Comparison

Artiful Reader vs Boreal PDF

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

Head to head
About

Artiful Reader

This app allows you to save articles and read documents like PDFs and EPUBs. It offers unlimited text-to-speech with natural voices, works offline, and removes distractions for a focused reading experience.

Highlights
  • Unlimited text-to-speech
  • Save articles for offline reading
  • PDF reflow for mobile-friendly view
  • Supports EPUB, Markdown, and text files
  • Distraction-free reading environment
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

Save articles. Read PDFs and EPUBs. Unlimited text-to-speech (TTS) with natural-sounding voices. No account or subscription required. Unlimited text-to-speech Listen to articles, PDFs, EPUBs, Markdown, and text files with natural-sounding voices. No listening caps. Follow along with synced highlighting, jump between paragraphs, choose a voice, and adjust playback speed. Works online or offline. Save articles for later Save articles you can open in your browser, then read them in a clean, distraction-free format. Artiful removes clutter like ads, popups, cookie banners, and messy page layouts so you can focus on the text. PDF Reflow Turn dense PDFs into a clean, phone-friendly reading view. Reflow adapts PDF text into a smooth scrolling layout, making long documents easier to read on small screens. EPUB books and files Bring your own reading library. Upload EPUBs, PDFs, Markdown, and plain text files for reading and listening in one simple app. Works offline Save once, then read or listen later without an internet connection. Great for commutes, travel, and focused reading. Private by design Articles and files are processed and stored locally on your device whenever possible. Offline voices work locally, so you can listen without sending your reading to the cloud.

About

Boreal PDF

Features
Read full description

Boreal PDF helps you turn paper forms, receipts, certificates, contracts, and application documents into cleaner PDFs from iPhone. Start with a camera scan, selected photos, or an imported PDF. Boreal PDF keeps the workflow focused on the practical steps before submission: straighten the page, improve text readability, fill in missing marks, reduce file size, and export a PDF you can review before sending. Key tools: - Scan paper documents or import photos and PDFs. - Auto-crop, rotate, retake, reorder, merge, or split pages. - Add dates, names, signatures, freehand ink, and stamp-style marks. - Compress PDFs toward common upload limits. - Run OCR for printed Japanese and English text. - Preview the final PDF, then save, share, or print it from iOS. Boreal PDF is local-first by design. The companion website does not provide cloud document storage, account sync, or server-side PDF processing. OCR works best on clear printed text; handwriting, glare, low light, and heavy skew can reduce accuracy, so always review important documents before submitting them. Boreal PDF is free to start with 5 documents per day. Within that allowance, form marks, compression, OCR, searchable PDF, and watermarked export stay in the workflow. Pro removes the daily document limit and unlocks watermark-free final export. A 24-hour Pro Pass is available for short-term access, alongside monthly and yearly Pro subscriptions. Current prices, trial availability, renewal terms, and regional availability are shown on the App Store. Privacy Policy: https://borealpdf.borealbit.com/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms of Service: https://borealpdf.borealbit.com/terms

Screenshots

Artiful Reader4 screens
Boreal PDF3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Artiful Reader at none against Boreal PDF's 3. 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Boreal PDF sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Artiful Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Artiful Reader ships an update every 4 days, Boreal PDF every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Artiful Reader versus Boreal PDF: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArtiful ReaderBoreal PDF
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (12 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings12 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size93 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFrank LiuBorealbit Technology Limited

In-app purchases

None

Artiful Reader

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Boreal PDF

Subscriptions2
  • Boreal PDF Pro Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Boreal PDF Pro Yearly$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Boreal PDF 24-hour Pro Pass$2.99

Questions

Is Artiful Reader free?
Artiful Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Boreal PDF free?
Boreal PDF is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Artiful Reader or Boreal PDF have ads?
Neither Artiful Reader nor Boreal PDF shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Artiful Reader or Boreal PDF?
Artiful Reader ships an update every 4 days, and Boreal PDF every 2 days. Most recently, Artiful Reader was updated on November 5, 2026 and Boreal PDF on November 13, 2026.

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