Comparison

Outread vs Bionic Reading®

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

Head to head
About

Outread

Enhance your reading speed and comprehension with this app. It offers guided reading modes, memory exercises, and supports various document types. Improve focus and retention for all readers.

Highlights
  • Speed reading modes (Guide & Flash)
  • Peripheral vision and memory exercises
  • Webpage and document import
  • Adjustable reading speed and chunk length
  • Progress tracking and reading stats
  • AI translation
  • Offline reading
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Speed-read websites, ebooks and documents. Outread improves reading effectiveness by helping you to focus on reading small chunks of text at a time. You can either follow the highlighter along the page or keep the text centered. Featured by Apple in “Best New Apps”, “Train Your Brain” and "Read Something New" sections “You're in luck, because Outread will help you get through [articles] and learn speed-reading in the process.” — Lifehacker "Speed Between the Lines" — WSJ “A clear winner in the speed-reading category” — AppAdvice BASIC FEATURES: - Speed read by following the highlighter along the page (Guide Mode) or by keeping the focused phrase in the center of the screen (Flash Mode - Rapid Serial Visual Presentation) - Exercises improving peripheral vision, eidetic memory, short-term memory and chunking ability. - Add webpages from Safari or other apps using share extension - Paste text or add from a URL - Sync your library, preferences and reading stats between your devices - Adjust the reading speed and chunk length (length of text you read at once) - Bookmark parts of text for later and add notes to them - Selection of fonts to suit all reading conditions - Monitor your progress with reading stats - Filter (by services or tags) and sort (by date, length or title) the items - See images included in text (even during speed reading) - AI translate text added to the app to many supported languages - Pleasant reading experience improving comprehension and concentration for people with dyslexia, ADD and ADHD - Test your reading speed and comprehension - Universal app for iPhone, iPad and Mac - Everything is always with you, even offline OUTREAD+ FEATURES: - Read free classic novels from the built-in catalog - Sync with Instapaper - Add your own ebooks (DRM-free ePub) - Add PDF, Microsoft Word, RTF and TXT documents - Higher reading speed up to 1,500 words per minute - Unlimited bookmarks and notes - Reader themes: Black & White (great for OLED), Sepia and Gray NOTE: - DRM-protected ebooks (Kindle and most of iBooks ebooks) are not supported Terms and Conditions: https://outreadapp.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://outreadapp.com/privacy-policy If you have any questions or suggestions, you can reach us at contact@outreadapp.com

About

Bionic Reading®

This app enhances reading speed and comprehension by highlighting the most concise parts of words. It offers customizable reading modes to aid users with reading difficulties and improve focus for all.

Highlights
  • Text revision for faster reading
  • Customizable reading modes
  • Save reading position across platforms
  • Bookmarks for favorite pages
  • Upload files, text, or websites for conversion
  • Export to EPUB, PDF, WORD
  • Light and Dark Mode
Features
Read full description

All 6 Bionic Reading® Apps are available as a free or a Premium version – 6 for 1 Price. The one and only from Switzerland is a “Life Changer” for Lisa, a “Game Changer” for Tommy and “Absolutely Mind Blowing” for Kelly. Bionic Reading® Faster. Better. More focused. Reading. Bionic Reading® for Apple iOS, iPadOS, macOS, other platforms and web. We offer you the free version “Discover” and the subscriptions “Premium” and “Premium Plus”. BIONIC READING® IN NUMBERS. • 882+ Million: TikTok search results • 1+ Billion: Mentioned in communities • 233 Countries: Where our users come from • 5.9 Million: Website visitors • 3 Platforms: With viral posts • 50+ Viral posts: From our users Bionic Reading® revises texts in such a way that the most concise parts of the words are highlighted. This guides the eye over the text and the brain remembers words already learned more quickly. EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. The Bionic Reading® reading mode can be individually adapted to the needs of all readers. This flexibility allows Bionic Reading® to provide maximum customization for all users. YOU GET. • Save precious time.
 • Gain advantages.
 • Learn new things faster.
 • Expand your knowledge.
 • Improve your skills. • 
Noise-free with more focus.
 • Less distraction. FEATURES. • Download as Word file. • You can now smoothly continue your reading experience with “Bionic Reading® Reader” across platforms, as the last reading position is now saved. • Bookmarks now allow you to mark your favorite pages. • Advanced Bionic Reading® Settings with Part of speech. • Bionic Reading® Reader for your reading experience. • Bionic Reading® Library for your favourites. • Synced content. • Fixation, Sccade, Opacity. • Fixation via Letters or Syllables. • Details. • Colors. • Light Mode. Dark Mode. • Upload File, Text or Website, convert and read in the Apps. • File Conversion. • Text Conversion. • Website Conversion. • Send to Amazon® Kindle. • Download as EPUB, PDF, WORD. • Carefully selected Fonts. • Designed for the Latin alphabet. +15% HAVE READING DIFFICULTIES. More than 15% of the population has great difficulty reading and understanding texts (ADHD, dyslexia). We have received feedback from people with ADHD that thanks to Bionic Reading® they immediately understood the content of various texts the first time they read them, which was impossible without Bionic Reading®. COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK. Jessica: “Having ADHD and processing issues means that I read very slow because my brain can’t focus on the words enough to both read them and process what they mean at a decent pace. Using Bionic Reading® has allowed me to feel functional and productive when I’m reading something lengthy – it’s such a GAME CHANGER!” Lisa: “I have not read fiction for 20 years. I read what I have to read. It almost hurts my brain to read regular type. But now I will be reading fiction again! Bionic Reading® works for me and I can read 2–3 times faster! AMAZING! This is a LIFE CHANGER! Thank You!” Patrick: “OK, Bionic Reading® is the real deal. I already read quickly and this doubled it.” Reaction from Daniel: “Holy smokes you’re not kidding!” Carla: “WOW! I could read quickly and fluently using Bionic Reading®. Doing this helped me understand the context of the paragraph much better than when I have to squint and focus on each word, which tires me out and I lose focus. Bionic Reading® is brilliant!” Nestor: “Your tool is gorgeous, It’s helping me a lot. My sight is reduced because one of my transplanted corneas has become opaque and Bionic Reading® is helping me a lot to read easier and comprehend faster.” TYPOGRAPHY. DESIGN. SWITZERLAND. With over 26 years of experience in typography, we know how important it is to get text right. It’s the small details that matter enormously to make you read better. INTERNATIONAL AWARDS FOR BIONIC READING®. • German Innovation Award 2023: Gold (highest distinction) • German Design Award 2023: Gold (highest distinction)

