# eSpeak vs EchoBox Player

The clearest difference is rating: EchoBox Player at 5.0 against eSpeak's 4.0. EchoBox Player also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 67%) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 10 months). eSpeak's advantage is ratings volume (22 vs 2) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

EchoBox Player holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: eSpeak has 22 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of eSpeak's written reviews are positive against 100% of EchoBox Player's.

eSpeak ships an update every 10 months, EchoBox Player every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | eSpeak | EchoBox Player |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/espeak-ng/id6444089174/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/echobox-player/id6751859578/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **22** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 55 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yury Popov](https://appshunter.io/developer/836490516) | [Oriol Gomez](https://appshunter.io/developer/1528856183) |

## What reviewers say

### eSpeak

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/espeak-ng/id6444089174)

This open-source text-to-speech synthesizer supports over 100 languages and accents. It provides a compatibility layer for Apple VoiceOver users, enabling speech output for various applications.

**Highlights:** Supports over 100 languages and accents, Open-source software, Compact design, Compatibility layer for Apple VoiceOver, Based on eSpeak engine

**In-app purchases:** none


### EchoBox Player

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/echobox-player/id6751859578)

An elegant, privacy-focused audio player for long-form content like audiobooks and podcasts. It preserves your folder structure, offers chapter support, customizable audio effects, and on-device transcription. Enjoy your media library with smart features that enhance listening without intrusive tracking.

**Highlights:** Preserves folder structure, Per-file relative volume control, Chapter support, Optional audio effects (EQ, compressor), On-device transcription, Internet radio playback

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is eSpeak free?

eSpeak is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is EchoBox Player free?

EchoBox Player is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, eSpeak or EchoBox Player?

EchoBox Player is rated higher. eSpeak averages 4.0 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while EchoBox Player averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do eSpeak or EchoBox Player have ads?

Neither eSpeak nor EchoBox Player shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, eSpeak or EchoBox Player?

eSpeak ships an update every 10 months, and EchoBox Player every 2 months. Most recently, eSpeak was updated on October 24, 2026 and EchoBox Player on October 22, 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.*