Comparison

IPA Reader vs Cleanote

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

Head to head
About

IPA Reader

Features
Read full description

IPA Reader adds IPA phonetic transcription to English PDFs and web pages. Tap any word to hear how it sounds and see what it means, without leaving the page. Reading in English gets slow when you are unsure how a word sounds, and stopping to look it up breaks your concentration. IPA Reader keeps the phonetics, the meaning and the audio in the same place as the text. READ - BROWSER, PDF AND READER MODE - Built-in browser with Bing or Google search, plus a PDF reader, both with automatic IPA annotation - Every line of a PDF is annotated, including tightly spaced body text - Open PDFs from Files, Mail or any other app through Share and "Open in" - In-document search, outline navigation, go to page, and PDF display themes - Reader mode strips the clutter, with adjustable fonts, spacing and themes - American and British IPA, switchable with one tap - A common-word filter hides annotation on words you already know, in browsing, reader mode and PDF UNDERSTAND - WORD LOOKUP AND TRANSLATION - Tap a word once for its pronunciation and its dictionary definition together - Definitions in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and English - Translate a whole article on the web, or the current page of a PDF - Long-press a sentence to play it, copy it, collect it or attach a note LISTEN - TEXT TO SPEECH - Sentence-by-sentence playback with the current sentence highlighted - Speed from 0.4x to 2.0x, for every level - Voices filtered to your accent preference, with previews before you choose - Auto mode selects the highest quality voice installed on the device PRACTICE - SHADOWING AND REVIEW - Record yourself reading a sentence and get a pronunciation score - Flashcards for saved vocabulary and saved sentences, in separate modes - Spaced repetition schedules each item for the day you are about to forget it TRACK - GOALS AND STREAKS - Daily goals, learning streaks and reading time - XP, levels, quests and achievements - Progress insights across everything you read and practise ORGANIZE - COLLECTION, NOTES AND BOOKMARKS - Save words and sentences, and attach colour-coded notes - Bookmarks, browsing history and an archive organised by source PRIVACY AND LANGUAGES - Everything is stored on your device. No account and no registration. - The interface is available in 51 languages FREE AND PRO Free every day: 2 article translations, 15 word lookups and 5 saved items. One tap on a word costs at most one lookup, replaying audio from the definition panel costs nothing, and sentence playback is always free. Pro removes the daily limits. Useful for academic papers, textbooks, news, novels and exam preparation - TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge and GRE. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Cleanote

Features
Read full description

Cleanote is an AI-powered note-taking app designed to help you capture ideas, organize information, and stay productive. Features include: โ€ข Create and organize notes โ€ข AI-powered summaries โ€ข Fast search โ€ข Secure cloud synchronization โ€ข Simple and intuitive interface โ€ข Cross-device accessibility Whether you're a student, professional, or researcher, Cleanote helps you manage your knowledge efficiently and stay organized.

Screenshots

IPA Reader4 screens
Cleanote3 screens

Verdict

The call

IPA Reader and Cleanote are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters โ€” price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them โ€” neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. IPA Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Cleanote sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

IPA Reader ships an update every 3 weeks, Cleanote every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
IPA Reader versus Cleanote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIPA ReaderCleanote
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 10 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.1 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size134 MB26 MB
Age rating17+4+
Developer็ฒค็  ่ขKARIGARI HOME LLC

In-app purchases

2 purchases

IPA Reader

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Pro Annual$12.991 Year
2 purchases

Cleanote

Subscriptions2
  • Cleanote Plus Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Cleanote Plus Annual$29.991 Year

Questions

Is IPA Reader free?
IPA Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cleanote free?
Cleanote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do IPA Reader or Cleanote have ads?
Neither IPA Reader nor Cleanote shows ads.
Which is updated more often, IPA Reader or Cleanote?
IPA Reader ships an update every 3 weeks, and Cleanote every 10 days. Most recently, IPA Reader was updated on October 1, 2026 and Cleanote on October 25, 2026.

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