Text and Speech vs Heard
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Text and Speech
This app allows you to read and listen to ebooks and web content. It offers a distraction-free reading experience with customizable settings and advanced text-to-speech capabilities in multiple languages. Organize your library, track progress, and enjoy offline listening for a seamless reading journey.
- Import ebooks and files (epub, pdf, txt, html)
- Import web pages via sharing or built-in browser
- Ad and clutter removal from web pages
- Customizable reading appearance (color, font, margin)
- Text-to-speech in 30+ languages with premium voices
- Offline audio generation for private listening
- Organize content into collections
- Track reading progress and stats
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Read, listen and save your favorite ebooks or web content with AvidReader. Importing is simple: - Import your ebooks and files (epub, pdf, txt, html) from your device or other apps - Import web pages by sharing or copying a link, or use the built-in browser to browse the web without leaving AvidReader Read comfortably: - AvidReader automatically removes ads and clutter from web pages for a distraction-free reading experience. - Adjust color, font, margin, and more - Dark theme and dyslexia-friendly fonts available Read aloud/Text-to-speech: - Enjoy realistic and engaging audio renditions in 30+ languages created by state-of-the-art TTS models - Choose from 20+ premium voices in English - On-device audio generation allow you to listen offline while keeping your content private. No need to pre-download audio either! - Adjust speed as you like Collect and organize - Save any web content you’d like to read later, such as news articles, recipes, web novels, etc. - Download web pages to read anytime, anywhere - Configure auto downloads to ensure your content is always available - Create collections to organize your favorite content - Automatically or manually update item status (reading, to read, or finished) - Sync your files across devices AvidReader or iCloud. Track your progress and stay motivated: - Your reading progress is auto recorded - Earn streaks by reading or listening for 2 minutes a day - See your reading time stats and daily log from the home page Your wellbeing is important - AvidReader show the status bar when you’re reading, allowing you to keep track of time - Enable break reminders and bedtime reminders - Set a sleep timer in voiceover controls and drift off with relaxing narrations Privacy - Your files are never uploaded to our servers without your explicit consent - The in-app browser does not collect any data from your browsing - Add an extra layer of privacy by requiring biometrics to unlock the app - AvidReader is ad-free and does not track you across websites. - See our privacy policy at https://shydog.net/about/privacy-policy
Heard
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Heard turns timeless books into audiobooks, narrated by a natural neural voice generated right on your device. No streaming, no accounts - just open a book and press play, for free. Because the narration is created on your phone, it works anywhere: on a plane, on the subway, or with the Wi‑Fi off. A CURATED LIBRARY, INCLUDED FREE • 56 classic works of literature — Austen, Dostoevsky, Dickens, Homer, the Brontës, Poe and more • Sourced from Project Gutenberg and in the public domain • Synced reading with Text to Speech • Speed control for speech A READER THAT GETS OUT OF THE WAY • Clean, distraction-free pages with light, dark, and sepia themes • Adjustable font size and serif, sans, or mono typefaces • Pages turn automatically as the narration reads along • Always picks up right where you left off LISTEN HANDS-FREE • Tap play and follow along, or just listen, included with free app • A pocket-safe "Lock Screen" mode dims the display and blocks accidental taps while it reads • Requires a one-time 350MB download HEARD PRO • Every neural voice — choose the narrator you like best • Import your own EPUB files and listen to any book you own • A simple subscription that supports independent, privacy-first development Heard is free to read and listen to the entire built-in library with one voice. Upgrade to Pro anytime to unlock all voices and import your own books. Books included for free: A Christmas Carol, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, A Doll's House, A Room with a View, A Tale of Two Cities, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Anna Karenina, Anne of Green Gables, Around the World in Eighty Days, Beowulf, Crime and Punishment, Don Quixote, Dracula, Emma, Frankenstein, Great Expectations, Gulliver's Travels, Heart of Darkness, Jane Eyre, Les Misérables, Little Women, Middlemarch, Moby Dick, Oliver Twist, Peter Pan, Pride and Prejudice, Robinson Crusoe, Romeo and Juliet, Sense and Sensibility, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Blue Castle, The Call of the Wild, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Enchanted April, The Great Gatsby, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Iliad, The Importance of Being Earnest, The King in Yellow, The Metamorphosis, The Odyssey, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Scarlet Letter, The Secret Garden, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Three Musketeers, The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Treasure Island, Twenty Years After, Wuthering Heights. — Heard Pro is an auto-renewing subscription, offered monthly or annually. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use: https://alana314.github.io/heard-microsite-public/#/terms Privacy Policy: https://alana314.github.io/heard-microsite-public/#/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Text and Speech at every 5 days against Heard's every 2 weeks. 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
Both are free to download. Text and Speech sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Heard sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Text and Speech ships an update every 5 days, Heard every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Text and Speech | Heard |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 139 MB | 96 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Shy Dog Pte. Ltd. | alana. sh |
In-app purchases
Text and Speech
- AvidReader PRO - Monthly$3.991 Month
- AvidReader PRO - Yearly7 Days trial$34.991 Year
Heard
- Heard Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
- Heard Pro Annual$29.991 Year









