# Focal reading vs Strobe

The clearest difference is price: Strobe at Free against Focal reading's $0.99. Focal reading's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Strobe is free to download; Focal reading costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Focal reading ships an update every 3 days, Strobe weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Focal reading | Strobe |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | — | **[4.9 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strobe-speed-reading/id6759187873/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **7** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 42 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | [Carlos Domingo morillas](https://appshunter.io/developer/923341713) | [Jaafar Abdeen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1559039483) |

## What reviewers say

### Focal reading

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focal-reading/id6758507658)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Strobe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strobe-speed-reading/id6759187873)

This app enhances reading speed and focus with a clean interface for PDFs and EPUBs. It offers customizable reading speeds, font choices, and smooth navigation to reduce eye fatigue and improve comprehension.

**Highlights:** RSVP reading interface, PDF and EPUB import, Adjustable reading speed (100-1000 WPM), Customizable text size and fonts, Hold-to-read interaction, Automatic progress saving, Chapter navigation

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Focal reading free?

Focal reading costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Strobe free?

Strobe is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Focal reading or Strobe have ads?

Neither Focal reading nor Strobe shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Focal reading or Strobe?

Focal reading ships an update every 3 days, and Strobe weekly. Most recently, Focal reading was updated on October 1, 2026 and Strobe on October 9, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*