# Listening vs Backpack

Listening and Backpack are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Both are free to download. Listening sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month and Backpack sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

## The numbers

| Metric | Listening | Backpack |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/listening-text-to-speech/id1635430768/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 28.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | — |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 128 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Listening App Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1635259485) | [USMAN ALI KHAN](https://appshunter.io/developer/1888726944) |

## What reviewers say

### Listening

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/listening-text-to-speech/id1635430768)

This app converts written content like articles, papers, and PDFs into natural-sounding audio. It allows for customizable playback speeds and one-tap note-taking, making it ideal for learning on the go.

**Highlights:** Convert articles, papers, and PDFs to audio, Natural-sounding voices, One-click note-taking, Adjustable playback speed (0.5x to 4x), Supports multiple file formats, Multitasking while listening

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Listening, Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Listening, Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Unlimited, Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Listening, Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Listening, Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Listening, Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Listening, Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Unlimited, Yearly | $39.00 | per year |
| Unlimited Listening, Yearly | $99.99 | per year |
| Unlimited Listening, Yearly | $139.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Clear and natural-sounding voice
- 📚 Helpful for academic papers and articles
- 🚶‍♀️ Convenient for listening on-the-go
- 🔖 Skips citations and formatting

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy PDF conversion
- 🔀 Jumbles paragraphs and sentences
- 🔢 Struggles with technical terms and numbers
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes
- Inconsistent performance across PDFs
- Login and password reset issues
- Unexpected charges after cancellation
- Inability to delete or manage uploaded files

**Requested features**

- Multiple voice options
- Ability to edit and annotate text
- Improved section detection and navigation
- Offline mode for downloading content
- Better integration with cloud storage


### Backpack

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backpack-ai-document-vault/id6761295526)

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Backpack Pro | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Listening free?

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

### Is Backpack free?

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

### Do Listening or Backpack have ads?

Neither Listening nor Backpack shows ads.

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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.*