# Reader vs Text to Speech PDF Reader

The clearest difference is monetization model: Reader at free with in-app purchases against Text to Speech PDF Reader's subscription. Reader also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (56% vs 44%). Text to Speech PDF Reader's advantage is ratings volume (552 vs 3). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Text to Speech PDF Reader sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Reader holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Text to Speech PDF Reader has 552 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Reader's written reviews are positive against 44% of Text to Speech PDF Reader's.

Reader ships an update weekly, Text to Speech PDF Reader every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on August 14, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reader | Text to Speech PDF Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reader/id1179373118/reviews)** | [4.5 (552 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text-to-speech-pdf-reader/id1519637964/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **552** |
| Positive reviews | **55.6% of reviews** | 44.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 1 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Augmented Text Company LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/459748478) | [Bret Lester](https://appshunter.io/developer/917672169) |

## What reviewers say

### Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reader/id1179373118)

This app provides a distraction-free reading and annotation experience for PDF documents on iOS. Seamlessly sync your annotated files with your Mac for further editing and workflow integration via iCloud.

**Highlights:** Distraction-free reading, PDF annotation, iCloud sync with Mac, Companion to macOS app

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ask AI Subscription | $1.99 | one-time |


### Text to Speech PDF Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text-to-speech-pdf-reader/id1519637964)

Listen to your PDF documents with a variety of high-quality voices and languages. The app highlights words as it reads, automatically scrolls pages, and remembers your reading progress. Save and access specific text sections as highlights.

**Highlights:** Listen to PDF documents, Multiple high-quality voices and languages, Word highlighting and automatic scrolling, Resume reading from last position, Save and access text highlights, Crop feature to skip content, Sync documents across devices

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TTSPDF Unlimited Weekly | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| TTS PDF Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| Premium Weekly | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Weekly | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| TTS PDF Basic | $12.99 | per year |
| Premium Monthly | $29.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly | $29.99 | per month |
| Premium Annual | $119.99 | per year |
| Premium Annual | $119.99 | per year |
| 1 Million Characters | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and works
- 🚀 Saving my life
- 🚀 Fantastic app
- 🚀 Awesome app
- 🚀 Turns my PDFs to Audio Books

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Does not read alternate text
- 🐛 Not reading clear anymore
- 🐛 Rubbish
- 🐛 Garbage
- 🐛 Crashed every time I opened it

**Reported bugs**

- Skips paragraphs and double plays when pausing
- Erased files without consent
- Doesn't work with two-column text
- Reads text backwards
- Unable to copy/paste or open certain files

**Requested features**

- Add ability to read alternate text (alttext) in PDFs
- Improve voice quality and options
- Add ability to organize files in folders
- Add mobile-friendly version
- Improve handling of scanned/column PDFs


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Reader free?

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

### Is Text to Speech PDF Reader free?

Text to Speech PDF Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Reader or Text to Speech PDF Reader?

Reader is rated higher. Reader averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Text to Speech PDF Reader averages 4.5 from 552 ratings.

### Do Reader or Text to Speech PDF Reader have ads?

Neither Reader nor Text to Speech PDF Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Reader or Text to Speech PDF Reader?

Reader ships an update weekly, and Text to Speech PDF Reader every 10 days. Most recently, Reader was updated on August 14, 2026 and Text to Speech PDF Reader on September 23, 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.*