Comparison

LeafRead vs LightReadr

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

Head to head
About

LeafRead

This app provides a focused, offline reading experience for TXT, EPUB, and Markdown files. It offers text-to-speech capabilities, customizable reading themes, and import options via Files, share sheet, or local Wi-Fi. Advanced features like iCloud sync and custom themes are available through a Pro upgrade.

Highlights
  • Offline TXT, EPUB, MD support
  • Text-to-speech with system/AI voices
  • Customizable themes, fonts, and spacing
  • Page turn animations and auto-read
  • Import via Files, share sheet, Wi-Fi
  • Bookmarks, highlights, and notes
Features
Read full description

LeafRead is a focused, no-nonsense local reader that turns the books you already own into a comfortable reading experience. No account, no ads, and no internet needed to read — just import a file and go. FORMATS YOU CAN OPEN • TXT plain text with automatic encoding detection; even huge novels open quickly • EPUB e-books with chapters, images and layout preserved • Markdown (.md) documents, auto-split into chapters by heading • Import from Files, the share sheet, or send files from a computer browser over your local Wi-Fi LISTEN TO YOUR BOOKS • System voices start instantly and match the language of the text • Download optional AI voice models that run on your iPhone — your text never leaves the device • Keeps reading on the Lock Screen, in the background and in Picture in Picture • The spoken sentence is highlighted and pages turn automatically • Adjustable speed and a sleep timer for bedtime listening IMMERSIVE READING • Page turns: realistic curl, slide, vertical scroll, fade and more (some Pro) • Auto-read with smooth continuous scrolling at your pace • Day / Night / Eye-care themes, plus your own background images and fonts (Pro) • Fine-tune font size, line and paragraph spacing, margins, indent and blank-line compression • Two-column reading on iPad and iPhone Duo (Pro) THOUGHTFUL DETAILS • Reading position is saved automatically — pick up exactly where you left off • Jump via the chapter list and full-text search • Bookmarks, text highlights and notes (categories & export are Pro) • Reading time and word-count stats • Home Screen widgets show the page you are reading and can turn pages; Lock Screen widgets too • Bookshelf groups, search and multi-select PRIVACY FIRST • Your books stay on your device; reading needs no connection • No reading data collected, no sign-in needed • iCloud library sync and cover lookup are optional Pro features, off by default Upgrade to LeafRead Pro to unlock every theme and font, advanced page-turn animations, unlimited bookmarks with categories, text annotations and export, full reading stats, two-column reading, custom backgrounds and fonts, and iCloud sync. Download LeafRead and give yourself a quiet place to read.

About

LightReadr

This app allows you to read and listen to your ebooks and comics with natural-sounding narration generated on your device. Bring your own books, customize your reading experience, and sync progress across devices. It offers unique features for dual-screen devices.

Highlights
  • On-device natural voice narration
  • Offline listening
  • Import ebooks, PDFs, and comics
  • Comic support (CBZ, CBR)
  • Customizable reading appearance
  • Dual-screen adaptations for Duo devices
  • Book recap generation
Features
Read full description

Read your ebooks and comics. Listen to your ebooks with natural-sounding narration, generated right on your device. Bring the books you already own and switch between reading and listening whenever you like. LightReadr is free, with no subscription or LightReadr account required. NATURAL VOICE NARRATION Choose from several natural-sounding voices and follow each word as it highlights on the page. Tap a sentence to start narration there. Read Aloud is available for text-based ebooks. LISTEN OFFLINE Narration is generated locally on your iPhone or iPad. Your book text is not sent to a speech service, and the generated audio stays on your device. Listen offline, without a streaming connection. BRING YOUR OWN BOOKS Add ebooks, PDFs, and comics from Files, or browse, search, and download from Bookorbit, Komga, and Calibre. Discover Calibre libraries on your Wi-Fi or enter your library's address. Five free public-domain classics are included, so you can start reading right away. COMICS ON YOUR SHELF Open CBZ and CBR comics, browse their pages, jump to a page, and return to your saved reading place. CBR files are converted on your device with their original page images preserved. MAKE THE PAGE YOURS Adjust font, size, theme, margins, and line height — per book, so one title can look different from the next. Chapter navigation, when the book includes it, gets you around fast. A DIFFERENT LOOK ON DUO On iPhone Duo with iOS 27.1 or later, reading layouts adapt to the hinge and the device's open and folded positions. Give each book a custom cover from Photos or Files, or choose from six gallery images: three classic book designs, a Sony Walkman, a pager, and a clickwheel iPod. The pager's backlight and the iPod's equalizer animate, with still images for Reduce Motion and Low Power Mode. Restore the original cover whenever you like. The entire custom-cover feature is exclusive to Duo. You can also opt in to showing your cover on Duo's outer screen while reading with Duo open. This setting is off by default and requires camera access. It keeps the camera active, shows its green indicator, and uses extra battery. No camera images or audio are recorded or sent. The camera stops when you close the book or Duo, open a reader panel, leave the app, or turn the setting off. RECAP SO FAR On supported Apple Intelligence devices, LightReadr can generate a short reminder of what's happened in your book so far, based on what you've actually read. YOUR PLACE, EVERYWHERE Reading progress, bookmarks, and highlights sync across your devices through your own iCloud account; never through a LightReadr server. No LightReadr account. No ads.

Screenshots

LeafRead4 screens
LightReadr4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: LightReadr at none against LeafRead's 1. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. LeafRead sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. LightReadr asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for LeafRead against 5.0 for LightReadr. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 5 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 days. Both last shipped on November 13, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
LeafRead versus LightReadr: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLeafReadLightReadr
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews84.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings25 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysEvery 3 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB296 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer献慧 陈Cory Borg

Customer experience

LeafRead

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive84.6%
Neutral7.7%
Negative7.7%

LightReadr

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

LeafRead

One-time1
  • LeafRead Pro Lifetime Unlock$1.99
None

LightReadr

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is LeafRead free?
LeafRead is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is LightReadr free?
LightReadr is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, LeafRead or LightReadr?
LeafRead and LightReadr are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 5 ratings respectively.
Do LeafRead or LightReadr have ads?
Neither LeafRead nor LightReadr shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LeafRead or LightReadr?
LeafRead ships an update every 3 days, and LightReadr every 3 days. Most recently, LeafRead was updated on November 13, 2026 and LightReadr on November 13, 2026.

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