GoTalk NOW, from Attainment Company, brings the classic GoTalk communication book to the iPad: pages of buttons you build yourself, with recorded or synthesized speech. Teachers have used GoTalks for decades, and the app version is flexible and familiar. The full version is $119.99; a free Lite version covers one book.
Tala starts from the opposite end: ready-made boards, natural voices, and no building required before a child can speak.
| Tala | GoTalk NOW | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free to start · $9.99/mo for unlimited custom boards | $119.99 (Lite free, 1 book) |
| Free for SLPs & teachers | Yes — free forever | No |
| Languages | 14 (EN, ES, SV, IT, PT, DE, FR, NO, DA, TR, NL, ZH, HI, AR) | Any — you record or type everything yourself |
| Whole-phrase cards (GLP) | Yes, by design | No — word-based |
| Platform | iOS | iOS (iPad) |
| Best for | Beginning communicators, gestalt language processors, families starting out | Custom page-based books, scene displays, teacher-built activities |
GoTalk NOW is a construction kit: you create every page, choose every image, and record every message. That's powerful for bespoke activities — and a real time commitment before the app says its first word.
Tala ships with 10 communication boards covering mealtime, feelings, play, needs, and more, in 14 languages, each phrase pre-recorded with a natural voice. A child can communicate in the first minute; customization comes later, if you want it.
GoTalk NOW relies on your own recordings or standard synthetic voices. Tala uses one professionally natural voice per language — consistent, clear, and humanlike across every card.
GoTalk NOW full is $119.99 one-time. Tala is free with the default boards, $9.99/month only past 2 custom boards or 10 custom cards, and free for SLPs and teachers.
Choose GoTalk NOW if you want to hand-build custom communication books or scene-based activities, and you have the time to craft each page.
Choose Tala if you want your child communicating today with ready boards, natural voices, and whole phrases — free to start.
The best AAC app is the one your child will actually use every day.