# Speech Central vs Synthy

The clearest difference is rating: Speech Central at 4.6 against Synthy's 4.2. Speech Central also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly) and ratings volume (1.6K vs 384). Synthy's advantage is review sentiment (81% vs 69%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Speech Central sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Synthy sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 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 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.6K and 384 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 69% of Speech Central's written reviews are positive against 81% of Synthy's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Speech Central ships an update every 9 days, Synthy monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Speech Central | Synthy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/speech-central-voice-reader/id1127349155/reviews)** | [4.2 (384 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/synthy-read-aloud-doc-and-scan/id1579863833/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.6K** | 384 |
| Positive reviews | 69.3% of reviews | **81.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 34 MB | 213 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Labsii](https://appshunter.io/developer/1127349154) | [Dating onlain, ooo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1503663142) |

## What reviewers say

### Speech Central

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/speech-central-voice-reader/id1127349155)

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:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Speech Central Pro | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Life-saving app
- 👍 Nice app
- 👍 Great app
- 👍 Affordable and full-featured
- 👍 Excellent app for accessibility

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Not great
- 🐛 Trash
- 🐛 Robotic voices
- 🐛 Terrible voices
- 🐛 Buggy

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- Add more natural-sounding voices
- Improve chapter/section navigation
- Allow custom pronunciation of words
- Add support for more languages
- Integrate with Bookshare library


### Synthy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/synthy-read-aloud-doc-and-scan/id1579863833)

Transform documents, books, and web content into audio with advanced text-to-speech technology. Scan physical documents or import digital files and listen to them read aloud with natural-sounding AI voices. Adjust playback speed and enjoy background listening for a seamless audio experience.

**Highlights:** Scan and read documents, Text to speech with AI voices, Adjustable reading speed, Import files and web links, Background listening mode, Type and listen functionality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Synthy Scan & Read Premium | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Endless Listening with Synthy | $5.99 | per month |
| Endless Listening with Synthy | $9.99 | per month |
| Endless Listening with Synthy | $12.99 | per month |
| Three months | $34.99 | per 3 months |
| 6 month premium | $49.99 | per 6 months |
| Synthy Premium | $79.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Convenient text-to-speech
- 🚀 Efficient scanning and conversion
- 🔊 Natural-sounding voices
- 🔍 Versatile content support
- 🔧 Customizable reading experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and freezes
- 💰 Subscription-based model
- 🔌 Inconsistent performance
- 📚 Limited free content access
- 🤖 Occasional mispronunciations

**Reported bugs**

- Scanning issues with page breaks
- Playback pauses at paragraph ends
- Inconsistent text recognition
- Subscription cancellation problems

**Requested features**

- Highlight and annotate text
- Background playback with screen lock
- More language and voice options
- Improved OCR accuracy
- Easier file management and organization


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Speech Central free?

Speech Central is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Synthy free?

Synthy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Speech Central or Synthy?

Speech Central is rated higher. Speech Central averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Synthy averages 4.2 from 384 ratings.

### Do Speech Central or Synthy have ads?

Neither Speech Central nor Synthy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Speech Central or Synthy?

Speech Central ships an update every 9 days, and Synthy monthly. Most recently, Speech Central was updated on October 18, 2026 and Synthy on October 15, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*