Comparison

Speech Central vs Essay Writer

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 digital text into spoken word, supporting various document formats and offering customizable voices. It's designed for focused reading, productivity, and accessibility across Apple devices, with an optional one-time upgrade for unlimited use.

Highlights
  • Reads PDFs, ePubs, and web articles
  • Supports multiple document formats
  • Offline and cloud AI voices
  • Customizable reading experience
  • Syncs across Apple devices
  • 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

Essay Writer

This AI-powered reading and writing assistant helps you discover high-quality articles and improve yourself daily. It leverages advanced AI engines to process any input, enabling you to become the best version of yourself.

Highlights
  • AI reading chat engine
  • Access to high-quality articles
  • Self-improvement content
  • Listen to content on the go
  • Handles any input
  • Personalized self-improvement
Features
Read full description

AI Read is an extremely powerful artificial intelligence reading chat engine. You will be able to find many high quality articles and self-improvement writings and listen to them on the go. Powered by state-of-the-art artificial intelligence engines and chatbots This revolutionary app can handle any input you give to it. Use the power of AI to be a better version of yourself every day. Become the version you always wanted to be. Subscription service is required to use the app. Payment models for AI Read Subscription • AI Read Weekly: $3.99 per month, • AI Read Annually: $39.99 per year • Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. • Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current subscription period. • Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. • Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication. Terms of Use: https://hiappsco.wordpress.com/2022/05/11/procam-terms-of-use/ Privacy Policy: https://hiappsco.wordpress.com/2022/05/11/procam-privacy-policy%ef%bf%bc/

Screenshots

Speech Central4 screens
Essay Writer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Speech Central at 69% against Essay Writer's 0%. Speech Central also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and device support (4 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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 Essay Writer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Speech Central ships an update every 9 days, Essay Writer every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Speech Central versus Essay Writer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpeech CentralEssay Writer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (1.6K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews69.4% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1.6K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB70 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperLabsiiKaan Yildiz

Customer experience

Speech Central

All ratings1,565 ratings
Positive90.4%
Neutral4.2%
Negative5.4%
Written reviews470 reviews
Positive69.4%
Neutral9.4%
Negative21.3%

Essay Writer

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

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

Essay Writer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Speech Central

One-time1
  • Speech Central Pro$9.99
2 purchases

Essay Writer

Subscriptions2
  • Read AI Weekly Subscription$3.997 Days
  • Read AI Yearly Subscription3 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Speech Central free?
Speech Central is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Essay Writer free?
Essay Writer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Speech Central or Essay Writer have ads?
Neither Speech Central nor Essay Writer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Speech Central or Essay Writer?
Speech Central ships an update every 9 days, and Essay Writer every 2 weeks. Most recently, Speech Central was updated on November 6, 2026 and Essay Writer on November 4, 2026.

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