Listen 2 Reader vs Start Speaking
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Listen 2 Reader
This app reads your documents aloud using natural-sounding neural voices that run entirely on your device. It offers offline functionality, supports various file formats, and includes features like word-by-word highlighting and AI-powered descriptions for images and charts. Your documents remain private as all processing is done locally.
- Offline neural text-to-speech
- 25 built-in Phonon voices
- 13 supported languages
- Word-by-word highlighting
- Import PDF, EPUB, DOCX, TXT
- AI-powered figure descriptions
- Customizable pronunciation rules
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Listen2 reads your documents aloud with natural neural voices that run entirely on your iPhone or iPad. Because nothing is sent to a server, there is nothing to sign up for and nothing to keep paying for. You can try every feature free for 7 days, then buy the app once. Most text-to-speech apps give you two options. You can use the tried and true system voices, or you can pay every month for cloud voices that read your documents on someone else's computers. Listen2 runs its voice models on your device's Neural Engine and CPU instead, so the voices sound natural and your documents stay on your phone. WHAT MAKES LISTEN2 DIFFERENT Natural voices, built in Listen2 comes with 25 Phonon voices, American and British, female and male. They are installed with the app, so you can start listening the moment you open it, even without an internet connection. Phonon reads long chapters with smooth, steady phrasing and is very efficient on your device. 13 languages Download the Supertonic engine and its 10 voices speak English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, Greek, Hindi, Vietnamese, Swedish and Hungarian. More languages are on the way. Apple's system voices are available too (Download premium voices for best results). Word-by-word highlighting Listen2 matches the audio to the text with on-device machine learning, so each word lights up as it is spoken and the page scrolls along with you. If that feels busy, you can highlight whole sentences instead. Import almost anything PDF, EPUB, DOCX, DAISY, Markdown, plain text, the clipboard or a web article. Share a page from Safari and Listen2 pulls out the article text. This also works for subscription sites, as long as you are signed in to them in your browser. Smart document reading Listen2 handles multi-column layouts, skips footnote markers in PDFs and rejoins words hyphenated across lines. Scanned PDFs are read with on-device text recognition. Figure descriptions When the reading reaches a chart, diagram or photo in a PDF or EPUB, on-device AI vision describes it aloud. If the document is in another language, Apple's on-device Translation framework translates the description. Pronunciation rules Teach Listen2 how to say a name, term or abbreviation without changing the text on screen. You can hear a rule before you save it, and apply it everywhere or to one document. Highlighting stays in sync either way. Built-in rules silence footnote markers. Voice tuning Adjust how Supertonic voices sound and save your favorite settings as presets. Private by design Text processing and speech both happen on your device. Your documents never leave your phone, and Listen2 has no accounts and does not track you. FEATURES - 25 built-in Phonon voices, plus 10 Supertonic voices in 13 languages - Apple system voices, including enhanced and premium voices - Word-by-word or sentence highlighting - PDF, EPUB, DOCX, DAISY, TXT and Markdown - Figure descriptions with on-device translation (PDF and EPUB) - Collections with intros, cover art and auto-advance - Web Article Collections: turn a batch of articles into one playlist - Clipboard import and Siri Shortcuts - Playback speed from 0.5x to 2.5x - Background playback with lock screen and headphone controls - Sleep timer - Elapsed and remaining time in the reader and on the lock screen - Import from Files, links, the Share sheet or other apps - Export any document as plain text - Atkinson Hyperlegible and OpenDyslexic fonts - Full VoiceOver support with rotor navigation and Magic Tap WHO IT IS FOR - Commuters turning drive time into reading time - Students working through papers and textbooks - Professionals whose documents must stay private - VoiceOver users who want a fully accessible reader - Readers with dyslexia who benefit from seeing and hearing each word together - Anyone tired of paying for text-to-speech every month Listen2 is a one-time purchase with a 7-day free trial.
Start Speaking
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Start Speaking helps you read books and supported documents in the way that works best for you. Read on screen, listen with speech, or move naturally between both as you go. Whether you are enjoying a novel, studying, reviewing a document, or catching up on an audiobook, Start Speaking brings your library, reading controls, and personal preferences together in one focused place. Flexible, Focused Reading Key Features • Read and Listen Read visually or listen with Apple system voices. Optional cloud AI voices from supported providers are available with your own provider account. • Your Library, Organized Keep books together in bookshelves, search your library, save bookmarks, and return to your place. • Find Your Place Use Headings, Contents, Search, and Go to Page to move through long books and documents. • Make Reading Comfortable Choose themes, colors, font size, and reader layout. Typoscope modes and speech highlighting help you keep your focus on the text. • Books and Documents Open supported EPUB, DAISY, Word, PDF, plain-text, rich-text, audiobook, spreadsheet, presentation, and other compatible document formats. • Paste Text to Speak Paste text from the clipboard or open a text file when you want to hear it right away. • Made to Fit Your Needs Start Speaking supports VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, clear controls, and flexible visual settings. Perspective All Access (Subscription Features) Unlock more ways to read with Perspective All Access: • Excel Workbooks Open workbooks with a Workbook Overview and switch between Table view and Document view. • PowerPoint Presentations Read slides, text, images, tables, diagrams, and charts. Choose whether to include speaker notes and reviewer comments. • One Subscription Use your Perspective All Access purchase across supported Techopolis apps. All Access plan choices and current prices are shown by Apple before you confirm a purchase. You can restore earlier purchases and manage subscriptions from Settings. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Listen 2 Reader at every 10 days against Start Speaking's every 2 months. Listen 2 Reader also leads on iOS requirement (18.2 vs 26.0). 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. Listen 2 Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Start Speaking sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Listen 2 Reader ships an update every 10 days, Start Speaking every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 12, 2026.
| Parameter | Listen 2 Reader | Start Speaking |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (13 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 88.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 13 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.2 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 313 MB | 26 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Zach Swift | Techopolis Online Solutions, LLC |
In-app purchases
Listen 2 Reader
- Listen2 Full Access$19.99
Start Speaking
- All Access Monthly$5.991 Month
- All Access Annual$49.991 Year
Questions
Is Listen 2 Reader free?
Is Start Speaking free?
Do Listen 2 Reader or Start Speaking have ads?
Which is updated more often, Listen 2 Reader or Start Speaking?
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