Comparison

FocalRead vs UltraRead

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

Head to head
About

FocalRead

Boost your reading speed with this app that uses RSVP to display words one at a time. Import various document types and web articles to finish content in a fraction of the time. Organize your library, track progress, and customize your reading experience.

Highlights
  • Speed reading with RSVP
  • Import PDF, EPUB, MOBI, TXT, DOCX, AZW3
  • Read web articles
  • Organize content in a library
  • Track reading progress
  • Customizable reading speed and font
Features
Read full description

Stop wasting time reading slowly. FocalRead is a speed reading app and a full eBook + document reader. Import your files or articles from the web and save them to your Library, and read them with RSVP (Rapid Serial Visual Presentation) to finish books, documents and web content in a fraction of the time. Supports PDF, EPUB, MOBI, TXT, DOCX, and AZW3 files (non-DRM only). THE PROBLEM WITH TRADITIONAL READING When you read normally, your eyes constantly move across lines, jump between words, and sometimes go back to re-read. That eye movement wastes time and causes fatigue. The average person reads around 200 WPM, but you can go much faster with the right technique. HOW FOCALREAD WORKS FocalRead displays one word at a time in a fixed position. Your eyes stay focused on a single point while words flow to you. No scanning. No constant eye movement. Just focused reading. Normal reading: ~200 WPM With FocalRead: 300 to 600+ WPM Advanced readers: up to 900 WPM That’s up to 3x faster than traditional reading. REAL TIME SAVINGS A typical 90,000-word book takes 7.5 hours at normal speed. At 600 WPM, you can finish in about 2.5 hours. That’s 5 hours saved on a single book. IMPORT AND READ YOUR FILES Use FocalRead as your daily reader. Import and keep everything inside the app: PDF documents EPUB eBooks* MOBI books* TXT files DOCX documents AZW3 files* *only if they are not DRM-protected You can also paste text from anywhere or read articles from the web. A READER BUILT FOR ORGANIZATION Save all books and documents to your Library Rename and organize your content Track progress and pick up where you left off Chapter navigation for EPUB books Reading history and sessions CUSTOMIZE YOUR READING EXPERIENCE Adjust speed from 100 to 1000+ WPM Choose standard, lowercase, or UPPERCASE text Select your preferred font style Smooth progress tracking while you read PERFECT FOR Students reading textbooks and study materials Professionals reviewing reports and documents Book lovers who want to read more Anyone who wants more learning in less time Start reading faster today with FocalRead. Terms: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

UltraRead

Enhance your reading comprehension and speed with this app. It utilizes Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) technology to display words one at a time, allowing you to finish articles much faster. Customize your reading speed and enjoy a distraction-free experience.

Highlights
  • Speed read any article or webpage in Safari
  • Adjustable reading speed
  • Auto-detect article content
  • Red focus letter for word recognition
  • Distraction-free reading overlay
  • Play, pause, and restart controls
Features
Read full description

Read faster. Understand more. Finish articles in minutes instead of half an hour. UltraRead brings Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) technology to Safari, letting you speed read any webpage with a tap. Instead of scanning lines of text, words appear one at a time at your chosen speed—dramatically increasing how fast you read. HOW IT WORKS RSVP eliminates the back-and-forth eye movement that slows traditional reading. Each word appears in the same spot with a red focus letter that helps your brain instantly recognize it. The result? You read faster and stay focused. KEY FEATURES • Speed read any article or webpage in Safari • Adjustable reading speed from slow to fast • Auto-detect article content or manually select text • Red focus letter for optimal word recognition • Clean, distraction-free reading overlay • Play, pause, and restart controls • 7 free reads included PREMIUM BENEFITS Subscribe to unlock unlimited speed reading: • Unlimited reads on any webpage • All speed settings unlocked • Sync across all your devices • Priority support START READING FASTER TODAY Enable the extension in Safari settings and tap the UltraRead icon on any article. Your brain will thank you. TERMS OF SERVICE https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

FocalRead4 screens
UltraRead3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: FocalRead at 4.6 against UltraRead's 1.0. FocalRead also leads on ratings volume (93 vs 1) and iOS requirement (16.1 vs 18.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. FocalRead sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days and UltraRead sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

FocalRead holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FocalRead has 93 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
FocalRead versus UltraRead: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFocalReadUltraRead
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (93 ratings) — better1.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews64.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings93 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 6 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.1 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size103 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperANDRES FELIPE SARRAZOLA VELEZPolarity Labs Pte. Ltd.

Customer experience

FocalRead

All ratings93 ratings
Positive90.3%
Neutral2.2%
Negative7.5%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive64.3%
Neutral7.1%
Negative28.6%

UltraRead

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

9 purchases

FocalRead

Subscriptions9
  • Pro Version (Weekly)$6.997 Days
  • Unlimited Weekly$6.997 Days
  • Unlimited Monthly$9.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • Unlimited Monthly$12.991 Month
  • Unlimited Annual3 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Unlimited Annual Plan3 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Unlimited Annual3 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Pro Version (Annual)3 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Unlimited Annual Plan3 Days trial$39.991 Year
1 purchases

UltraRead

Subscriptions1
  • UltraRead Premium$2.991 Month

Questions

Is FocalRead free?
FocalRead is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is UltraRead free?
UltraRead is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, FocalRead or UltraRead?
FocalRead is rated higher. FocalRead averages 4.6 out of 5 from 93 ratings, while UltraRead averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.
Do FocalRead or UltraRead have ads?
Neither FocalRead nor UltraRead shows ads.

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