Sandbook vs Ghost Reader Live
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- On-device text-to-speech
- Reads ePub, PDF, TXT files
- Type or paste text
- Read webpages aloud
- Export audio files
- Privacy protection
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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. 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 READ ALMOST ANYTHING - Import EPUB, PDF, Word (.docx), TXT, RTF, Markdown and HTML files - Add a web page by pasting a link, or share it from Safari - 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 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 - Prepare a chapter's audio ahead of time, then keep listening with the screen locked; prepared chapters replay instantly - Continue Reading with Siri or the Shortcuts app - Export any text as an M4A audio file 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. - Real-time reading pauses when the screen locks. To listen with the screen off, prepare the chapter first. Questions or ideas: support@sandbook.app
Ghost Reader Live
This app transforms documents and web content into spoken audio using on-device voices. Listen privately while following along with highlighted text, with options to adjust speed, navigate, and use lock-screen controls. A free tier offers limited daily listening, with premium options for unlimited access.
- On-device TTS narration
- Focus mode with highlighting and auto-scroll
- Adjustable listening speed (0.5x to 2x)
- Document navigation and resume playback
- Lock-screen and headphone controls
- Sleep timer and MP3 export
- Privacy-focused, no account required
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Turn reading into listening — privately. Ghost Reader narrates PDFs, EPUBs, web articles, Markdown, and plain-text files with natural on-device voices. Import a document or paste a link, then listen while following the text in Focus mode. YOUR DOCUMENTS STAY WITH YOU Narration is generated on your iPhone. Your documents, extracted text, and audio are not sent to our servers. No account is required. MADE FOR LISTENING • Follow along with sentence highlighting and auto-scroll • Pick a voice and adjust listening speed from 0.5× to 2× • Navigate to any part of a document and resume where you stopped • Use lock-screen and headphone play/pause controls when narration is ready • Set a sleep timer or export narration as an MP3 FREE TO START Enjoy 30 minutes of narration each day for free. Upgrade through the App Store for unlimited listening with Monthly or Lifetime Access. Requires iPhone 12 or newer. Privacy Policy: https://bighippolabs.com/page-ghostreader/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://bighippolabs.com/page-ghostreader/terms.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sandbook at none against Ghost Reader Live's 2. Sandbook also leads on ratings volume (107 vs 1). Ghost Reader Live's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6). 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
Both are free to download. Ghost Reader Live sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. Sandbook asks for nothing beyond the download.
Ghost Reader Live holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sandbook has 107 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Sandbook ships an update weekly, Ghost Reader Live every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sandbook | Ghost Reader Live |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (107 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 77.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 107 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 11 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.2 | 18.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 271 MB | 340 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | SmashMelon LLC | Jan Ancajas |
Customer experience
Sandbook
Ghost Reader Live
In-app purchases
Sandbook
No in-app purchases
Ghost Reader Live
- Ghost Reader7 Days trial$0.491 Month
- Lifetime Access$14.99








