Comparison

Light Novel Reader vs OpenRead

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

Head to head
About

Light Novel Reader

Transform web novels and EPUB books into audiobooks with natural AI voices. Paste chapter links or import EPUBs, and enjoy uninterrupted listening with automatic chapter progression, offline downloads, and adjustable voice settings. Read along as the text highlights.

Highlights
  • AI-powered audiobook narration
  • Automatic chapter progression
  • Offline listening support
  • EPUB file import
  • Adjustable voice speed and pitch
  • Read-along highlighting
  • Sleep timer
Features
Read full description

...Turn any web novel into an audiobook with natural AI voices. Paste a chapter link, tap play – the AI reads it aloud and moves to the next chapter on its own, even with the screen off or offline. Wuxia, xianxia, cultivation, fantasy, romance, werewolf, BL, LitRPG, light novels and more – from popular story sites or your own EPUB books. HOW IT WORKS – 3 STEPS 1. Open the chapter you're reading on a story website 2. Copy the link and paste it into the app 3. Tap play. When a chapter ends, the next one starts automatically LISTEN WITHOUT STOPPING • Auto next chapter for hours of uninterrupted listening • Download chapters and listen offline on the go • Sleep timer for listening in bed NATURAL AI VOICES • High-quality, human-like voices in English, Vietnamese and Indonesian • Adjust speed and pitch to your liking • Read along with the highlighted sentence as it plays YOUR OWN EPUB BOOKS • Import EPUB files from your device or iCloud to read and listen • Progress is saved so you pick up exactly where you left off MADE FOR READERS WHO… • Follow long web novels with hundreds or thousands of chapters • Want to keep reading while driving, working out, cooking or doing chores • Love falling asleep to a story The app doesn't host novel content; chapters are loaded directly from the sites you choose. Your reading data stays on your device. Download AI Novel Reader and turn spare moments into story time. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula

About

OpenRead

Features
Read full description

Turn your books into hours of listening, right on iPhone and iPad. OpenRead reads books, documents and web pages aloud with speech generated on your device. Import your content, choose a voice and tap Listen. Once a voice pack is downloaded, you can listen offline, even in airplane mode. READ AND LISTEN TO YOUR CONTENT • Import text files, EPUBs and PDFs, or paste text directly. • Open web pages in the app and extract the content to read. • Follow the sentence being read and tap any sentence to listen from there. • Choose continuous scrolling or page turning, and adjust text size and colors. • Save bookmarks, notes and book groups; each book remembers where you stopped. LISTEN YOUR WAY • Read books in more than 30 languages, using downloadable voice packs or the iOS system voices already available. • Preview reading voices before downloading a voice pack. • Adjust speed, change chapters and set a sleep timer. • Keep listening with the screen off, with controls on the Lock Screen or your headphones. • Hide ads, translator signatures and lines repeated across chapters with Clean Up Book. MORE CHOICE WITH OPENREAD PRO • Maximum energy-saving mode helps you listen longer with a cooler device. • Premium reading voice packs that run on your device. • Your Voice: record about 15 seconds to create a personal reading voice for compatible PRO readers. PRO is an optional upgrade: pay once, keep it for life, with no subscription. Everything that was free stays free. PRIVATE FROM THE START No account, no ads and no behavioral analytics. Books and voices are processed on your device. Recordings used to create a voice are never uploaded to a server. OpenRead reads the content you bring; it does not sell books or provide a story catalog. Voice packs are downloaded separately when you choose to use them. An internet connection is needed to download voice packs, open web pages and make purchases. For iPhone and iPad, running iOS 16 or later. Licenses and credits: https://opr.vuba.one/credits.php

Screenshots

Light Novel Reader4 screens
OpenRead4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: OpenRead at none against Light Novel Reader's shown. Light Novel Reader's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 weeks) and rating (4.3 vs 4.0). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. Light Novel Reader sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and OpenRead sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Light Novel Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Light Novel Reader has 7 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Light Novel Reader ships an update every 2 days, OpenRead every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
Light Novel Reader versus OpenRead: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLight Novel ReaderOpenRead
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (7 ratings) — better4.0 (1 ratings)
Number of ratings7 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size201 MB40 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperDuy DaoVu Bach

Customer experience

Light Novel Reader

All ratings7 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%

OpenRead

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Light Novel Reader

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly1 Month trial$1.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly$19.991 Year
One-time4
  • 10,000 coins$0.99
  • 50,000 coins$1.99
  • 110,000 coins$2.99
Show 1 more
  • 600,000 coins$14.99
2 purchases

OpenRead

One-time2
  • Buy Me a Coffee$0.99
  • OpenRead Pro Lifetime$3.99

Questions

Is Light Novel Reader free?
Light Novel Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is OpenRead free?
OpenRead is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Light Novel Reader or OpenRead?
Light Novel Reader is rated higher. Light Novel Reader averages 4.3 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while OpenRead averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Light Novel Reader or OpenRead have ads?
Light Novel Reader shows ads; OpenRead does not.
Which is updated more often, Light Novel Reader or OpenRead?
Light Novel Reader ships an update every 2 days, and OpenRead every 2 weeks. Most recently, Light Novel Reader was updated on November 8, 2026 and OpenRead on November 6, 2026.

Other comparisons