# Text Reader Narrator vs Text to Speech PDF Reader

The clearest difference is monetization model: Text Reader Narrator at free with in-app purchases against Text to Speech PDF Reader's subscription. Text to Speech PDF Reader's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Text Reader Narrator sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days 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.

Text to Speech PDF Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Text to Speech PDF Reader has 552 ratings behind it against 31, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Text Reader Narrator's written reviews are positive against 46% of Text to Speech PDF Reader's.

Text Reader Narrator ships an update every 3 months, Text to Speech PDF Reader every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Text Reader Narrator | Text to Speech PDF Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text-reader-narrator-tts/id1501312978/reviews) | **[4.5 (552 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text-to-speech-pdf-reader/id1519637964/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 31 | **552** |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | **45.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 7 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Grima Hdez](https://appshunter.io/developer/1741481582) | [Bret Lester](https://appshunter.io/developer/917672169) |

## What reviewers say

### Text Reader Narrator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text-reader-narrator-tts/id1501312978)

Convert any text, document, or scanned image into natural-sounding audio. Supports over 40 languages and offers background playback with highlighting. Export narrations as audio files.

**Highlights:** Text-to-speech conversion, Import PDF, DOCX, EPUB, TXT, Camera OCR for scanned text, Background playback, Word-by-word highlighting, Export audio to M4A, Supports 40+ languages

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TTS PRO week sub | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| TTS & STT PRO mounth sub | $0.99 | per month |
| TTS PRO yearly sub | $34.99 | per year |


### 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 Text Reader Narrator free?

Text Reader Narrator 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, Text Reader Narrator or Text to Speech PDF Reader?

Text to Speech PDF Reader is rated higher. Text Reader Narrator averages 4.1 out of 5 from 31 ratings, while Text to Speech PDF Reader averages 4.5 from 552 ratings.

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

Text Reader Narrator shows ads; Text to Speech PDF Reader does not.

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

Text Reader Narrator ships an update every 3 months, and Text to Speech PDF Reader every 10 days. Most recently, Text Reader Narrator was updated on October 5, 2026 and Text to Speech PDF Reader on October 17, 2026.

---

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