Text to Speech vs HeyReader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Text to Speech
This application converts written text and documents into spoken audio. It allows users to adjust speech settings like volume, speed, and pitch. Saved text can be accessed later, and the app functions offline.
- Text to audio conversion
- Document to speech
- Adjustable volume, speed, and pitch
- Save text for later
- Offline functionality
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Text To Speech is a simple and small app that helps to convert text and document into Voice. Just enter the text and the app speaks it for you. Convert any text into audio with Text To Speech feature using TTS Functionality Convert text to speech from text file. Set audio configuration for text to speech like volume, speed and pitch. Save text for later use. You can access everything without internet.
HeyReader
This app provides an audio assistant for physical books. Upload the book's PDF, and then ask questions aloud about terms or concepts. The app searches your book and speaks the answers, helping you stay focused on reading.
- Voice-activated questions
- Answers read aloud
- Searches book PDF
- Focuses on physical reading
- Requires book PDF
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While reading your physical book, ask HeyReader about any term you don't understand, and it answers out loud. That way you stay focused on the page. What you need: 1. Physical book 2. PDF version of the same book Using HeyReader: 1. Upload PDF 2. Start reading your physical copy 3. Say "Hey Reader" to ask questions and hear answers *Answers come directly from the book's pages. New terms in your book send you to ChatGPT or Google on your phone. Every switch over makes it less likely you come back to the reading. (According to Microsoft and UC Irvine researchers, "it takes 23 minutes to resume an interrupted task”.¹) HeyReader searches the book and answers by voice, keeping your focus on the page. Questions from real sessions: “In Chapter 3, define a stack trace." - Pragmatic Programmer "Define analogous, Chapter 1." - Deep Learning "What's the name for the symbol that looks like a U in chapter 8?" - Deep Learning Terms of Use: https://tryreader.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://tryreader.app/privacy License Agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ ¹ (Mark et al., CSCW 2015)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: HeyReader at 100% against Text to Speech's 17%. HeyReader also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.9) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 11 months). Text to Speech's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and ratings volume (37 vs 2). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
HeyReader holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Text to Speech has 37 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 17% of Text to Speech's written reviews are positive against 100% of HeyReader's.
Text to Speech ships an update every 11 months, HeyReader every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Text to Speech | HeyReader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.9 (37 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 16.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 37 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | Every 8 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 24 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jatin Maniya | Roshan Gill |
Customer experience
Text to Speech
HeyReader
In-app purchases
Text to Speech
No in-app purchases
HeyReader
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Text to Speech free?
Is HeyReader free?
Which has better reviews, Text to Speech or HeyReader?
Do Text to Speech or HeyReader have ads?
Which is updated more often, Text to Speech or HeyReader?
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