Comparison

Fella vs HeyReader

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

Head to head
About

Fella

Features
Read full description

Your time is too valuable to lose to one more scroll. Fella is a simple, powerful app blocker that helps you reduce screen time, block distracting apps, and stay focused when it matters. BLOCK DISTRACTING APPS Choose the social media, games, entertainment, news, shopping, or other apps that pull you in. No complicated system. Pick what distracts you. Start a block. Get back to your life. MAKE FOCUS AUTOMATIC Create routines for work, studying, mornings, bedtime, reading, exercise, family time, or any part of your day you want protected from distraction. Set your routine once and let Fella create the boundary before the scrolling starts. Fella keeps your selected apps out of reach so you can spend your attention where you meant to. REDUCE SCREEN TIME WITHOUT GIVING UP YOUR PHONE You do not need a dumbphone or another complicated productivity system. Fella helps make distraction harder without removing the apps you still need. Use Fella to: • Block social media while you work or study • Reduce mindless scrolling and doomscrolling • Protect your mornings and bedtime • Stay present with friends and family • Create more time for reading, fitness, sleep, and real life BUILD BETTER PHONE HABITS See your progress, build momentum, and turn focused time into a habit. Instead of only measuring the screen time you lost, see the time you took back. EMERGENCY ACCESS WHEN LIFE HAPPENS Sometimes you genuinely need a blocked app. Fella includes limited emergency access for those moments while keeping the app blocker strong enough to stop casual, impulsive scrolling. The goal is not to make your phone unusable. It is to make distraction a choice instead of a reflex. SIMPLE BY DESIGN Fella is designed to feel calm, clear, and easy to use. Choose what to block, start focusing, and move on with your day. POWERED BY APPLE SCREEN TIME Fella uses Apple’s Screen Time technology to block the apps you choose. You stay in control of what is blocked and when blocking is active. TAKE YOUR TIME BACK Block distracting apps. Reduce screen time. Stay focused. Build better habits. Make your phone work for you instead of against you. Download Fella and get your time back. Some features require a Fella+ subscription Terms of Use (EULA): https://usefella.com/terms

About

HeyReader

This app provides an audio assistant for physical books. Upload the book's PDF, and then ask questions aloud about terms or concepts. The app searches your book and speaks the answers, helping you stay focused on reading.

Highlights
  • Voice-activated questions
  • Answers read aloud
  • Searches book PDF
  • Focuses on physical reading
  • Requires book PDF
Features
Read full description

While reading your physical book, ask HeyReader about any term you don't understand, and it answers aloud. That way you stay focused on the page. Using HeyReader: 1. Upload PDF 2. Start reading your physical copy 3. Say "Hey Reader" to ask questions and hear answers What you need: 1. Physical book 2. PDF version of the same book *The assistant searches the book PDF for citation backed answers. New terms in your book send you to ChatGPT or Google on your phone. Every switch over makes it less likely you come back to the reading. (According to Microsoft and UC Irvine researchers, "it takes 23 minutes to resume an interrupted task”.¹) Keep your 23 minutes. HeyReader searches the book and answers by voice, so your focus stays on the page. Questions from real sessions: “In Chapter 3, define a stack trace." - Pragmatic Programmer "Define analogous, Chapter 1." - Deep Learning "What's the name for the symbol that looks like a U in chapter 8?" - Deep Learning Terms of Use: https://tryreader.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://tryreader.app/privacy License Agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ ¹ (Mark et al., CSCW 2015)

Screenshots

Fella4 screens
HeyReader2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HeyReader at none against Fella's 2. Fella's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence and ads 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. Fella sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. HeyReader asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Fella versus HeyReader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFellaHeyReader
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—4 — better
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size106 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMatas KlemenisRoshan Gill

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Fella

Subscriptions2
  • Fella+$9.991 Month
  • Fella+3 Days trial$34.991 Year
None

HeyReader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Fella free?
Fella is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HeyReader free?
HeyReader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Fella or HeyReader have ads?
Neither Fella nor HeyReader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Fella or HeyReader?
Fella ships an update weekly, and HeyReader weekly. Most recently, Fella was updated on October 13, 2026 and HeyReader on October 19, 2026.

Other comparisons