Comparison

SayWave vs Text Reader

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

Head to head
About

SayWave

Convert text to natural-sounding speech and speech to text privately and offline. Supports multiple languages, accents, and export formats. Read PDFs, scan text from images, and save conversations.

Highlights
  • Text to speech with natural Apple voices
  • Offline speech to text transcription
  • Import and read PDFs
  • Scan text from images
  • Export audio in multiple formats
  • Save and search conversations
  • iMessage app and Apple Watch integration
Features
Read full description

Turn text into natural speech — and speech into text. Instantly, privately, everywhere. Even offline. SayWave is the fastest way to speak and be heard. Type anything and hear it in stunning, natural Apple voices. Or tap the mic and watch your words appear as you talk — transcribed entirely on your device. TEXT TO SPEECH • Every Apple voice, every language and accent — including Premium and Enhanced voices • Follow along as each word is highlighted while it's spoken • Continuous Reading: one message flows into the next, hands-free • Reading speed from 0.5x to 3x — you set the pace • Tap any message to hear it again, anytime SPEECH TO TEXT • Unlimited on-device transcription — fast, accurate, and private • Automatic end-of-speech detection: just stop talking, and your words become text • Dictate in dozens of languages READ ANYTHING • Import PDFs — every page becomes its own tappable message • Point your camera at any text, or pick a photo — instant text recognition • Share PDFs from WhatsApp, Mail, or Files straight into SayWave with "Open in SayWave" YOUR CONVERSATION, SAVED • A clean chat-style view keeps everything you've spoken and typed • Search, edit, share, or select multiple messages at once • Polish your text with Apple Intelligence Writing Tools SHARE AS AUDIO • Export anything you write as MP3, M4A, WAV, AIFF, or FLAC • Files named by date and time — ready to send anywhere EVERYWHERE YOU ARE • iMessage app: dictate and insert text right in your chats • Apple Watch: speak from your wrist • Home Screen quick actions and Siri shortcuts for instant dictation • Designed for iPhone and iPad PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Works completely offline — no internet connection required • No data collection. Ever. Your voice never leaves your device. BUILT FOR EVERYONE • Full VoiceOver support, Dynamic Type, Reduce Motion, and more • Localized in 29 languages • Free Family Sharing included Download SayWave and give your words a voice. Terms of use : https://iapps.app/Terms Privacy-policy: https://iapps.app/Privacy

About

Text Reader

This AI-powered app converts any written text into natural-sounding speech. Listen to books, articles, or documents on the go, making content consumption more accessible and convenient. It's ideal for multitasking or for those who prefer auditory learning.

Highlights
  • AI-powered text to speech conversion
  • Reads aloud any text, document, or book
  • Built-in screen reader functionality
  • Supports English and over 40 languages
  • Adjustable reading speed control
  • Scans and reads text quickly
Features
Read full description

What is SPEAKTOR? SPEAKTOR is a text to speech converter that takes any text file, turns it into a speech, and reads it to you. This AI-powered text to speech app converts any written word into a speech. Speech has become more convenient to consume and share thoughts and ideas. The digital world sees more of this conversion through text to speech converters. The emergence of text to speak converters has made it easier for all kinds from researchers to travelers tirelessly waiting at the airport. There are multiple benefits of the text to speak communication. TTS can be excellent for businesses that operate at a fast pace. Why do People Love SPEAKTOR? See the speech synthesizer read aloud for you Convert English text to speech to be more productive Automatically convert text to voice within minutes with the natural reader Work faster in school and work with the text to speak converter SPEAKTORS text reader can help you read any article Listen to lessons and books with text to voice converter Scan a book and watch SPEAKTOR read out loud Has a built-in screen reader It takes SPEAKTOR only minutes to scan and read text I want an app to read to me! Do you want to listen to a book on the go but don't have time or simply don’t like reading? Have you ever thought, “I wish someone would read to me”? Then SPEAKTOR is for you. With SPEAKTOR you can enjoy stories and articles by listening to them. It reads aloud any text, content, document, or book given to it making it possible for anyone who cannot read or may not be able to read well. With speech synthesizer technology you will never be bored with your audiobook again. How do TTS apps read to me? This text reader picks up not only the rhythm and speed but also the tone in which someone would pronounce words. SPEAKTOR sounds unlike any other text reader on the market right now. With innovative advancements in speech synthesis technology, you can speechify texts to audio that you can listen to anywhere. Just use this new text reader service. You don’t need anything special to access SPEAKTOR. Just upload a text or book that will be read aloud wherever and whenever you want. Speaktor is a natural reader. It’s the best screen reader on the market. Some people prefer to have their phones read out loud; this kind of text reader technology is often called “text to voice.” It allows those who can’t type on a screen to hear the words before them and make any necessary changes. This content consumption mode has been considered for people who don't want to use their eyes to a large extent. SPEAKTOR provides English text to speak and a reading speed control. SPEAKTOR can be your companion, helping you speechify websites much faster when you're in a hurry. A TTS program that has a screen reader feature Make SPEAKTOR speechify your texts - it turns text into speech in English and more than 40 languages. With SPEAKTOR you can hear content in any subject area or format and listen to it as if you read out loud. This tts tool can be used as a screen reader for online text content that is often difficult to scan and read. TTS (Text to speech) overcomes the problems of screen fatigue. Brightness, font size, or color may not suit some users. When you take a book picture, SPEAKTOR’s speech synthesizer scans and reads aloud for you in only a few minutes. SPEAKTOR has also introduced tts for businesses and organizations so that they can make information more accessible for everyone. Convert text to voice Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

