Comparison

RFCReader Pro vs SimplyRead

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

Head to head
About

RFCReader Pro

Access and read technical internet standards documents efficiently. Features include keyword search, bookmarking, text styling, and offline reading. Supports PDF and HTML formats with navigation aids.

Highlights
  • List all RFC documents
  • Search RFC by keywords or number
  • Add RFC to favorites
  • Mark and style text
  • Offline RFC reading
  • Read RFC in PDF and HTML formats
  • Navigate via Table of Contents and thumbnails
Features
Read full description

Requests for Comments (RFC) document series contain technical and organizational notes about the Internet. RFC Reader Pro is a tool which can provide user a more efficient way to read the RFC documents. Features for RFC Reader Pro are: 1. List all RFC documents 2. Search RFC File by Keywords or RFC number 3. Add to favorite for the interested RFC 4. Support marking text with color 5. Support adding Bold, Itatic and Underline styles to RFC text 6. Support changing default Font name and Font size for RFC text reading 7. Support fast navigating to last reading position and can go back and forward several times 8. Support fast navigating with Table Of Contents (TOC) 9. Offline RFC reading: Once you read it once, it will be cached locally 10. Save your changes to the document in Document folder 11.Support both Landscape and Portrait reading mode on all supported devices. 12. Support cleaning up cached files Version 1.1.0 13. Support iOS 9 Version 1.3.0 14. Add 'Search' feature: user can search by keyword in the reading page and can navigate the RFC page by the list of results Version 3.0.1 1. Support read RFC in PDF format 2. Support searching RFC content when reading in PDF format 3. Support navigate RFC content through Table Of Content when reading in PDF format 4. Support navigate RFC content through PDF thumbnail 5. Support view RFC content in thumbnail grid view 6. Support read RFC in HTML format 7. Support navigate back and forth when reading in HTML format 8.Support navigate through Table Of Content when reading in HTML format for some RFCs 9. Support add to favorite RFC list when reading both in PDF format and HTML format 10. Update RFC database to support up to RFC9083

About

SimplyRead

Transform any text file into an audiobook using natural-sounding voices. Organize your library with folders, import files, and edit text directly within the app. Securely back up your collection with iCloud.

Highlights
  • Text-to-audiobook conversion
  • Natural voice reading
  • Adjustable speech rate
  • Integrated book search and download
  • Smart library with folders
  • Built-in text editor
  • iCloud Drive backup
Features
Read full description

A book you can read — and listen to. SimplyRead opens your TXT, EPUB and Markdown files as real books, with covers, chapters and a page worth reading, then reads them aloud in natural iOS voices whenever you would rather listen. READ - A reading page set in a proper serif, with five paper themes that follow your phone's Light or Dark mode - Page by page, or one continuous scroll — whichever you prefer - Chapters found automatically, including Chinese numeral titles, with a panel to jump anywhere in the book - Bookmarks, find-in-book with highlighted matches, and a Continue Reading card that puts you back where you stopped - Every mark and label scales with your text size LISTEN - High-quality iOS system voices, at a speed you set - The sentence being spoken is highlighted, and the page follows along - Sleep timer, plus Lock Screen, Control Center and CarPlay controls — keep listening with the screen off BUILD YOUR LIBRARY - Import from the Files app, create a file straight from your clipboard, or download from a URL and watch it arrive - Built-in search to find and download books directly to your shelf - Folders to keep a long shelf tidy EDIT AND KEEP - A built-in editor with Find & Replace and a Fix New Lines tool for text files that arrived badly wrapped - iCloud Drive backup and restore for the whole library, reading positions included FREE AND PRO Your own files, the entire reader, themes, chapters, bookmarks and backup are unlimited and free. Pro lifts the daily listening allowance and the download limit.

Screenshots

RFCReader Pro4 screens
SimplyRead4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: SimplyRead at Free against RFCReader Pro's $1.99. SimplyRead also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). RFCReader Pro's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). On ads, monetization model and device support 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

SimplyRead is free to download; RFCReader Pro costs $1.99 up front. SimplyRead sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. RFCReader Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RFCReader Pro ships an update every 3 months, SimplyRead weekly. Both last shipped on September 15, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
RFCReader Pro versus SimplyRead: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRFCReader ProSimplyRead
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB141 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer飞 龙阳 张

Customer experience

RFCReader Pro

Written reviews8 reviews
Positive62.5%
Neutral25.0%
Negative12.5%

SimplyRead

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

RFCReader Pro

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

SimplyRead

One-time1
  • Pro User$0.99

Questions

Is RFCReader Pro free?
RFCReader Pro costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is SimplyRead free?
SimplyRead is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do RFCReader Pro or SimplyRead have ads?
Neither RFCReader Pro nor SimplyRead shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RFCReader Pro or SimplyRead?
RFCReader Pro ships an update every 3 months, and SimplyRead weekly. Most recently, RFCReader Pro was updated on September 15, 2026 and SimplyRead on September 15, 2026.

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