# Aloud!, text to speech reader vs Text to Speech PDF Reader

The clearest difference is monetization model: Aloud!, text to speech reader at free with in-app purchases against Text to Speech PDF Reader's subscription. Aloud!, text to speech reader also leads on iOS requirement (14.2 vs 16.0). Text to Speech PDF Reader's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.5 vs 4.3). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Aloud!, text to speech reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Text to Speech PDF Reader sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Text to Speech PDF Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 242 and 552 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of Aloud!, text to speech reader's written reviews are positive against 44% of Text to Speech PDF Reader's.

Aloud!, text to speech reader ships an update fortnightly, Text to Speech PDF Reader every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Aloud!, text to speech reader | Text to Speech PDF Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (242 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aloud-text-to-speech-reader/id852033350/reviews) | **[4.5 (552 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text-to-speech-pdf-reader/id1519637964/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 242 | **552** |
| Positive reviews | 38.3% of reviews | **44.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 54 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.2** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chun Kai Lau](https://appshunter.io/developer/777529458) | [Bret Lester](https://appshunter.io/developer/917672169) |

## What reviewers say

### Aloud!, text to speech reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aloud-text-to-speech-reader/id852033350)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Version | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy copy-paste functionality for text input
- 🎧 Helpful for accessibility and learning disabilities
- ⚡ Works well with multiple file formats when functioning
- 🎯 Useful for multitasking (studying while driving/walking)
- 🔊 Adjustable speech speed

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes when opening files
- 🐛 Crashes on startup after updates
- 🗣️ Robotic and unnatural voice quality
- 📄 Poor PDF and ePub file handling
- 💾 Save function doesn't work reliably

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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.)


### Text to Speech PDF Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text-to-speech-pdf-reader/id1519637964)

Listen to your PDF documents with a variety of high-quality voices and languages. The app highlights words as it reads, automatically scrolls pages, and remembers your reading progress. Save and access specific text sections as highlights.

**Highlights:** Listen to PDF documents, Multiple high-quality voices and languages, Word highlighting and automatic scrolling, Resume reading from last position, Save and access text highlights, Crop feature to skip content, Sync documents across devices

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TTSPDF Unlimited Weekly | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| TTS PDF Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| Premium Weekly | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Weekly | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| TTS PDF Basic | $12.99 | per year |
| Premium Monthly | $29.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly | $29.99 | per month |
| Premium Annual | $119.99 | per year |
| Premium Annual | $119.99 | per year |
| 1 Million Characters | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and works
- 🚀 Saving my life
- 🚀 Fantastic app
- 🚀 Awesome app
- 🚀 Turns my PDFs to Audio Books

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Does not read alternate text
- 🐛 Not reading clear anymore
- 🐛 Rubbish
- 🐛 Garbage
- 🐛 Crashed every time I opened it

**Reported bugs**

- Skips paragraphs and double plays when pausing
- Erased files without consent
- Doesn't work with two-column text
- Reads text backwards
- Unable to copy/paste or open certain files

**Requested features**

- Add ability to read alternate text (alttext) in PDFs
- Improve voice quality and options
- Add ability to organize files in folders
- Add mobile-friendly version
- Improve handling of scanned/column PDFs


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Aloud!, text to speech reader free?

Aloud!, text to speech reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Text to Speech PDF Reader free?

Text to Speech PDF Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Aloud!, text to speech reader or Text to Speech PDF Reader?

Text to Speech PDF Reader is rated higher. Aloud!, text to speech reader averages 4.3 out of 5 from 242 ratings, while Text to Speech PDF Reader averages 4.5 from 552 ratings.

### Do Aloud!, text to speech reader or Text to Speech PDF Reader have ads?

Aloud!, text to speech reader shows ads; Text to Speech PDF Reader does not.

### Which is updated more often, Aloud!, text to speech reader or Text to Speech PDF Reader?

Aloud!, text to speech reader ships an update fortnightly, and Text to Speech PDF Reader every 10 days. Most recently, Aloud!, text to speech reader was updated on September 21, 2026 and Text to Speech PDF Reader on September 23, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*