Comparison

GoTalk® NOW LITE vs Scanmarker Reader

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

Head to head
About

GoTalk® NOW LITE

This communication app helps individuals with speech difficulties create personalized pages for expression. It offers adjustable layouts, recorded speech, text-to-speech, and an included symbol set. Additional features and unlimited pages are available through in-app purchases.

Highlights
  • Personalized communication pages
  • Adjustable page layouts
  • Recorded and text-to-speech capabilities
  • Included symbol set
  • Multiple page styles (Standard, Express, Scene)
  • Multimedia integration (video, music)
  • Full-feature scanning
Features
Read full description

Attainment has been making augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) tools for 25 years. Our experience is front and center in GoTalk NOW LITE, a communication app that introduces you to the flexibility, ease of use, and power of Attainment’s popular GoTalk NOW. GoTalk NOW LITE is a fully functional augmentative communication app for those who have difficulty speaking. Create up to three personalized communication pages in this free app! GoTalk NOW LITE 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. If you need more Communication Pages or the ability to share, simply upgrade your GoTalk NOW LITE to full GoTalk NOW Features via an in-app purchase. The new LITE 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. Plus, GoTalk NOW LITE is a full-feature scanning app! Features: • Choose 1, 2, 4, 9, 16, 25 or 36 locations per page. • Use images from your iPad camera, photo library, or the GoTalk Image Library. • Search the Internet in-app for the perfect image or icon. • Purchase SymbolStix, PCS, 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. • 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. • Ability to create multiple books with unlimited pages via in-app purchase. • 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 LITE with single or two-switch scanning. 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!

About

Scanmarker Reader

This app digitizes printed text scanned by a pen-shaped device, aiding individuals with reading difficulties. It offers customizable reading experiences, including live reading, speed adjustment, and word highlighting, to enhance fluency and comprehension.

Highlights
  • Scan printed text to digital format
  • Live reading while scanning
  • Adjustable reading speed
  • Highlighting words as they are read
  • Read aloud with voice adjustment
  • Integrated dictionary for vocabulary building
Features
Read full description

Use your Scanmarker Reader to scan any printed text, and it will appear automatically in the Scanmarker Reader app on your screen. Scanmarker Reader is a pen-shaped assistive tool for those with reading difficulties or learning disabilities. Scanmarker Reader facilitates the learning process, with emphasis placed on learning features that can be adapted according to individual preference, such as reading live while scanning or only reading selected words and parts of the text, adjusting the speed of reading and highlighting the words as it reads aloud. Get ready to become a fluent reader for life! What skills can I improve with Scanmarker Reader? - Enhance oral language skills with the read live feature. - Build up your word recognition by viewing the highlighted words as it is reading. - Improve decoding and phonological processing by reading selected words. - Develop automaticity and fluency skills with the speed read feature. - Improve reading comprehension with the read aloud and voice adjusting option. - Boost your vocabulary knowledge with the integrated Dictionary.

Screenshots

Scanmarker Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: GoTalk® NOW LITE at 53% against Scanmarker Reader's 0%. GoTalk® NOW LITE also leads on rating (4.1 vs 3.3) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 5 months). Scanmarker Reader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 20) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and ads 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

Both are free to download. GoTalk® NOW LITE sells 20 one-off in-app purchases. Scanmarker Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

GoTalk® NOW LITE holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GoTalk® NOW LITE has 15 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of GoTalk® NOW LITE's written reviews are positive against 0% of Scanmarker Reader's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GoTalk® NOW LITE ships an update every 5 weeks, Scanmarker Reader every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
GoTalk® NOW LITE versus Scanmarker Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGoTalk® NOW LITEScanmarker Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (15 ratings) — better3.3 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews52.6% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings15 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size231 MB70 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAttainment CompanyTopscan ltd.

Customer experience

GoTalk® NOW LITE

All ratings15 ratings
Positive73.3%
Neutral6.7%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive52.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative47.4%

Scanmarker Reader

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

20 purchases

GoTalk® NOW LITE

One-time20
  • Kenny$0.99
  • Nelly$0.99
  • Ryan$0.99
Show 17 more
  • Tracy$0.99
  • Will$0.99
  • Rod$0.99
  • Lizzie$0.99
  • Tiana$0.99
  • Owen$0.99
  • Rodrigo$0.99
  • Malik$0.99
  • Ella$11.99
  • Josh$11.99
  • Ready-Set-Communicate$19.99
  • Talk All Day$19.99
  • SymbolStix$49.99
  • English (US) Keywords$59.99
  • AAC2go (Girl 3-10)$79.99
  • AAC2go (Boy 3-10)$79.99
  • Upgrade to GoTalk NOW Features$119.99
None

Scanmarker Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is GoTalk® NOW LITE free?
GoTalk® NOW LITE is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Scanmarker Reader free?
Scanmarker Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, GoTalk® NOW LITE or Scanmarker Reader?
GoTalk® NOW LITE is rated higher. GoTalk® NOW LITE averages 4.1 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Scanmarker Reader averages 3.3 from 3 ratings.
Do GoTalk® NOW LITE or Scanmarker Reader have ads?
Neither GoTalk® NOW LITE nor Scanmarker Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GoTalk® NOW LITE or Scanmarker Reader?
GoTalk® NOW LITE ships an update every 5 weeks, and Scanmarker Reader every 5 months. Most recently, GoTalk® NOW LITE was updated on September 9, 2026 and Scanmarker Reader on September 8, 2026.

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