Comparison

Sandbook vs Hopper

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 - 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

About

Hopper

Features
Read full description

Fact-check with one tap, declutter web pages, and save content to read or listen later. Ultra-lightweight (uses 0.3 GB of memory only). Speed up your browsing without buying a new phone.

Screenshots

Sandbook4 screens
Hopper3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Hopper at every 3 days against Sandbook's weekly. Hopper also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.2). 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

Sandbook ships an update weekly, Hopper every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Sandbook versus Hopper: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSandbookHopper
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (92 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews77.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings92 — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.216.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size270 MB52 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperSmashMelon LLCEvergreen Labs

In-app purchases

None

Sandbook

No in-app purchases

None

Hopper

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Sandbook free?
Sandbook is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Hopper free?
Hopper is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Sandbook or Hopper have ads?
Neither Sandbook nor Hopper shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sandbook or Hopper?
Sandbook ships an update weekly, and Hopper every 3 days. Most recently, Sandbook was updated on October 16, 2026 and Hopper on October 20, 2026.

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