GoTalk® Start vs Grid for iPad
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
GoTalk® Start
This communication app assists individuals with speaking difficulties by providing customizable pages for recorded messages, text-to-speech, and visual aids. Users can create communication books with various layouts and integrate images, videos, and music.
- Adjustable page layouts
- Customizable navigation
- Recorded and text-to-speech capabilities
- Included symbol set
- Multiple communication page styles
- Internet image search
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Attainment has been making augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) tools for 25 years. Our experience is front and center in GoTalk Start, a flexible, easy-to-use, yet powerful communication app for people who have difficulty speaking. As the name implies, GoTalk Start is a great way to start using your iPad for AAC. Built on the framework of Attainment’s full-featured GoTalk NOW, GoTalk Start has all the essentials of an effective AAC app, like adjustable page layouts, customizable navigation, recorded and text-to-speech capabilities, and an included symbol set. Choose from over 60 ready-to-use, high quality text-to-speech voices in 30 languages! So why is GoTalk Start less expensive than GoTalk NOW? Because GoTalk Start is limited to five Communication Pages and doesn’t offer the sharing capabilities of GoTalk NOW. If you need more Communication Pages or the ability to share, simply upgrade your GoTalk Start to full GoTalk NOW Features via an in-app purchase. The new Start offers three styles of communication pages: Standard, Express, and Scene. In Standard pages, the action occurs when the location is pressed. In Express pages, recorded or text-to-speech messages build in a speech bar and play in sequence when the bar is pressed. Scene pages are built around a single photo or image. When you arrange invisible hotspots over people or objects in the photo, the hotspots play speech, music, or videos! Feel free to mix and match pages within a communication book. Create a communication book with unique settings and up to 5 pages in length. Envision the impact of blending video, music, and jump to actions among your pages. How cool is it to have access to 30 different text-to-speech voices, in a variety of different languages! Plus, GoTalk Start is a full-feature scanning app! Features: • Choose 1, 2, 4, 9, 16, or 25 locations per page. • Ability to create multiple books with unlimited pages via in-app purchase. • Use images from your iPad camera, photo library, or the Imagine Symbol set. • Search the Internet in-app for the perfect image or icon. • Purchase SymbolStix or Widgit Symbols libraries in-app. • Crop, scale, or rotate an image using your fingers. • Combine multiple images in a single communication location. • Color pages, borders, and text with any hue. • Move and size text with your fingers so it feels just right. • Record your voice or use our free text-to-speech voice. • Access 30 different text-to-speech voices, in an assortment of different languages. • Add spoken labels (auditory cues) to any button. Great for scanning, guiding visually impaired users, and identifying any new or difficult vocabulary. • Trim videos in-app, and play them from any communication location. • Select our alternate video interface to pause or exit the video easily. • Link songs from your playlist to any communication location and control them with Pause/Play, Next, and Previous. • Include a core vocabulary button for extra quick access to important messages. • Create multimedia social stories and step-by-step instruction layouts by linking pages with an after action. •In-app purchase allows for back up of communication books via Dropbox or to any Mac or PC for safekeeping. • Store and share interactive templates (each including speech, video, text, and jump to links) on our online gallery via in-app purchase. • Download and edit premade templates from Attainment’s collection on the public gallery available via in-app purchase. • Print and save communication book layouts via PDFs. • Access Start with single or two-switch scanning. GoTalk Start participates in Apple's Volume Purchasing Program for Education in the United States. Attainment is well known for top-notch customer service. Email us with questions or comments and check our website for free webinars. And yes, we're happy to talk to you on the telephone!
Grid for iPad
This app provides a comprehensive Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) solution for individuals with diverse communication needs. It offers flexible tools, evidence-based resources, and customizable features that adapt as users' needs evolve.
