Looking for an alternative to Proloquo2Go because not all the family’s devices are Apple, or because the price is holding you back? Buddy, Pictalk’s augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) app, works on all your devices and links communication to the rest of the day. Here is the comparison, and the cases where it is better to keep Proloquo2Go.
Proloquo2Go: who is it for, and at what price?
Proloquo2Go is published by AssistiveWare, a Dutch company specialising in AAC. A mature, well-regarded app, it did a lot to make AAC known on iPad. Its Crescendo vocabulary, strong on grammar, comes in 23 grid sizes, from 9 to 144 cells. It offers more than a hundred voices according to the publisher, and supports switches and keyguards.
It is aimed at families and teams using Apple: it works on iPhone, iPad and Mac, not on Android. It is a one-off purchase: £249.99 for iPhone and iPad, and £119.99 for the Mac version, sold separately.
Buddy and Proloquo2Go side by side
Prices checked in October 2026 (UK App Store, official websites): check them on the day you buy.
| Criterion | Buddy (Pictalk) | Proloquo2Go |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Pay what you want, no locked features | £249.99 (one-off purchase); Mac version £119.99 |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows, Mac, Android watch | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch |
| Access | Touch, switch | Touch, switches, eye gaze |
| Languages | 11 | 4 |
| Symbols | ARASAAC, Mulberry, Tawasol, Sclera, ParlerPictos, OpenMoji, Makaton, personal photos | SymbolStix |
| Vocabularies included | Essential 24, Springboard 48, Horizon 80, Quick Core, Vocal Flair, CommuniKate, Sequoia | Crescendo, Gateway |
| Vocabularies designed for phones | Yes | Not verified |
| Grammar | Yes | Yes |
| Offline | Yes | Yes |
| Format | Open (OBZ) | Proprietary |
| Beyond AAC | Visual schedule, guided sequences, notebooks, smartwatch | No |
| Publisher | French non-profit association | Company |
Notes
- Platforms: on Windows and Mac, Buddy runs in the browser; its Android watch app works with Wear OS. The Proloquo2Go Apple Watch app complements the iPhone app.
- Access: Buddy offers simple switch scanning (row, then cell); for eye gaze, Proloquo2Go works through iOS 18 eye tracking or a certified camera.
- Languages: Proloquo2Go provides its vocabulary in English, Spanish, French and Dutch.
- Vocabularies: Buddy offers 17 in English, counting variants and sizes (categorical organisation, motor planning, pragmatic approach). Gateway is an in-app purchase in Proloquo2Go, in English only.
- Phone: Proloquo2Go works on iPhone, but we could not verify that its vocabularies have a layout designed for a small screen; in Buddy, Essential 24 has one.
What Buddy brings
Buddy is an independence companion: AAC boards, visual schedule, guided sequences and notebooks are linked together and share the same symbols. The ‘swimming pool’ symbol is the same in the schedule, the sequence, the board and the notebook: every moment of the day becomes a chance to model the same words.
- On all your devices. Phone, tablet, classroom computer and smartwatch are synced, including older devices and systems. Buddy can be used by touch or with a switch.
- Smart context. Buddy learns about family and friends, places and routines from the schedule and the notebooks, to better understand what is said, correct sentences and arrange symbols.
- The communication report. Number and length of messages, new words, communicative functions: a printable record for the speech and language therapist, or direct access for the therapist or the setting with Buddy Pro.
When to keep Proloquo2Go
Changing apps has a cost. Keep Proloquo2Go if the person already uses it with ease: they find their words without searching, and that is worth more than a saving. Keep it too if they use eye gaze or advanced switch settings, which Buddy does not offer; if the team (speech and language therapist, school, setting) is trained on Proloquo2Go and already models on it; or if the whole family uses Apple and the price is not an obstacle.
Moving to Buddy without losing progress
Proloquo2Go uses a proprietary format: its pages can’t be imported directly into Buddy. Before switching, take screenshots of the most used pages and write down the personal words (names, places, foods, games). Choose a similar grid size (Springboard 48 if the person used about 48 cells), keep the old tool available for a few weeks, and avoid switching at the same time as a house move or the start of the school year (Beukelman and Light, 2020). The full list is in our AAC app comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Is Proloquo2Go available on Android?
No. Proloquo2Go only works on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Buddy works on Android as well as on Apple.
Can you keep Proloquo2Go and use Buddy as well?
Yes. A common compromise: keep Proloquo2Go for communicating, and use Buddy for the visual schedule, sequences and notebooks. Avoid running two communication boards side by side, though: the words are not in the same places.
How much does Buddy cost?
Buddy is pay what you want, with no locked features and no advertising. Pictalk is a non-profit association and reinvests 100% of its income.
Pictalk Buddy brings together AAC boards, a visual schedule, guided sequences and notebooks, with the same symbols, on Android, iOS, the web and the watch. A pay-what-you-want app, developed by a non-profit association. Discover Buddy
Sources
- Beukelman, D. R. and Light, J. C., 2020, Augmentative & Alternative Communication, 5th ed., Paul H. Brookes.
- AssistiveWare, Proloquo2Go product page, accessed in September and October 2026, and the UK App Store, accessed in October 2026.