Speech Central vs Text to Speech
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Speech Central
This app transforms text from various documents and web pages into speech, offering a distraction-free reading experience. It supports numerous file formats and provides customizable voices, including offline and AI options. Designed for productivity and accessibility, it syncs across Apple devices and offers study tools.
- Optimized PDF & Web Reading
- Broad Document Support (PDF, EPUB, DOCX)
- Offline and Cloud AI Voices
- Cross-device Sync
- CarPlay & Apple Watch Support
- Accessibility Profiles
- Annotation and Export Tools
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Speech Central has been built for focused, serious reading since 2014. It works across PDFs, web articles, books, and documents. Designed for productivity and accessibility, it combines powerful controls, deep customization, and seamless integration across Apple devices. No subscription. A one-time upgrade unlocks unlimited use. Free access is available for blind users with VoiceOver and for schools deploying the app through Apple School Manager. READING WITHOUT DISTRACTIONS Optimized PDF & Web Reading • Accurate reading order and navigation • Optional cleanup to reduce distractions such as headers, footnotes, citations, and links • RSS support and easy sharing from Safari and other apps Broad Document Support • PDF (including scanned PDFs with two-column layout) • EPUB • Word (.docx) • PowerPoint (.pptx) • OpenOffice formats • HTML, TXT, RTF, Markdown, and more VOICES: OFFLINE AND CLOUD AI • Use high-quality Apple system voices offline • Supports compatible system-wide voices from third-party apps, including offline neural voices from Piper - Neural TTS and ToBe SAID (Pocket TTS) apps • Connect cloud AI voices (OpenAI-compatible APIs, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, xAI) using your own API keys • Proprietary enhancement layer improves realism and streaming playback • Optional AI summarization tools help you review content more efficiently BUILT FOR THE APPLE ECOSYSTEM • Sync reading position and playlists across iPhone, iPad, and Mac • CarPlay support for listening and control in your vehicle • Independent Apple Watch app — listen without your iPhone nearby • Optional Health integration to track mindful listening time ACCESSIBILITY FIRST • Dedicated profiles for ADHD, dyslexia, and low vision • Interface and reading behavior adapt for reduced distraction and improved comprehension • Fully accessible with VoiceOver STUDY & KNOWLEDGE TOOLS • Annotate while reading • Export annotated text to .docx • Export text to audio files for offline listening PRIVACY BY DESIGN • No ads • No tracking • No usage analytics WHO USES SPEECH CENTRAL • Students and researchers • Professionals converting reading into listening time • Users who rely on assistive reading tools • Anyone who prefers distraction-reduced, hands-free reading Notes: - Free version limited by the number of daily articles; unlimited access available with Pro upgrade. - Some features require the latest OS version. - License is valid only on iOS/watchOS; separate licenses required for other platforms. - DRM-protected books (e.g. Kindle) are incompatible. - AI features may occasionally perform unexpectedly.
Text to Speech
This app converts text into natural-sounding speech using a variety of voices and languages. It can read aloud content from e-books, navigation apps, translations, and more, enhancing accessibility and convenience.
- Natural sounding voices
- 50+ male/female voices
- 25+ languages
- Read e-books aloud
- Navigation voice output
- Translation reading
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Get the most natural sounding voices for messages, navigation directions, translations, and more. Classic Text To Speech Engine, in combination with our 50+ male/female voices portfolio of 25+ languages, allows you to read aloud texts from your e-book, navigation, translation and other apps. About Subscription The app contains weekly subscription at price $3.99. • Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase • Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period • The account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable • Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase Terms of Use: https://sites.google.com/view/alexapps/terms-of-use Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/view/alexapps/privacy-policy
Screenshots
Verdict
Speech Central and Text to Speech both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 69% of Speech Central's written reviews are positive against 26% of Text to Speech's. Speech Central also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ads (none vs shown). Text to Speech's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, in-app purchases 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. Speech Central sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Text to Speech sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Speech Central holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Speech Central has 1.6K ratings behind it against 59, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Speech Central's written reviews are positive against 26% of Text to Speech's.
Speech Central ships an update every 9 days, Text to Speech every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Speech Central | Text to Speech |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (1.6K ratings) — better | 4.4 (59 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 69.3% of reviews — better | 25.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.6K — better | 59 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 34 MB | 117 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Labsii | Aleksei Metelkin |
Customer experience
Speech Central
Text to Speech
Bugs and requests
Speech Central
Reported bugs
6 issues- Crashes when changing advanced settings
- Inconsistent behavior when importing documents
- Fails to recognize some file formats
- Playback issues with high-speed mode
- Repeating chapters unexpectedly
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- Scrolling issues with long documents
Requested features
8 requests- Add more natural-sounding voices
- Improve chapter/section navigation
- Allow custom pronunciation of words
- Add support for more languages
- Integrate with Bookshare library
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- Improve PDF formatting and layout
- Add more customization options
- Improve sync between devices
Text to Speech
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Speech Central
- Speech Central Pro$9.99
Text to Speech
- Weekly subscription3 Days trial$3.997 Days
- Monthly subscription3 Days trial$4.991 Month
- Yearly Subscription$9.991 Year
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- Yearly subscription3 Days trial$19.991 Year
Questions
Is Speech Central free?
Is Text to Speech free?
Which has better reviews, Speech Central or Text to Speech?
Do Speech Central or Text to Speech have ads?
Which is updated more often, Speech Central or Text to Speech?
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