Comparison

Velocity Reader 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

Velocity Reader

This app uses Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) to help you read faster by displaying words one at a time at your chosen pace. It supports EPUB imports, offers adjustable speeds, and tracks your progress. Designed for students, professionals, and avid readers, it works entirely offline.

Highlights
  • Adjustable reading speed (60-1200 WPM)
  • RSVP word display technique
  • EPUB ebook import
  • Offline reading and data storage
  • Progress tracking
  • Multiple font options
  • Light and dark themes
Features
Read full description

Read faster without moving your eyes. Velocity Reader shows one word at a time with the optimal letter highlighted, so you can comfortably read at 300, 500, even 800+ words per minute. READ ANYTHING • EPUB books with real chapters and covers • PDFs, text, Markdown and RTF files • Web articles: paste a link or share from Safari • Pasted text, scanned pages and photos (on-device text recognition) A READER THAT FEELS RIGHT • Optimal recognition point pinned in place, so your eyes stay still • Smart pacing: longer pauses at commas, sentence ends, paragraphs and long words • Gentle ramp-up and rewind to the start of the sentence when you resume • Swipe to skip sentences, pinch to resize, swipe up to see the surrounding text • Hold-to-read mode, chunk mode (1–3 words) and a speed trainer • Your place is saved continuously BUILD THE HABIT • Daily goal ring, streaks and weekly stats • Recap on Apple Intelligence devices: on-device summaries and comprehension quizzes • Home Screen widgets and Shortcuts MADE FOR YOU • Light, dark, sepia and true-black themes • SF Pro, New York, SF Mono and OpenDyslexic fonts • iPhone, iPad and Mac PRIVATE BY DESIGN No accounts, no tracking, no analytics. Your books and reading data never leave your device.

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

Velocity Reader3 screens
Read Fast4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Velocity Reader at none against Read Fast's 3. Read Fast's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 9 months). On price, rating, ratings volume 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. Read Fast sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Velocity Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Velocity Reader against 5.0 for Read Fast. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Velocity Reader ships an update every 9 months, Read Fast every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Velocity Reader versus Read Fast: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVelocity ReaderRead Fast
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings12 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB164 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperTiggey LLCMaksym Horoszczak

Customer experience

Velocity Reader

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Read Fast

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Velocity Reader

No in-app purchases

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 Velocity Reader free?
Velocity Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Read Fast free?
Read Fast is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Velocity Reader or Read Fast?
Velocity Reader and Read Fast are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do Velocity Reader or Read Fast have ads?
Neither Velocity Reader nor Read Fast shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Velocity Reader or Read Fast?
Velocity Reader ships an update every 9 months, and Read Fast every 2 days. Most recently, Velocity Reader was updated on November 5, 2026 and Read Fast on November 13, 2026.

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