Speech Assistant AAC vs Spoken

Speech Assistant AAC is a text-to-speech communication app for people with speech impairments, including people with aphasia, MND/ALS or autism. It can speak typed text or saved phrases, display a message in large full-screen type, and flip text for someone opposite the user. Phrases can be organized into categories and subcategories, with buttons that include photos or symbols from a set of 3,400 Mulberry symbols. The Android basic version is free; its full-version upgrade costs $9.99 as a one-time purchase, with no subscription. Listed upgrade features include unlimited categories, up to 250 phrases per category, backups and restore, colors, symbols, history, multiple conversations, voice recordings and user profiles. On iOS, voice options include iOS voices, Apple Personal Voice, recorded speech and ElevenLabs voices. The iOS app supports backups through iCloud, Mail or AirDrop. The app is available on Android, iOS and macOS; the iOS version also supports iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Macs with Apple silicon. The Android version cannot be used during phone calls.

Spoken is an augmentative and alternative communication app for people who cannot use speech because of nonverbal autism, aphasia, stroke, or other speech and language disorders. Users compose messages on a mobile device, and the app reads them aloud with text-to-speech. It predicts words and can offer suggestions that adapt to a user’s communication. Access methods include touch, typing, handwriting, drawing, eye tracking, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. The free base version includes an attention button, large text display, large print mode, dark mode, and phrase sharing. Premium adds saved phrases, customizable lifelike voices, and a quiz that tailors suggestions to familiar people, pets, and places. Spoken runs on iOS and iPadOS 11 or later, Android 5.1 or later, and Apple Silicon Macs. Internet access is needed for all features, though limited functions work offline. The automatic Premium trial lasts around 600 words. The base app remains available afterward; Premium costs $12.99 a month, $99 a year, or $249, paid once website purchase.