# NaturalReader vs SmartRead

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SmartRead at none against NaturalReader's 6. SmartRead also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and review sentiment (100% vs 71%). NaturalReader's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (9.2K vs 7). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. NaturalReader sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. SmartRead asks for nothing beyond the download.

SmartRead holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NaturalReader has 9.2K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of NaturalReader's written reviews are positive against 100% of SmartRead's.

NaturalReader ships an update every 3 weeks, SmartRead every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NaturalReader | SmartRead |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (9.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/naturalreader-text-to-speech/id1487572960/reviews) | **[5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartread-audio-for-driving/id6749583040/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **9.2K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 70.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#136** | — |
| Size | 67 MB | 532 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 18.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [NaturalSoft Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/598798213) | [Windpeak Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/1518556936) |

## What reviewers say

### NaturalReader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/naturalreader-text-to-speech/id1487572960)

**Currently charting:** #136 Top Grossing · Productivity (US App Store)

This app transforms text from various sources, including documents, web pages, and images, into natural-sounding spoken audio. It offers a wide selection of AI voices and languages, with features designed to enhance the listening experience and assist users with reading difficulties.

**Highlights:** Reads aloud PDFs, web articles, and cloud documents, OCR text recognition for images and camera scanner, Over 200 AI-powered voices in 99+ languages, Convert text to MP3 audio files, Dyslexia-friendly reading tools, Customizable voices, speeds, and display options

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Plan - Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Plus Plan - Monthly | $20.90 | per month |
| Pro Plan - Monthly | $25.90 | per month |
| Premium Plan - Yearly | $59.99 | per year |
| Plus Plan - Yearly | $119.00 | per year |
| Pro Plan - Yearly | $159.00 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app to save time
- 🚀 Helps with reading and comprehension
- 💡 Useful for dyslexic users
- 👍 Excellent text-to-speech quality
- 👍 Convenient for multitasking and studying

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription is considered expensive
- 🐛 Occasional mispronunciations and pausing issues
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with certain document formats
- 🐛 Syncing and account management problems
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent performance across devices
- Issues with reading content in locked mode
- Unexpected changes to user settings and subscriptions

**Requested features**

- Ability to organize files in subfolders
- Longer sleep timer option
- Improved handling of italicized text
- Option to add cover images for files
- Offline mode for accessing saved content


### SmartRead

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartread-audio-for-driving/id6749583040)

Listen to books and personal documents hands-free while driving. Get concise summaries, control playback with voice commands, and ask questions about the content. Upload your own files to convert them into audio for an interactive listening experience on the road.

**Highlights:** Concise book summaries, Voice control for hands-free playback, Ask questions about content, Upload and convert personal documents to audio, Interactive listening experience

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NaturalReader free?

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

### Is SmartRead free?

SmartRead is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, NaturalReader or SmartRead?

SmartRead is rated higher. NaturalReader averages 4.6 out of 5 from 9.2K ratings, while SmartRead averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.

### Do NaturalReader or SmartRead have ads?

SmartRead shows ads; NaturalReader does not.

### Which is updated more often, NaturalReader or SmartRead?

NaturalReader ships an update every 3 weeks, and SmartRead every 9 days. Most recently, NaturalReader was updated on November 12, 2026 and SmartRead on November 8, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*