SayWave4 screens
Text Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

SayWave and Text Reader both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 81% of SayWave's written reviews are positive against 61% of Text Reader's. SayWave also leads on device support (4 vs 1). Text Reader's advantage is iOS requirement (16.6 vs 26.4). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. SayWave sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Text Reader sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for SayWave against 4.3 for Text Reader. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 166 and 117 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 81% of SayWave's written reviews are positive against 61% of Text Reader's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SayWave ships an update fortnightly, Text Reader every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
SayWave versus Text Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSayWaveText Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (166 ratings) — better4.3 (117 ratings)
Positive reviews81.4% of reviews — better61.0% of reviews
Number of ratings166 — better117
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.416.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB99 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMaryam DerakhsheshTorapp

Customer experience

SayWave

All ratings166 ratings
Positive85.5%
Neutral3.0%
Negative11.4%
Written reviews43 reviews
Positive81.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative18.6%

Text Reader

All ratings117 ratings
Positive81.2%
Neutral1.7%
Negative17.1%
Written reviews136 reviews
Positive61.0%
Neutral3.7%
Negative35.3%

Bugs and requests

SayWave

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Forward and backward option not working after iOS update
  • App freezes when requesting 'get audio'
  • Ebook reader exports texts and then reads them
  • Speech reading is terrible, pronunciation slows down
  • App does not work on iPad
Show 5 more
  • Playback location setting doesn't work
  • Freezes for 10 seconds when pressing play
  • Does not keep PDF formatting
  • Text conversion from images is unreadable
  • Does not sync to other devices

Requested features

9 requests
  • Update for iOS compatibility
  • Improve audio player controls
  • Option to change speaker voice
  • Improvements in interface/highlighting
  • Browser integration
Show 4 more
  • Apple Watch controller
  • iMessage app for easier sharing
  • Play again on records
  • Voice recorder feature

Text Reader

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

SayWave

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$9.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription3 Days trial$24.991 Year
10 purchases

Text Reader

Subscriptions10
  • 300 Minutes (2 Dollar Weekly)$1.997 Days
  • 300 Minutes (Monthly) 1.5x$4.991 Month
  • 300 Minutes (7 Dollar Weekly)$6.997 Days
Show 7 more
  • 300 minutes/month (Monthly)$9.991 Month
  • 300 Minutes (Weekly)$9.997 Days
  • 3000 Minutes (Monthly)$24.991 Month
  • 2400 Minutes (Monthly)$24.991 Month
  • 300 minutes/month (Yearly)$29.991 Year
  • 300 minutes/month (Yearly)3 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • 300 minutes/month (Yearly)$59.991 Year

Questions

Is SayWave free?
SayWave is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Text Reader free?
Text Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SayWave or Text Reader?
SayWave is rated higher. SayWave averages 4.4 out of 5 from 166 ratings, while Text Reader averages 4.3 from 117 ratings.
Do SayWave or Text Reader have ads?
Neither SayWave nor Text Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SayWave or Text Reader?
SayWave ships an update fortnightly, and Text Reader every 3 weeks. Most recently, SayWave was updated on November 3, 2026 and Text Reader on November 3, 2026.

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