Niki Talk vs Sayella

Niki Talk is an augmentative and alternative communication app intended to help children with autism or disabilities that impair communication. With Niki Talk Designer, users can create custom boards and add pictograms and photos to a personalized album. Designer generates speech through text-to-speech in 31 languages, and the purchase page lists 70 voices. The Trial version lasts 30 days and limits an album to 30 pictures. The Full version costs €4,900, paid once and provides unlimited album pictures and access that never expires. Both plans list one user and unlimited downloads on iPad, iPhone, and Android. The app is also listed for Kindle; Designer can be used on PC, Mac, and iPad. To use an album on a device, users configure it with the same ID and password as Designer and enable album downloads. The maker says its apps do not collect or transmit personal or location data, use analytics, or include advertising. A separate app, Niki Agenda, supports daily or weekly scheduling, activity symbols, customizable pictograms, and token-based rewards.

Sayella is an AAC communication app for nonverbal and minimally verbal children and adults. It turns pictures and words into spoken messages, with speech available offline on iPhone and iPad. Its customizable boards use a research-based core vocabulary, fixed button positions, and selectable board sizes. The app supports touch, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. Boards can be imported and exported in Open Board Format, including.obf and.obz files. Users can generate symbols from words or photos; free accounts include two generations, while paid plans allow unlimited generations. Sayella says AI requests go through Vercel AI Gateway to Google's Imagen and Gemini image models. It states that synced board data is encrypted, analytics do not receive AAC content, and personal data is not sold. Free costs nothing, billed forever, for one child and one device. Monthly costs £7.99 a month, Yearly costs £59 a year, and Lifetime costs £189, paid once. The download page lists Android and browser access as coming soon.