# Speed Reading UpRead vs Rapid Reader

The clearest difference is rating: Rapid Reader at 5.0 against Speed Reading UpRead's 4.2. Rapid Reader also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). Speed Reading UpRead's advantage is ratings volume (116 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Speed Reading UpRead sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days and Rapid Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Rapid Reader holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Speed Reading UpRead has 116 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Speed Reading UpRead ships an update every 2 months, Rapid Reader every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Speed Reading UpRead | Rapid Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (116 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/speed-reading-upread/id1454094961/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rapid-reader-word-by-word/id6757988217/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **116** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 33 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alain caltieri](https://appshunter.io/developer/1440005367) | [VoiceBeam GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1501369990) |

## What reviewers say

### Speed Reading UpRead

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/speed-reading-upread/id1454094961)

Enhance your reading speed and comprehension with a science-backed approach. Effortlessly process web articles, PDFs, and documents at an accelerated pace. Customize your reading experience with adjustable speed, fonts, and colors for improved productivity and time savings.

**Highlights:** Read faster without special training, Reduce reading effort, Read web articles and documents, Save content for offline reading, Customize reading speed, font, and color

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Speed reading, weekly | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Speed reading, monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| UpRead Speed Reading Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Speed reading, yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Speed reading, lifetime | $54.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Increases reading speed significantly
- 👍 Easy UI and useful tool
- 👍 Well-designed app
- 👍 Good for reading articles online
- 👍 Syncs content easily

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Freezes on intro page
- 🐛 Doesn't display PDF text
- 🐛 Asks for purchase immediately
- 🐛 Lacks built-in content
- 🐛 Difficult to operate

**Reported bugs**

- Froze on intro page
- Did not display text from imported PDF
- Asks for purchase on start screen
- Lifetime subscription not available in app
- Importing limited to documents without images or chapters

**Requested features**

- Add ability to read more than one word at a time
- Option to include articles (a, an, the) and punctuation
- Ability to upload books
- Search feature within text
- Pause reading stream by pressing and holding


### Rapid Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rapid-reader-word-by-word/id6757988217)

Enhance your reading speed and focus with a unique RSVP method. Words are presented one at a time to minimize eye movement and improve concentration. Build a consistent reading habit with customizable settings and a distraction-free interface.

**Highlights:** RSVP word presentation, Adjustable reading speed (200-500+ WPM), Fixed focus point with highlighted letter, Customizable fixation color and font size, Minimalist interface for deep focus, Dark mode support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Rapid Reader Pro Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Rapid Reader Pro Yearly | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Speed Reading UpRead free?

Speed Reading UpRead is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Rapid Reader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Speed Reading UpRead or Rapid Reader?

Rapid Reader is rated higher. Speed Reading UpRead averages 4.2 out of 5 from 116 ratings, while Rapid Reader averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Speed Reading UpRead or Rapid Reader have ads?

Neither Speed Reading UpRead nor Rapid Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Speed Reading UpRead or Rapid Reader?

Speed Reading UpRead ships an update every 2 months, and Rapid Reader every 2 weeks. Most recently, Speed Reading UpRead was updated on November 8, 2026 and Rapid Reader on October 31, 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.*