Comparison

HeyReader vs Narraloud

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

Head to head
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 out loud. That way you stay focused on the page. What you need: 1. Physical book 2. PDF version of the same book Using HeyReader: 1. Upload PDF 2. Start reading your physical copy 3. Say "Hey Reader" to ask questions and hear answers *Answers come directly from the book's pages. 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) HeyReader searches the book and answers by voice, keeping your focus 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)

About

Narraloud

Listen to any text content, including articles, documents, and books, with natural-sounding voices that run offline and ensure your privacy. Enjoy features like word-by-word highlighting, adjustable playback speed, and a sleep timer for a seamless listening experience.

Highlights
  • On-device natural voice narration
  • Offline listening
  • Privacy-focused, no data upload
  • Supports articles, PDFs, EPUBs, Word docs
  • Word-by-word highlighting
  • Adjustable playback speed
  • Sleep timer
Read full description

Listen to anything you read. The article you saved for later, the contract from work, the book you’re halfway through. Narraloud reads them to you in natural voices that live right on your device. Natural voices run on your device, so narration works offline, nothing meters your listening, and your reading stays private. Books. PDFs. Links. Even the page sitting in front of you. Import what you want to read, press play, and listen while you walk, commute, cook, work, or simply give your eyes a break. NATURAL VOICES. RIGHT ON YOUR DEVICE. Narraloud uses neural speech models that run directly on your phone. Narration works offline, on a plane, in a tunnel, anywhere, and there is no account required just to start listening. Dozens of voices across seven languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, and Portuguese, each reading its own language natively. Just open something and listen. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your reading is personal. Narraloud’s narration runs on your device, so your documents are never uploaded to a server just to be spoken aloud. What you read is your business. NO CREDITS. JUST LISTEN. No minute packs, no word limits, and no meter running while you listen. Press play on a twenty-hour book and hear all of it. EVERYTHING YOU READ, READY TO LISTEN Bring almost anything into Narraloud: • Send articles directly from other apps • Import PDFs, EPUBs, and Word documents • Open documents from the Files app, including your cloud drives • Paste text from anywhere • Scan printed pages with your camera Narraloud turns them into clear, natural narration. FOLLOW ALONG AS YOU LISTEN Narraloud is designed for reading with your ears without losing your place on the page. • Word-by-word highlighting follows the narration • Change playback speed anytime • Continue listening from the Lock Screen with full playback controls • Bookmark passages to come back to • Choose a voice that fits what you’re reading • Jump forward or backward • Set a sleep timer and drift off to a chapter MADE FOR MORE WAYS OF READING For some people, listening is convenient. For others, it’s how reading becomes possible. Narraloud is built with accessibility as a core part of the product: full VoiceOver support, Dynamic Type throughout the app, dyslexia-friendly and hyperlegible reading fonts, and synchronized highlighting that lets you see each word as you hear it. It’s especially useful for readers with dyslexia or low vision, people who process information better when they hear it, and anyone who’d simply rather listen. NARRALOUD PLUS Narraloud reads aloud for free, forever. Plus adds the power tools: export any document as an audiobook, get imports cleaned and structured automatically, use the full voice catalog in VoiceOver and every other app, and teach the pronunciation dictionary your names and jargon. Subscription plans include a 7-day free trial. You can also buy the Lifetime plan, own it for good, and get every feature we ship next at no extra cost. Narraloud - text to narration. Press play on your reading list. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://narraloud.com/privacy

Screenshots

HeyReader4 screens
Narraloud4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HeyReader at none against Narraloud's 4. Narraloud's advantage is iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. Narraloud sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. HeyReader 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 HeyReader against 5.0 for Narraloud. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 4 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HeyReader ships an update every 8 days, Narraloud weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
HeyReader versus Narraloud: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHeyReaderNarraloud
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings24 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 daysWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS26.018.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB138 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRoshan GillArgmax

Customer experience

HeyReader

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Narraloud

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

HeyReader

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Narraloud

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Plus$2.997 Days
  • Monthly Plus7 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Yearly Plus7 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Plus$79.99

Questions

Is HeyReader free?
HeyReader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Narraloud free?
Narraloud is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, HeyReader or Narraloud?
HeyReader and Narraloud are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 4 ratings respectively.
Do HeyReader or Narraloud have ads?
Neither HeyReader nor Narraloud shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HeyReader or Narraloud?
HeyReader ships an update every 8 days, and Narraloud weekly. Most recently, HeyReader was updated on October 2, 2026 and Narraloud on October 14, 2026.

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