Comparison

Sapling vs iRead

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

Head to head
About

Sapling

Features
Read full description

Sapling is a focused reading app for iPhone. Import your books, documents, and PDFs — then read at your own pace, listen hands-free in audiobook mode, or let Sapling pace you word by word. Read your way Choose scrolling or paginated reading. In scrolling mode, Sapling can pace you word by word and dim everything but the lines you're reading. Adjust font, size, spacing, and theme to build your perfect reading environment. Listen, hands-free Turn any book or document into an audiobook. Sapling reads aloud with natural voices and follows along word by word, with full lock-screen and Control Center controls and background playback — so you can listen on a walk, on your commute, or with the screen off. Stay in the text Highlight passages, add notes, and drop bookmarks — all stored locally, no account required. Jump to any chapter, revisit your highlights, or search within a document from the reader menu. Build the habit Set a daily reading goal and keep your streak going. A reading-activity calendar and per-book stats — time spent, days read, reading speed — show your progress over time. Your library, your files Import EPUB, PDF, and plain text from Files or any app, including EPUBs with inline images. Sapling keeps everything private — nothing leaves your device. Features • Audiobook mode — listen to any book or document read aloud • Natural text-to-speech with voice selection • Background playback with lock-screen & Control Center controls • Word-by-word speed reading with adjustable WPM • Paginated and scrolling reading modes • Focus mode that dims around the current line • Daily reading goals, streaks, and an activity calendar • Per-book reading stats • Highlights with color and notes • Bookmarks with optional notes • In-document search • Chapter navigation • EPUB inline images • Light, dark, and sepia themes • Fully offline — no account, no tracking

About

iRead

This app reads your EPUB, TXT, and MOBI books aloud using natural-sounding voices. It works offline, supports background playback with screen lock, and offers multi-language support. You can also import your own books and customize the reading experience.

Highlights
  • Offline text-to-speech
  • Natural neural voices
  • Background playback
  • Multi-language support
  • Import books from Files/Wi-Fi
  • Customizable reading themes
  • Library management
Features
Read full description

iRead reads the books you already own out loud — natural voices, fully offline, no subscription. LISTEN TO YOUR OWN BOOKS • Natural neural voices read EPUB, TXT and MOBI aloud • Keeps playing in the background, with the screen locked • Lock screen and headphone controls, like a podcast • Voices in nine languages: English, Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese and Korean — each chapter is read in its own language automatically • Runs entirely on your phone — your text is never uploaded READ THEM TOO • Import from Files, the share sheet, or your computer over Wi-Fi • Light and dark themes, adjustable size and spacing • Shelf with covers, categories and reading progress • One backup file carries your library, progress and settings between devices GOOD TO KNOW • PDF opens for reading but cannot be read aloud — convert it to EPUB first (free converter at iread.gaiya.cc) • DRM-protected books, including Kindle and Apple Books purchases, cannot be opened • There is no store inside iRead. It never sells or ships books; it opens the ones you already have FREE AND PRO • Free: the whole reader, plus your device's built-in system voice • Pro: unlocks the natural neural voices. One-time purchase, yours forever • No subscription, no account, no ads, no tracking

Screenshots

Sapling4 screens
iRead4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sapling at none against iRead's 1. iRead's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 6 weeks) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement 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. iRead sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Sapling asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sapling ships an update every 6 weeks, iRead every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Sapling versus iRead: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSaplingiRead
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB46 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJelle Van EyckShuhui Sheng

In-app purchases

None

Sapling

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

iRead

One-time1
  • iRead Pro$11.99

Questions

Is Sapling free?
Sapling is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is iRead free?
iRead is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Sapling or iRead have ads?
Neither Sapling nor iRead shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sapling or iRead?
Sapling ships an update every 6 weeks, and iRead every 2 days. Most recently, Sapling was updated on October 31, 2026 and iRead on November 5, 2026.

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