Readpace vs Simply Read | Speed Reading
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Readpace
This app measures reading speed and comprehension by timing sessions, scanning pages, and asking questions based on the text. It provides detailed insights into reading habits, helping users find their optimal pace for retention.
- Timed reading sessions
- Page scanning for WPM calculation
- Comprehension testing
- Personalized speed-retention analysis
- Progress tracking and goal setting
- Book-specific reading insights
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Most reading apps count pages. ReadPace counts whether you actually understood them. Start a session, read the way you normally read, then scan the pages you finished. ReadPace turns that into a real words-per-minute number — not an estimate, not a guess. Then it asks you questions about what you just read, written from those exact pages. Speed means nothing if none of it stuck. ReadPace measures both. TIME IT. SCAN IT. KNOW IT. Hit start, read, hit "Finish & scan." Your session becomes a precise WPM number, logged against the book you're reading. No manual page counts, no stopwatch math. READ IT. THEN PROVE IT. Every session can end with a comprehension test built from the pages you just covered. Real questions about the actual ideas — not trivia. Not sure? Tap "No idea." Honest answers make your data honest. GET SCORED, THEN GET BETTER. See your comprehension percentage, your WPM, and how many you got right — side by side. Then review every question: what you answered, what was correct, and why. Misses get explained, so the test teaches you something too. FIND THE SPEED WHERE YOU REMEMBER MOST. This is the one no other reading app can tell you. ReadPace groups your tested sessions into speed bands and averages your recall in each, revealing your personal sweet spot — the pace where you're fast and you retain it. It also shows you where recall starts to fall off, so you know exactly when you're reading too fast to learn anything. WATCH THE LINE CLIMB. Your WPM trend over 7 days, 30 days, or all time, with your goal line drawn right across it. Weekly session goals, personal bests, and a running average that proves the last three months weren't your imagination. INSIGHTS THAT CHANGE HOW YOU READ. • Your most productive time of day — morning, afternoon, or evening • Which categories you read fastest, and which you remember best • Week-over-week change, personal best, total sessions at a glance EVERY BOOK ON YOUR SHELF, MEASURED. Your library tracks each title separately: lowest, average, and highest speed, average comprehension across every tested session, a speed curve across the whole book, and a full session log with words read, time spent, WPM, and recall score. WHO IT'S FOR Students who need it to stick. Professionals reading to stay sharp. Anyone with a shelf of non-fiction and a nagging suspicion they're not retaining much of it. And anyone who just wants to read faster — with proof they haven't sacrificed understanding to get there. Stop guessing how fast you read. Start knowing what you keep. Terms of Use (EULA): https://readpace.org/terms Privacy Policy: https://readpace.org/privacy Premium is an auto-renewing subscription (monthly or yearly). Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. It renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; manage or cancel in your Apple Account settings.
Simply Read | Speed Reading
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Simply Read is a reading companion that adapts to how you read, from guided speed reading to a relaxed eBook experience. It also gives you private, on-device insights that show how you really read. READ YOUR WAY • Guided reading: word-by-word, sentence or paragraph highlighting with automatic pacing • eBook mode: a clean, self-paced reader with chapters, font scaling and paper tints • Bionic Reading mode: bold fixation prefixes guide your eyes and sharpen focus • Smart pacing gives longer or more complex words more time, with no manual fiddling • Set your speed in words per minute and watch it grow SEE HOW YOU REALLY READ (Premium) • On-device eye tracking measures reading speed, regressions and fixations as you read • Attention insights spot fatigue and wandering focus • Export a clean PDF report to share with an optometrist or reading specialist • Session insights show how focused each reading session was Insights are educational, not a medical diagnosis. Eye tracking needs a TrueDepth (Face ID) camera. The full oculomotor metrics need a 120Hz ProMotion display. YOUR LIBRARY • An included collection of classic literature • Import your own EPUB books and text files • Download more books from the Simply Read cloud library • Bookmarks, highlights and notes, so you pick up exactly where you left off STAY MOTIVATED • Daily reading goals with a progress ring • Reading streaks, plus Game Center leaderboards and achievements PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Your reading data and eye-tracking insights stay on your device • No accounts, no ads, no data sold Simply Read Premium unlocks the full reading insights and reports with an auto-renewing subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase. Sample insights, every reading mode and the library stay free. Start reading better today with Simply Read.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Readpace at 15.0 against Simply Read | Speed Reading's 17.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Readpace ships an update every 10 months, Simply Read | Speed Reading every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Readpace | Simply Read | Speed Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | Every 7 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 101 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Dominik Mesek | Nanotech Computers |
In-app purchases
Readpace
No in-app purchases
Simply Read | Speed Reading
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Readpace free?
Is Simply Read | Speed Reading free?
Do Readpace or Simply Read | Speed Reading have ads?
Which is updated more often, Readpace or Simply Read | Speed Reading?
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