Comparison

Devour vs Read Fast

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

Head to head
About

Devour

Features
Read full description

DEVOUR YOUR READING LIST Download free and start speed reading in seconds. Devour uses RSVP (Rapid Serial Visual Presentation) to display words one at a time right where your eyes are focused—so you read 2-3x faster without learning any special technique. Just import, tap play, and devour. HOW IT WORKS Traditional reading wastes time on eye movements. Devour eliminates that by presenting each word at a fixed point with the Optimal Recognition Point highlighted, so your brain processes text faster instantly. IMPORT ANYTHING EPUBs, PDFs, web articles, DOCX, TXT, Markdown, HTML, RTF—if you can read it, Devour can speed-read it. Paste text or extract content from any URL. Your entire reading list in one app. POWERFUL FEATURES Speed Control — Adjust from 100 to 1,000+ words per minute. Start at your comfort zone and gradually increase as your brain adapts. Built-In Speed Test — Discover your baseline reading speed, then see how much faster you read with RSVP technology. Progress Tracking — Resume exactly where you left off. Every document saves your position automatically. Reading Statistics — Track total words read, reading time, average WPM, and daily streaks with beautiful visualizations. Daily Goals & Achievements — Set word count goals, build streaks, and earn milestones as your reading habit grows. Smart Library — Organize with favorites, reading status, and content type filters. Search and find anything instantly. iCloud Sync — Keep your library, reading progress, and statistics synchronized across all your Apple devices. Dark Mode — Automatic system theme matching or manual light/dark selection for comfortable reading anywhere. THE SCIENCE RSVP has been researched for decades as a method to increase reading speed. By presenting words at a fixed focal point with ORP highlighting, your visual system processes text more efficiently. Most readers see significant speed improvements from their very first session. PREMIUM Devour is free to use with ads. Go premium to remove all ads for an uninterrupted reading experience and support independent app development. START READING FASTER Import your first document and feel the difference. That article you bookmarked last week, the novel on your shelf, the PDF report for work—Devour helps you get through it all. Faster. https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Read Fast

This app helps you read faster by displaying words sequentially in the center of the screen, reducing subvocalization and improving focus. It supports various file formats and tracks your reading progress to build a consistent habit.

Highlights
  • Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) engine
  • Breaks subvocalization bottleneck
  • Import EPUB, PDF, TXT, and pasted text
  • Track daily streaks and WPM
  • Reduces eye fatigue
  • Local device processing for privacy
Features
Read full description

STOP READING. START ABSORBING. Most people read at about the same speed they speak. The reason is subvocalization: the small inner voice that sounds out every word. Absorb is built to break that bottleneck and change how you move through text. Absorb uses an advanced Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) engine. Instead of making your eyes scan back and forth across a page, it shows words one after another in the same spot and highlights each word's Optimal Recognition Point. Your gaze stays centered, your focus stays locked, and text moves straight into visual processing. WHY READERS USE ABSORB STEADY FOCUS: The rapid display leaves less room for wandering attention and helps you enter a steady reading flow. BUILD THE HABIT: Track daily streaks, average WPM, reading time, and progress so speed becomes something you can actually train. BRING YOUR OWN BOOKS: Import EPUB, PDF, TXT, and pasted text from your device. LESS EYE FATIGUE: Stop losing your place. Sit back, watch the center, and let the book come to you. PRIVATE BY DESIGN: Processing happens locally on your device. Your files and reading data do not leave your phone. Absorb offers monthly access and a one-time Lifetime unlock. Full access requires a subscription or Lifetime unlock. Download Absorb, import your first book, and finish it tonight. Terms: https://absorb-app-ncmw.onrender.com/terms.html

Screenshots

Devour4 screens
Read Fast4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Read Fast at none against Devour's shown. Read Fast also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly). Devour's advantage is iOS requirement (13.4 vs 16.4). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Devour sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Read Fast sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Devour ships an update weekly, Read Fast every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Devour versus Read Fast: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDevourRead Fast
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 2 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.4 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB164 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperBrett CassidyMaksym Horoszczak

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Devour

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Yearly$14.991 Year
3 purchases

Read Fast

Subscriptions2
  • Absorb$4.991 Month
  • Absorb Pro Annual7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Absorb Pro Lifetime$69.99

Questions

Is Devour free?
Devour is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Read Fast free?
Read Fast is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Devour or Read Fast have ads?
Devour shows ads; Read Fast does not.
Which is updated more often, Devour or Read Fast?
Devour ships an update weekly, and Read Fast every 2 days. Most recently, Devour was updated on September 10, 2026 and Read Fast on September 16, 2026.

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