Comparison

Flash Reader vs Text to Speech ePub PDF

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

Head to head
About

Flash Reader

Enhance your reading speed and comprehension with this app. It presents text one word at a time, in chunks, or as a traditional reader, allowing you to adjust speed and track progress. Supports various file types and offers a free tier with an optional Pro upgrade.

Highlights
  • Word-by-word reading mode
  • Chunk reading mode
  • Traditional reader mode
  • Adjustable reading speed
  • Supports PDFs, EPUBs, Word files
  • Camera scanning for text
  • Siri integration
Features
Read full description

Flash Reader is back, and better than ever. It read you one word at a time years before that was a trend. On the App Store since 2010, rebuilt from scratch for version 4, and everything happens on your device. Paste it, share it from any app, open a PDF, EPUB or Word file, or point the camera at a page, and you're reading. Every document keeps your place, and a widget, Control Center or Siri takes you straight back in. THREE WAYS TO READ • Flash: one word, one spot, and the pages fly. One letter in red holds your eye. • Chunk: a few words at a time, for when you would rather stroll. • Reader: the whole text, for a look back. Tap to pause. Play picks the sentence back up, so you never lose the thread. SPEED, WITH RECEIPTS Understanding holds to about 350 words a minute, then it slips. Flash Reader starts you at 250, the ruler shows which zone you are in, and your real speed counts the pauses too. Go faster whenever you like; the ruler tells you what it costs. Little words pass quickly, long or rare ones get a beat more, and a full stop gets its pause. Rest breaks when you want them. READ ANYTHING, START ANYWHERE • Copy anything, anywhere. Tap the clipboard chip, or the button in Control Center, and it flashes. • Share text, a web page or a link from any app: articles, mail, messages, notes. • Open PDF, EPUB, Word and text files from the Files app. • Point the camera at a page, or pick a photo or a screenshot. The text is read on your device. • Drop in a link and get the article, with none of the clutter around it. • Say "Flash my clipboard" or "Resume reading" and Siri does the rest. • Every document keeps its place, its mode and its speed. • Search, sort and rename. Deleted documents wait in Recently deleted. BACK IN ONE TAP Continue Reading and Streak widgets for the Home and Lock Screens. Flash clipboard and Resume reading in Control Center. Stats keep words read today, your streak and your real speed, pauses and all. ROOM TO READ Four themes (Paper, Ink, Sepia and High Contrast), a choice of fonts, an adjustable word size, and reading in landscape. On iPad, the library sits beside the reading view and a keyboard drives both. Designed for iPhone Duo: open it and the page unfolds beside the words. The whole app speaks 50 languages. FREE AND PRO Free to start. Text you paste, copy or share reads free, forever, at full quality: every mode, every speed, every theme, links, TXT and Markdown files, and three documents on the shelf at a time. Pro opens PDF, EPUB, Word, RTF and HTML files, scans and photos, and an unlimited shelf. One purchase covers iPhone and iPad, and your library and your place travel between them through your own iCloud. Choose Pro by the year with a 14-day free trial, by the month, or pay once and keep it. Annual and monthly Pro renew automatically until cancelled in your Apple Account settings, at least 24 hours before the period ends. No account. No ads. No analytics and no tracking. COMING BACK? Your books, your speed and your bookmark come along from the old version. If you bought Pro inside Flash Reader before, it is still yours: Restore purchases in Settings brings it back on any device. If you bought the separate Flash Reader Pro app, write to us and we will sort it out. More formats and modes are coming as free updates. Flash Reader 4 needs iOS 26 or later. On an older iPhone or iPad, the App Store keeps offering the last version that runs there. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy: https://flashreaderapp.com/privacy Questions: support@flashreaderapp.com

About

Text to Speech ePub PDF

This app transforms text into an immersive reading or audio experience. It offers advanced reading modes, text-to-speech, and language support to enhance comprehension and learning. Users can listen to content, practice speed reading, and build vocabulary through interactive quizzes.