- Evidence-based AAC resources
- Online community grid sets
- In-app and remote editing
- AI-powered design tools
- Multiple symbol libraries
- Multilingual support
- Pre-built communication resources
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Grid for iPad is a complete Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) solution designed for people of all ages and communication needs. It offers a range of resources, flexible communication tools, and options that can be adapted over time. Try it FREE for 30 days - voices included! Key features: ► A range of included content for people who need symbol or text based AAC, including Super Core, Voco Chat, and Text Talker ► Suitable for use with touch access or switches. ► Evidence-based symbol AAC vocabularies, created by experienced speech and language therapists and education professionals, with a focus on vocabulary for communicating within everyday routines and activities. ► Includes SymbolStix, PCS and Widgit symbols – choose the symbol library that is most suitable, to match the symbols already being used in the environment, or to support transition from other AAC systems. ► Voices and grid sets for over 20 languages to support communication in a range of languages. Ideal for multilingual families or classrooms. Why families and professionals choose Grid for iPad for children and adults with communication difficulties: ► In-app editing – Fast, intuitive editing makes it easy to add new words, personalise vocabulary, and adapt layouts to the needs of the individual. ► Remote Editing – SLTs, teachers and families can edit any time, without needing the device in their hands. ► Powerful voice technology – Choose from a range of voices, including the latest AI powered multilingual voices from ElevenLabs, or for those who are able to, record your own voice messages. ► AI Powered Tools - Make use of optional tools to correct typing errors, or support the user to change the tone or wording of their message. ► Talk to your Smart Speaker – Use Grid for iPad to speak instructions to smart home devices, request music, hear the latest news and weather, play games and ask questions. ► Online Grids – Do even more with Grid for iPad by searching and downloading FREE ready-made grid sets created by clinicians, educators, and the Grid community. What’s included: ► Super Core - Evidence-based core vocabulary focused on communication within everyday routines and activities. Designed for supporting AAC learners from single words to building full sentences. Available in 30‑cell and 50‑cell sizes, with simpler 12 and 20 cell learning grids for those just starting out. ►Voco Chat – Designed to enable users to communicate for a wide range of reasons, with supported message pathways and carefully chosen vocabulary, for fast and efficient symbol communication. ► Alpha Core - Offers a range of text-based layouts to support the communication of people with changing physical abilities, with quick access to predictive text and common phrases, alongside a keyboard of your choice. ► Text Talker - Enabling people to say what they want to say in the moment, or prepare and save messages in advance for faster conversations. ►Aphasia Duo - Designed specifically for people with aphasia and their communication partners to support participation in everyday life, including a range of word-finding and conversational supports, and whiteboard for writing and drawing. ► PODD (in-app purchase) - Created by Australian Speech Pathologist Gayle Porter, PODD organises language according to the reason for communication, designed to support spontaneous communication in any situation. ► And MUCH more - Grid for iPad also includes a range of interactive learning activities (just try Dilbert the Dog!), animated communication from Symoji, and educational resources. Simple, flexible pricing: Grid for iPad is available through a monthly subscription with a 30-day FREE trial or as a one-off purchase. You can cancel your subscription at any time. Contact our tech support experts any time at support@thinksmartbox.com For more details on our evidence-based vocabularies, visit the Smartbox Hub.
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Grid for iPad at Free against GoTalk® Start's $9.99. Grid for iPad also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 33%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Grid for iPad is free to download; GoTalk® Start costs $9.99 up front. GoTalk® Start sells 13 one-off in-app purchases and Grid for iPad sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $10.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
GoTalk® Start ships an update every 6 weeks, Grid for iPad fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | GoTalk® Start | Grid for iPad |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | — | 3.6 (18 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 18 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 235 MB | 1.4 GB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Attainment Company | Smartbox Assistive Technology |
Customer experience
GoTalk® Start
Grid for iPad
In-app purchases
GoTalk® Start
- Vidhi$0.99
- Ella$11.99
- Josh$11.99
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- Carmen$11.99
- Vidhi English$11.99
- Ready-Set-Communicate$19.99
- Talk All Day$19.99
- Core! Start NOW$39.99
- SymbolStix$49.99
- METACOM (German Keywords)$55.99
- AAC2go (Girl 3-10)$79.99
- Upgrade to GoTalk NOW Features$104.99
- ZAK Kommunikationsbuch für Kinder$199.99
Grid for iPad
- Grid for iPad Subscription1 Month trial$10.991 Month
- Metacom Symbol Library$49.99
- PODD for Grid (English)$99.00
- Grid for iPad full licence$299.99
Questions
Is GoTalk® Start free?
Is Grid for iPad free?
Do GoTalk® Start or Grid for iPad have ads?
Which is updated more often, GoTalk® Start or Grid for iPad?
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