Screenshots

Outread4 screens
Bionic Reading®4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Outread at 80% against Bionic Reading®'s 26%. Outread also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.4) and ratings volume (1.4K vs 151). Bionic Reading®'s advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Outread sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and Bionic Reading® sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.95 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Outread holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Outread has 1.4K ratings behind it against 151, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Outread's written reviews are positive against 26% of Bionic Reading®'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Outread versus Bionic Reading®: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOutreadBionic Reading®
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.4K ratings) — better2.4 (151 ratings)
Positive reviews80.4% of reviews — better26.3% of reviews
Number of ratings1.4K — better151
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
Best chart rank#198#189 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS18.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB52 MB
Age rating9+17+
DeveloperArkadiusz HolkoBionic Reading AG

Customer experience

Outread

All ratings1,351 ratings
Positive92.8%
Neutral2.9%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews276 reviews
Positive80.4%
Neutral6.2%
Negative13.4%

Bionic Reading®

All ratings151 ratings
Positive30.5%
Neutral6.6%
Negative62.9%
Written reviews160 reviews
Positive26.3%
Neutral5.6%
Negative68.1%

User reviews

Outread

From 1.4K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple idea, big impact
  • 👍 Developer is a chad
  • 🚀 Fantastic application
  • 🚀 Whole heartedly recommend
  • 🚀 Increased reading speed

Room to improve

  • 💰 Not free, requires subscription
  • 💰 Costs money
  • 💰 Pay for importing PDFs
  • 🐛 Paste web link takes really long time
  • 🐛 Highlighting transition needs to be smoother

Bionic Reading®

From 151 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Faster reading
  • 🔍 Helpful for ADHD and dyslexia
  • 👍 Life-changing for some users

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🐛 Buggy and unreliable app
  • 🚫 Limited functionality (no PDF support)
  • 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription

Bugs and requests

Outread

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Unable to link to Pocket
  • Login screen freezes
  • Incompatible with older devices

Requested features

11 requests
  • Highlighting, underlining and saving quotes feature
  • Ability to sync books and progress across devices
  • Bionic reading feature
  • Ability to scroll while reading in highlight mode
  • Customizable highlighted text color and background
Show 6 more
  • Larger font size options
  • Ability to link to virtual library apps like Libby
  • Bookmarking and note-taking features
  • More advanced training exercises and levels
  • Ability to scan photos from album
  • Compatibility with Apple Vision Pro

Bionic Reading®

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes or freezes
  • Subscription issues (unable to upgrade, cancel, or get refunds)
  • Conversion errors and failed file uploads

Requested features

3 requests
  • Integrate with more platforms (Kindle, web browser)
  • Offer one-time purchase option instead of subscription
  • Improve customer support and communication

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Outread

Subscriptions8
  • Outread+ Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Outread+ Weekly$3.997 Days
  • Outread+ Monthly$4.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Outread+ Monthly$7.991 Month
  • Outread+ Monthly Family$8.491 Month
  • Outread+ Annual7 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Outread+ Annual Family7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Outread+ Annual7 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time2
  • Outread+ Lifetime$119.99
  • Outread+ Lifetime Family$149.99
4 purchases

Bionic Reading®

Subscriptions4
  • Bionic Reading® Premium$2.951 Month
  • Bionic Reading® Premium Plus$12.991 Month
  • Bionic Reading® Premium$30.491 Year
Show 1 more
  • Bionic Reading® Premium Plus$128.991 Year

Questions

Is Outread free?
Outread is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bionic Reading® free?
Bionic Reading® is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Outread or Bionic Reading®?
Outread is rated higher. Outread averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.4K ratings, while Bionic Reading® averages 2.4 from 151 ratings.
Do Outread or Bionic Reading® have ads?
Neither Outread nor Bionic Reading® shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Outread or Bionic Reading®?
Outread ships an update every 3 weeks, and Bionic Reading® every 3 weeks. Most recently, Outread was updated on September 22, 2026 and Bionic Reading® on September 23, 2026.
Which is more popular, Outread or Bionic Reading®?
Outread currently peaks at #198 in the App Store charts, and Bionic Reading® at #189. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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