Highlights
  • Text-to-speech audio conversion
  • Speed reading training
  • Comfort and highlight reading modes
  • Multilingual support
  • Built-in dictionary and vocabulary quizzes
  • PDF, EPUB, TXT file support
Features
Read full description

Stage Reader is a smart reading app designed to help you read faster, understand better, and learn more whether you prefer reading or listening. Turn any text into an immersive reading or audio experience. Stage Reader combines advanced reading modes, text-to-speech, quizzes, and language support to help you stay focused and absorb more information in less time. Listen or Read — Your Choice Convert text into natural-sounding audio and listen anytime, anywhere. Perfect for multitasking, commuting, or resting your eyes. Powerful Reading Modes Speed Reader – train your brain to read faster Comfort Mode – improved word emphasis for easier focus Highlight Mode – follow text visually while reading or listening Multiple reading styles to match your preferences Multilingual & Smart Learning Read and listen in multiple languages Instantly check word meanings with the built-in dictionary Save unknown words and learn them later with quizzes Learn More, Remember More Stage Reader helps you turn reading into learning: Create quizzes from your content Reinforce knowledge through repetition Improve vocabulary naturally while reading Supported Formats Read and listen to: PDF EPUB eBooks TXT files Perfect For Students & lifelong learners Professionals & entrepreneurs Language learners Anyone who wants to read more in less time Stage Reader transforms reading into a smarter, faster, and more flexible experience. Download Stage Reader and take your reading to the next stage. https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Flash Reader4 screens
Text to Speech ePub PDF4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Flash Reader at 4.2 against Text to Speech ePub PDF's 3.4. Flash Reader also leads on ratings volume (163 vs 9). Text to Speech ePub PDF's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 6 weeks) and iOS requirement (17.2 vs 26.0). On price, review sentiment, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Flash Reader sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Text to Speech ePub PDF sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Flash Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Flash Reader has 163 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 49% of Flash Reader's written reviews are positive against 48% of Text to Speech ePub PDF's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Flash Reader ships an update every 6 weeks, Text to Speech ePub PDF every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Flash Reader versus Text to Speech ePub PDF: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFlash ReaderText to Speech ePub PDF
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (163 ratings) — better3.4 (9 ratings)
Positive reviews49.3% of reviews — better48.1% of reviews
Number of ratings163 — better9
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.017.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB222 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperDidstopiaStage Coding

Customer experience

Flash Reader

All ratings163 ratings
Positive78.5%
Neutral8.0%
Negative13.5%
Written reviews136 reviews
Positive49.3%
Neutral5.9%
Negative44.9%

Text to Speech ePub PDF

All ratings9 ratings
Positive55.6%
Neutral11.1%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews54 reviews
Positive48.1%
Neutral16.7%
Negative35.2%

Bugs and requests

Flash Reader

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Login screen freezes
  • Incompatible with older devices
  • Crashes when switching modes
  • Loses reading progress
  • Inaccurate resume times

Requested features

10 requests
  • Fancy text like newer video captions
  • Bookmarks and navigation
  • Support for Google Drive
  • Quick rewind option
  • Table of contents
Show 5 more
  • Search option
  • Ability to go backward/forward
  • Choose page to go to
  • Dark mode
  • Advanced analytics dashboard

Text to Speech ePub PDF

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Flash Reader

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Pro Annual14 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time7
  • Flash Reader Pro$0.99
  • Flash Reader Pro2 variants$1.99
  • Flash Reader Pro$2.99
Show 4 more
  • Flash Reader Pro$3.99
  • Flash Reader Pro$4.99
  • Pro Lifetime$39.99
  • Pro Lifetime$79.99
3 purchases

Text to Speech ePub PDF

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$5.991 Month
  • Annual Subscription7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Subscription$74.99

Questions

Is Flash Reader free?
Flash Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Text to Speech ePub PDF free?
Text to Speech ePub PDF is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Flash Reader or Text to Speech ePub PDF?
Flash Reader is rated higher. Flash Reader averages 4.2 out of 5 from 163 ratings, while Text to Speech ePub PDF averages 3.4 from 9 ratings.
Do Flash Reader or Text to Speech ePub PDF have ads?
Neither Flash Reader nor Text to Speech ePub PDF shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Flash Reader or Text to Speech ePub PDF?
Flash Reader ships an update every 6 weeks, and Text to Speech ePub PDF every 4 days. Most recently, Flash Reader was updated on November 6, 2026 and Text to Speech ePub PDF on November 3, 2026.

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