Comparison

Text to Speech vs Total Reader

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

Head to head
About

Text to Speech

This app transforms text from websites, documents, and images into natural-sounding speech. It supports over 40 languages and allows for customizable playback speed and voice selection. Listen to content offline or in the background while multitasking.

Highlights
  • Listen to documents and web articles
  • Extract text from images
  • Multiple voices and 40+ languages
  • Adjustable playback speed and accent
  • Queue content for continuous listening
  • Offline listening support
Read full description

Too busy to read? Sit back, relax, and let Speaky read documents and news from any website aloud with natural voices and adjustable speeds. Simply import a document or provide a link to your web article, and Speaky will extract the main content, detect the language, and read it to you. You can retrieve content from any website, import files from the cloud, or scan documents with your camera. Key Features: - Listen to documents and web articles - Extract text from images and have it read aloud - Choose from multiple voices across 40+ languages - Customize playback with adjustable speed and accent - Create lists and queue content for continuous listening - Clean and format text automatically with Smart Cleanup - Full support for all document types (pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf, odt, epub) - Full support for all image types (jpg, png, gif, tiff, bmp, heic) - Enjoy Speaky in the background with complete offline access "Articles in your Speaky queue play without an internet connection, so you can breeze through a New Yorker treatise as you ride the subway or catch up on world news on your next international flight." - New York Magazine "Speaky is a handy tool that helps you multitask by listening instead of reading. Whether it’s an entertaining article on the Web or an important PDF for work, you can give your eyes a rest or just get more done with this intuitive voice reader." - AppAdvice __________ Speaky Pro: Unlock unlimited listening and more languages for the scanner. Choose a monthly or annual subscription, or unlock Pro forever with a one-time Lifetime purchase. You can manage or cancel your subscriptions in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use: https://sandratra.com/legal/terms

About

Total Reader

This app converts text files into natural-sounding speech, allowing users to listen to documents while following along with highlighted text. It supports a wide range of file formats and over 30 languages, with easy import options from cloud storage and computers.

Highlights
  • Reads documents aloud
  • Converts text to natural voice
  • Highlights spoken words
  • Supports PDF, Word, PowerPoint, RTF
  • Imports from cloud storage
  • Supports over 30 languages
Features
Read full description

Transform the way you consume text with Total Reader, your ultimate AI text to speech voice reader. Whether you want to listen to a work presentation hands-free, study complex documents, or enjoy your favorite EPUB on the go, our advanced speech synthesis engine converts written words into fluent, natural-sounding audio. Why choose Total Reader? Our advanced context-aware reader intelligently processes dates, numbers, and abbreviations, delivering a flawless, human-like narration experience that outperforms standard read-aloud tools. KEY FEATURES: • Advanced Speech Synthesis: Experience premium, expressive text-to-speech engines across 30+ languages for a smooth, fatigue-free listening experience. • Versatile Document Support: Import and read aloud PDFs, MS Word (.doc & .docx), Powerpoint presentations, RTF, and plain text files seamlessly. • Instant Web Reading: Save time by listening to articles, essays, and news directly from the web instead of straining your eyes. • Smart Document Scanner: Instantly digitize physical printed books, notes, or documents using the built-in OCR scanner to read them aloud. • Visual Reading Follow-Along: Boost your comprehension and focus with synchronized word-by-word visual highlighting as the audio plays. • Seamless Cloud Import: Easily fetch files directly from Apple Mail, Dropbox, Google Drive, or transfer them straight from your Mac or PC. • Custom Reading Environment: Personalize your app experience with beautiful, customizable themes optimized for both daytime and night reading. MULTILINGUAL SUPPORT: Total Reader reads documents flawlessly in over 30 languages and regional accents, including English (US, UK, Irish, Australian), Spanish (including Mexican), Portuguese (including Brazilian), Russian, German, French, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and many more. Streamline your daily routine and maximize your productivity. Download Total Reader today to experience the future of spoken audio content! https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Text to Speech4 screens
Total Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Text to Speech at 78% against Total Reader's 20%. Text to Speech also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.8) and ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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. Text to Speech sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Total Reader sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Text to Speech holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Text to Speech has 860 ratings behind it against 37, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Text to Speech's written reviews are positive against 20% of Total Reader's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Text to Speech ships an update every 3 weeks, Total Reader every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Text to Speech versus Total Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterText to SpeechTotal Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (860 ratings) — better3.8 (37 ratings)
Positive reviews78.4% of reviews — better20.0% of reviews
Number of ratings860 — better37
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB37 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSandratra RazafindralamboStorch

Customer experience

Text to Speech

All ratings860 ratings
Positive88.8%
Neutral4.7%
Negative6.5%
Written reviews213 reviews
Positive78.4%
Neutral6.6%
Negative15.0%

Total Reader

All ratings37 ratings
Positive67.6%
Neutral8.1%
Negative24.3%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative70.0%

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Text to Speech

Subscriptions2
  • Speaky Pro (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • Speaky Pro (Annual)$19.991 Year
One-time8
  • Coffee Tip$2.99
  • Burger Tip$5.99
  • Starter Upgrade$7.99
Show 5 more
  • Discounted Upgrade$9.99
  • Pizza Tip$9.99
  • Pro Upgrade$12.99
  • Speaky Pro (Welcome)$19.99
  • Speaky Pro (Lifetime)$29.99
3 purchases

Total Reader

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Account for 1 month.$2.991 Month
  • Premium Account for 1 year.$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Total Reader Premium Lifetime.$39.99

Questions

Is Text to Speech free?
Text to Speech is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Total Reader free?
Total Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Text to Speech or Total Reader?
Text to Speech is rated higher. Text to Speech averages 4.5 out of 5 from 860 ratings, while Total Reader averages 3.8 from 37 ratings.
Do Text to Speech or Total Reader have ads?
Total Reader shows ads; Text to Speech does not.
Which is updated more often, Text to Speech or Total Reader?
Text to Speech ships an update every 3 weeks, and Total Reader every 2 months. Most recently, Text to Speech was updated on September 23, 2026 and Total Reader on September 19, 2026.

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