Comparison

Tab Blocker vs SpeedReader

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

Head to head
About

Tab Blocker

This utility prevents websites from automatically opening unwanted new tabs in Safari. Users can selectively enable blocking on a per-site basis, ensuring a cleaner browsing experience without tab explosions or lost navigation.

Highlights
  • Blocks unwanted new tabs in Safari
  • Per-site control for blocking
  • Local storage for preferences
  • No servers, accounts, or analytics
  • Simple setup via Safari settings
  • Lightweight and no battery drain
Features
Read full description

Tab Blocker stops websites from opening unwanted new tabs in Safari. You choose which sites it's active on — it does nothing until you say so. You stay on the page you're reading. No tab explosions. No hunting through a stack of tabs to find where you were. PER-SITE CONTROL Tab Blocker doesn't blanket-block everything. You decide exactly which sites need it: 1. Visit any website in Safari 2. Tap the extension icon 3. Toggle blocking on for that site 4. Reload the page — done Your preferences are saved automatically. Toggle sites off just as easily, or manage your full list from the extension popup. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Tab Blocker has no servers, no accounts, no analytics. Your enabled-sites list is stored locally on your device using Safari's extension storage. Nothing leaves your phone. We can't see what you browse, and we don't want to. SIMPLE SETUP 1. Install Tab Blocker 2. Go to Settings → Safari → Extensions → Tab Blocker 3. Toggle it on and set permissions 4. That's it — use the extension icon in Safari to control any site PERFECT FOR - News sites that open articles in new tabs - Streaming sites with aggressive ad redirects - Shopping sites that spawn popups on every click - Any site that doesn't respect your browsing experience Built as a native Safari Web Extension. Lightweight. No background processes. No battery drain.

About

SpeedReader

Features
Read full description

## App Description Reading shouldn't be this hard. SpeedReader is a free Safari extension that lets you speed read any web page using RSVP (Rapid Serial Visual Presentation) — showing one word at a time at a controlled pace. For neurodivergent readers — people with ADHD, dyslexia, or other processing differences — traditional reading is exhausting. Eyes jump between lines, focus drifts mid-paragraph, and articles get abandoned halfway through. RSVP removes the cognitive overhead of eye tracking and line scanning, so your brain just processes. **How it works** Tap the SpeedReader icon in Safari's toolbar. The article text is extracted automatically and words appear one at a time with a highlighted focus point. Tap anywhere to pause, tap again to resume. That's it. **Features** • Focus-point highlighting — each word highlights its optimal recognition point, the letter your eye naturally anchors to • Context preview — pause and see the surrounding sentence to re-orient quickly • Punctuation pacing — periods and commas add natural micro-pauses so content flows like speech • Speed control — 100 to 600 words per minute • OpenDyslexic font — toggle the dyslexia-friendly font with one tap • Light and dark mode — follows your system theme or override manually • Keyboard shortcuts — on Mac and iPad: Space to play/pause, arrows to navigate • Text selection fallback — select any text on a page and speed read just that • Works entirely offline — no data leaves your device No accounts. No subscriptions. No tracking. Free and open source.

Screenshots

Tab Blocker4 screens
SpeedReader1 screens

Verdict

The call

Tab Blocker and SpeedReader are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Tab Blocker versus SpeedReader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTab BlockerSpeedReader
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequency—Every 4 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBrandon TingeyChris Cantu

In-app purchases

None

Tab Blocker

No in-app purchases

None

SpeedReader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Tab Blocker free?
Tab Blocker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SpeedReader free?
SpeedReader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Tab Blocker or SpeedReader have ads?
Neither Tab Blocker nor SpeedReader shows ads.

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