By Little Words Editorial · Editorial standards · Updated August 10, 2026
What is Proloquo2Go and how does it work?
Proloquo2Go is an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) app made by AssistiveWare. Your child taps a symbol or types a word, and the device speaks it out loud. It runs on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, and requires iOS 18, iPadOS 18, or watchOS 11 and later [1].
The app is built around AssistiveWare's Crescendo vocabulary, with more than 27,000 symbols and over 100 free adult and children's voices. It ships with 23 pre-programmed button layouts, from 9 buttons per page for beginners up to 144 for advanced communicators. It supports switch access and keyguards for children who cannot target a touchscreen reliably [2].
AAC is an area of clinical practice that supplements or compensates for impairments in speech and language production or comprehension. That is ASHA's framing, and it matters here: an AAC app is a communication tool your child's team configures, not a curriculum you hand over [3]. If AAC is new to you, start with our plain-English AAC basics hub.
How much does Proloquo2Go really cost in 2026?
Two different official numbers exist, and both are real. The US App Store listed Proloquo2Go at $249.99 on August 10, 2026, with an optional Gateway vocabulary in-app purchase at $149.99 [1]. AssistiveWare's own product page shows USD 299.99 for the full version and USD 149.99 for the separate Mac app [2]. The App Store checkout is what US buyers actually pay. Prices move, so check the listing the day you buy.
We could not find a free trial. AssistiveWare's old free-trials support page returned page not found when we checked on August 10, 2026. Competitors do offer trial paths: LAMP Words for Life has a 30-day Discover version, and TouchChat sells a Lite preview [7].
| Item | Price (checked August 10, 2026) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Proloquo2Go app | $249.99 | US App Store one-time purchase; maker site shows USD 299.99 |
| Gateway vocabulary (optional) | $149.99 | In-app purchase listed on the App Store page |
| New 11-inch iPad | From $449 | Apple's store; skip if you already own a compatible iPad |
| Protective case and mount | Varies | Budget for a rugged case; drops are a matter of when, not if |
| Realistic starting total | About $700 | App plus new iPad, before a case; less if you own the hardware |
That total is why the funding conversation below matters more than the sticker price. It is also why we list free AAC apps worth trying while you wait for an evaluation.
How do families actually pay for it?
There are three honest routes, and they work differently.
The school route. Under IDEA regulation 300.105, each public agency must ensure assistive technology devices or services are made available to a child with a disability if required as part of special education, related services, or supplementary aids and services. On a case-by-case basis, school-purchased devices must go home if the IEP team determines the child needs them there to receive FAPE [4]. Translation: if the IEP team agrees your child needs AAC, the district buys it, and home use belongs in the IEP in writing. Our step-by-step guide to getting the school to provide an AAC device covers the wording.
The insurance route. Funding rails in the US are built around dedicated speech-generating devices, not consumer apps. PRC-Saltillo, which sells dedicated devices, states plainly that speech-generating devices can be funded by Medicaid, Medicare, commercial insurance, and military insurance [5]. An iPad running Proloquo2Go is usually treated as a consumer purchase, which is why many families pay out of pocket for the app while pursuing funded routes for a dedicated device. Start with our AAC funding guide and the Medicaid specifics.
The out-of-pocket route. If you buy now, buy once: confirm the current App Store price, skip optional vocabularies until an SLP recommends one, and use a case from day one.
When is Proloquo2Go the right choice, and when is it not?
No manufacturer page will tell you when not to buy its product. Here is the decision honestly laid out.
| Your situation | Points toward Proloquo2Go | Points toward something else |
|---|---|---|
| Price and funding | One-time $249.99 and you can pay out of pocket | Need funded equipment: pursue a dedicated device evaluation instead |
| Hardware at home | You already own a compatible iPad or iPhone | Android household: see Android AAC options or the NovaChat |
| Access needs | Touch works, or switch access with keyguards | Head tracking built in matters: TouchChat HD integrates it |
| Vocabulary approach | Core-word Crescendo design fits your SLP's plan | Your SLP recommends motor-plan vocabularies: compare LAMP vs Proloquo |
| Try before buying | You are confident without a trial | You need a trial first: LAMP Discover gives 30 days; TouchChat has a Lite version |
Do not buy it yet if your child has never had an AAC evaluation, if a school assistive technology evaluation is already in motion, or if the budget is tight and a free app can carry the modeling work while funding comes through.
How does Proloquo2Go compare with the other major AAC apps?
| App | US price (checked August 10, 2026) | Platforms | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proloquo2Go | $249.99 | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | Crescendo vocabulary, 27,000+ symbols, 100+ voices |
| TouchChat HD | $149.99 + tax | iPad, iPhone | Nearly 40,000 SymbolStix symbols; integrated head tracking; WordPower sold separately |
| TouchChat HD with WordPower | $299.99 + tax | iPad, iPhone, Mac | WordPower vocabularies included |
| LAMP Words for Life | $299.99 | iPad (iPadOS 16+) | Motor-planning approach; 30-day Discover trial |
| TD Snap | Sold via Tobii Dynavox store | iPad, Windows | Eye gaze, touch, and switch enabled page sets |
| Avaz AAC | Subscription via in-app purchase | iOS and Android | 14-day trial without a credit card, per its Play listing |
For a deeper head-to-head on the two most-shopped apps, read our Proloquo2Go vs TouchChat comparison. If eye gaze is on the table, start with our guide to eye gaze AAC devices and a dedicated-device evaluation rather than a consumer app.
What are the honest limitations?
