# Text to Speech vs QR Code Reader

The clearest difference is monetization model: QR Code Reader at free with in-app purchases against Text to Speech's subscription. QR Code Reader also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and update cadence (daily vs every 5 weeks). Text to Speech's advantage is ratings volume (528 vs 8). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Text to Speech sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and QR Code Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

QR Code Reader holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Text to Speech has 528 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Text to Speech ships an update every 5 weeks, QR Code Reader daily. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Text to Speech | QR Code Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (528 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text-to-speech-reading-aloud/id6443894291/reviews) | **[5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/qr-code-reader-scanner-now/id6596768615/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **528** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 47.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 183 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [AppLiks Sp. z O.O.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1804335622) | [Toni Pessey](https://appshunter.io/developer/1775740925) |

## What reviewers say

### Text to Speech

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text-to-speech-reading-aloud/id6443894291)

This app transforms any text into spoken words, supporting multiple languages and offering a personal library for your content. Easily add text by typing, pasting, scanning, or importing files like PDFs and web pages. Customize playback speed, voice, and language for a comfortable listening experience.

**Highlights:** Convert images to audio, Scan any text, Type text with keyboard, Add website posts, Convert library text to audio, Automatic scrolling while reading, Select playback speed, language, voice, Share text with friends

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Text to Speech: Version Pro | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Access | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Text to Speech: Reader Pro | $14.99 | per month |
| Monthly Access | $14.99 | per month |
| Text to Speech Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Yearly Access | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎯 Excellent text-to-speech conversion across multiple languages
- 👍 User-friendly interface and easy to use
- 🎨 Customizable playback speed and voice options
- 📱 Versatile input methods (scan, PDF, paste text, web articles)
- 🔄 Automatic scrolling feature while reading

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💳 Unexpected billing and difficulty canceling subscriptions
- 🐛 Frequent glitches and performance issues
- 🔊 Robotic and synthetic voice quality (for some users)
- ⏸️ Pause/play controls often unresponsive
- 🎯 Inconsistent text highlighting and synchronization

**Reported bugs**

- App pauses randomly during playback
- Skips sentences or entire paragraphs
- Text highlighting misaligned with audio (2-3 paragraphs ahead)
- Phrase repetition (2-3 times)
- Pause and skip buttons unresponsive

**Requested features**

- Background playback capability
- Folder organization system for documents
- More flexible speed variability options
- Additional voice options
- Duration/timestamp display for text-to-speech playback


### QR Code Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/qr-code-reader-scanner-now/id6596768615)

Easily scan QR codes and barcodes to instantly access product details, URLs, or text. Generate and share your own QR codes with this free, user-friendly utility.

**Highlights:** Scan QR codes and barcodes, Check product details and prices, Generate custom QR codes, Save and share generated codes, Open URLs directly from codes, View scanned text content

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly | $6.99 | per 7 days |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Text to Speech free?

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

### Is QR Code Reader free?

QR Code Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Text to Speech or QR Code Reader?

QR Code Reader is rated higher. Text to Speech averages 4.5 out of 5 from 528 ratings, while QR Code Reader averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.

### Do Text to Speech or QR Code Reader have ads?

Neither Text to Speech nor QR Code Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Text to Speech or QR Code Reader?

Text to Speech ships an update every 5 weeks, and QR Code Reader daily. Most recently, Text to Speech was updated on November 7, 2026 and QR Code Reader on October 30, 2026.

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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.*