Comparison

Speed Reader vs SwiftRead

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

Head to head
About

Speed Reader

Enhance your reading comprehension and speed with a tool that displays one word at a time. Gradually increase your reading pace from 300 to over 750 words per minute through consistent practice. Customize your experience with various themes and visual aids.

Highlights
  • One-word-at-a-time display
  • Adjustable words per minute
  • Spritz speed reading technique
  • Visual line support
  • Custom text input
  • Text sharing from other apps
  • Dark and light themes
Features
Read full description

Read faster without turning reading into a game. Speed Reader is a speed reading app that shows text one word at a time using RSVP and Spritz-style speed reading. Your eyes stay still. You start around 300 words per minute and can work up to 750 WPM or more when the pace feels right. How it works: Paste text, share an article from another app, grab what’s on your clipboard, or paste a website link and the app will try to extract the article for you. Hit play. Words appear in a fixed spot so you spend less time scanning a page and more time actually reading. Use it for: • Articles and news you would otherwise skim on your phone • Study texts and long assignments • Emails, notes, and anything you can share or paste • Full web pages, when you only have the link • Your own writing, when you want to hear the rhythm at speed Special words: Speed reading should match how you read, not the other way around. Add any word or character as a special word — a period, a name, a heading — and decide what happens when it appears: • Extra delay, so the end of a sentence actually lands • Split the text there • Stop the reading Add as many special words as you want and tune each one. That is how you keep 750 WPM from turning into a blur. Features: • Adjustable words per minute • Spritz speed reading with an optional focus point • Speed reading lines for visual support • 1 to 10 words on screen at once • Pause whenever you need to stop • Write or paste your own text • Share text from other apps and start reading immediately • Read from the clipboard • Paste a link and extract the page to speed read • Special words with delay, split, or stop • Light and dark themes This is not a course and not a book library. It is a fast reader for text you already have — in the app, from share, from the clipboard, or from a URL. The more you use Speed Reader, the easier higher WPM feels. Try it when you want a speed reading app that reads your pages, not just a demo paragraph. https://vanniktech.de/SpeedReading/privacy_policy.html https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

SwiftRead

Enhance your reading speed and comprehension with focus modes and natural text-to-speech narration. Import content from various sources and customize your reading experience across devices.

Highlights
  • Import PDFs, EPUBs, web articles
  • Visual focus modes (RSVP, pacing)
  • Human-like TTS narration (90+ languages)
  • Sync across devices
  • Customizable fonts, themes, speed
  • Works with Kindle Cloud Reader & Libby
Features
Read full description

Read any text up to 3X faster with research-backed visual and audio speed reading techniques, like RSVP and text-to-speech. Loved by students, professionals, and language-learners everywhere. Import text from PDFs, EPUBs, web articles, even external ebook readers like Kindle Cloud and Libby. Then read with visual focus modes or listen with human-like text-to-speech that improve reading speed, focus and comprehension. KEY FEATURES • Import documents in seconds — PDF, EPUB, web links, and pasted text • Works with web-based ebook readers — including Kindle Cloud Reader and Libby • Improve reading focus with research-backed visual reading modes — paced highlighting, different guided word displays, and RSVP with a patent pending eye anchor • Improve reading comprehension with natural text-to-speech — follow along with human-like text-to-speech and synced word highlighting in 90+ languages • Customize your reading experience — fonts, colors, spacing, and target reading speed • Sync across devices — pick up where you left off on phone, tablet, or computer PERFECT FOR • Finishing a long article PDF before a meeting • Getting through research papers for class • Improving reading fluency in a new language • Finally completing that ebook you started YOUR CONTENT, YOUR CONTROL • Your documents stay private. See swiftread.com/privacy for details. • Internet required for use. • Need help? Contact me (Troy, the developer) anytime at swiftread.com/help. PRICING SwiftRead is free to use within limits. Upgrade to Pro to remove limits and unlock advanced features. Payment charged to your Apple ID at confirmation. Cancel anytime in Settings. Terms of Use: https://swiftread.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://swiftread.com/privacy-policy

Screenshots

Speed Reader4 screens
SwiftRead4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: SwiftRead at every 9 days against Speed Reader's every 2 months. SwiftRead also leads on rating (4.1 vs 3.8) and review sentiment (85% vs 75%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Speed Reader sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and SwiftRead sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SwiftRead holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SwiftRead has 35 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Speed Reader's written reviews are positive against 85% of SwiftRead's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Speed Reader ships an update every 2 months, SwiftRead every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Speed Reader versus SwiftRead: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpeed ReaderSwiftRead
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (6 ratings)4.1 (35 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews84.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings635 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size83 MB72 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperNiklas BaudySwiftRead

Customer experience

Speed Reader

All ratings6 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral16.7%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative0.0%

SwiftRead

All ratings35 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral5.7%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive84.6%
Neutral7.7%
Negative7.7%

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Speed Reader

One-time7
  • Unlimited Spritz option$1.99
  • Unlimited colors$1.99
  • Unlimited Speed Read files$1.99
Show 4 more
  • Unlimited history$1.99
  • Unlimited Speed Read links$1.99
  • Remove ads$2.99
  • Premium - Unlock everything$11.99
3 purchases

SwiftRead

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly$19.991 Month
  • Quarterly$44.993 Months
  • Annual$119.991 Year

Questions

Is Speed Reader free?
Speed Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SwiftRead free?
SwiftRead is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Speed Reader or SwiftRead?
SwiftRead is rated higher. Speed Reader averages 3.8 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while SwiftRead averages 4.1 from 35 ratings.
Do Speed Reader or SwiftRead have ads?
Neither Speed Reader nor SwiftRead shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Speed Reader or SwiftRead?
Speed Reader ships an update every 2 months, and SwiftRead every 9 days. Most recently, Speed Reader was updated on October 17, 2026 and SwiftRead on October 15, 2026.

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