Proloquo is AssistiveWare's next-generation AAC app — not to be confused with the older Proloquo2Go (we compare that here). It uses a fixed 60-button grid grounded in research that bigger, stable grids produce better language outcomes, and comes bundled with Proloquo Coach, a genuinely good companion app that teaches parents AAC strategies. It's subscription-based, priced through the App Store.
Tala agrees with Proloquo on a lot — subscriptions over $250 price tags, parents as the key to success — but bets on whole phrases where Proloquo bets on words.
| Tala | Proloquo | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free to start · $9.99/mo for unlimited custom boards | Subscription (priced in App Store), includes Proloquo Coach |
| Free for SLPs & teachers | Yes — free forever | No |
| Languages | 14 (EN, ES, SV, IT, PT, DE, FR, NO, DA, TR, NL, ZH, HI, AR) | A small set (English, Spanish, French, Dutch) |
| Whole-phrase cards (GLP) | Yes, by design | No — word-based |
| Platform | iOS | iOS (iPad, iPhone) |
| Best for | Beginning communicators, gestalt language processors, families starting out | Word-based AAC with strong parent coaching, AssistiveWare ecosystem |
Proloquo's fixed 60-button core-word grid teaches children to combine words — with button positions that never move, so motor memory builds naturally. It's a thoughtful, research-driven design for analytic language learners.
Tala is designed for the other kind of language learner: gestalt language processors, who acquire "Can I have a hug" as one meaningful chunk. Tala's cards are complete phrases with one natural voice per language — communication that works on the first tap, not after months of word-combining.
Proloquo Coach deserves real credit — most AAC failures are adoption failures, and coaching parents is the right medicine. Tala tackles the same problem with radical simplicity (90-second setup, ready boards) plus a guided first-tap experience and a weekly progress email that shows you which words are sticking.
Both are subscriptions — check the App Store for Proloquo's current local pricing. Tala's core is free forever, $9.99/month past the free allowance, free for SLPs and teachers. Proloquo covers four languages; Tala covers 14.
Choose Proloquo if your child is an analytic (word-by-word) language learner, you want AssistiveWare's coaching ecosystem, and your language is English, Spanish, French, or Dutch.
Choose Tala if your child learns in whole phrases, you want a free start, or your family speaks one of the ten languages Proloquo doesn't.
The best AAC app is the one your child will actually use every day.