Articles2Podcast vs TextLayer Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Articles2Podcast
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Add any publicly-visible web page or article in the app, or via the "Share" button, to create a high-quality audio version for offline listening. Once the app is set up, other than downloading the article text, all audio processing occurs offline, on your device—no data is sent off your device, and you don't use up any bandwidth while listening to your "custom podcast". Load up a bunch of articles, and save the audio files for later listening when traveling, etc. Voices in 8 languages (English (US & UK), Spanish, French, Hindi, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, and Mandarin Chinese) are from the lightweight, high-quality, open source Kokoro model https://huggingface.co/hexgrad/Kokoro-82M 100% free of charge, since your phone's GPU is doing the work (no need to pay for cloud compute) Open source code for the app (MIT License) available at https://github.com/skywalkerswartz/Articles2Podcast/ ...please feel free to suggest fixes/enhancements and report issues Known issues: 1. Due to limitations of the iPhone's GPU, the app must be open in order to create the audio files (audio generation pauses if the app goes into the background) 2. Some websites/publications block the Mozilla Readbility.js library used for downloading article text
TextLayer Reader
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TextLayer is a local-first EPUB reader designed for dialogue-heavy books. It helps you keep track of who is speaking by adding optional speaker labels to lines of dialogue, making long conversations easier to follow while you read. Everything is built around privacy and local control: - Import your own EPUB files - Read and organize books on your device - Use your own AI API key for optional speaker annotation - Keep book content, settings, and annotations on your device Key features: - Local EPUB library with fast import and reading progress - Reading Now and Library views for quick resume - Optional speaker labels for dialogue clarity - On-device, local-first workflow with no required account - Custom AI endpoint support using your own provider credentials - Adjustable reading appearance and themes - Local backup and restore for settings and library metadata TextLayer does not provide book content. You import your own EPUB files and control your own reading data.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: TextLayer Reader at 16.0 against Articles2Podcast's 18.0. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | Articles2Podcast | TextLayer Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 80 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | LUKE HIRO SWARTZ | 楠楠 高 |
In-app purchases
Articles2Podcast
No in-app purchases
TextLayer Reader
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Articles2Podcast free?
Is TextLayer Reader free?
Do Articles2Podcast or TextLayer Reader have ads?
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