Comparison

SideReader vs Matte Photo

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

Head to head
About

SideReader

Record videos with your script displayed as a teleprompter. Create both portrait and landscape versions from a single take, and rehearse your lines before recording. Captures high-resolution video and prioritizes user privacy by storing data locally.

Highlights
  • Integrated teleprompter
  • Dual portrait/landscape recording
  • Rehearsal mode
  • High-resolution video capture (up to 4K/60 FPS)
  • Privacy-focused, local storage
  • Script management
Features
Read full description

You’re an actor. Or a content creator. Or a journalist. Or maybe you’re just someone who has something to say and would really, really like the words to stay in front of your eyes while you say it. And to get portrait and landscape videos from one take, instantly. Maybe you’re rehearsing an audition. Recording a reporting segment. Filming a video essay. Making content for social media. Or trying to remember your next line without looking six feet below the camera. That’s why I made SideReader. SideReader brings your script, teleprompter, camera, rehearsal tools, and takes together in one focused creative studio. And it solves another problem I kept running into: needing the same performance in portrait and landscape. One for TikTok, Reels, or Shorts. Another for YouTube, a presentation, an edit, or whatever comes next. Record once. Deliver twice. YOUR SCRIPT, RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU Write or import a script, then keep it in front of you while you rehearse or record. Adjust the reading experience to your pace, so you can spend less time fighting the screen and more time delivering the words. REHEARSE AT YOUR PACE Sometimes you’re not ready to hit Record. That’s fine. Work through the script, find your rhythm, get comfortable with the material, and start filming when you’re ready. TWO VIDEOS, ONE PERFORMANCE Dual Capture makes portrait and landscape videos together while you record. Tap Stop and both files finish without a second render, ready to review, save, or share in moments. No second take just because another platform wants a different shape. YOUR STUDIO, ON YOUR WRIST The new Apple Watch companion works as a remote for your paired iPhone or iPad. Start and stop recording, switch cameras, adjust zoom, choose scripts, control rehearsals, and check recording status from your wrist. HIGH-QUALITY VIDEO On supported devices and configurations, SideReader can capture at up to 4K and 60 FPS. Because something made for creators should take the actual camera part seriously, too. YOUR TAKES ARE YOURS Review your takes, keep the ones you love, and share them when you choose. Your scripts and recordings stay on your device unless you choose to export or share them. Your performance doesn’t need a trip through somebody else’s server just to belong to you. Settings also gives you control over product analytics and optional advertising measurement. WHY I BUILT SIDEREADER I’m an actor, and I wanted something that felt surprisingly difficult to find: a teleprompter and camera simple enough to disappear while I was using them, but powerful enough to keep up with how I actually create. I wanted my script in front of me. I wanted to rehearse. I wanted great-quality video. I wanted portrait and landscape versions without recording the same performance twice. And I didn’t want the app itself to become the production. So I built SideReader. It has taken plenty of testing, redesigns, strange little discoveries, major overhauls, and “okay, we need to rethink this entire thing” moments. I’m proud to put this bigger, faster creative studio in your hands, and I’m excited to keep improving it with the people who use it. So rehearse the audition. Record the story. Make the video. Deliver the report. Say the thing. Hopefully with SideReader by Clapps, with love from Los Angeles

About

Matte Photo

Features
Read full description

Add clean, customizable borders to your photos in seconds. Matte Photo is a simple tool for photographers who want to give their images more space and a classic matted look. Choose a photo, adjust the border, and export the finished image directly to your photo library.

Screenshots

SideReader4 screens
Matte Photo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Matte Photo at none against SideReader's shown. Matte Photo also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 27.0). SideReader's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SideReader ships an update fortnightly, Matte Photo every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
SideReader versus Matte Photo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSideReaderMatte Photo
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 5 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS27.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB1 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperSergei ShikManuel Schunder

In-app purchases

None

SideReader

No in-app purchases

None

Matte Photo

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SideReader free?
SideReader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Matte Photo free?
Matte Photo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do SideReader or Matte Photo have ads?
SideReader shows ads; Matte Photo does not.
Which is updated more often, SideReader or Matte Photo?
SideReader ships an update fortnightly, and Matte Photo every 5 days. Most recently, SideReader was updated on October 31, 2026 and Matte Photo on November 6, 2026.

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