Blinkword Speed Reading vs Open Citadel
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Blinkword Speed Reading
Enhance your reading speed and comprehension with a scientifically-backed technique that displays words one at a time. Import documents, customize your reading experience, and track your progress to build a consistent reading habit.
- RSVP speed reading technique
- Import PDFs and ePubs
- Customizable reading speed (100-1000 WPM)
- Adjustable font size and themes
- Progress tracking and statistics
- Library organization with smart filters
- iCloud sync across devices
Read full descriptionHide full description
Read faster. Understand more. Build a habit. Blinkword is a speed reading app built on RSVP (Rapid Serial Visual Presentation) — a scientifically-backed technique that displays words one at a time in a fixed position, eliminating eye movement and helping you read 2-3x faster with full comprehension. HOW IT WORKS Words flash on screen at your chosen pace. Blinkword highlights the Optimal Recognition Point (ORP) — the anchor letter your eye naturally focuses on — so your brain processes each word instantly. Dynamic timing automatically adjusts for long words, punctuation, and paragraph breaks, giving you a natural reading rhythm even at high speeds. IMPORT ANYTHING • Open PDFs and ePubs with automatic chapter detection • Paste text directly or import files from other apps • Chapters, bookmarks, and table of contents are preserved FULLY CUSTOMIZABLE READING • Speed range from 100 to 1,000 WPM • Adjustable font size (24–72pt) • Toggle anchor letter highlighting and focus guides • Intuitive gesture controls — swipe to adjust speed, tap to pause • 9 stunning themes including Dark, Sepia, Midnight, Ocean, and more TRACK YOUR PROGRESS • Daily reading goals with progress rings • Streaks to keep you motivated • Weekly velocity charts and all-time statistics • Words read, reading time, average WPM, peak speed, and more • Achievement badges for milestones STAY ORGANIZED • Grid and list views for your library • Smart filters: Currently Reading, Completed, Unread, PDFs, ePubs • Custom collections and folders • Search across your entire library • Continue Reading carousel for quick access BUILT FOR iOS • Beautiful dark-first design with animated backgrounds • Haptic feedback throughout • iCloud sync across all your devices • VoiceOver and Dynamic Type accessibility support • Share Extension for importing from any app FREE TO START Import up to 3 documents and read at up to 400 WPM with basic themes and statistics — no account required. BLINKWORD PREMIUM Unlock unlimited documents, speeds up to 1,000 WPM, ePub support, premium themes, advanced statistics, iCloud sync, bookmarks, word search, and an ad-free experience. Start reading smarter today. Apple EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Open Citadel
Read full descriptionHide full description
A book only changes you when you act on it. Most reading apps end when you close the book. Open Citadel starts there. It is your citadel of knowledge and self-development: one Library for the books, podcasts and blogs you learn from, and a way to act on what you learn. One Library for everything you learn from Books, podcasts and blogs sit side by side. Move between them in one tap. Free books from Project Gutenberg Browse Gutenberg's shelves, search its catalogue, and download books in the public domain in the United States. Readers outside the US should check the law where they live before they read. Podcasts you can finish Follow shows, search podcast charts and directories, and download episodes. The player has speed control, a sleep timer, chapters and show notes with seekable timestamps. Import your AntennaPod library and keep your place in every episode. Blogs, read in the reader Follow a blog by its feed or web address, or choose from a curated directory. Each post opens in the reader, so you can highlight it, tag it and talk it through with Samwell, just as you would a book. Highlight it. Keep it. Use it. Every highlight, note and tag is saved to your Timeline, a dated record of what you have learned. Samwell, your reading companion Samwell helps you set up your Library, talks through what you read, and turns what you want to change into a goal made of small steps. He checks in using your logs and highlights, so his advice is about your life, not someone else's. On-device Samwell runs on your phone, so he works without a connection. Compass counts consistency, not streaks Log a few minutes a day. Compass measures how often you show up, so one missed day never wipes out the rest. The whole cycle, in one app Read. Highlight. Set a goal. Log it. When the goal ends, Samwell writes down what it taught you, so the next one starts smarter. We assume you can decide what matters. Open Citadel helps you act on it. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.open-citadel.online/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Open Citadel at none against Blinkword Speed Reading's 1. On price, update cadence, ads 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
Both are free to download. Blinkword Speed Reading sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Open Citadel asks for nothing beyond the download.
Blinkword Speed Reading ships an update weekly, Open Citadel fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Blinkword Speed Reading | Open Citadel |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 18 MB | 95 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Shawn Gilronan | Thamsanqa Ncube |
In-app purchases
Blinkword Speed Reading
- Blinkword Premium$4.991 Month
Open Citadel
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Blinkword Speed Reading free?
Is Open Citadel free?
Do Blinkword Speed Reading or Open Citadel have ads?
Which is updated more often, Blinkword Speed Reading or Open Citadel?
Other comparisons















