# Text to Speech vs Timbre

The clearest difference is update cadence: Timbre at every 3 weeks against Text to Speech's every 5 months. Text to Speech's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Text to Speech sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Timbre sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Text to Speech ships an update every 5 months, Timbre every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 12, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Text to Speech | Timbre |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/timbre-text-to-speech/id6745225224/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **5** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Size | 9 MB | 216 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 18.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Reva Desai](https://appshunter.io/developer/1780266324) | [Jack Ransom](https://appshunter.io/developer/1811377391) |

## What reviewers say

### Text to Speech

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text-to-speech-reader/id6738470609)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly Access | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium Yearly Access | $19.99 | per year |


### Timbre

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/timbre-text-to-speech/id6745225224)

Listen to your books aloud with natural-sounding voices and adjustable speeds. Highlight text as it's read to improve comprehension. Convert physical books into audiobooks by capturing images.

**Highlights:** Listen at 2X speed, Natural human voices, Text highlighting, Convert books to audiobooks, Free voice option

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Timbre Monthly Subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| Timbre Annual Subscription | $99.00 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Text to Speech free?

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

### Is Timbre free?

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

### Do Text to Speech or Timbre have ads?

Neither Text to Speech nor Timbre shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Text to Speech or Timbre?

Text to Speech ships an update every 5 months, and Timbre every 3 weeks. Most recently, Text to Speech was updated on September 12, 2026 and Timbre on October 7, 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.*