Comparison

FocalRead vs ReadMaxx

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

ReadMaxx

This app helps you read faster and more effectively by displaying one word at a time at a controlled pace. It supports various input formats like PDFs, EPUBs, and web links, and includes optional haptic cues to improve focus and comprehension.

Highlights
  • Word-by-word reading display
  • Adjustable reading speed
  • Supports PDF, EPUB, web links, and pasted text
  • Optional haptic cues for structure
  • Reduces eye movement
  • Maintains attention and comprehension
Features
Read full description

ReadMaxx helps you get through more of what you want to read — whether you want to read it faster or understand the essentials in seconds. Import a PDF, EPUB, Web Link, or text you’ve pasted in. Then choose how you want to engage with it: read using ReadMaxx’s RSVP speed reader, or generate a concise summary and key points to quickly understand what matters. - Read faster - ReadMaxx’s RSVP reader presents one word at a time at a controlled pace, reducing eye movement and helping you maintain attention while reading. Optional haptic cues reinforce the structure of what you’re reading, from subtle taps at the start of each word to stronger signals at sentence boundaries — helping anchor attention without pulling focus away from the text. - Understand faster - When you don’t need to read every word, ReadMaxx can summarise your content for you. Generate a concise overview and key points from documents, books, articles, and other long-form text — giving you a faster way to understand what something is about and decide where to spend your attention. Read it. Summarise it. Get through more with ReadMaxx. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

FocalRead4 screens
ReadMaxx4 screens

Verdict

The call

FocalRead and ReadMaxx both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of ReadMaxx's written reviews are positive against 64% of FocalRead's. FocalRead's advantage is ratings volume (93 vs 7) and iOS requirement (16.1 vs 18.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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 ReadMaxx sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for FocalRead against 4.6 for ReadMaxx. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FocalRead has 93 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 64% of FocalRead's written reviews are positive against 100% of ReadMaxx's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FocalRead ships an update every 6 days, ReadMaxx every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 14, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
FocalRead versus ReadMaxx: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFocalReadReadMaxx
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (93 ratings)4.6 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews64.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings93 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.1 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size103 MB50 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperANDRES FELIPE SARRAZOLA VELEZMAXX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

Customer experience

FocalRead

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

ReadMaxx

All ratings7 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral14.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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
3 purchases

ReadMaxx

Subscriptions3
  • Unlimited Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Unlimited Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Unlimited Monthly$4.991 Month

Questions

Is FocalRead free?
FocalRead is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ReadMaxx free?
ReadMaxx is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, FocalRead or ReadMaxx?
FocalRead and ReadMaxx are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 93 and 7 ratings respectively.
Do FocalRead or ReadMaxx have ads?
Neither FocalRead nor ReadMaxx shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FocalRead or ReadMaxx?
FocalRead ships an update every 6 days, and ReadMaxx every 4 days. Most recently, FocalRead was updated on September 14, 2026 and ReadMaxx on September 19, 2026.

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