Comparison

Aloud!, text to speech reader vs Text Reader Narrator

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

Head to head
About

Aloud!, text to speech reader

Transform documents, articles, and eBooks into audio with this text-to-speech reader. Enjoy offline playback, customizable voices, and automatic progress tracking for a seamless listening experience anywhere, anytime. It's an ideal tool for productivity and accessibility.

Highlights
  • Hear PDF, DOCX, EPUB & web pages
  • Background & offline playback
  • Auto progress tracking
  • Customizable speech rate and pitch
  • Synchronized word highlighting
  • Universal format support
Features
Read full description

Reading on YOUR TERMS - Anywhere, Anytime, Anything Welcome to Aloud!, the ultimate Text-to-Speech (TTS) reader that transforms your content into audio. Turn your documents, articles, and eBooks into a personal audio library. Aloud! is the perfect voice reader for your commute, workout, or study session. It’s a powerful accessibility tool for anyone who needs reading support, and an essential productivity app for those who want to give their eyes a rest. ■ HEAR PDF, DOCX, EPUB & WEB PAGES Finally, a reader that handles everything. From critical PDF reports and Word (DOCX) documents to your favorite EPUB or Mobi eBook. Use our integrated browser to instantly import and listen to web pages, saving them for offline access. No more format juggling. ■ BACKGROUND & OFFLINE PLAY Aloud! works where you do. With true offline playback for all saved files, you're never limited by a connection. Continue listening with your screen locked or while using other apps—your audio plays seamlessly in the background. ■ AUTO PROGRESS TRACKING Never lose your place. Aloud! automatically remembers your position in every document and article. Pick up right where you left off, every single time. ■ YOUR VOICE, YOUR CHOICE Tailor your listening experience. Adjust the speech rate and pitch to find a voice that's perfect for you. Follow along with synchronized word highlighting, an essential tool for study, proofreading, and improving reading comprehension. THE ALOUD! ADVANTAGE: • Trusted Since 2014: A decade of continuous improvement and user-focused updates. • Universal Format Support: Our powerful engine supports PDF, Microsoft Office (DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX), iWorks Pages, OpenOffice (ODT, ODP), EPUB, MOBI, AZW, FB2, TXT, RTF, HTML, and even files inside ZIP, RAR, & 7Z archives. • Accessibility Focused: A vital tool for users with dyslexia, visual impairments, and other reading challenges. Stop reading, start listening. Download Aloud! today and reimagine your content.

About

Text Reader Narrator

Convert any text, document, or scanned image into natural-sounding audio. Supports over 40 languages and offers background playback with highlighting. Export narrations as audio files.

Highlights
  • Text-to-speech conversion
  • Import PDF, DOCX, EPUB, TXT
  • Camera OCR for scanned text
  • Background playback
  • Word-by-word highlighting
  • Export audio to M4A
  • Supports 40+ languages
Features
Read full description

Text Reader Narrator reads text out loud with the voices installed on your iPhone. Paste or type text, import text files and web pages, and listen with word-by-word highlighting. No account, no sign-up. Works offline once a voice is installed. WHAT IT DOES • Reads text aloud with word highlighting; Pause keeps your place • Imports TXT files and web pages (URL) for free; PDF, Word (.docx) and ePub (text only) with PRO • Scans printed pages with the camera (PRO) • Document library with Continue Reading and smart playlists • Speech to text: dictate and get the text back (iPhone microphone, device language) • Exports a narration as an M4A file (PRO) • Any voice installed on your iPhone, with speed, pitch and volume sliders FREE AND PRO Free, with ads: 5,000 characters a day, plus 2,000 for each short video you watch, up to 5 a day. PRO (subscription or one-time purchase) removes the ads and the daily limit, and unlocks PDF, Word and ePub import, camera scan, M4A export and reading fonts. GOOD TO KNOW • The voices are the ones built into iOS; you can download more in iOS Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content. The app has no AI or cloud voices. • PDF import reads the text layer only. • Lock screen controls work for playback started from Documents or playlists, not from the Reader. Terms of Use: https://masaapps360.com/tts-1501312978/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://masaapps360.com/tts-1501312978/privacy/

