Comparison

Speech Central vs Text to Speech

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Natural sounding voices
  • 50+ male/female voices
  • 25+ languages
  • Read e-books aloud
  • Navigation voice output
  • Translation reading
Features
Read full description

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

Speech Central4 screens
Text to Speech3 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Speech Central versus Text to Speech: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpeech CentralText to Speech
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (1.6K ratings) — better4.4 (59 ratings)
Positive reviews69.3% of reviews — better25.7% of reviews
Number of ratings1.6K — better59
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB117 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLabsiiAleksei Metelkin

Customer experience

Speech Central

All ratings1,558 ratings
Positive90.4%
Neutral4.2%
Negative5.5%
Written reviews469 reviews
Positive69.3%
Neutral9.4%
Negative21.3%

Text to Speech

All ratings59 ratings
Positive86.4%
Neutral1.7%
Negative11.9%
Written reviews35 reviews
Positive25.7%
Neutral5.7%
Negative68.6%

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
Show 1 more
  • 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
Show 3 more
  • 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

1 purchases

Speech Central

One-time1
  • Speech Central Pro$9.99
4 purchases

Text to Speech

Subscriptions4
  • Weekly subscription3 Days trial$3.997 Days
  • Monthly subscription3 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription$9.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Yearly subscription3 Days trial$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Speech Central free?
Speech Central is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Text to Speech free?
Text to Speech is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Speech Central or Text to Speech?
Speech Central is rated higher. Speech Central averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Text to Speech averages 4.4 from 59 ratings.
Do Speech Central or Text to Speech have ads?
Text to Speech shows ads; Speech Central does not.
Which is updated more often, Speech Central or Text to Speech?
Speech Central ships an update every 9 days, and Text to Speech every 2 months. Most recently, Speech Central was updated on October 18, 2026 and Text to Speech on October 14, 2026.

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