Plans and slot limits

SpeakAnyWay has three plan tiers. The most common question we get is "what happens when I run out of communicator slots?" — that's covered at the bottom.

What each plan includes

What "slot" means

A communicator slot is one full communicator on your account — name, voice, boards, and a sign-in.

• A full communicator uses one slot.
• A sandbox communicator is a separate, no-sign-in slot. Free includes 1 (a try-it space), and Pro includes 10; Basic doesn't include sandboxes. Use one to plan boards before lending the account to a family, or just to experiment.
• Once you lend a sandbox out, it becomes a full communicator and uses one of your sign-in slots.

What counts as a board

A board is one page of tiles. The board count on your plan is the total number of those pages on your account.

• One page of tiles = one board. However many tiles are on it, and whatever size the grid is.
• Pages you make yourself count individually. If you build a five-page set by hand, that's five boards.
• Sets from the board builder are the exception. When the board builder generates a whole linked set for you, the set counts once against your board sets allowance and its pages don't use board slots at all — you asked for one thing, so it costs one thing.
• Preset and public-library boards don't count until you copy one onto your account. The copy is yours, so it counts; the original never did.

What happens when you hit your slot limit

When all your sign-in slots are full and you try to create another, you'll see an error explaining you've hit your plan limit. You won't lose what you have — you just can't add another full communicator until something changes.

You have a few options:

• Upgrade your plan. New slots open up immediately, and any sandbox can be promoted to a full communicator.
• End a loan. If you're an SLP with a loaner that's no longer in use, ending the loan frees up that slot.
• Use your sandbox. Sandboxes don't count against your sign-in slots. If you just need to plan boards, a sandbox is fine indefinitely.
• Archive a communicator. Sandboxes and full communicators you own can both be archived — archiving a full communicator frees up its slot. A communicator that's out on loan can't be archived until the loan is ended, and unarchiving needs a free slot to land in.

What happens to extra communicators when you downgrade

If you move to a plan with fewer slots than you're using (for example Pro → Basic), nothing is deleted — every communicator, its boards, and its public MySpeak page stay exactly as they are.

The only thing that changes is private sign-in. Your plan covers a set number of signed-in communicators, so any beyond that number have their private passcode sign-in paused. They still work through their public MySpeak page (boards, audio, everything a communicator needs day-to-day), so a child is never cut off mid-use.

You choose which ones stay signed in. On the Communicators page you'll see a short "choose which communicators stay signed in" panel whenever you're over your limit. Pick the ones to keep — the rest pause private sign-in until you upgrade or free up a slot. Change your mind any time; it's just a toggle.

To bring a paused communicator back, upgrade your plan (or end a loan) to free up a slot — paused communicators restore automatically as room opens up.

A note for SLPs and educators

Pro plans get sandbox communicators specifically because the SLP workflow is:

1. Set up a sandbox for a client.
2. Pick boards, voices, settings while you're planning.
3. When the family is ready, lend the sandbox to them — it becomes a full communicator at handoff.

This means the slot only "counts" once the family is actively using it. You can have a workshop full of sandboxes in progress without using any of your slots.

What to expect

• You won't be locked out of the app when you hit your slot limit. You can still use, edit, and share every communicator you already have.
• Pick how you pay. Paid plans come in three flavors on the pricing page: monthly, yearly (Basic $80/yr, Pro $200/yr — about 17% off), or a pay-once 5-year license (Basic $199, Pro $499). A 5-year license isn't a subscription — there's nothing to renew or cancel, and your account shows "License through" your end date. To change plans on a license, contact support.
• You change plans in the app. On a paid plan, the upgrade or downgrade happens right on the pricing page — you'll see exactly what's due today before you confirm, with no trip to a separate billing portal. (The billing portal is still there for receipts and updating your card, and for switching back to Free.)
• Upgrading is instant. The moment the change goes through, your new slots are available and any sandbox can be promoted.
• Downgrading is a manual choice. If you move to a plan with fewer slots than you currently use, you'll be asked to pick what to do with the extras before the change goes through. Nothing is deleted automatically.

Common questions

• Can I see how many slots I'm using? Yes, on your Account page or at the top of the communicators page (look for "X of Y communicators").
• Do MySpeak pages use slots? No. The communicator uses a slot, but their MySpeak page is free regardless of plan.
• What if I just want to try a paid plan? Paid plans start with a 14-day trial, and you don't need a credit card to start it. When the trial ends, nothing happens automatically — you'll only be charged if you choose to subscribe.
• I'm an SLP, OT, or AT specialist — is there a clinician plan? Yes — SpeakAnyWay for Clinicians is a free account for verified clinicians: premium features unlocked, 100 boards, 2 loaner slots, and 400 AI credits a month. Apply at speakanyway.com/clinicians/apply.
• Are there discounts for schools or districts? Yes — school and district licenses are quoted directly. Email hello@speakanyway.com.
• Can I share one Pro account across my whole SLP practice? Yes, but each communicator on the account is visible to anyone signed in. If you need separate access per clinician, look at the team plan options or email us.