Comparison

Sandbook vs DeepReader

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

Head to head
About

Sandbook

This app converts text into natural-sounding speech using an on-device model. Read ePub, PDF, and TXT files, type or paste text, or even read webpages aloud. Export audio files for offline listening with complete privacy.

Highlights
  • On-device text-to-speech
  • Reads ePub, PDF, TXT files
  • Type or paste text
  • Read webpages aloud
  • Export audio files
  • Privacy protection
Features
Read full description

Sandbook reads books, documents and articles aloud in natural voices, entirely on your iPhone or iPad. Nothing you read is uploaded, and there is no account, no subscription and no ads. Press play, lock your screen, and Sandbook keeps reading, in your pocket or in the car with CarPlay. Found an article in Safari, Chrome or another app? Tap Save to Sandbook and it waits in your Listen Later queue. NATURAL VOICES, OFFLINE - 41 voices in American and British English, Spanish, French, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese and Hindi - A book in Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese or Hindi opens with a voice in its language - Powered by the open-source Kokoro model, running locally; no internet connection needed - Follow along as each spoken word is highlighted - Speed from 0.5x to 2.5x; each book remembers its voice and speed - Pronunciations: tell Sandbook how to say a name or word, in every book or just one READ ALMOST ANYTHING - Import EPUB, PDF, Word (.docx), TXT, RTF, Markdown and HTML files - Add a web page by pasting a link, or save it from Safari, Chrome and other apps with Save to Sandbook in the share sheet - Scan printed pages with the camera, or pick a photo, and listen - Send files or selected text from any app with the share sheet, or type and paste your own - Open a document straight from the Files app with Open With, or set Sandbook as its default app - Browse a shelf of public-domain classics in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese and Hindi, and play a short sample before you download one LISTEN THE WAY YOU READ - Opens at the paragraph where you stopped - Keep listening when you leave the book, with a mini player at the bottom of the screen - Bookmarks, and search inside a book - Sleep timer: stop after a set time or at the end of the chapter - Passages you've already heard play back instantly - In a PDF, the sentence being read is highlighted on the page; tap any sentence to read from there - Reading options: light, sepia and dark themes, fonts, text size and line spacing - Appearance: light, dark or matching your system - See each book's length, listening time and the time left in the chapter - Keep listening with the screen locked or while you use other apps; the lock screen shows the chapter's progress, with 15-second skips - Listen Later: web pages and text you save wait at the top of your library and play one after another - CarPlay: continue your book, or pick one from your library or Listen Later, and change the speed from the car's screen - Widgets for the Home Screen and Lock Screen, and a Play Sandbook control for Control Center and the Action button - Continue Reading with Siri or the Shortcuts app - Export a chapter or a whole book as one M4A audio file with chapter markers, or any text you type ACCESSIBILITY - VoiceOver, Voice Control, Switch Control, larger text and contrast improvements - The app is available in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil) and Hindi PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your books, text and voices stay on your device. Sandbook never sends what you read to a server. GOOD TO KNOW - Voices require iPhone 12 or later, or an iPad with an A14 or M1 chip or later. Sandbook also needs iOS 18.2 or later. Questions or ideas: support@sandbook.app

About

DeepReader

Features
Read full description

DeepReader is a text-to-speech application that converts various types of text into natural, fluent audio. It supports PDFs, web articles, photos, cloud documents, and more, allowing you to listen to content in different scenarios and freeing reading from the limitations of screens. We focus on delivering a high-quality speech synthesis experience, continuously refining pronunciation, intonation, and pauses so that AI narration sounds more natural and human-like, making it suitable for long listening sessions and repeated playback. The app offers a range of practical features, including online text-to-speech playback, voice preview, and PDF text recognition. You can listen online to preview the generated audio. If you wish to save content as audio files, character packages are available for purchase to enable audio generation and downloads. For users with reading difficulties, visual fatigue, or challenges with extended reading, DeepReader presents text through a combination of audio and visual support. This approach helps reduce reading strain and allows you to focus more on the content itself rather than the act of reading. Privacy Policy:https://draft.zeromi.top/deepreader/privacy/en.html Terms of Use:https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Sandbook4 screens
DeepReader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sandbook at none against DeepReader's 2. DeepReader's advantage is iOS requirement (16.6 vs 18.2). On price, update cadence, ads 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. DeepReader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Sandbook asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sandbook ships an update weekly, DeepReader every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Sandbook versus DeepReader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSandbookDeepReader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (148 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews80.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings148 — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.216.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size126 MB26 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperSmashMelon LLC四营 田

In-app purchases

None

Sandbook

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

DeepReader

Subscriptions2
  • 1 month3 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • 12 Months3 Days trial$69.991 Year

Questions

Is Sandbook free?
Sandbook is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is DeepReader free?
DeepReader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Sandbook or DeepReader have ads?
Neither Sandbook nor DeepReader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sandbook or DeepReader?
Sandbook ships an update weekly, and DeepReader every 5 days. Most recently, Sandbook was updated on October 30, 2026 and DeepReader on October 25, 2026.

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