AAC App Comparison
Ryan's Voice vs Proloquo2Go: an honest comparison
Proloquo2Go is one of the best-known AAC apps in the world. Ryan's Voice takes a different approach. This page lays out the real differences — pricing, design philosophy, apraxia support and privacy — so you can choose the right fit, not the loudest marketing.
Short version: Proloquo2Go is a mature, symbol-based, word-by-word system with a huge symbol library and deep customisation. Ryan's Voice is a free-core, phrase-level, conversation-aware app with 100% on-device AI, built around apraxia and adult-level vocabulary. They suit different users.
Side-by-side
| Ryan's Voice | Proloquo2Go | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free complete core; optional AI tiers from A$7.99/mo | ~US$249.99 one-time |
| Core model | Phrase-level (whole utterances) | Symbol-based, word-by-word composition |
| AI | Conversation-aware, suggests phrases — 100% on-device | Word prediction; symbol grid |
| Works offline | Yes — fully, no data leaves the device | Yes (core); some features cloud-linked |
| Designed for apraxia | Yes — large tiles + swipe, reduces motor-planning load | General AAC; configurable |
| Vocabulary tone | Adult / college-level by default | Symbol sets scale child → adult |
| Symbol library | Phrase-first (text + voice) | Very large (SymbolStix), a key strength |
| Platform | iPhone & iPad (iOS 17+) | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Maturity | New (2026) | Established, widely researched |
Pricing and features accurate to the best of our knowledge in early 2026. Proloquo2Go is a product of AssistiveWare; check their site for current pricing. We've tried to be fair — if anything here is out of date, tell us.
Where Proloquo2Go is strong
Credit where it's due. Proloquo2Go has a very large symbol library, years of clinical use, a deep research base and extensive customisation. For a user who communicates best with symbols and word-by-word grammar building — especially emergent communicators and many children — it's a proven, well-supported choice. If your speech pathologist has built a working symbol-based system around it, that continuity has real value.
Where Ryan's Voice is different
1. The core app is free
Most premium AAC apps are a one-time purchase of US$249–$299. Ryan's Voice keeps core communication free, forever — full phrase library, text-to-speech, SOS and offline use, with no paywall on the ability to speak. Optional tiers add AI-assisted features, but no one is ever locked out of communicating because of cost.
2. Phrase-level, built for apraxia
Apraxia of speech is a motor-planning disorder, not a cognitive one. Word-by-word composition adds motor steps. Ryan's Voice surfaces whole, pre-composed phrases on large swipe tiles, so a thought becomes speech in a tap or two. More on AAC for apraxia →
3. It listens, on-device
Ryan's Voice's AI is conversation-aware: it follows the topic and suggests relevant phrases in the moment — and it does this 100% on the device. No transcript, audio or phrase ever leaves the iPad. For families and clinicians worried about cloud privacy, this is a deliberate design choice, not an afterthought.
4. It respects adult intelligence
Ryan's Voice ships with college-level, emotionally granular vocabulary by default — phrases like "My needs are different, not less" — because its founding user is a cognitively able teenager who happens to be nonverbal. Many AAC defaults assume cognitive impairment; this one doesn't.
Clinically grounded: Ryan's Voice covers 100% of the vocabulary across five research-backed AAC core-vocabulary lists (dialect-adjusted for Australian English) — 74/74 union words, across a 1,120-phrase library. A full coverage report is available to clinicians and funders.
Which should you choose?
Choose Proloquo2Go if you want a mature, symbol-based, word-by-word system with a huge symbol library and an established clinical track record — common for emergent and symbol-reliant communicators.
Choose Ryan's Voice if you want a free, phrase-level, conversation-aware app that's private by design and built around apraxia and adult-level communication — especially for literate teens and adults who find word-by-word grids slow.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a cheaper alternative to Proloquo2Go?
Yes. Ryan's Voice has a complete, free core AAC app — no upfront cost — versus Proloquo2Go's one-time purchase of around US$249.99. Optional AI tiers are available but core communication is always free.
Can I switch from Proloquo2Go to Ryan's Voice?
You can install Ryan's Voice and trial it alongside any existing app at no cost. We recommend changing AAC systems gradually and with your speech pathologist, because layout familiarity matters for fluent communication.
Does Ryan's Voice use symbols?
Ryan's Voice is phrase-first (text + natural voice) and is adding visual supports. If a user relies primarily on a large symbol grid today, Proloquo2Go's symbol library may suit them better — the two apps make different design trade-offs.
Does Ryan's Voice work without internet?
Yes — all AI runs on-device, it works fully offline, and no conversation data leaves the iPad or iPhone.
Try Ryan's Voice free
The complete core app costs nothing. See if the phrase-level, conversation-aware approach fits.
Get Ryan's Voice →