Comparison

Phonological Awareness Lab vs Proloquo

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Phonological Awareness Lab

This app transforms learning pre-reading skills into a science adventure for children. It offers interactive labs focusing on sounds, syllables, and words through engaging games and activities. Progress is tracked with detailed reports for effective learning.

Highlights
  • Interactive science-themed labs
  • Practice with sounds, syllables, and words
  • Adaptive learning levels
  • Multi-player functionality
  • Automatic data tracking and reports
  • Engaging visuals and sound effects
Features
Read full description

Phonological Awareness Lab (PAL) turns learning into an interactive science adventure where children experiment with sounds, syllables, and words to build essential pre-reading skills. Designed by a certified speech-language pathologist and developed by Smarty Ears, PAL combines evidence-based learning with a fun, game-like environment that keeps students motivated from start to finish. Explore Four Interactive Labs: • Sentence Experiment Lab: Practice identifying and counting words within sentences. • Decoding Room: Strengthen blending skills with two interactive games—Blending Syllables and Blending Sounds. • Rhyming Compound: Build rhyming skills with three levels of play—Rhyming Identification, Rhyming Selection, and Rhyming Match. • Syllable X-Ray: Learn to identify and count syllables while exploring engaging visuals. Each lab features colorful graphics, animated environments, and dynamic sound effects that transform phonological awareness practice into play. Children feel like scientists conducting sound “experiments,” making learning fun and meaningful. Engaging Gameplay • Students choose their avatar and participate in hands-on activities across multiple labs. • Adaptive levels allow learners to progress at their own pace. • Motivating visuals, animations, and immediate feedback keep children actively involved. • Designed to support classroom, home, or therapy use. Multi-Player Functionality • Add multiple players with custom names and photos or avatars. • Switch easily between players during sessions. • Perfect for small-group therapy, classroom centers, or home learning. Data Tracking and Reports • Automatically tracks accuracy for each skill area. • Generates a detailed “Report Card” showing performance by activity, date, and session. • Includes easy-to-read graphs for quick progress monitoring. • Export data to the free Therapy Report Center or email reports to caregivers or educators. Evidence-Based and RTI-Friendly Phonological awareness is one of the strongest predictors of reading success. Research shows that children who develop phonological awareness skills—such as rhyming, blending, and segmenting—read more fluently and with greater comprehension. PAL provides targeted practice for these skills, making it ideal for Response to Intervention (RTI) and literacy support programs. Features • Multi-player capability • Four labs targeting essential pre-reading skills • Seven activities of increasing complexity • Customizable player profiles with avatars • Automatic data tracking and progress reports • Fun animations and immediate feedback • Research-based learning approach • High-quality images and sound Developed by Smarty Ears, trusted by over 250,000 educators and speech-language pathologists in more than 70 countries, Phonological Awareness Lab empowers children to learn, communicate, and thrive through technology.

About

Proloquo

This app provides an intuitive and efficient Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) solution for users of all ages. It facilitates language development and effective communication with features like quick access to words, a search function, and a unique Thinking Space for early communicators. It also offers a full keyboard with word prediction and expert guidance through an accompanying coach.

Highlights
  • Intuitive and easy-to-use interface
  • Quick access to frequently used words
  • Search function for effortless word finding
  • Focus Mode™ for targeted word emphasis
  • Thinking Space™ for early communicators (iPad only)
  • Extensive vocabulary with Related Words™
  • Full keyboard with word prediction
  • Proloquo Coach for expert guidance
Features
Read full description

AssistiveWare Proloquo is an intuitive, easy-to-use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) app. Based on years of research, it is the only AAC app designed to meet the needs of all ages without sacrificing ease of use or efficiency. Proloquo is more than just a communication tool; it’s a gateway to language development and effective communication. AN EASY START With a unique design and quick one-tap access to the most used words, you can start using AAC right away. Finding any word is effortless, with an easily accessible Search function. Need to focus on or teach specific words? Use Focus Mode™ and draw attention without restricting or deleting words. THINKING SPACE (only available on iPad) Understanding a beginning communicator can feel like an endless guessing game, leading to frustration on both sides. Proloquo’s unique Thinking Space™ feature allows you to visualize and explore thoughts and meaning even with the earliest communicators. Arrange Proloquo’s visuals in any order for more intuitive communication. Understand each other faster and easier with Proloquo’s Thinking Space. GROWS WITH YOU Proloquo offers an extensive vocabulary unmatched in size and efficiency. With a user-friendly interface and innovative features such as Related Words™, Proloquo ensures everyone, from toddlers to adults, can discover, learn, and love language. Proloquo also offers a full keyboard with word prediction to support literacy. GET EXPERT AAC GUIDANCE WITH PROLOQUO COACH We know learning AAC can be challenging - that’s why we paired Proloquo with Proloquo Coach. Free with a Proloquo subscription, it equips families and educators with the tools and knowledge needed to support children and students in learning to communicate using AAC. With fast in-app support and guided practice, you will always know what to do next. SHARE PROLOQUO WITH YOUR TEAM FOR FREE Share Proloquo at no additional cost. Involve teachers, Speech Pathologists, and grandparents - download the Proloquo app and sync across multiple devices for free. Try Proloquo free for one month! How payment works • After your trial ends, payment will be charged to your Apple Account. • Subscriptions renew automatically. Payment is charged 24 hours before the current subscription period ends. • Don’t want to renew? Cancel more than 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. • Want to cancel or change your subscription? Manage it in your account settings on the App Store. The standard Apple Terms of Use apply to this app: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Proloquo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Phonological Awareness Lab at 100% against Proloquo's 46%. Phonological Awareness Lab also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 6) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.0). Proloquo's advantage is price (Free vs $21.99) and rating (4.0 vs 3.3). On ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Proloquo is free to download; Phonological Awareness Lab costs $21.99 up front. Proloquo sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Phonological Awareness Lab asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Proloquo holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Proloquo has 148 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Phonological Awareness Lab's written reviews are positive against 46% of Proloquo's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Phonological Awareness Lab ships an update every 31 months, Proloquo every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Phonological Awareness Lab versus Proloquo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhonological Awareness LabProloquo
Price$21.99Free — better
Rating3.3 (3 ratings)4.0 (148 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better46.4% of reviews
Number of ratings3148 — better
Update frequencyEvery 31 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid — betterSubscription
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS14.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB503 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSmarty EarsAssistiveWare

Customer experience

Phonological Awareness Lab

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Proloquo

All ratings148 ratings
Positive70.9%
Neutral6.8%
Negative22.3%
Written reviews69 reviews
Positive46.4%
Neutral8.7%
Negative44.9%

In-app purchases

None

Phonological Awareness Lab

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

Proloquo

Subscriptions6
  • Monthly Subscription1 Month trial$9.991 Month
  • Monthly Subscription1 Year trial$9.991 Month
  • Monthly Subscription6 Months trial$9.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Yearly Subscription1 Month trial$99.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription1 Year trial$99.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription6 Months trial$99.991 Year

Questions

Is Phonological Awareness Lab free?
Phonological Awareness Lab costs $21.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Proloquo free?
Proloquo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Phonological Awareness Lab or Proloquo?
Proloquo is rated higher. Phonological Awareness Lab averages 3.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Proloquo averages 4.0 from 148 ratings.
Do Phonological Awareness Lab or Proloquo have ads?
Neither Phonological Awareness Lab nor Proloquo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Phonological Awareness Lab or Proloquo?
Phonological Awareness Lab ships an update every 31 months, and Proloquo every 6 weeks. Most recently, Phonological Awareness Lab was updated on October 24, 2026 and Proloquo on October 29, 2026.

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