Comparison

Rishi Reader vs Byterati

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

Head to head
About

Rishi Reader

Features
Read full description

Rishi turns the books on your devices into conversations. Read your EPUB and PDF library on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, then ask questions, get summaries, or talk through a passage out loud — all without leaving the page. Bring your own books. Drop EPUB or PDF files into Rishi and they live in a fast, searchable library with covers, progress, and a Reading Now shelf. Highlights and notes follow you across devices. Read the way you like. A focused, customizable reader handles fixed-layout and reflowable EPUBs, scanned PDFs with a real text layer, and table-of-contents jumps. Pick light, dark, or sepia. Adjust font size and spacing. Search every page. Pick up where you left off. Open a book on your Mac, keep reading on iPhone on the train, finish on iPad in bed — Rishi syncs your position, highlights, and notes in the background using silent push. Chat with any book. Ask "what does this chapter argue?" or "summarize this scene," and Rishi answers grounded in the book you're reading. Conversations are saved per-book and per-session, so you can come back to the thread later. Talk it through. Real-time voice chat lets you have a natural spoken conversation about what you’re reading — ideal for studying, language practice, or thinking out loud on a walk. Voice chat and premium narration require an active Apple subscription. Read aloud. Start foreground narration from the open book with a configurable voice and sentence-level highlighting. Follow along on the page while Rishi is open. Made for Apple silicon. Optimized for Mac Catalyst with a real sidebar, full keyboard navigation, native menus, and scene restoration. Universal Links open books straight from Safari, Mail, or Messages. Accessible by default. VoiceOver labels across the reader, library, and chat. Full Dynamic Type support. AA contrast on every surface. Reduce Motion and Increase Contrast respected. Private by design. Sign in with Apple — no password to manage, no email required. Your reading data lives in your account, not in an ad network. Anonymous diagnostics can be turned off in Settings. Pro features (subscription). Voice chat, unlimited chat conversations, and premium narration voices are available through an Apple subscription purchased in Rishi. Use the in-app purchase sheet to subscribe, Restore Purchases to recover an existing subscription, or Settings to open Apple's subscription management sheet. Terms of Use: https://rishi.fidexa.org/terms. Subscription Terms: https://rishi.fidexa.org/legal/subscription-terms

About

Byterati

Access a vast library of classic books with lifelike, on-device narration. Enjoy customizable reading themes, adjustable playback speed, and offline access. Your reading experience is private and ad-free.

Highlights
  • Lifelike on-device narration
  • Offline reading and listening
  • Customizable reading themes
  • Adjustable playback speed
  • Word and sentence highlighting
  • Background playback
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FREE, NATURAL NARRATION Choose Apple's built-in voices, or download Byterati's neural voices once for lifelike narration that runs entirely on your device. No streaming and no per-book fees — the whole library reads aloud for free. READ OR LISTEN, YOUR WAY • Word- and sentence-level highlighting that follows along as it reads • Adjustable speed; tap any line to start reading from there • Light, Sepia, and Dark reading themes with adjustable font and size • Background playback with lock-screen and AirPods controls • Pick up exactly where you left off, every time YOUR LIBRARY, ORGANIZED • Recent, Library, and Downloads views • Tag books by topic and filter your shelves • Download books and audiobooks for fully offline reading and listening PRIVATE BY DESIGN No accounts. No ads. No tracking or analytics. Nothing you read leaves your device. Byterati is completely free, with no in-app purchases. Thousands of timeless books — Austen, Dickens, Doyle, Shelley, Verne, and far beyond — ready to read and to hear, wherever you are.

Screenshots

Rishi Reader4 screens
Byterati3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Byterati at none against Rishi Reader's 8. On price, ads, device support 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. Rishi Reader sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Byterati asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Rishi Reader versus Byterati: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRishi ReaderByterati
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS18.418.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size123 MB49 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperFarid MatovuBruce Rannala

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Rishi Reader

Subscriptions8
  • Reader Monthly$7.991 Month
  • Rishi Reader Monthly$7.991 Month
  • Voice Monthly$14.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Rishi Voice Monthly$14.991 Month
  • Reader Annual$76.991 Year
  • Rishi Reader Annual$79.991 Year
  • Rishi Voice Annual$99.991 Year
  • Voice Annual$143.991 Year
None

Byterati

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Rishi Reader free?
Rishi Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Byterati free?
Byterati is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Rishi Reader or Byterati have ads?
Neither Rishi Reader nor Byterati shows ads.

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