Comparison

Lesscreen vs Readium

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

Head to head
About

Lesscreen

Features
Read full description

Lesscreen helps you reduce screen time and block distracting apps, so you can make room for what matters. Start a focus session, schedule regular breaks from apps, or set a shared daily time limit. FOCUS WHEN YOU CHOOSE Choose the apps, categories or websites you want to block, then set a focus duration. Start with 25, 45 or 60 minutes, or adjust the session to suit your day. BUILD A ROUTINE Schedule blocking for work, study or bedtime. Choose your start time, end time and days of the week. Overnight schedules can continue into the next morning. SET A DAILY LIMIT Give your selected apps a shared daily time budget. When the budget is reached, that selection is blocked for the rest of the day. The limit resets at local midnight. START WITH A TEMPLATE Work time, Wind down and Less social scrolling give you a starting point you can make your own. PROTECT YOUR PLANS An optional setting prevents you from stopping, editing or deleting a plan inside Lesscreen while it is actively blocking. You remain in control of Screen Time permission in iOS Settings. CLEAR, SIMPLE CONTROLS Manage your routines in one place and see which plans are active. If plans overlap, an app unlocks only when no active plan is still blocking it. No account is required. Your selected apps and plans are stored on your device. Lesscreen uses Apple's Screen Time features and requires permission to block your selection. Daily limits are shared across each plan's selection, not separate limits for every app. On iOS 17.4 and later, earlier usage from the same day is included. Available in English, Spanish, French, German, Simplified Chinese and Vietnamese. Requires iOS 16 or later.

About

Readium

Transform any text document, PDF, or web article into a natural-sounding audiobook. Follow along with highlighted words in real-time for improved focus and recall. Offers lifelike AI voices and offline playback for a private, distraction-free reading experience.

Highlights
  • Text-to-speech audiobook conversion
  • Real-time word highlighting
  • Lifelike AI and offline voices
  • Distraction-free reader with themes
  • Background playback with lockscreen controls
  • Supports EPUB, PDF, MOBI, and web articles
  • Adjustable playback speed
Features
Read full description

Turn any book, PDF, or web article into a natural-sounding audiobook — and follow every word as it's read aloud. Lifelike voices, online or offline. Read faster, remember more. Readium reads your books, PDFs, articles, and documents out loud with beautiful, human-sounding voices — while highlighting each word in real time so your eyes and ears work together. It's the calm, private way to get through your reading list. WHY READIUM • Listen and follow along — real-time word highlighting keeps you focused and boosts recall • Lifelike AI voices plus built-in device voices that work fully offline • Beautiful, distraction-free reader — 4 themes (Light, Dark, Slate, Sepia) and reading fonts • Background playback with lockscreen media controls showing the book title and author • Adjustable speed, sentence skip, and a sleep-friendly experience • Thousands of classic books from Project Gutenberg — one tap to add to your library • Optimized for iPhone and iPad, including split-view multitasking IMPORT ANYTHING • EPUB, PDF, MOBI, AZW3, and FictionBook (FB2) • Plain text, Markdown, and HTML files • Web articles — browse to any page inside Readium and add it with a tap • Share sheet — send a link from Safari or any other app straight to your library • Rename titles and edit authors to keep your library tidy HOW IT WORKS 1. Import a book, PDF, or paste a web link 2. Pick a voice — a lifelike AI voice or a device voice that works offline 3. Press play and follow the highlighted words VOICES IN YOUR LANGUAGE English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, and Bangla — with more on the way. Preview any voice before you pick. GREAT FOR Commuters and multitaskers. Students and researchers. Readers with dyslexia, ADHD, or low vision. Anyone who wants a beautiful, listen-along reading experience. Reading, but faster — and finally enjoyable. Download Readium and start listening.

Screenshots

Lesscreen4 screens
Readium4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Readium at every 9 days against Lesscreen's every 12 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lesscreen ships an update every 12 months, Readium every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Lesscreen versus Readium: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLesscreenReadium
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—4 — better
Update frequencyEvery 12 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB109 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperShenzhen Jirry Jirry Technology Co., Ltd.Raquib Ul Alam

In-app purchases

None

Lesscreen

No in-app purchases

None

Readium

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Lesscreen free?
Lesscreen is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Readium free?
Readium is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Lesscreen or Readium have ads?
Neither Lesscreen nor Readium shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lesscreen or Readium?
Lesscreen ships an update every 12 months, and Readium every 9 days. Most recently, Lesscreen was updated on October 12, 2026 and Readium on October 24, 2026.

Other comparisons