TouchChat vs Proloquo2Go

The short answer: TouchChat HD ($149.99, or $299.99 with WordPower, from PRC-Saltillo) is the better choice if your school team already uses WordPower or PRC-Saltillo devices, or a dedicated device may be in your child's future. Proloquo2Go ($249.99 one-time, from AssistiveWare) is the better choice for an iPad-centered setup with the Crescendo core-word vocabulary, the largest choice of children's voices, and strong bilingual support. Both are mature, professional-grade word-based AAC apps — the deciding factor is usually which vocabulary your support team knows best.

	TouchChat HD	Proloquo2Go
Price	$149.99 base · $299.99 with WordPower	$249.99 one-time (Crescendo included)
Platforms	iPad, iPhone; PRC-Saltillo dedicated devices	iPad, iPhone (Apple only)
Languages	English and Spanish	English, Spanish, French, Dutch — with strong bilingual support
Voices	Standard synthetic voices	100+ voices, including genuine children's voices and bilingual voices
Symbol system	SymbolStix (PCS available)	SymbolStix
Vocabulary	WordPower (add-on), MultiChat, and many page sets	Crescendo core-word vocabulary with grammar support
Access methods	Touch, switch scanning, head tracking	Touch, switch scanning
Learning curve	Steep — many page sets and options, best set up with an SLP	Steep — extensive options, best set up with an SLP
Support & training	PRC-Saltillo training, Realize Language data tools, device funding support	AssistiveWare's well-regarded free learning resources and webinars

Price: two paths to roughly $250–$300

TouchChat's $149.99 sticker looks cheaper, but there's a catch: the vocabulary most SLPs actually recommend with it — WordPower — comes in the $299.99 bundle. Proloquo2Go includes its flagship Crescendo vocabulary in the $249.99 price. Compared fairly, fully equipped, they cost about the same. Neither offers a real free trial, so plan to commit.

Vocabulary: WordPower vs Crescendo

This is the real fork in the road, and it's usually decided by your support team. WordPower is one of the most widely deployed AAC vocabularies in American schools and on PRC-Saltillo dedicated devices — if your child's school or SLP works in WordPower, TouchChat gives you continuity from app to dedicated device. Crescendo is AssistiveWare's research-informed core-word system with consistent motor planning across grid sizes and genuine grammar support (verb tenses, plurals) as language grows.

Both are serious word-based systems. Children build sentences one word at a time; both reward consistent modeling from adults and benefit greatly from an SLP guiding setup.

Voices and languages

Proloquo2Go wins clearly here: 100+ voices including genuine children's voices — which many families find matters enormously — and bilingual support across English, Spanish, French, and Dutch. TouchChat covers English and Spanish with standard synthetic voices.

The dedicated-device path

TouchChat is the software family behind PRC-Saltillo's dedicated communication devices. If a formal AAC evaluation may lead to an insurance-funded device, starting in TouchChat means your child's vocabulary and motor patterns carry over. Proloquo2Go has no dedicated-device path — it lives on iPads and iPhones.

Who should choose which

Choose TouchChat if your school team or SLP works in WordPower, a PRC-Saltillo dedicated device is a possibility, or you want the option of head-tracking access.

Choose Proloquo2Go if your child is a touch user on iPad or iPhone, your SLP recommends Crescendo, children's voices matter to your family, or you need bilingual English/Spanish/French/Dutch support.

A third option worth knowing: Tala

TouchChat 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 or a $250 budget.

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: see Tala vs. TouchChat and Tala vs. Proloquo2Go. And where TouchChat or Proloquo2Go is genuinely the better fit — WordPower continuity, 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, TouchChat or Proloquo2Go?

TouchChat HD is cheaper upfront at $149.99 — but most SLPs recommend it with the WordPower vocabulary, which brings the bundle to $299.99. Proloquo2Go is $249.99 with the Crescendo vocabulary included. In practice the fully equipped versions cost about the same.

Do TouchChat or Proloquo2Go offer free trials?

Neither has a full free trial. TouchChat offers a free "TouchChat Discover" app to explore the interface, but the full app requires the upfront purchase. Proloquo2Go has no trial or lite version, though AssistiveWare runs occasional sales.

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

Both are word-based systems that work well for children building sentences word by word — the choice usually comes down to which vocabulary your SLP or school team knows best (WordPower vs Crescendo). Many autistic children, however, are gestalt language processors who learn in whole phrases — a style neither app is designed around, but apps like Tala are.

Can school funding pay for TouchChat or Proloquo2Go?

Often, yes. Both are staples of school AAC purchasing. TouchChat is the app behind PRC-Saltillo dedicated devices, which can be insurance-funded after a formal AAC evaluation; Proloquo2Go is commonly bought by districts through Apple volume purchasing. Ask your SLP about an AAC evaluation — that is usually the door to funding.

Is there a cheaper alternative to TouchChat 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.