# Narrate vs SmartRSS

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Narrate at none against SmartRSS's 3. SmartRSS's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 4 months) and rating (4.6 vs 4.3). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SmartRSS sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.29 per month. Narrate asks for nothing beyond the download.

SmartRSS holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 17 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Narrate's written reviews are positive against 91% of SmartRSS's.

Narrate ships an update every 4 months, SmartRSS every 6 days. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Narrate | SmartRSS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/narrate-text-to-speech/id6747409212/reviews) | **[4.6 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartrss-rss-reader-and-podcast/id6749771900/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 13 | **17** |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews | **90.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 465 MB | 83 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chetan Alla](https://appshunter.io/developer/1821333126) | [铫 刘](https://appshunter.io/developer/1807203451) |

## What reviewers say

### Narrate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/narrate-text-to-speech/id6747409212)

This app converts articles, EPUBs, and text into natural-sounding speech using an on-device AI model. Enjoy distraction-free listening with features like karaoke word highlighting and background playback. Your content and audio generation remain private on your device.

**Highlights:** On-device AI voice quality, Karaoke word highlighting, Background playback, Distraction-free reader view, Auto-save document position, Adjustable playback speed

**In-app purchases:** none


### SmartRSS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartrss-rss-reader-and-podcast/id6749771900)

This app offers an intelligent RSS reading experience with AI-powered article summaries and text-to-speech functionality. It synchronizes across multiple platforms and services, providing a clean, customizable interface for modern content consumption.

**Highlights:** AI-powered article summaries, Natural text-to-speech audio, Cross-platform synchronization, Adaptive Material You Design, Intelligent feed organization, Offline reading support, OPML import/export

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $1.29 | per month |
| Premium Yearly | $11.99 | per year |
| Premium Lifetime | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Narrate free?

Narrate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SmartRSS free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Narrate or SmartRSS?

SmartRSS is rated higher. Narrate averages 4.3 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while SmartRSS averages 4.6 from 17 ratings.

### Do Narrate or SmartRSS have ads?

Neither Narrate nor SmartRSS shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Narrate or SmartRSS?

Narrate ships an update every 4 months, and SmartRSS every 6 days. Most recently, Narrate was updated on October 28, 2026 and SmartRSS on October 28, 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.*