Reading Machine vs Leksa
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Reading Machine
This educational app helps beginning and struggling readers learn new words by breaking them down into letters and sounds. It acts as a personal reading tutor, guiding users to decode unfamiliar words independently, enhancing confidence and reading enjoyment.
- Word decoding with phonics
- Personalized reading tutor
- Supports over 5,000 words
- Text-to-speech engine
- Book suggestions for readers
- Full decoding support for early reader titles
Read full descriptionHide full description
Used by teachers, parents, and learners since 2010, Reading Machine is now available for free! This app for beginning and struggling readers is still 100% satisfaction guaranteed. If you have any technical issues with the app, or if the app does not meet your expectations for any reason, please email us so we can address your needs and strengthen our support for more readers and a better world. Email: diana@dianasharp.com or support@sharpcuriosity.com Reading Machine helps readers learn new words by seeing and hearing how the letters and sounds in a word go together. The app is perfect for times when readers can’t or don’t want to ask someone else for help on unfamiliar words. Like a personal reading tutor, the app guides readers into figuring out a new word based on the word’s letters and sounds. Readers can use the app while they read traditional books or other printed material. They can also use the app alongside e-books, websites, and other digital material on the iPad. The app is a fun addition to parent-child reading time, and it also works well for older readers who do not like to ask for help on words when they read independently. Developing readers of any age can gain self-confidence as they figure out new words on their own with the app’s support. Videos of how the app works are available at www.sharpcuriosity.com. Created by a parent, learning scientist, and reading researcher, the app’s underlying dictionary is powered by a real human voice with support for over 5,000 words, plus a text-to-speech engine for pronouncing all other words. As readers advance from simple to more complex words, the app dictionary provides tailored decoding support for each word, ranging from individual phonemes and letters, to multi-letter sounds, syllables, prefixes, suffixes, root words, and whole words within compound words. The app also includes suggestions for parents about fun books to get at the library or bookstore to match readers’ interests and skill levels. • The Reading Machine is like a secret decoder ring for unlocking printed words. Use it paired with real books – books you already own or books you’ve borrowed from the public library. Or use it on the iPad alongside e-books or web pages. • Great for early or struggling readers. • Lets you have more fun reading with your child because your child can use the Reading Machine to figure out words instead of having to ask you for help. • Best for children who already know the sounds that go with each letter and can read some words, but still need help reading sentences and books. • Comes with full decoding and phonics support for all the words in over 125 well-loved early reader titles. Older readers can even use the app with the first chapter of Harry Potter. • The app provides lists of suggested titles (“Book Sets”) for readers with different interests and skill levels. This is a great guide for finding books your reader will enjoy. These books are easy to find for free at your public library. Or head to your favorite bookstore. • All the words in over 125 books, listed in the Book Sets, have phonics support provided by the app, with clear pronunciation recorded by a natural, human voice. • For any word not in the app’s dictionary, readers can hear the whole word pronunciation with text-to-speech voice. So they are never stuck on any word. • Among the words that have phonics and decoding support are the 300 most frequent words in the English language, which cover 65% of all English reading material. Many of these words are often called “sight words.” • When new Book Sets and new words are available for the app, they can be downloaded for free from within the app. For more info and videos, see http://www.sharpcuriosity.com
Leksa
This app helps individuals with dyslexia read more easily. It enlarges text from photos, offers text-to-speech with word highlighting, and allows users to resume reading where they left off.
- Text enlargement from photos
- Text-to-speech with word highlighting
- Resume reading feature
- Low difficulty reading mode
- Adjustable voice speed (Premium)
Read full descriptionHide full description
Introducing Leksa, the ultimate reading aid for dyslexics. Say goodbye to the struggles of reading and understanding tiny text. Take a photo of any text and watch as it is converted into a clear and easy-to-read format with enlarged letters. Read on low difficulty. Leksa's unique tracking feature allows you to pick up right where you left off, even after taking a break. And when your eyes get tired, let Leksa finish the reading for you. Leksa's text-to-speech feature highlights words as they are spoken, making it easy to follow along. As a parent of a child with dyslexia, I understand the daily challenges that come with reading. That's why I created Leksa. My goal is to help make reading and understanding easier for my kid, and everyone else who has reading problems. Your feedback and support are greatly appreciated. =============================== Leksa is a freemium app. If you choose to purchase Leksa premium to scan full texts, control voice speed and support further development, payment will be charged to your iTunes account, and your account will be charged for renewal 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Auto-renewal may be turned off at any time by going to your settings in the iTunes Store after purchase. The Current monthly price for Leksa Premium may vary from country to country. Leksa's privacy policy can be found at https://leksa.app/privacy/ Leksa's terms of use can be found at: https://leksa.app/terms/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Reading Machine at 75% against Leksa's 33%. Reading Machine also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.0). Leksa's advantage is rating (4.2 vs 3.6) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 14 months). On price, ads and device support 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. Leksa sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Reading Machine asks for nothing beyond the download.
Leksa holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Leksa has 101 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Reading Machine's written reviews are positive against 33% of Leksa's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Reading Machine ships an update every 14 months, Leksa every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Reading Machine | Leksa |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.6 (13 ratings) | 4.2 (101 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews — better | 33.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 13 | 101 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 107 MB | 48 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Diana Sharp Consulting | Allsidium AS |
Customer experience
Reading Machine
Leksa
In-app purchases
Reading Machine
No in-app purchases
Leksa
- Weekly Subscription3 Days trial$3.997 Days
- Premium$8.991 Month
- Yearly Subscription$34.991 Year
Questions
Is Reading Machine free?
Is Leksa free?
Which has better reviews, Reading Machine or Leksa?
Do Reading Machine or Leksa have ads?
Which is updated more often, Reading Machine or Leksa?
Other comparisons















