Comparison

Listen 2 Reader vs Scribb

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Listen 2 Reader

This app converts text to natural-sounding speech using on-device neural TTS engines. It supports various document formats and offers advanced voice tuning and word-level highlighting for an immersive reading experience without cloud reliance or subscriptions.

Highlights
  • On-device neural text-to-speech
  • 100+ voices in 13 languages
  • Voice tuning and presets
  • Import PDF, EPUB, DOCX, and more
  • Word-by-word highlighting
  • AI figure descriptions
  • True offline privacy
Features
Read full description

Listen2 runs neural text-to-speech directly on your iPhone or iPad without connecting to cloud services. No subscription or accounts — just a 7 day free trial and then a one-time purchase. Most text-to-speech apps either use the tried and true system voices or require monthly payments for cloud processing. Listen2 runs neural voice models locally using your iOS device's CPU and Apple Neural Engine, giving you natural-sounding speech without ongoing costs or privacy tradeoffs. WHAT MAKES LISTEN2 DIFFERENT Multi-Voice Engines, One App Piper provides reliable neural voices across 13 languages. Supertonic offers a fresh take on a voice engine — flow-matching models running on Apple's Neural Engine via CoreML for natural rhythm and expressive speech. Choose from 100+ voices in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, Greek, Hindi, Vietnamese, Swedish and Hungarian. More coming. Voice Tuning Adjust the model parameters of any voice to suit your preferences. Save presets to switch between profiles. Preview pronunciation rules before saving them. Import Anything PDF, EPUB, DOCX, DAISY, markdown, plain text, clipboard, or web articles. Share from Safari and Listen2 extracts the article text. Paywalled content works (even sites on which other major TTS apps fail) when shared from a browser where you are logged in. Machine Learning Word Sync CTC forced alignment matches audio to text at the word level. Watch each word highlight as it is spoken — across Latin and non-Latin scripts alike. Highlighting engine newly re-build to be lean and efficient that's dramatically easier on your battery life. Smart Document Reading Multi-column layout handling, footnote filtering (for PDF files), hyphenated word rejoining. AI Vision for scanned PDFs. Full EPUB, DOCX, and DAISY support. Figure Descriptions On-device AI vision generates spoken descriptions of figures, charts, and photos as you listen. For non-English documents, descriptions translate automatically via Apple's on-device Translation framework. (Works with EPUB and PDF as a first roll-out) Pronunciation Rules Fix how any word is spoken without changing display text. Rules for names, terms, or abbreviations. Live preview before saving. Built-in presets for footnote markers. Global or per-document. Doesn't break highlighting. True Offline Privacy Processing, normalization, and synthesis all happen on-device. Documents never leave your phone. No uploads, account, or tracking. FEATURES - 100+ neural voices across 13 languages, plus dozens of Apple system voices - 3+ engines: Piper (broad language support), Supertonic (high-fidelity CoreML, flow-matching models), and Kokoro. Apple system voices offer efficient, quality options if using enhanced or premium models. - Voice tuning with saveable presets - Word-by-word or sentence highlighting - PDF, EPUB, DOCX, DAISY, TXT, Markdown support - AI figure descriptions with auto-translation (PDF and EPUB support) - Collections with intros, cover art, and auto-advance - Web Article Collections — batch articles into an auto-playing queue - Clipboard import and Siri shortcut support - 0.5x to 2.5x playback speed (Kokoro supports up to 1.4x because of real-time constraint) - Background playback with lock screen controls - Import from Files, links, Share Extension, or other apps - Export any document as a plain-text file from the library - Pronunciation rules with live preview - Atkinson Hyperlegible and OpenDyslexic fonts - Full VoiceOver support with rotor navigation and Magic Tap - Elapsed and remaining time in now playing & reader view. WHO IT'S FOR - Commuters turning drive time into learning time - Students reviewing papers and textbooks - Professionals handling confidential documents privately - VoiceOver users looking for a fully accessible TTS reader - Readers with dyslexia who benefit from audio-visual sync - Anyone tired of TTS subscriptions One-time purchase. 7-day free trial. No subscriptions.

About

Scribb

Features
Read full description

Scribb — Read Without Distractions Your personal reading sanctuary. Save anything. Read anywhere. Tired of cluttered apps, endless ads, and losing track of articles you meant to read? Scribb transforms how you consume content — giving you a clean, focused space to save, organize, and enjoy your reading list on your terms. Save Once, Read Anywhere Capture articles, blog posts, and long-form content from any website with a single tap. Your library syncs seamlessly across all your devices via iCloud, so your reading list is always with you. True Offline Reading Download articles for offline access. Perfect for flights, commutes, subway rides, or anywhere life takes you without WiFi. Your content is always available — no connection required. Organize Your Way Keep your reading list tidy with powerful organization tools: - Tags — Categorize articles by topic, priority, or mood - Smart Filters — Find exactly what you're looking for - Auto-updating Sources — Stay current with content from your favorite sites Read Comfortably Customize your reading experience to suit your preferences: - Multiple color themes - Adjustable fonts and text sizing - Clean typography optimized for long-form reading - Bionic font - Distraction-free interface — no ads, no popups, no AI, just content Why Scribb? We believe reading should be simple. No algorithms deciding what you see. No ads interrupting your flow. No tracking your habits. Just you and the content you chose to save. Download Scribb and rediscover the joy of reading.

Screenshots

Listen 2 Reader4 screens
Scribb4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Scribb at none against Listen 2 Reader's 1. Listen 2 Reader's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 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. Listen 2 Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Scribb asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Listen 2 Reader ships an update every 10 days, Scribb every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Listen 2 Reader versus Scribb: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterListen 2 ReaderScribb
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (13 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings13 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.218.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size185 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZach SwiftIgor Igor

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Listen 2 Reader

One-time1
  • Listen2 Full Access$19.99
None

Scribb

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Listen 2 Reader free?
Listen 2 Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Scribb free?
Scribb is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Listen 2 Reader or Scribb have ads?
Neither Listen 2 Reader nor Scribb shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Listen 2 Reader or Scribb?
Listen 2 Reader ships an update every 10 days, and Scribb every 2 months. Most recently, Listen 2 Reader was updated on October 11, 2026 and Scribb on October 1, 2026.

Other comparisons