi carries their name but is not locked to their devices — any hearing aid or implant user of any brand can use it.
SoundSteps — our app — runs in a browser and adds a word-pairs-to-stories ladder with adjustable background noise. WordSuccess from Advanced Bionics is free for single-word practice, and Hearoes and eargym are paid game-style apps.
No. ReDi runs on iPhone, iPad, and Android only. Its web address is a portal for hearing professionals, not a place to practice. For browser practice, SoundSteps — our app — runs on any computer.
Yes. ReDi comes from MED-EL but is not device-locked. Hearing aid and implant users of any brand can use it, free.
Related reading
Every listening-practice app compared: price, platforms, devices, languages.
The apps that are truly free to use, and who each one fits.
Which brand apps are locked to their own devices, and which are open to everyone.
The real options for practicing in Spanish, German, French, Italian, or Portuguese.
What the research supports, what varies, and how to judge an app for yourself.
SoundSteps
SoundSteps runs on any computer or phone with no install — word pairs, sentences, conversations, and stories, with as much background noise as you want to add. Start free, no card.
SoundSteps is designed for hearing training and practice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical condition. Consult a healthcare professional for medical advice.
