# WebOutLoud vs Bookshare Reader

The clearest difference is rating: WebOutLoud at 4.6 against Bookshare Reader's 3.3. WebOutLoud also leads on review sentiment (60% vs 35%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). Bookshare Reader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 9). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. WebOutLoud sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Bookshare Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

WebOutLoud holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WebOutLoud has 767 ratings behind it against 67, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of WebOutLoud's written reviews are positive against 35% of Bookshare Reader's.

WebOutLoud ships an update weekly, Bookshare Reader every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and August 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | WebOutLoud | Bookshare Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (767 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/weboutloud-web-text-to-speech/id917672170/reviews)** | [3.3 (67 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshare-reader/id1605201737/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **767** | 67 |
| Positive reviews | **59.5% of reviews** | 34.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 46 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bret Lester](https://appshunter.io/developer/917672169) | [Benetech](https://appshunter.io/developer/425585906) |

## What reviewers say

### WebOutLoud

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/weboutloud-web-text-to-speech/id917672170)

Listen to websites, PDFs, and EPUBs with advanced text-to-speech technology. Features premium voices, AI summaries, and offline capabilities for a seamless reading experience. Organize content into playlists and collections for later.

**Highlights:** Listen to websites, PDFs, EPUBs, Premium voices from Amazon Polly, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, AI content summaries & chat, Offline capabilities, Custom pronunciations, Playlist creation, Safari and Chrome extension

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| WebOutLoud Basic Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| WebOutLoud Premium | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| WebOutLoud Premium | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| WebOutLoud Basic Annual | $12.99 | per year |
| WebOutLoud Premium | $29.99 | per month |
| WebOutLoud Premium | $29.99 | per month |
| WebOutLoud Premium Yearly | $119.99 | per year |
| WebOutLoud Premium Yearly | $119.99 | per year |
| 1 Million Premium Characters | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Helpful for multitasking
- 👍 Useful for learning and study
- 👍 Works well for reading webpages and articles
- 👍 Convenient for commuting and driving

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 👎 Poor user interface and navigation

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent reading behavior, skipping words or paragraphs
- Login and account issues, unable to access subscription features
- Compatibility problems with certain websites and content
- Resets to the beginning of content when paused

**Requested features**

- Add support for Bluetooth
- Improve PDF reading capabilities
- Provide more natural-sounding voice options
- Allow customization of pronunciation for specific words


### Bookshare Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshare-reader/id1605201737)

Access a vast library of ebooks designed for individuals with reading barriers. Enjoy high-quality audio narration and customize your reading experience with adjustable fonts, colors, and speeds. Continue reading seamlessly from where you left off.

**Highlights:** Access millions of ebooks, High-quality audio narration, Customizable reading experience, Adjustable font size and colors, Follow along with highlighted text, Offline reading

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is WebOutLoud free?

WebOutLoud is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Bookshare Reader free?

Bookshare Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, WebOutLoud or Bookshare Reader?

WebOutLoud is rated higher. WebOutLoud averages 4.6 out of 5 from 767 ratings, while Bookshare Reader averages 3.3 from 67 ratings.

### Do WebOutLoud or Bookshare Reader have ads?

Neither WebOutLoud nor Bookshare Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, WebOutLoud or Bookshare Reader?

WebOutLoud ships an update weekly, and Bookshare Reader every 3 weeks. Most recently, WebOutLoud was updated on September 23, 2026 and Bookshare Reader on August 13, 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.*