# Speechify – Text to Speech PDF — user reviews > 5,642 indexed App Store user reviews of Speechify by Speechify Inc., rated 4.70/5 from 515,593 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/speechify-text-to-speech-pdf/id1209815023/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/speechify-text-to-speech-pdf/id1209815023.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 427,134 · 4★ 46,450 · 3★ 17,781 · 2★ 5,891 · 1★ 18,337 ## What do users think of Speechify? Overall sentiment: mixed **Pros** - 🚀 Efficient text-to-speech - 👍 Diverse voice options - 🤖 Realistic AI narration - 💡 Helpful for dyslexic/ADHD users - 🤓 Improved reading comprehension - ⏱️ Saves time reading - 📚 Convenient for studying/multitasking **Cons** - 💰 Expensive subscription - 🔇 Inconsistent voice quality - 🐛 Frequent bugs and glitches - 🔀 Unreliable page navigation - 🚫 Restrictive word limits on premium voices - 🤖 Robotic standard voices - 💤 Distracting ads and upsells **Commonly reported bugs** - Frequent app crashes - Text syncing issues - Incorrect word pronunciations - Inconsistent highlighting/pacing - Unexpected voice switches **Most requested features** - Ability to edit/annotate text - Improved PDF/document handling - More affordable subscription options - Seamless integration with ebooks/websites - Automatic removal of citations/formatting - Expanded language support ## Newest reviews (10 of 5,642) ### 2/5 — Not what I expected *2026-08-25, version 5.5.6* It isn’t useful for me and I can’t find the option to cancel the subscription. ### 4/5 — App is great but ads are misleading *2026-08-25, version 5.5.6* This app is great but don’t think for a moment if you lay your phone on a book that it’ll read you the book. Nope, it won’t. Other aspects of the app are great though ### 2/5 — Please stop selling to people who have bought the product *2026-08-24, version 5.5.6* I just needed to log in to the app on my iPad to listen to my syllabus and the fact that I had to go through the whole “set up” process again was unnecessary. I’m still using the product because I’ve already paid for it but PLEASE just add a “login” button to the first page so I don’t have to do this for every device ### 2/5 — New update has decreased functionality while increasing problems *2026-08-24, version 5.5.6* The most recent update to the platform has led to more crashes, visual errors, and increased time wasted waiting for the text to load. I’m entering my third year using the product and have grown used to how to avoid potential issues on the app. However the recent update has made use significantly more difficult. I can only upload 6 photos before the app crashes, it takes longer for the app to load, and the photos fail to load when in reading mode making it difficult to follow along. I believe in the product and considered upgrading to the paid version but not am considering other options. For me to stay, I would need to see fixes made instead of new products. ### 1/5 — Garbage app takes 10 minutes to onboard and has 0 free options *2026-08-23, version 5.5.6* Takes 10 minutes to onboard for no reason. Free version only lets you listen to the most disturbing AI voice known to man. Definitely paid for App Store reviews ### 1/5 — Bait and switch *2026-08-23, version 5.5.6* • Books are cut off around chapter 3 • Many books actually require additional separate purchases, from $1.99 up to $34.99 each • I was told afterward that the $24.99 purchase only works on phone, not laptop — this was never stated anywhere in the ad • The default voice is a fast, robotic text-to-speech; better voices require a separate $150/year subscription None of this is disclosed upfront. You pay for “lifetime unlimited access” and get a fraction of what’s promised, with more paywalls waiting behind it. Screenshot of the original ad available on request. Buyer beware. ### 1/5 — Do not use this app *2026-08-23, version 5.5.6* I got this app hoping it would do what I need but it would. I canceled under the trial period through my Apple subscriptions. 2 or 3 days later they try to hit my card for $138. I contacted speechify via chat. I gave them screen shots of my cancellation. Speechify has again 2 more times tried to hit my card for $138z I’m now for the second time going to contact speechify to stop trying to charge me after I have canceled. This is so wrong!!!! ### 2/5 — Very disappointed *2026-08-23, version 5.5.6* I’m extremely disappointed with this application. First of all, the books that I already own, I’d have to buy again if I wanted Speechify to read them to me, without taking photos of the pages. The next thing that I am disappointed in is the fact that it’s almost IMPOSSIBLE to take photos of the pages! I have been trying to take a photo of the first page in my book for 20 minutes. First, it wouldn’t allow me take the photo. Then, when the page was green - which means it’s acceptable to take a photo - the button doesn’t freaking work! For how expensive this app. actually was, it’s EXTREMELY disappointing. ### 1/5 — Great concept, very iffy experience with the quality so far though. *2026-08-23, version 5.5.6* They don’t carry many books and even if you try to upload your own books to listen audibly it glitches and ends up being a bigger waste of time and headache than help. I had began uploading pages of a book (200+) to scan and listen to later and of course the app crashes mid process and didn’t even save any of my progress so I just wasted about an hour of my life with absolutely nothing to reap reading wise. Was a complete waste of time unfortunately…Definitely a bit disappointed and wish I could leave a more uplifting review, but this is my experience and others deserve to know so they hopefully don’t have the same experience I have had so far. ### 5/5 — Di *2026-08-23, version 5.5.6* So user friendly! ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Terrible onboarding *2026-08-25, version 5.5.6* This app has promise but I’ll never know. I couldn’t click a single button when downloading it. You have to listen to 20 mins of garbage and can’t even use the app. You MUST go through prompts or you can’t use it. ### 1/5 — Disappointed *2026-08-25, version 5.5.6* Was excited to try this and then discovered it did not integrate with Apple Books - or any of the other apps I use for books. This makes it completely unusable for me and now I’m trying to get a refund. ### 1/5 — Awful *2026-08-25, version 5.5.6* Just awful. Not user friendly at all. Can’t connect to Kindle books. Hard to find books and podcasts. I added the 100,000 library of books but it looks like there’s only about one hundred??? What a joke. ### 1/5 — Not as advertised *2026-08-25, version 5.5.6* I got this app because of a video showing them just scanning or taking a photo of a book cover, and then the app reads the book out loud. Found out that isn’t the case of course, it only reads the page photographed. Very disappointing ### 1/5 — Billed but no access to features *2026-08-24, version 5.5.6* I deleted my subscription, still got charged, thought oh well I guess I’ll just use it another month. But I don’t even have access to premium features despite them taking my money and Apple stating my subscription is still active until the 14th of next month. Apple denied refund and support also gave me the run around refusing to refund or restore access. I did every single step their “support team” told me and nothing fixed it and I’m not about to try renewing it again to just get charged a second time and possibly still not have access. Very disappointing. Be wary of this app. ### 1/5 — Painful *2026-08-24, version 5.5.6* It is terrible to work with if reading the Bible. ### 1/5 — Garbage *2026-08-24, version 5.5.6* The endless questions and into you can't skip is non starter. ### 1/5 — False Advertising *2026-08-24, version 5.5.6* I downloaded the app because I seen the commercials that were popping up, being able to snap a photo of the book and read the whole book in the voice of my choosing. I am an author, I own the book that I was testing with this app, with an actual purchase. Firstly, speechify did locate my book, but sadly, it’s unable to read it because it’s not a free book. The message say that it’s not in the free public domain, so it doesn’t have access to the full text, which means if ANY book is not free or has a free transcript, it cannot read it, period. The commercial clearly depicts that speechify can snap a photo you then toss your phone on top of the book, it locates the book, and then reads the whole book. False Advertising. ### 1/5 — Go back to when you cared about your customers more than money: *2026-08-24, version 5.5.6* PS: accessibility hack on iPhone for “spoken content” controller helps you read ANY text on your screen instantly; WITHOUT any paywall. 💁‍♀️✌️ NEW ‼️ review: I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW EXPENSIVE IT IS for a yearly plan. If it was for life, maybe it would be worth it. To not even change the rate to be faster than 1.1 without paying over a hundred bucks annually hurts my soul. I’m a student and it’s a travesty that they don’t have some type of educational discount or understanding. Rude and avaricious. Old review: I absolutely love this app. I’m very slow and ADD when I read, but reading along with the app’s voice helps so much. I feel like I can actually read long articles and understand them in a normal amount of time. It’s also great when I’m getting ready and unable to read traditionally, as it helps to give a refresher from whatever text to comprehend it better. For school, it has been great to submit my papers and find inconsistencies bc of how it sounds here compared with my own voice. I love the functionality, too. It’s so handy how you can submit text or pull straight from the internet, and the fact that it’s on the “share” menu on my phone is incredibly convenient. I accidentally purchased the free trial and then was charged the full year amount for the premium version of the app, and when I reached out to their customer service they were so understanding and gave me a refund right away. I do wish the premium wasn’t so expensive for the extra voices, but literally everything else about speechify has been more than useful thus far. Highly recommend!! ### 1/5 — Doesn’t work! *2026-08-24, version 5.5.6* The app looks very easy to use when you see their ad. Ince you download it and pay the extra amount to have access to 100k books (lifetime). You can choose the book, you can click on “read”, you can go to library, you can go on the search bar, you can go to any dam where you want, you won’t be able to play and listen to the book. Funny enough I had this same issue one time when I downloaded in the past, but I had forgotten about it. So I downloaded again. Very disappointed… ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Love This Ap *2026-08-25, version 5.5.6* Very User Friendly Ap ### 5/5 — Focused and ready *2026-08-25, version 5.5.6* I'm excited to use this app. I love reading but can't focus long enough to finish or know what I read. My grandson has a similar problem. I'm excited to see if it helps him too. Thank you ### 5/5 — Great *2026-08-25, version 5.5.6* Seems fun ### 5/5 — Speechify *2026-08-24, version 5.5.6* I have not fully started, but so far it looks really really good! ### 5/5 — Thanks god all mighty *2026-08-24, version 5.5.6* Al main ### 5/5 — 20 brain surgeries *2026-08-24, version 5.5.6* In 21 years. I read well, but my memory has suffered. I am hoping this helps me remember, as well as relaxing me. ### 5/5 — Espero funcione *2026-08-24, version 5.5.6* Me gusta la lectura y quiero mejorar ### 5/5 — Great app *2026-08-24, version 5.5.6* So, originally I had a few issues with this app skipping words and then going back to previous words. I contacted customer support and they were quick to reply. I also had a friend help me out with the app and it was all user error. I just didn’t give it enough time to load before I loaded a mass file and had the speed too fast at first. The only negative I have is I wish it was a tad longer than 2 day free trial so you can try it out for longer. I do, however, understand people can take advantage of it the longer it is so I get both sides. Anyways, top notch customer support. ### 5/5 — Speechify *2026-08-23, version 5.5.6* Just started, but love it for now ### 5/5 — App *2026-08-23, version 5.5.6* Best app ever takes under five minutes to set up --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-27.*