Tala vs. Proloquo: An Honest Comparison

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 costs $9.99/month or $99.99/year, with a free trial.

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.

“We’ve spent years trying different AAC apps, both at home and at school, with very limited success. I downloaded Tala a few days ago — within minutes, both my son and I were using it. For the first time in years, I feel like we have a tool that’s designed for families instead of specialists.”

— Aron, dad of an 11-year-old nonspeaking son with autism

	Tala	Proloquo
Price	Free 7-day trial, then $9.99/month or $39.99/year	$9.99/month or $99.99/year, with a free trial; includes Proloquo Coach
Free for SLPs & teachers	Yes, free forever	No
Languages	29, with four natural voices in each	A small set (English, Spanish, French, Dutch)
Whole-phrase cards (GLP)	Yes, by design	No, word-based
Platform	iPhone, iPad (iOS 17+), Android	iOS (iPad, iPhone)
Best for	Beginning communicators, gestalt language processors, families starting out	Word-based AAC with strong parent coaching, AssistiveWare ecosystem

Fixed grid vs. whole phrases

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 four natural voices per language: communication that works on the first tap, not after months of word-combining.

Parent support

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 (setup in about two minutes, 9 ready-made boards) plus a guided first-tap experience and a weekly progress email that shows you which words are sticking.

Price and languages

Both are subscriptions: Proloquo is $9.99/month or $99.99/year, with a free trial. Tala starts with a free 7-day trial, then $9.99/month or $39.99/year, and it is free forever for speech-language pathologists and teachers. Proloquo covers four languages; Tala covers 29.

Who should choose what

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 7-day trial to begin, or your family speaks one of the 25 languages Tala covers and Proloquo doesn't.

The best AAC app is the one your child will actually use every day.