Screenshots

Aloud!, text to speech reader4 screens
Text Reader Narrator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Aloud!, text to speech reader at fortnightly against Text Reader Narrator's every 6 weeks. Aloud!, text to speech reader also leads on ratings volume (242 vs 32) and iOS requirement (14.2 vs 17.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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. Aloud!, text to speech reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Text Reader Narrator sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Aloud!, text to speech reader holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Aloud!, text to speech reader has 242 ratings behind it against 32, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of Aloud!, text to speech reader's written reviews are positive against 38% of Text Reader Narrator's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Aloud!, text to speech reader ships an update fortnightly, Text Reader Narrator every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Aloud!, text to speech reader versus Text Reader Narrator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAloud!, text to speech readerText Reader Narrator
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (242 ratings) — better4.1 (32 ratings)
Positive reviews43.2% of reviews — better38.5% of reviews
Number of ratings242 — better32
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.2 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size54 MB10 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperChun Kai LauGrima Hdez

Customer experience

Aloud!, text to speech reader

All ratings243 ratings
Positive82.3%
Neutral3.3%
Negative14.4%
Written reviews505 reviews
Positive43.2%
Neutral11.9%
Negative45.0%

Text Reader Narrator

All ratings32 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral9.4%
Negative15.6%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive38.5%
Neutral7.7%
Negative53.8%

Bugs and requests

Aloud!, text to speech reader

Reported bugs

17 issues
  • App crashes when opening large files
  • App crashes on startup after recent updates
  • Save function fails to work
  • Text repetition bug - reads same paragraph repeatedly
  • Cursor position doesn't match audio being read
Show 12 more
  • PDF files load with no spaces between words
  • ePub files load in reverse order
  • Language selection doesn't work
  • App freezes when loading documents
  • Upgrade widget broken - cannot complete purchase
  • Purchased app reverts to free version
  • Ads cause app to crash when closed
  • Mispronounces special characters as 'to the power of'
  • Cannot edit text after typing
  • Incompatibility with iOS 12.5.5 and older versions
  • Scrolling to previous location causes crashes
  • Character recognition failures (fi, fl, ff)

Requested features

14 requests
  • Ability to set custom starting point for reading
  • Better voice options and quality
  • Ad-free paid version
  • Improved PDF/ePub integration
  • Better language support (Vietnamese, Dutch, etc.)
Show 9 more
  • Screen lock prevention during reading
  • Repeat/loop functionality
  • Better character recognition (fi, fl, ff combinations)
  • Direct PDF opening from other apps
  • Better voice selection for different dialects
  • Skip opening statements/introductions
  • Improved keyboard handling
  • Dark mode or customizable background
  • Better integration with other apps

Text Reader Narrator

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Aloud!, text to speech reader

One-time1
  • Premium Version$6.99
4 purchases

Text Reader Narrator

Subscriptions3
  • Pro Weekly3 Days trial$0.997 Days
  • Pro Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly$7.991 Year
One-time1
  • TTS Plus Lifetime$14.99

Questions

Is Aloud!, text to speech reader free?
Aloud!, text to speech reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Text Reader Narrator free?
Text Reader Narrator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Aloud!, text to speech reader or Text Reader Narrator?
Aloud!, text to speech reader is rated higher. Aloud!, text to speech reader averages 4.3 out of 5 from 242 ratings, while Text Reader Narrator averages 4.1 from 32 ratings.
Do Aloud!, text to speech reader or Text Reader Narrator have ads?
Both Aloud!, text to speech reader and Text Reader Narrator show ads.
Which is updated more often, Aloud!, text to speech reader or Text Reader Narrator?
Aloud!, text to speech reader ships an update fortnightly, and Text Reader Narrator every 6 weeks. Most recently, Aloud!, text to speech reader was updated on November 6, 2026 and Text Reader Narrator on November 3, 2026.

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