TD Snap vs Proloquo2Go

The short answer: TD Snap ($9.99/month, from Tobii Dynavox) is the better choice if your child may need eye-gaze or switch access, a dedicated communication device, or Windows support. Proloquo2Go ($249.99 one-time, from AssistiveWare) is the better choice for a touch-based, iPad-centered setup with the widely respected Crescendo core-word vocabulary and the largest choice of children's voices. Both are serious, professional-grade AAC apps used in thousands of schools — the right one depends on your child's access needs, your budget model, and your support team.

	TD Snap	Proloquo2Go
Price	$9.99/month subscription (one-time purchase discontinued 2024)	$249.99 one-time purchase
Platforms	iPad, Windows, Tobii Dynavox dedicated devices	iPad, iPhone (Apple only)
Languages	Multiple, via localized PCS page sets (incl. English, Spanish, and several European languages)	English, Spanish, French, Dutch — with strong bilingual support
Voices	Standard synthetic voices (Acapela)	100+ voices, including genuine children's voices and bilingual voices
Symbol system	PCS (Picture Communication Symbols)	SymbolStix
Vocabulary	Core First page sets, text-based and aphasia page sets	Crescendo core-word vocabulary with grammar support
Access methods	Touch, eye gaze, switch scanning, head tracking (on supported hardware)	Touch, switch scanning
Customization	Very deep — page sets, grid sizes, access settings	Very deep — grid sizes, vocabulary levels, buttons, grammar
Learning curve	Steep — built for professional configuration	Steep — extensive options, best set up with an SLP
Support & training	Tobii Dynavox training courses, Boardmaker ecosystem, funding support for devices	AssistiveWare's well-regarded free learning resources and webinars

Price: subscription vs. one-time purchase

This is the clearest difference. TD Snap moved to subscription-only pricing on the App Store in 2024: $9.99/month, roughly $120/year for as long as you use it. Proloquo2Go remains a classic one-time purchase at $249.99 — a bigger commitment on day one, but after about two years it works out cheaper than TD Snap, and there's nothing more to pay.

The flip side: TD Snap lets you try professional-grade AAC for $9.99, while Proloquo2Go asks for $250 before your child's first tap. If you're unsure whether an app will stick, that difference matters.

Platforms and access methods

TD Snap runs on iPad, Windows, and Tobii Dynavox's dedicated communication devices — and that last part is its real advantage. If your child needs eye-gaze access, switch scanning, or head tracking, or may be evaluated for an insurance-funded dedicated device, TD Snap gives you one consistent app across that whole journey. No other mainstream AAC app matches that hardware path.

Proloquo2Go is Apple-only: iPad and iPhone, touch and switch access. Within that world it's polished and deep, but there is no Windows version and no dedicated-device path — if your child's access needs grow beyond touch and switches, you'd be starting over.

Vocabulary and symbols

Proloquo2Go's Crescendo vocabulary is one of the most respected word-based systems in AAC: research-informed core words, consistent motor planning across grid sizes, and real grammar support (verb tenses, plurals) as a child's language grows. It uses SymbolStix symbols and offers 100+ voices — including genuine children's voices, which many families find matters enormously.

TD Snap's Core First page sets take a similar core-word approach using PCS symbols — the same symbols many children already know from school materials and Boardmaker. It also offers text-based page sets for literate users and dedicated aphasia page sets, making it the more versatile choice across ages and diagnoses.

Learning curve and support

Be honest with yourself here: both apps are built for professional configuration. Choosing page sets, grid sizes, and vocabulary levels takes time and is genuinely easier with an SLP guiding you. AssistiveWare's free learning resources are excellent for motivated parents; Tobii Dynavox offers structured training courses and, if you go the dedicated-device route, funding support teams that help with insurance paperwork.

Who should choose which

Choose TD Snap if your child needs (or may need) eye-gaze, switch, or head-tracking access; a dedicated Tobii Dynavox device is a possibility; your school uses Core First or PCS/Boardmaker materials; you need Windows support; or you prefer trying AAC for $9.99 instead of committing $250 upfront.

Choose Proloquo2Go if your child is a touch user on iPad or iPhone; your SLP recommends the Crescendo core-word approach; children's voices or bilingual English/Spanish/French/Dutch support matter to your family; or you'd rather pay once and own the app.

A third option worth knowing: Tala

Both TD Snap and Proloquo2Go share one assumption: word-based AAC configured by professionals. That's the right model for many children — but not all. Many autistic children are gestalt language processors who learn language in whole chunks ("Can I have a hug") rather than word by word, and many families start AAC without a support team.

Tala was built for exactly those families: 10 ready-made boards of whole-phrase cards, one natural, human-sounding voice per language across 29 languages, offline audio, and a 90-second setup a parent does alone. It's free to start — you only pay ($9.99/month) past the free custom-content allowance, and it's free forever for SLPs and teachers.

We've written honest comparisons against both apps on this page: see Tala vs. TD Snap and Tala vs. Proloquo2Go. And where TD Snap or Proloquo2Go is genuinely the better fit — eye-gaze access, dedicated devices, word-by-word sentence building — we say so.

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

Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper, TD Snap or Proloquo2Go?

It depends on how long you use it. TD Snap costs $9.99/month on the App Store (about $120/year, ongoing). Proloquo2Go is a $249.99 one-time purchase — more upfront, but cheaper than TD Snap after roughly two years of use.

Can insurance or school funding pay for TD Snap or Proloquo2Go?

Often, yes. Both are frequently funded through school districts and AAC device evaluations. TD Snap on a dedicated Tobii Dynavox device can be covered by insurance or Medicaid as durable medical equipment; Proloquo2Go is commonly purchased by schools through Apple volume purchasing. Ask your SLP about a formal AAC evaluation — that is usually the door to funding.

Do TD Snap or Proloquo2Go offer free trials?

TD Snap effectively yes — its App Store subscription lets you start and cancel within a month, so your risk is $9.99. Proloquo2Go has no free trial or lite version; the $249.99 purchase is upfront, though AssistiveWare runs occasional sales.

Which is better for a child with autism, TD Snap or Proloquo2Go?

Neither is inherently "better for autism" — it depends on the child. Proloquo2Go's Crescendo core-word vocabulary suits children building sentences word by word. TD Snap suits children who need alternative access methods (eye gaze, switches) or who may move to a dedicated device. Many autistic children are gestalt language processors who learn in whole phrases — a style neither app is designed around, but apps like Tala are.

Is there a cheaper alternative to TD Snap and Proloquo2Go?

Yes. Tala is free to start — default communication boards, natural voices in 29 languages, and offline audio cost nothing. You only pay $9.99/month past the free custom-content allowance, and it is free forever for speech-language pathologists and teachers.