Readium vs Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side ā with what reviewers say about each.
Readium
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Turn PDFs, EPUB books, and web articles into a personal reading and listening library. Readium is a document reader and text-to-speech companion built for long reads, focused study, and hands-free listening. Import your own content, press play, and follow along as the current passage is highlighted. READ OR LISTEN YOUR WAY ⢠Import PDF and EPUB documents ⢠Save readable articles from the web ⢠Listen with narration while following the text ⢠Choose a voice and adjust playback speed ⢠Move naturally between reading and listening KEEP IDEAS CLOSE ⢠Highlight useful passages ⢠Add notes without leaving the reader ⢠Return to your saved reading position ⢠Keep documents organized in one library LOCAL-FIRST BY DESIGN Your imported content, notes, highlights, and reading progress are stored locally on your device. Readium gives you a calm, focused space for reading, studying, and listening at your own pace.
Reader
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Reader turns the EPUBs you already own into books read aloud, in a voice you choose, entirely on your iPhone. CLASSIC BOOKS, BUILT IN Open the app and start listening. A shelf of classic novels is included free, with cover art made for them, refreshed for the season. No book purchases, no extra downloads, no account to make. YOUR OWN BOOKS TOO Bring any EPUB from Files, Safari, AirDrop, or another app. Standard Ebooks and Project Gutenberg both offer thousands of free, beautifully prepared books, and Reader points you to them. READ ALOUD, IN YOUR VOICE Reader uses Apple's built-in voices, so you can pick the one you actually want to listen to and change it whenever you like. Every word is highlighted as it is spoken, so you can follow along, look up, and find your place again. BUILT FOR LONG LISTENING ⢠Playback continues with the screen locked, with controls on the Lock Screen ⢠Adjust the reading pace from half speed to double ⢠Your place is saved, and a book reopens where you left it ⢠Jump between chapters, or scrub to any point ⢠Choose your typeface and size, including OpenDyslexic WORKS ANYWHERE Reading and speech happen on your device. Once your books and voices are available, no connection is needed to listen, so Reader works on a plane, underground, or off the grid. Your books stay on your iPhone. FREE TO READ Every reading feature is available to everyone. There are no listening limits, no subscription, and no paid feature tier. Reader is supported by banner ads, with an optional one-time purchase to remove them. Reader is built and supported by one person who reads every message. If something is wrong or missing, write to nick@thefreereader.app.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Readium at none against Reader's shown. Readium also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). Reader's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months). On price and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Readium ships an update every 2 months, Reader every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Readium | Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 4 days ā better |
| Ads | No ā better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod ā better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 ā better | 18.6 |
| Further details ā not scored | ||
| Size | 112 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | AYZO | Nick Ueda |
In-app purchases
Readium
No in-app purchases
Reader
No in-app purchases









