Comparison

Weekend Read 2 vs AsteraNext

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Weekend Read 2

This app optimizes screenplays for comfortable reading on mobile devices. It supports various file formats and offers features like customizable text, character highlighting, and read-aloud functionality.

Highlights
  • Optimized screenplay display
  • Supports PDF, Final Draft, Fountain, and more
  • Customizable fonts and text sizes
  • Character highlighting
  • Read aloud functionality
  • Page-specific notes
  • Dark mode
Features
Read full description

“Staggeringly useful.” - Dan Etheridge, producer of Veronica Mars and Party Down We’ve made the best screenplay reader even better. Weekend Read 2 makes reading screenplays delightful by optimizing scripts for iPhone and iPad retina screens. Never squint and pinch to read a script again. Whether reading from a PDF or a native file like Final Draft or Fountain, Weekend Read 2 gives you the tools to make every screenplay a smooth and easy read. Created by screenwriter John August and the team behind the award-winning Highland, Weekend Read 2 has Hollywood talking. “With Weekend Read, John August and his crafty elves have taken something that was the worst thing, namely reading scripts on a mobile device, and turned it into the best thing. I find it more pleasant to read a script in Weekend Read on my 4-inch iPhone screen than to read a PDF in proper screenplay format on my iPad. I even prefer it to reading full-sized paper scripts.” - Rian Johnson, writer-director (Knives Out, Poker Face, Star Wars: The Last Jedi) “Weekend Read started as an app I didn’t know I needed and quickly became an app I can’t live without. Weekend Read keeps you on top of your reading pile, not buried under it. It’s seriously amazing.” - Rawson Thurber, writer-director (Red Notice, Dodgeball) “This is the perfect solution I’ve been fantasizing about - it makes reading scripts (or anything) on the iPhone not just tolerable, not just painless, but actually a pleasure!” - David Wain, writer/director/EP (Wet Hot American Summer, Role Models) Weekend Read supports PDFs, Final Draft .fdx, .highland, plain text, and Markdown files. Features: * Customizable Reading: Choose from an updated selection of fonts and text sizes for a personalized reading experience. * Character Highlighting: Highlight your lines with ease. * Read Aloud: Have the script read to you at up to 2x speed. * Notes: Add page-specific notes and export them to collaborators. * Dark Mode: Enjoy night reading with optimized dark mode. * Page Jumper: Quickly navigate through long documents. * Library: Curate your own library of scripts. * Discover: Find new scripts from our rotating categories of curated screenplays and books. * Optimized for iOS: Enjoy a seamless reading experience across all your iOS devices. Terms of Service (EULA): https://wer.quoteunquote.company/terms

About

AsteraNext

Control complex lighting setups with intuitive tools for creating custom programs and effects. Manage DMX addresses, diagnose and update fixtures, and ensure seamless runtime for your productions.

Highlights
  • Intuitive lighting control
  • Customizable programs and effects
  • DMX address and footprint setup
  • Fixture diagnosis and updates
  • Layer effects for pixel control
  • Scheduled standby mode
Features
Read full description

The AsteraNext offers intuitive and fast control of complex lighting setups of current and upcoming Astera products. It provides fully customizable programs and effects and also it is designed to work seamlessly with other control methods. It can set up DMX addresses and footprints for CRMX control. In addition, lamps can be diagnosed, updated or reset from the AsteraNext. Here are some of the features: Layer Effects It is now easier than ever to control pixels of your Astera lights and create complex effects. CRMX Support That would make it much easier for customers to understand how the DMX works, also easier to operate the CRMX module. Talkback+ Detect all available lights, set them up, check their status, configure DMX addresses and DMX profiles. Seamless Runtime Set the length of your production and be sure that your lights won`t run out while still getting the maximum brightness. Effects Quickly build programs out of colors and effects, trigger them or make them match a beat. Targets Quickly create groups of lights, assign positions and select which lights should receive commands. Scheduled StandBy Switch lights into power-saving standby and schedule them to wake up when the production starts. Dynamic PowerBoost This exclusive feature makes the light able to display the maximum brightness at all time and intensify non-white colors. Green/Magenta Correction Adjust green/magenta during content creation to reduce postproduction work. Emergency Lights Switches to white light when AC power is cut to keep your event save DJ Feature Auto BPM analyzes the beat and matches programs to it, flash buttons can trigger special effects while being held down. Other Features The AsteraNext is packed with many additional items and new features are frequently added via software update.

Screenshots

Weekend Read 24 screens
AsteraNext4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Weekend Read 2 at 4.4 against AsteraNext's 2.3. Weekend Read 2 also leads on ratings volume (131 vs 8). AsteraNext's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and review sentiment (50% vs 42%). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Weekend Read 2 sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. AsteraNext asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Weekend Read 2 holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Weekend Read 2 has 131 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 42% of Weekend Read 2's written reviews are positive against 50% of AsteraNext's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Weekend Read 2 ships an update every 5 weeks, AsteraNext every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Weekend Read 2 versus AsteraNext: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWeekend Read 2AsteraNext
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (131 ratings) — better2.3 (8 ratings)
Positive reviews41.9% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings131 — better8
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.014.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size73 MB166 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperQuote-Unquote LLCAstera LED Technology GmbH

Customer experience

Weekend Read 2

All ratings131 ratings
Positive85.5%
Neutral1.5%
Negative13.0%
Written reviews31 reviews
Positive41.9%
Neutral12.9%
Negative45.2%

AsteraNext

All ratings8 ratings
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Weekend Read 2

Subscriptions2
  • Weekend Read 2 Pro (Monthly)$1.991 Month
  • Weekend Read 2 Pro (Annual)7 Days trial$14.991 Year
None

AsteraNext

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Weekend Read 2 free?
Weekend Read 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is AsteraNext free?
AsteraNext is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Weekend Read 2 or AsteraNext?
Weekend Read 2 is rated higher. Weekend Read 2 averages 4.4 out of 5 from 131 ratings, while AsteraNext averages 2.3 from 8 ratings.
Do Weekend Read 2 or AsteraNext have ads?
Neither Weekend Read 2 nor AsteraNext shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Weekend Read 2 or AsteraNext?
Weekend Read 2 ships an update every 5 weeks, and AsteraNext every 3 weeks. Most recently, Weekend Read 2 was updated on October 7, 2026 and AsteraNext on October 3, 2026.

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