FocalRead vs My Private Scanner
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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/
My Private Scanner
This app transforms your phone into a portable document scanner. Effortlessly capture, edit, organize, and share documents like receipts, IDs, and contracts as PDFs or images. Enjoy full features for free with daily scan limits, or go premium for unlimited use.
- Portable document scanning
- Automatic edge detection
- Multi-page document support
- Built-in photo editor
- Digital signature
- Share as PDF or image
- Local and secure storage
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My Private Scanner transforms your device into a powerful, portable document scanner. Whether you need to scan receipts, ID cards, passports, contracts, notes, books or any paper document, this app makes it fast and effortless. Full Features, Completely Free Unlike other scanner apps, My Private Scanner gives you access to every single feature for free — no paywalls, no locked tools. Camera scanning, photo editing, cropping, page reordering, PDF sharing, ... — everything is available from day one. Enjoy up to 5 scans per day and up to 3 pages per document, with your scan count resetting every day so you can keep scanning for free, forever. Scan with Precision Use your device's camera to capture documents with automatic edge detection. Scan multiple pages in a single session to create complete multi-page documents in seconds. Edit and Enhance Fine-tune your scans with a built-in photo editor. Crop, adjust, and apply filters to ensure every document looks clean and professional. Use the precision cropping tool with corner and midpoint controls for perfect results. Sign Your Documents Add your personal signature directly to any scanned document. Draw your signature on-screen, place and resize it anywhere on the page, and share your document instantly. Organize Your Documents All your scanned documents are neatly organized and easy to find. Reorder pages with drag and drop, add or remove pages, and search through your files effortlessly. Sort your documents by date to keep everything in order. Share Anywhere Share your documents as high-quality PDFs or images. Send them instantly via email, messaging apps, or any other platform using the built-in share feature. Go Premium — Remove All Limits Need more scans? Upgrade to Premium to unlock unlimited scans per day and unlimited pages per document. Choose the plan that fits you best: * Weekly: $0.99/week * Monthly: $1.99/month Same great features, just without any limits. Cancel anytime. Privacy First All your documents are stored locally on your device. Your files stay private and secure — no cloud uploads, no third-party access. Key Features: - All features available for free — nothing locked - Camera scanning with automatic edge detection - Import photos from your gallery - Multi-page document support - Drag and drop page reordering - Built-in photo editor with filters and adjustments - Precision document cropping - Digital signature - Share as PDF (single or multi-page) - Share as image - Instant sharing via any app - Search and sort documents - Local and secure storage - 5 free scans per day (resets daily) - Up to 3 pages per document on free plan - Premium: unlimited scans and pages ($0.99/week or $1.99/month) Download now and start scanning! Terms of Use: https://myprivatescanner.netlify.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://myprivatescanner.netlify.app/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: My Private Scanner at 5.0 against FocalRead's 4.6. FocalRead's advantage is ratings volume (98 vs 1). 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. FocalRead sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days and My Private Scanner sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
My Private Scanner holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FocalRead has 98 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
FocalRead ships an update every 8 days, My Private Scanner weekly. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.
| Parameter | FocalRead | My Private Scanner |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (98 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 98 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.1 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 103 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ANDRES FELIPE SARRAZOLA VELEZ | Walid Chekir |
Customer experience
FocalRead
My Private Scanner
In-app purchases
FocalRead
- Pro Version (Weekly)$6.997 Days
- Unlimited Weekly$6.997 Days
- Unlimited Monthly$9.991 Month
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- 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
My Private Scanner
- Premium Weekly$0.997 Days
- Premium Monthly$1.991 Month
Questions
Is FocalRead free?
Is My Private Scanner free?
Which has better reviews, FocalRead or My Private Scanner?
Do FocalRead or My Private Scanner have ads?
Which is updated more often, FocalRead or My Private Scanner?
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