Comparison

TTS Reader vs 聽閱 ReadAloud

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

Head to head
About

TTS Reader

Features
Read full description

ReadAloud turns long reading into listening time. Import PDFs, EPUBs, TXT files, web links, scans, and pasted text. Pick a natural voice, create audio, then listen with sentence-level highlighting, background playback, and replay for sections you have already prepared. Built for students, researchers, busy readers, language learners, and anyone who wants documents to fit into commutes, chores, study sessions, and low-vision reading workflows. Features: - Import PDFs, EPUBs, TXT files, web links, scans, and pasted text - Create natural read-aloud audio from your documents - Follow along with sentence highlighting - Save prepared audio for offline replay - Resume from your last position - Choose voices, speed, and reader focus modes - Delete local documents and cached audio whenever you want Free users can try ReadAloud with starter listening limits. ReadAloud Pro unlocks unlimited listening, premium voices, long-form playback, and offline audio. ReadAloud does not bypass DRM. Kindle-compatible import support is limited to legally owned, user-imported, non-DRM files such as supported EPUB, PDF, and TXT documents. Privacy Policy: https://privacy.ftw-labs.com/ EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

聽閱 ReadAloud

Transform any text into a hands-free audiobook. Supports EPUB, PDF, and TXT files, offering multiple reading modes and multilingual voices. Customize your reading experience with adjustable fonts, themes, and playback speeds.

Highlights
  • Text-to-speech conversion
  • EPUB, PDF, TXT support
  • Multiple reading modes
  • Multilingual voices (Cantonese, Mandarin, English)
  • Traditional/Simplified Chinese conversion
  • Customizable reading experience
  • Background audio playback
Features
Read full description

Turn any text into a hands-free audiobook. ReadAloud reads EPUB, PDF, and TXT files in Cantonese, Mandarin, or English using Apple's high-quality on-device voices — perfect for commuting, exercising, or resting your eyes. READING + LISTENING, TOGETHER Two reading modes that adapt to how you want to consume content: • Voice + Reading — see the full text with the current sentence highlighted as it's being read. • Listen-Only — distraction-free karaoke view showing the previous, current, and next sentences in large text. Ideal for closing your eyes and just listening. SUPPORTED FORMATS • EPUB (2 & 3) — automatic chapter detection • PDF — text extraction with chapter inference • TXT — plain text with smart chapter splitting • Clipboard — paste any article instantly • Printed pages — photograph a book or document and ReadAloud recognises the text on your device, then reads it aloud. Scanned PDFs with no text layer can be recognised the same way. Nothing is uploaded. MULTILINGUAL VOICES Switch between three voice languages — each remembers its own speed: • Cantonese (zh-HK) — 阿成, 善怡, and more • Mandarin (zh-CN / zh-TW) — 冬梅 (Liaoning), 浩浩 (Shaanxi), 盼盼 (Sichuan), 美嘉 (Taiwan), and others • English (en-US / en-GB / en-AU / en-IN) — Samantha, Daniel, Karen, and any installed English voice TRADITIONAL — SIMPLIFIED Built-in OpenCC engine converts between scripts at the word level — much more accurate than character-by-character mapping. Switch instantly without re-importing your book. SMART READING EXPERIENCE • Sentence-level highlighting that follows the voice • Auto-scroll keeps the spoken text in view • "Return to reading position" floating button when you scroll away • Tap-and-hold any text: read from here, look it up in the dictionary, translate it, highlight it, or fix how a word is pronounced • Highlights in four colours, with notes, exportable as Markdown • Edit a chapter's text when an import needs proofreading • Search within books with jump-to-result • Auto-detected chapters with table of contents • Background audio: keep listening with the screen locked • Built-in sleep timer (15 / 30 / 45 / 60 / 90 min) with soft fade-out CUSTOMISE EVERYTHING • Font size, line spacing, font family (serif, rounded, monospaced) • Three themes: dark, light, sepia • Orientation lock (auto / portrait / landscape) • Per-language playback speed • Voice gender preference (auto, male, female) 100% PRIVATE ReadAloud was built around a simple principle: your reading is none of our business. • No accounts, no sign-up, no login. • No analytics, no tracking, no ads. • Nothing you import, read, or listen to is ever sent anywhere. • All books and progress stay on your device. Delete the app and everything is gone. • The app only uses the network when you open the optional free book library and choose a book to download. BUILT FOR CHINESE READERS Many TTS apps cater only to Mandarin. ReadAloud is built by a Hong Kong developer with Cantonese readers in mind. Optimised tokenisation for traditional Chinese, comma-level phrase highlighting that keeps up with natural Cantonese rhythm, and a dedicated voice picker that surfaces "粵語 (香港)" voices first if your default is Cantonese. FREE, NO ADS, NO CATCH No ads. No subscription. No analytics, no tracking, no account. There is no "pro" tier — every reading and listening feature described above is free for everyone, permanently. That also means the app earns nothing on its own, while hosting the free book library and its downloads costs real money. If ReadAloud is useful to you, Settings has a completely optional "Support the developer" section. Supporters get an exclusive app icon and a thank-you mark — that is all it unlocks. Nothing else is ever locked, and the app will never interrupt you to ask. Developed and maintained by Heion Technologies — feedback welcome at terence@heiontech.com. Privacy Policy & Support: https://heiontech.com/readaloud

Screenshots

TTS Reader4 screens
聽閱 ReadAloud4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: 聽閱 ReadAloud at none against TTS Reader's 2. TTS Reader's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, 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. TTS Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. 聽閱 ReadAloud asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TTS Reader ships an update every 3 days, 聽閱 ReadAloud monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 5 level
TTS Reader versus 聽閱 ReadAloud: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTTS Reader聽閱 ReadAloud
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size54 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperALAATTIN OZKAYAKa Hei MAK

In-app purchases

2 purchases

TTS Reader

Subscriptions2
  • ReadAloud Weekly$4.997 Days
  • ReadAloud Yearly$29.991 Year
None

聽閱 ReadAloud

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TTS Reader free?
TTS Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is 聽閱 ReadAloud free?
聽閱 ReadAloud is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do TTS Reader or 聽閱 ReadAloud have ads?
Neither TTS Reader nor 聽閱 ReadAloud shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TTS Reader or 聽閱 ReadAloud?
TTS Reader ships an update every 3 days, and 聽閱 ReadAloud monthly. Most recently, TTS Reader was updated on October 8, 2026 and 聽閱 ReadAloud on October 7, 2026.

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