Comparison

Velocity Reader vs FocusWord

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

FocusWord

This app presents books one word at a time on a dark screen, optimizing word placement for recognition. It offers adjustable reading speeds and smart pausing at sentence boundaries to minimize distractions and enhance focus, making reading a more immersive experience.

Highlights
  • One-word-at-a-time reading
  • Smart Slowing for sentence pauses
  • Adjustable WPM speed control
  • EPUB import and parsing
  • Chapter navigation and progress tracking
  • ADHD-friendly design
  • Accessibility features
Features
Read full description

Your phone was designed to scatter your attention. FocusWord reverses the equation. FocusWord presents your books one word at a time on a full dark screen. Each word is positioned at its Optimal Recognition Point. Smart Slowing pauses naturally at sentence boundaries. Your phone becomes a place of focus instead of distraction. No willpower required. No fighting notifications. Just you and the words. IMPORT YOUR BOOKS Import any EPUB from your device. Navigate chapters. Track your reading progress. This is a real reading app for people who actually read books. READ AT YOUR PACE Adjust speed from 100 to 1000 WPM — whatever pace lets you focus completely. Start slow, build up naturally. Smart Slowing adapts to punctuation so the rhythm feels like reading, not a metronome. DESIGNED FOR FOCUS One word. Full screen. Zero distractions. Auto-hiding controls disappear within milliseconds. Gesture-only interaction while reading. The app becomes invisible so the book can take over. BUILT FOR BRAINS THAT WORK DIFFERENTLY ADHD-friendly design. VoiceOver support. Right-to-left reading. Reduce Motion compatibility. Focus isn't a character trait you lack — it was just never properly supported. BUY ONCE. READ FOREVER. No subscriptions. No ads. No dark patterns. No account required. One purchase, unlimited books, every feature. Your books stay on your device. Your data stays yours. FocusWord features: • One-word-at-a-time focused reading • Smart Slowing at sentences and clauses • 100–1000 WPM speed control • Full EPUB import and parsing • Chapter navigation with progress tracking • Reading position auto-save • Dark interface (WCAG AA contrast) • Accessibility: VoiceOver, RTL, Reduce Motion • Gesture controls: tap, swipe, long-press • iPhone and iPad

Screenshots

Velocity Reader3 screens
FocusWord4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: FocusWord at weekly against Velocity Reader's 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

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 FocusWord. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Velocity Reader ships an update every 9 months, FocusWord weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Velocity Reader versus FocusWord: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVelocity ReaderFocusWord
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTiggey LLCMarcelo Alves

In-app purchases

None

Velocity Reader

No in-app purchases

None

FocusWord

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Velocity Reader free?
Velocity Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is FocusWord free?
FocusWord is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Velocity Reader or FocusWord?
Velocity Reader and FocusWord are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Velocity Reader or FocusWord have ads?
Neither Velocity Reader nor FocusWord shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Velocity Reader or FocusWord?
Velocity Reader ships an update every 9 months, and FocusWord weekly. Most recently, Velocity Reader was updated on November 5, 2026 and FocusWord on October 31, 2026.

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