First, it is Apple-only. There is no Android version, and there is no sign of one. Second, there is no listed trial, so the $249.99 decision rides on outside research and your SLP's judgment. Third, the price story is confusing: the maker's site and the App Store showed different numbers on the day we checked, which makes budgeting harder than it should be.
Fourth, the app's depth cuts both ways. The layouts scale from 9 to 144 buttons, but someone has to configure them, model them, and resist the urge to add too much too fast. Plan for weeks of adult modeling before independent use; ASHA describes this partner modeling, called augmented input, as a core AAC strategy [3]. Finally, every tablet dies or gets left in the car eventually. Keep a low-tech backup board in the bag from day one.
What this page can and cannot tell you
This page gives you maker-verified prices with the date we checked them, the funding rules as written, and the honest tradeoffs. It cannot tell you whether Proloquo2Go is right for your child. That is a feature-matching decision made in an AAC evaluation with an SLP, based on your child's motor, sensory, language, and access profile [3]. There are no prerequisites for starting AAC, so if communication is hard today, ask for that evaluation now rather than waiting [3]. AAC and speech practice supplement professional care; they never replace it.
How Little Words fits alongside Proloquo2Go
Little Words is not an AAC system and does not replace one. It is a voice-first practice companion, built by a dad, where kids ages 2 to 8 talk and play with a character named Buddy, with support through age 10. Families using a robust AAC app like Proloquo2Go sometimes use Little Words for low-pressure spoken practice between therapy sessions, alongside the device, never instead of it.
Questions parents ask about Proloquo2Go
Is Proloquo2Go a one-time purchase or a subscription?
It is a one-time purchase. On August 10, 2026 the US App Store listed Proloquo2Go at $249.99, with an optional Gateway vocabulary in-app purchase at $149.99. AssistiveWare's own site shows USD 299.99, so always confirm the price on the App Store listing before you budget.
Does Proloquo2Go work on Android?
No. Proloquo2Go runs only on Apple hardware: iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, requiring iOS 18, iPadOS 18, or watchOS 11 and later. If your family uses Android, look at Avaz AAC or Cboard AAC, or ask about a funded dedicated device such as the NovaChat, which is Android based.
Is there a free trial of Proloquo2Go?
We could not find one. When we checked on August 10, 2026, AssistiveWare's site listed no free trial for Proloquo2Go, and its old free-trials support page returned page not found. If trying before buying matters, LAMP Words for Life offers a 30-day Discover trial and TouchChat has a Lite preview version.
Will using AAC stop my child from learning to talk?
No. ASHA's practice portal states there are no prerequisites for AAC intervention, and that AAC use may help improve natural speech when used in a multimodal approach. Speech goals and AAC goals can run at the same time.
Does insurance or Medicaid cover Proloquo2Go?
Sometimes, but app-only purchases are the hardest to fund. Funding rails are built around dedicated speech-generating devices, which PRC-Saltillo notes can be funded by Medicaid, Medicare, commercial insurance, and military insurance. Schools must provide AAC under IDEA when the IEP team decides it is needed. Ask your SLP to anchor any funding request to an AAC evaluation.
What device do you need to run Proloquo2Go?
An iPhone or iPad on iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 or later; there is also an Apple Watch app and a separate Mac version at USD 149.99. A new 11-inch iPad started at $449 on Apple's store on August 10, 2026, so budget about $700 total if you are starting from zero.
What vocabulary and symbols come with Proloquo2Go?
AssistiveWare's Crescendo vocabulary with more than 27,000 symbols, over 100 free adult and children's voices, and 23 pre-programmed button layouts running from 9 to 144 buttons per page. It supports English, Spanish, French, and Dutch.
Can my child use Proloquo2Go at school?
Yes. Under IDEA regulation 300.105, schools must make assistive technology available if the IEP requires it, and on a case-by-case basis the IEP team can require school-purchased devices to go home when the child needs them there to receive FAPE. Put home use in the IEP in writing.
Sources
How this page was checked: we re-verified every price and product fact against the maker's own page or store listing on August 10, 2026, and linked every clinical statement to its source below. Anything we could not verify, we removed or flagged in the text.
- Apple App Store: Proloquo2Go AAC: $249.99 list price, Gateway vocabulary in-app purchase at $149.99, iOS 18 / iPadOS 18 / watchOS 11 requirements. Accessed August 10, 2026.
- AssistiveWare: Proloquo2Go product page: USD 299.99 full version and USD 149.99 Mac version, 27,000+ symbols, 100+ voices, 23 layouts from 9 to 144 buttons, switch and keyguard support, four languages. Accessed August 10, 2026.
- ASHA Practice Portal: Augmentative and Alternative Communication: AAC definition, no prerequisites for AAC intervention, AAC use may help improve natural speech in a multimodal approach, augmented input, feature matching. Accessed August 10, 2026.
- IDEA regulation 34 CFR 300.105: Assistive technology: schools must make AT available when the IEP requires it; case-by-case home use of school-purchased devices. Accessed August 10, 2026.
- PRC-Saltillo: NovaChat: speech-generating devices can be funded by Medicaid, Medicare, commercial insurance, and military insurance. Accessed August 10, 2026.
- Apple: iPad: 11-inch iPad from $449. Accessed August 10, 2026.
- PRC-Saltillo: LAMP Words for Life: 30-day Discover trial; App Store list price $299.99 on the same date. Accessed August 10, 2026.
- TouchChat HD - AAC product page: $149.99 USD + tax, nearly 40,000 SymbolStix symbols, integrated head tracking. Accessed August 10, 2026.