Comparison

Stanza Redux vs Strobe

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

Head to head
About

Stanza Redux

This open-source ebook reader allows you to import and organize your EPUB library. Customize your reading experience with adjustable fonts, themes, and spacing. Discover free books from public domain catalogs and pick up where you left off.

Highlights
  • Import EPUB files
  • Customizable reading experience
  • Adjustable fonts and themes
  • Browse public domain catalogs
  • Organized library with cover art
  • Save reading progress and bookmarks
Features
Read full description

Stanza Redux is a free, open-source ebook reader that brings your EPUB library to life. Import books from your device, browse and download from public domain catalogs, and enjoy a beautifully customizable reading experience. POWERFUL READER Read EPUB books with smooth animated page turns, adjustable fonts, and multiple reading themes including Light, Dark, and Sepia. Customize line spacing, character spacing, word spacing, margins, and text alignment to create your perfect reading environment. YOUR LIBRARY, ORGANIZED Import EPUB files from your device or download books directly from online catalogs. Your library displays cover art, author names, and reading progress at a glance. Search, sort, and manage your collection with ease. BROWSE PUBLIC DOMAIN CATALOGS Discover thousands of free books from curated sources like Standard Ebooks, Project Gutenberg, and Ebooks Gratuits. Browse by category, search by title or author, and download books directly into your library. Add your own OPDS catalog feeds for even more choices. PICK UP WHERE YOU LEFT OFF Stanza Redux remembers your reading position in every book. Bookmark important passages, add notes, and navigate with a full table of contents. Your progress is always saved automatically. READING YOUR WAY Choose from a selection of fonts including serif, sans-serif, and custom typefaces. Adjust font size from 50% to 300%. Fine-tune line height, word spacing, character spacing, and page margins with quick-access controls right in the reader. OPEN AND FREE Stanza Redux is open-source software licensed under the GPL. No ads, no tracking, no subscriptions. Your books are yours.

About

Strobe

This app enhances reading speed and focus with a clean interface for PDFs and EPUBs. It offers customizable reading speeds, font choices, and smooth navigation to reduce eye fatigue and improve comprehension.

Highlights
  • RSVP reading interface
  • PDF and EPUB import
  • Adjustable reading speed (100-1000 WPM)
  • Customizable text size and fonts
  • Hold-to-read interaction
  • Automatic progress saving
  • Chapter navigation
Features
Read full description

Speed read your own books and documents, one word at a time. No ads, no subscription, no account. Strobe is a speed reading app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It uses Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP): each word appears in the same spot on screen, so your eyes stay still instead of scanning across lines. Import a PDF, EPUB, plain-text, or Markdown file, or paste an article, then read at 100 to 1,000 words per minute. HOLD TO READ • Press and hold to read. Let go to pause. • Slide up or down while you read to change speed without losing your place. • Swipe sideways while paused to step word by word. • Prefer hands-free? Switch to tap to play. TIMING THAT FOLLOWS THE TEXT • Smart Timing keeps longer words on screen a little longer. • Punctuation Pauses slow down at sentence ends, commas, dashes, ellipses, and closing quotes, and you set the length of each. • Complexity Timing speeds up common words and slows down rare ones. • Acronyms and hyphenated words get extra time automatically. • Blank After Sentences adds an optional moment of empty screen between sentences. A FIXED POINT FOR YOUR EYES • Each word lines up on a red focus letter, its Optimal Recognition Point (ORP). • Show the previous and next words faintly on either side. • An open quote or parenthesis stays faintly above the word until it closes. YOUR LIBRARY • Every document gets a cover, and Continue Reading takes you back to your exact word. • EPUB tables of contents and PDF bookmarks become chapters, each with its reading time at your speed. • Open the full text with your place highlighted, search for any word or phrase, and tap a word to resume from there. • Page numbers, running headers, and footers are removed on import. • Chinese, Japanese, and Korean text is split into words, and Arabic keeps its connected letterforms. MAKE IT YOURS • Seven fonts, adjustable text size, and four text colors. • A true black background for OLED screens and reading in the dark. • Every document remembers its own speed. • Keyboard shortcuts on Mac and iPad: Space to read, arrow keys to step, ⌘N for new text, ⌘O to import. • Works with VoiceOver, Larger Text, and Reduced Motion. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your documents and reading progress stay on your device. Strobe needs no account and has no ads, analytics, or tracking. FREE AND OPEN SOURCE Strobe is free, with no subscription or in-app purchases. The source code is public on GitHub under the Apache 2.0 license. Strobe can't import DRM-protected EPUBs or password-protected PDFs.

Screenshots

Stanza Redux4 screens
Strobe4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Strobe at 4.9 against Stanza Redux's 4.5. Strobe also leads on ratings volume (8 vs 2) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Strobe holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 8 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stanza Redux ships an update every 5 days, Strobe every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Stanza Redux versus Strobe: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStanza ReduxStrobe
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (2 ratings)4.9 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings28 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 8 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThe App Fair Project IncJaafar Abdeen

Customer experience

Stanza Redux

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Strobe

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Stanza Redux

No in-app purchases

None

Strobe

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Stanza Redux free?
Stanza Redux is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Strobe free?
Strobe is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Stanza Redux or Strobe?
Strobe is rated higher. Stanza Redux averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Strobe averages 4.9 from 8 ratings.
Do Stanza Redux or Strobe have ads?
Neither Stanza Redux nor Strobe shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Stanza Redux or Strobe?
Stanza Redux ships an update every 5 days, and Strobe every 8 days. Most recently, Stanza Redux was updated on October 10, 2026 and Strobe on October 19, 2026.

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