Comparison

Speech Central vs Screen Pencil

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

Screen Pencil

Record videos of websites while simultaneously taking notes with your finger. Capture audio using the built-in or external microphone for comprehensive documentation.

Highlights
  • Website video recording
  • Finger-drawn note-taking
  • Audio recording (internal/external mic)
  • Productivity tool
Read full description

Record a video of a website while taking notes with your finger, with the option to record audio with the built in mic or external mic.

Screenshots

Speech Central4 screens
Screen Pencil3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Screen Pencil at none against Speech Central's 1. Screen Pencil also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 70%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Speech Central's advantage is ratings volume (1.6K vs 3) and device support (4 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and iOS requirement 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. Screen Pencil asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Screen Pencil holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Speech Central has 1.6K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Speech Central's written reviews are positive against 100% of Screen Pencil's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Speech Central ships an update weekly, Screen Pencil every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and June 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Speech Central versus Screen Pencil: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpeech CentralScreen Pencil
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (1.6K ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews69.6% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.6K — better3
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 8 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB0 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperLabsiiDAE J MYUNG

Customer experience

Speech Central

All ratings1,552 ratings
Positive90.3%
Neutral4.3%
Negative5.4%
Written reviews467 reviews
Positive69.6%
Neutral9.4%
Negative21.0%

Screen Pencil

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Screen Pencil

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Speech Central

One-time1
  • Speech Central Pro$9.99
None

Screen Pencil

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Speech Central free?
Speech Central is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Screen Pencil free?
Screen Pencil is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Speech Central or Screen Pencil?
Screen Pencil is rated higher. Speech Central averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Screen Pencil averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Speech Central or Screen Pencil have ads?
Neither Speech Central nor Screen Pencil shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Speech Central or Screen Pencil?
Speech Central ships an update weekly, and Screen Pencil every 8 days. Most recently, Speech Central was updated on September 24, 2026 and Screen Pencil on June 11, 2026.

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