Passages for Readers vs Speed Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Passages for Readers
This app helps you retain information from books by surfacing your saved highlights daily. It integrates with various apps and devices, offering widgets, notifications, and text-to-speech for easy review. Organize and search your quotes, and even discover curated recommendations.
- Daily passage surfacing
- Capture from any app
- Home and lock screen widgets
- Apple Watch app and complications
- CarPlay dashboard widget
- Text-to-speech for quotes
- iCloud sync across devices
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Remember what you read. Apply what you learn. You invest hours in every book. But how much do you actually remember a month later? Passages is a quote journal that turns your best highlights into a daily practice — surfacing one passage per day across your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. No effort required. Just live with your best ideas. THE PROBLEM Most readers forget what they read within weeks. Notes collect dust. Highlights go unreviewed. When the moment comes to apply hard-won knowledge, the information isn't top of mind. THE SOLUTION Passages closes the gap between reading and doing. Save your most important quotes and Passages keeps them in front of you — on your home screen, lock screen, wrist, keyboard, and even your car dashboard. CAPTURE FROM ANYWHERE - Save quotes from Safari, Kindle, Apple Books, or any app using the Share Extension - Paste from clipboard with one tap - Attach source URLs, publication names, and personal notes to every passage YOUR QUOTES, EVERYWHERE - Home screen widgets (small, medium, and large) - Lock screen widgets for a glance without unlocking - Apple Watch app and complications - CarPlay dashboard widget - Custom keyboard — insert today's quote into any conversation - Daily push notification with your Passage of the Day DAILY REINFORCEMENT A new Passage of the Day is chosen each morning and appears across every surface. It's the easiest way to revisit what you've read and keep your most important ideas top of mind. SYNCED ACROSS ALL YOUR DEVICES iCloud keeps your entire library in sync across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. Add a quote on your phone and it appears on your Mac instantly. No account to create — just your Apple ID. POWERFUL ORGANIZATION - Full-text search across your entire library - Six sort options: by date added, last viewed, or author - Rich metadata: author, publication, personal notes, source URL - Export and import your full database as JSON CURATED RECOMMENDATIONS Discover hand-picked passages from great books. Save them to your personal library with one tap. PRIVACY FIRST Your quotes live in your private iCloud database. No third-party servers. No analytics. No account required beyond your Apple ID. Your reading life stays yours. You become the average of the people you spend the most time with. Passages lets you spend more time with the people you most admire. Download now and get the most from your books.
Speed Reader
Boost your reading speed and comprehension with scientifically proven techniques. This app offers multiple reading modes, supports various document formats including PDFs and ebooks, and uses AI for instant summaries. Customize your experience for optimal visual comfort and track your progress.
- Multiple speed reading modes (Focus, RSVP, Anchor, Highlight, Chunking)
- Universal document support (PDF, EPUB, DOCX, PPTX, Web Articles)
- Built-in OCR for image and scan conversion
- AI-powered instant summaries
- Customizable visual comfort (Dark Mode, OpenDyslexic font)
- Adjustable WPM settings
- Progress tracking and achievements
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Read faster, comprehend more, and save hours every week with ZipWeasel. We combine scientifically proven speed reading technology with custom accessibility tools to help you boost your WPM (Words Per Minute) without sacrificing comprehension. FIVE POWERFUL READING MODES Find the perfect setting for your brain: Focus Mode (Advanced RSVP) The ultimate speed tool. This mode centers every word on a specific "recognition point" (usually the middle letter). By keeping your eye completely still, you eliminate saccadic eye movements and can triple your reading speed instantly. RSVP Mode (Rapid Serial Visual Presentation) A simpler alternative to Focus Mode. This flashes words one by one in the center of the screen without the specific letter alignment. Perfect for users who find the advanced centering too intense but still want high speed. Anchor Mode (Deep Focus) A game-changer for ADHD and Dyslexia. We smartly bold the beginning of every word to guide your eye through the text block. This artificial fixation point prevents lines from blurring together and keeps you in the flow. Highlight Mode (Visual Pacer) Like a digital finger guiding you across the page. This mode highlights text one word at a time as you read, keeping you on track and preventing regression (re-reading lines) without removing the surrounding context. Chunking Mode (Context Reader) Highlights groups of words (2-4 words) at a time. This offers the best balance between speed and context, allowing you to absorb complex phrases naturally. UNIVERSAL DOCUMENT SUPPORT Don't get stuck with an app that only opens plain text. ZipWeasel handles your real-world workflow with zero friction: PDFs & Office Docs: Full support for professional formats including PDF, DOCX, and PPTX. eBooks: Native EPUB reader support for your digital library. Web Articles: Paste any URL to instantly convert cluttered websites into clean, speed-readable text. Images & Scans: Built-in OCR converts photos of textbooks or physical papers into digital text instantly. AI-POWERED INTELLIGENCE Instant Summaries: Short on time? Let our AI extract key points and generate concise summaries of long documents in seconds. CUSTOMIZE YOUR EXPERIENCE Visual Comfort: Full Dark Mode, OpenDyslexic font support, and adjustable text sizing to reduce eye strain. Speed Control: Fully adjustable WPM settings to match your reading level. Smart Navigation: Search within docs, bookmark key sections, and resume exactly where you left off. Track Your Growth: Visualize your progress with interactive charts and earn achievements as you improve. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Passages for Readers at none against Speed Reader's 4. Speed Reader's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 26.0). On price, ads 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
Both are free to download. Speed Reader sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Passages for Readers asks for nothing beyond the download.
Passages for Readers ships an update every 5 months, Speed Reader weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Passages for Readers | Speed Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | — | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 29 MB | 100 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Moving Average Inc. | 4vor4 UG |
Customer experience
Passages for Readers
Speed Reader
In-app purchases
Passages for Readers
No in-app purchases
Speed Reader
- Weekly ZipWeasel Pro Subscription$2.997 Days
- Monthly ZipWeasel Subscription$5.991 Month
- Annual ZipWeasel Pro Subscription$29.991 Year
- Lifetime ZipWeasel Pro Subscription$59.99
Questions
Is Passages for Readers free?
Is Speed Reader free?
Do Passages for Readers or Speed Reader have ads?
Which is updated more often, Passages for Readers or Speed Reader?
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