*Information is current as of 04/23/2025 and is subject to change.

You may have already heard the buzz around the Articulation Station Hive app by Little Bee Speech. Here's an honest review of the app from my own perspective.

WHAT IS ARTICULATION STATION HIVE?

Articulation Station Hive is the best-selling app from Little Bee Speech, but don’t let the fresh packaging fool you, as this is a robust evolution of their already-beloved original, Articulation Station. It has the same strong foundation as the original app, but with better tools, broader levels, and a sleeker user experience. It’s designed for speech-language pathologists who need versatility, engagement, and functionality all rolled into one user-friendly platform.

Unlike the original, Articulation Station Hive feels more dynamic, like it’s a toolkit for articulation therapy that spans from the earliest isolation tasks to more complex conversational speech. Whether you’re in a one-on-one setting or trying to keep a small group on track, Articulation Station Hive adapts, and that flexibility is worth noting.

HOW DOES PRICING WORK?

Let’s talk dollars and cents. This time around, Little Bee Speech using a subscription model. That’s a significant pivot from their traditional one-time purchase setup. Here's how it breaks down:

Monthly: $14.99 billed monthly
Yearly: $119.99 billed annually (breaks down to $9.99/month)
Free trial: A 14-day grace period to test the waters

See the full pricing structure here.

Now, if you're looking for flexibility and continued access to future apps under the same umbrella, this model works in your favor. The subscription hints at long-term updates and bundled access to more tools as Little Bee expands their suite of offerings. And with that being said, a membership can be more economical than purchasing individual resources. Subscribers can save on costs while still getting access to a comprehensive library of materials and ongoing updates.

But let’s be real, this won’t fly in every school district. Many districts put the brakes on subscription-based anything. If it’s not available to all SLPs district-wide, reimbursement is off the table. That leaves many of us making a tough choice: pay out of pocket, or pass.

That being said, if subscriptions are an option for your district, Little Bee Speech has streamlined the process for districts looking to purchase. Districts and organizations have the flexibility to acquire licenses either through a purchase order or direct payment. This ensures that varying administrative procedures and budgetary constraints can be accommodated.

Learn more about getting a purchase order here.

WHAT ARE THE BEST FEATURES?

Now, let’s shift to the good stuff. Because this app truly delivers on features that matter.

First off: the range of levels is chef’s kiss. Hive starts at the isolation level and goes all the way to conversation. This change alone makes it way more versatile in mixed therapy groups. I can have one student working on /s/ in isolation while another practices the same sound in a conversation-level activity, all within the same app, at the same time. No extra planning. No jumping between programs.

Another win? The revamped and expanded word lists. My students have most certainly noticed the new words included (and yes, they’ve told me, multiple times). They’re excited about the new vocabulary, and I’m thrilled to have more variety in target words and sentences. That means more engagement, more naturalistic practice, and less repetition fatigue. Because let’s face it: saying “sun, soup, sock” 800 times can only go so far.

The activities within each level are sharper, more engaging, and easier to navigate, too. Articulation Station Hive gives off a more modern feel, which is more intuitive, more interactive, and way more satisfying for the student (and clinician) experience.

Another feature I'm impressed with is the data collection page. Now you can see graphed data on your student dashboard. This is a simplified way to visually track progress. You can sort the graph by all sounds or specific targets. That being said, I especially appreciate that I'm able to see the scores of my /r/ students graphed by variation (i.e. /ear/, /ar/, /ire/, etc.). This makes planning for my next session a breeze because I can easily see which sound (or variation of a sound) needs the most work. The improved data profiles are a huge selling point.

See a complete video on the features on Little Bee's YouTube channel.

BONUS: ARTICULATION TEST CENTER HIVE?!

As a little side note, Articulation Test Center Hive is another innovative resource for SLPs, created by Little Bee Speech. This tool is designed to streamline the screening and assessment process for articulation, providing:

User-Friendly Interface: The app offers an intuitive design that makes it easy to navigate, ensuring SLPs can focus on quick and accurate assessments with only an iPad.
Comprehensive Assessment: It includes screeners and assessments for various ages that can be administered quickly and efficiently, allowing SLPs to gather necessary data. It also allows for recording responses, which assists SLPs with measuring intelligibility or double-checking responses.
Data Collection and Reporting: The Articulation Test Center Hive facilitates easy data collection, which can be essential for tracking progress and making informed decisions about therapy. It also provides parent-friendly screening/assessment results in one simple report.

By incorporating these resources and information, SLPs and school districts can enhance their practices and better support their students' speech and language development.

See my full review of Articulation Test Center Hive here.

SO, IN SUMMARY…

Articulation Station Hive is a seriously impressive app. It’s streamlined, comprehensive, and refreshingly student-friendly. If budget isn’t a barrier for you, it could become a go-to in your therapy toolbox.

But for many school-based SLPs, the subscription pricing structure might be a dealbreaker, especially if your district isn’t on board with reimbursing annual app fees. The content is fantastic, but for those of us with tight budgets and red tape galore, the subscription model stings a bit.

Still, if you’re curious, I highly recommend giving that 14-day trial a spin. It’s the best way to see if Articulation Station Hive fits into your workflow. It’s clear that Little Bee Speech is continuing to raise the bar in articulation therapy apps, and that’s something worth buzzing about. 🐝