By Little Words Editorial · Editorial standards · Updated August 10, 2026
What do Proloquo2Go and TouchChat cost in 2026?
Prices on comparison pages for these two apps are wrong surprisingly often, usually because they are stale or quote the wrong version. One high-ranking comparison lists TouchChat HD at $299.99, which is the WordPower bundle price, not the base app. So here are the numbers straight from the makers, with the date attached.
| App | US price (checked August 10, 2026) | Version notes |
|---|---|---|
| Proloquo2Go | $249.99 | US App Store one-time price; optional Gateway vocabulary $149.99 in-app; AssistiveWare's site shows USD 299.99, so confirm at checkout |
| TouchChat HD - AAC | $149.99 + tax | WordPower not included; WordPower, Gateway, and Pixon are in-app purchases |
| TouchChat HD - AAC with WordPower | $299.99 + tax | WordPower suite included; also runs on Mac |
Full pricing breakdowns, including device costs, live on our dedicated pages for Proloquo2Go and TouchChat. If AAC itself is new to you, our AAC basics hub is the better starting point than any price table.
How do the two apps actually differ?
| Dimension | Proloquo2Go | TouchChat HD |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | AssistiveWare | Saltillo (PRC-Saltillo) |
| Vocabulary design | Crescendo, core-word based, with 23 layouts from 9 to 144 buttons | WordPower word-based suite by SLP Nancy Inman, in the bundle or as an in-app purchase |
| Symbols | More than 27,000 symbols | Nearly 40,000 SymbolStix symbols; PCS available as a separate purchase |
| Access methods | Touch, switch access, keyguards | Touch, configurable switch scanning, integrated head tracking on applicable devices |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch; separate Mac app at USD 149.99 | iPad and iPhone; the WordPower bundle adds Mac |
| Languages | English, Spanish, French, Dutch | Six languages with included voices |
| Trial path | No trial listed on the maker's site when checked | TouchChat HD Lite preview version |
Both are mature, widely deployed, symbol-based systems. Neither maker publishes head-to-head evidence that its app produces better communication outcomes, and we found no independent trial that crowns one. Anyone telling you one app is simply better is selling something.
Which is easier for a toddler to learn?
The honest answer: it depends on the vocabulary approach your child's team commits to, because consistency is what toddlers learn from. Core-word systems like Crescendo keep a small set of high-frequency words in stable positions and grow outward. Word-based WordPower page sets emphasize fast word access and spelling support as literacy emerges. Motor-planning purists often look at LAMP Words for Life instead; our LAMP vs Proloquo guide covers that fork.
What the research base supports is not a brand. It is early access, no prerequisites, and adults who model the system constantly. ASHA states there are no prerequisites for AAC intervention and describes partner modeling, called augmented input, as a core strategy [5]. A toddler with a committed modeling adult will outgrow a mediocre app choice; a perfect app with no modeling goes nowhere.
What about access methods like head tracking?
This is a real differentiator, and it is commonly reported backward. TouchChat integrates head tracking on applicable iPads and iPhones and supports configurable switch scanning [3]. Proloquo2Go supports switch access and keyguards [2]. If eye gaze is the likely access method, neither consumer app is the destination; that conversation usually moves to TD Snap ecosystems and eye gaze AAC hardware through a funded evaluation.
How do you trial before you buy?
Three routes, cheapest first. TouchChat HD Lite previews the TouchChat interface. LAMP Words for Life Discover gives a 30-day full trial of the motor-planning approach [7]. And an SLP-run AAC evaluation, through early intervention, your school district, or a clinic, can put trial devices in your child's hands without buying anything. We could not find a listed free trial for Proloquo2Go; AssistiveWare's old free-trials page returned page not found on August 10, 2026 [2].
Who should NOT buy either app yet?
Skip both purchases for now if any of these fit. Your child has not had an AAC evaluation: request one first, because vocabulary and access choices should come out of feature matching, not a checkout page [5]. Your household is Android: neither app runs there; see the real Android AAC options. The school's assistive technology process is already moving: under IDEA 300.105 the district must provide AAC the IEP requires, and buying mid-process can muddy who owns what [6]; our IEP support hub walks that track. Money is tight: free AAC apps can carry modeling while funding or the IEP catches up. And if your child needs a durable, funded, all-day device, look at the NovaChat class instead.
