# Readwise Reader vs Text to Speech

The clearest difference is ads: Readwise Reader at none against Text to Speech's shown. Readwise Reader also leads on review sentiment (72% vs 39%) and update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). Text to Speech's advantage is ratings volume (5.8K vs 579) and chart position (#11 vs unranked). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Readwise Reader sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month and Text to Speech sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Readwise Reader against 4.5 for Text to Speech. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Text to Speech has 5.8K ratings behind it against 579, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 72% of Readwise Reader's written reviews are positive against 39% of Text to Speech's.

Readwise Reader ships an update weekly, Text to Speech fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Readwise Reader | Text to Speech |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (579 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readwise-reader/id1567599761/reviews)** | [4.5 (5.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text-to-speech-listen-ai/id6502340091/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 579 | **5.8K** |
| Positive reviews | **72.0% of reviews** | 38.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#11** |
| Size | 178 MB | 204 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.5** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Readwise, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1476885527) | [DEEP FLOW SOFTWARE SERVICES](https://appshunter.io/developer/1833881740) |

## What reviewers say

### Readwise Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readwise-reader/id1567599761)

This app consolidates all your reading content, including web articles, newsletters, and PDFs, into a single, organized platform. It offers advanced highlighting, text-to-speech, and AI-powered assistance to enhance your reading workflow and knowledge retention.

**Highlights:** Consolidate web articles, newsletters, RSS, Twitter threads, PDFs, EPUBs, Import from Pocket, Instapaper, and Feedly, Advanced highlighting and annotation tools, Text-to-speech narration, AI-powered reading assistant (Ghostreader), Full-text search, Syncs across all devices, offline access

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reader Monthly Plan | $8.99 | per month |
| Reader Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Reader Annual Plan | $95.90 | per year |
| Reader Yearly | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic reading experience
- 👍 Seamless integration with Readwise
- 🎨 Beautiful and intuitive UI
- 📚 All-in-one reading solution
- 🔍 Powerful search and organization

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and performance issues
- 🔍 Cluttered interface for some users
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🖥️ Lack of iPad-specific features
- 📚 Missing basic reader features (e.g., bookmarks)

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent sync between devices
- Unreliable RSS feed updates
- Frequent crashes on iPad
- Issues with resuming reading position

**Requested features**

- Improved PDF and ebook support
- Customizable reading themes and layouts
- Better integration with note-taking apps
- Reading progress and statistics tracking
- Bulk management of saved items


### Text to Speech

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text-to-speech-listen-ai/id6502340091)

**Currently charting:** #11 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers, #11 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #79 Top Grossing · Productivity (US App Store)

Transform any text into natural-sounding speech with a variety of expressive voices. Customize playback speed and volume, and easily convert content from documents and web pages. This app is ideal for multitasking, learning on the go, and improving accessibility.

**Highlights:** Text-to-speech conversion, Multiple expressive voices, Adjustable speaking rate, Customizable volume, Web page and document integration, Hands-free listening

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Listen AI Premium | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Listen AI Premium | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Listen AI Premium | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Listen AI Premium | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Listen AI Premium | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Listen AI Premium | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Listen AI Premium | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Listen AI Premium | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Listen AI Premium | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Listen AI Premium | $11.99 | per 7 days |
| Listen AI Premium | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent for social change
- 🗣️ Natural-sounding voice
- 🎓 Helpful for studying and learning
- 📚 Turns books into audiobooks

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Subscription management issues
- ⏱️ Weekly upload limit
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance
- 🚫 Not fully free

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing and crashing issues
- Inability to navigate PDFs
- Inaccurate text-to-speech
- Incompatibility with certain file types

**Requested features**

- Option to choose between UK and US English
- Ability to manage subscription and content
- Repeat audio feature
- Uncensored mode


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Readwise Reader free?

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

### Is Text to Speech free?

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

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

Readwise Reader is rated higher. Readwise Reader averages 4.6 out of 5 from 579 ratings, while Text to Speech averages 4.5 from 5.8K ratings.

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

Text to Speech shows ads; Readwise Reader does not.

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

Readwise Reader ships an update weekly, and Text to Speech fortnightly. Most recently, Readwise Reader was updated on September 24, 2026 and Text to Speech on September 25, 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.*