Comparison

Sandbook vs Ghost Reader Live

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. NATURAL VOICES, OFFLINE - 41 voices in American and British English, Spanish, French, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese and Hindi - 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, 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 LISTEN THE WAY YOU READ - Opens at the paragraph where you stopped - 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

About

Ghost Reader Live

Features
Read full description

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

Sandbook4 screens
Ghost Reader Live4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sandbook at none against Ghost Reader Live's 2. Ghost Reader Live's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months). On price, ads, 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. Ghost Reader Live sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. Sandbook asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sandbook ships an update every 4 months, Ghost Reader Live weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Sandbook versus Ghost Reader Live: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSandbookGhost Reader Live
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (60 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews81.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings60 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.218.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size265 MB340 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSmashMelon LLCJan Ancajas

In-app purchases

None

Sandbook

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Ghost Reader Live

Subscriptions1
  • Ghost Reader7 Days trial$0.491 Month
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$14.99

Questions

Is Sandbook free?
Sandbook is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ghost Reader Live free?
Ghost Reader Live is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Sandbook or Ghost Reader Live have ads?
Neither Sandbook nor Ghost Reader Live shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sandbook or Ghost Reader Live?
Sandbook ships an update every 4 months, and Ghost Reader Live weekly. Most recently, Sandbook was updated on September 30, 2026 and Ghost Reader Live on September 27, 2026.

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