The decision, honestly framed
| Factor | Choose Proloquo2Go when | Choose TouchChat when |
|---|---|---|
| Price and funding | The one-time $249.99 fits the budget and out-of-pocket is the plan | $149.99 entry matters, or your funded plan runs through Saltillo vocabularies |
| Access and eligibility | Touch or switch access with keyguards covers your child's needs | Integrated head tracking is on your child's access shortlist |
| Vocabulary plan | Your SLP builds around core words in Crescendo | Your SLP builds around WordPower page sets |
| When NOT to choose | No evaluation yet, Android household, school process mid-stream, or budget better served by free apps and a funded-device track | |
What this page can and cannot tell you
This page gives you maker-verified prices with dates, the real feature differences, and the trial and funding routes. It cannot tell you which app fits your toddler. That is what an AAC evaluation with an SLP is for, and there are no prerequisites your child must meet first [5]. Whatever you pick, it supplements speech therapy and your child's team; it never replaces them.
Where Little Words fits in this comparison
Nowhere in the middle of it, honestly. Little Words is not an AAC app; it is a voice-first practice companion, built by a dad, for kids ages 2 to 8 with support through age 10. If your toddler starts with Proloquo2Go or TouchChat, Little Words can sit alongside as playful spoken practice between sessions, never as a substitute for the device or the therapy.
Questions parents ask about this choice
Which is better for a toddler, Proloquo2Go or TouchChat?
Neither wins across the board. Proloquo2Go builds on the core-word Crescendo vocabulary; TouchChat is the home of the word-based WordPower suite and adds integrated head tracking. The right pick is the one whose vocabulary and access method match your child in an SLP-run evaluation, ideally after trying both.
What is the price difference in 2026?
On August 10, 2026, Proloquo2Go listed at $249.99 on the US App Store, TouchChat HD at $149.99 plus tax, and TouchChat HD with WordPower at $299.99 plus tax. AssistiveWare's own site shows USD 299.99 for Proloquo2Go, so check the store listing on the day you buy.
Is TouchChat really $299.99?
Only the WordPower bundle is. TouchChat HD by itself is $149.99, with WordPower sold separately inside the app. Comparison pages that quote one TouchChat price without naming the version are the main source of confusion.
Can we try either app before buying?
Partly. TouchChat offers a Lite preview version, and AssistiveWare listed no free trial for Proloquo2Go when we checked on August 10, 2026. For a full-length trial of the motor-planning approach, LAMP Words for Life offers a 30-day Discover version. School districts and some clinics also run device trials during AAC evaluations.
Is a toddler too young for these apps?
No. ASHA states there are no prerequisites for AAC intervention, and that AAC use may help improve natural speech when used in a multimodal approach. Toddlers start with small button layouts and lots of adult modeling.
Can the school pay for the app instead of us?
If the IEP team determines your child requires AAC, IDEA regulation 300.105 obligates the school to make it available, and home use can be written in case by case. Schools more often fund dedicated devices than personal app purchases, so ask for an assistive technology evaluation in writing.
Do these apps replace speech therapy?
No. Both are communication tools that work best inside a plan an SLP runs. AAC and home practice supplement professional care; they never replace it.
Sources
How this page was checked: we re-verified every price against the makers' own pages and listings on August 10, 2026, noted where their two official numbers differ, and linked every clinical statement to its source below.
- Apple App Store: Proloquo2Go AAC: $249.99, Gateway vocabulary $149.99 in-app, iOS 18 / iPadOS 18 / watchOS 11. Accessed August 10, 2026.
- AssistiveWare: Proloquo2Go product page: USD 299.99 full version, USD 149.99 Mac version, 27,000+ symbols, 23 layouts from 9 to 144 buttons, switch and keyguard support, four languages. Accessed August 10, 2026.
- TouchChat HD - AAC product page: $149.99 USD + tax, nearly 40,000 SymbolStix symbols, integrated head tracking, switch scanning, six languages, WordPower not included in this version. Accessed August 10, 2026.
- TouchChat HD - AAC with WordPower: bundle $299.99 USD + tax, WordPower by speech-language pathologist Nancy Inman, iPad, iPhone, and Mac. Accessed August 10, 2026.
- ASHA Practice Portal: Augmentative and Alternative Communication: no prerequisites for AAC, multimodal AAC may help natural speech, 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. Accessed August 10, 2026.
- PRC-Saltillo: LAMP Words for Life: 30-day Discover trial; motor-planning approach. Accessed August 10, 2026.