Speech Central vs Slate Reminders
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.
Slate Reminders
This app simplifies reminder creation by processing natural language input. It leverages your device's local AI to set tasks, and offers integration with live activities, widgets, and the dynamic island for easy access.
- Natural language reminder creation
- Local AI processing
- Live Activities support
- Widget integration
- Dynamic Island compatibility
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Slate is a reminders app designed to make creating reminders easier. Instead of manually adding in every detail, slate processes your language and creates the reminder for you using your Apple device's local foundation model. Use live activities, widgets, and the dynamic island to keep tabs on your to-dos.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Slate Reminders at none against Speech Central's 1. Slate Reminders also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 69%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Speech Central's advantage is ratings volume (1.6K vs 3) and device support (4 vs 2). On price and ads 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. Slate Reminders asks for nothing beyond the download.
Slate Reminders 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: 69% of Speech Central's written reviews are positive against 100% of Slate Reminders's.
| Parameter | Speech Central | Slate Reminders |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (1.6K ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 69.3% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1.6K — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 34 MB | 81 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Labsii | Richard Oti |
Customer experience
Speech Central
Slate Reminders
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
Slate Reminders
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Speech Central
- Speech Central Pro$9.99
Slate Reminders
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Speech Central free?
Is Slate Reminders free?
Which has better reviews, Speech Central or Slate Reminders?
Do Speech Central or Slate Reminders have ads?
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