Comparison

MagicReader vs LIRA Reader

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

Head to head
About

MagicReader

Features
Read full description

Read without touching the screen. MagicReader is a hands-free reader for EPUB, PDF and comics: turn your head, wave a hand, wink, or just say "next page" — and the page turns. Or sit back and let a natural voice read to you. Whether your hands are busy, wet, full, or simply resting — or touching the screen is difficult for you — MagicReader keeps the story going. NEW: OPENS LIKE A REAL BOOK • Ready for iPhone Duo — unfold it and your book becomes a two-page spread, with the spine right on the fold • Landscape reading — two pages side by side on iPad and most iPhones, for EPUB, PDF and comics, including vertical Japanese books • Flip page turns — pages turn over like paper and follow your finger • Split View on iPad and iPhone Duo TOUCH-FREE READING • Head control — turn your head left or right to flip pages; look up to open or close a book • Wink control — wink your right eye to go forward, your left to go back (Face ID devices) • Hand control — a cursor follows your hand; close your hand to grab a book, swipe from the screen edge to flip • Voice control — say "next", "back", "open", "read aloud" and more, in English, Japanese, Spanish, French or German • A guided tour teaches every gesture with live practice NATURAL READ-ALOUD • Natural, expressive voices read your EPUB books aloud — in English and Japanese • The sentence being spoken is highlighted, and pages turn in step with the narration • English narration powered by Kokoro; Japanese voices powered by VOICEVOX (VOICEVOX:No.7, VOICEVOX:四国めたん, VOICEVOX:青山龍星, VOICEVOX Nemo) • Books in Spanish, French and German are read by your device's system voice for that language, with nothing to download • Natural voices are downloaded once, then work fully offline — all speech is generated on your device YOUR LIBRARY, YOUR WAY • EPUB and PDF books, plus CBZ/CBR comics and manga • Beautiful animated bookshelf themes — drifting watercolour clouds, a starry cosmos, and story worlds that come alive behind special books • Japanese vertical text (縦書き) done right, with optional automatic furigana (ふりがな) above kanji • Comfortable reading themes, adjustable fonts (including OpenDyslexic for dyslexia-friendly reading), and remembered positions THOUSANDS OF FREE CLASSICS • Browse and download public-domain classics from Project Gutenberg and Aozora Bunko (青空文庫) — from Alice in Wonderland to 銀河鉄道の夜 — right inside the app PRIVATE BY DESIGN • The camera and microphone are used only to recognize your gestures and commands, entirely on your device • Nothing is recorded, nothing is uploaded, and there are no accounts, no ads, and no tracking — ever MagicReader began in 2012 as one of the first face-controlled book readers on the App Store. It has been rebuilt from the ground up for today's devices — same magic, new tricks. Reading is best when nothing comes between you and the story. Not even your hands.

About

LIRA Reader

Features
Read full description

LIRA is a calm audiobook and ebook player for books you already own. Import MP3, M4A, M4B, AAC, and EPUB files from the Files app, then listen or read without a subscription storefront. Your library stays on your device. LISTEN • Resume exactly where you stopped • Playback speed up to 3× • Sleep timer with fade and chapter options • Bookmarks for favorite moments • Lock screen and Control Center controls • Chapters when your file includes them READ • Clean EPUB reader with themes and fonts • Bookmarks for paragraphs you want to revisit READ ALONG • Optional on-device transcription for audiobooks • Follow the text while you listen • Model download happens only when you start transcription Built for people who keep their own library—LibriVox downloads, purchased DRM-free files, and personal archives. No account required to start listening.

Screenshots

MagicReader2 screens
LIRA Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

MagicReader and LIRA Reader are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
MagicReader versus LIRA Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMagicReaderLIRA Reader
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyMonthly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size62 MB34 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperLeo Rivas-MicoudTumba Mulamba

In-app purchases

None

MagicReader

No in-app purchases

None

LIRA Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MagicReader free?
MagicReader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is LIRA Reader free?
LIRA Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do MagicReader or LIRA Reader have ads?
Neither MagicReader nor LIRA Reader shows ads.

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