# Which iPhone app should read your ebooks aloud? Six compared

No app wins every row. Pick by what you read, where you listen and what you pay.

Checked 2026-10-26. Canonical page: https://justread.app/en/compare/read-aloud-apps-iphone

## Which should you pick?

- **ElevenReader**: you want the widest choice of voices and a free plan with 10 hours a month.
- **Speechify**: you listen to PDFs, web pages and email more than to books.
- **Voice Dream**: you need VoiceOver or braille support, or want every voice offline.
- **Peech**: you listen to long papers and scans, and want headings announced.
- **Aurader**: you want an EPUB reader that speaks, with the current sentence highlighted.
- **justRead**: you want Read Aloud in one library with your audiobook files, and CarPlay for both.

## Four questions that sort the six apps

A computer voice reads any text you own, straight away. Answer these before you compare voices.

### What are you reading?

Five apps take the EPUB books you own. Speechify's pages name documents, PDFs and email, not EPUB. [1][2][3][4][5][6]

### Do you need it offline?

Voice Dream and Aurader say their voices work offline. One more sells downloads. Speechify and Peech are silent, so test in airplane mode. [2][7][8][6][9]

### Will you listen in the car?

justRead lists CarPlay. Three other apps mention it in release notes. Speechify's pages do not. [5][10][9][4][6][2]

### What will you pay?

Two apps have limited free plans. Aurader sells a $14.99 lifetime purchase. Peech lists no billing periods. [8][11][4][2][9][12]

## The free option already on your iPhone

Before you install anything, know what Apple gives you.

Apple's iPhone User Guide says your iPhone can read text out loud, even with VoiceOver off. The settings sit under Accessibility, then Read & Speak.

- Speak Selection reads the text you select.
- Speak Screen reads everything on the screen, with pause, rate and skip controls.
- Accessibility Reader shows text full screen and can read it aloud.

None of this gives you a library or bookmarks. The apps below add that.

## What each app reads and how it sounds

Yes or No only when a source says so. "Not stated" means we found nothing.

| What matters | justRead | ElevenReader | Speechify | Voice Dream | Peech | Aurader |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| EPUB books | Yes. Read Aloud runs on EPUB books in the reader. [5] | Yes. Upload ePubs and PDFs. [1] | Not stated by the developer. The listing names docs, articles, PDFs and email, and does not name EPUB. [6][11] | Yes. DRM-free books only. Kindle, iBooks and most commercial platforms are not supported. [2] | Yes. EPUB is on the homepage list of files it reads. [3] | Yes. EPUB heads the bookshelf format list. [4] |
| PDFs | Text layer only. A scanned PDF has no text to speak, and the app says so. [5] | Yes. Read PDFs aloud is a headline feature. [10] | Yes. PDFs are named in the first line of the listing. [6] | Yes. Also recognizes text in scanned PDFs. [2] | Yes. PDFs and scans are named. [3] | Yes. PDF is on the bookshelf list. [4] |
| Photos and scans of paper pages | Text layer only. A scanned PDF keeps the Read Aloud button and says it cannot speak. We make no claim for photos of pages. [5] | Yes. Scan content from images. [1] | Yes. Snap a page of any book and hear it read. [6] | Yes. A built-in scanner that works on the device, for Latin alphabets only. [2] | Yes. OCR from a photo of a page or a book. [9] | Yes. Articles can come from a scanned page. [4] |
| Your own audiobook files | Yes. m4b, m4a, mp3, aac and flac. [5] | Not stated by the developer. The pages describe synthetic voices, not audio files you add. [10][1] | Not stated by the developer. No audio file formats are named. [6][11] | Yes. Audiobooks in MP3, MP4 or zipped MP3 format. [2] | Not stated by the developer. No audio file formats are named. [9][3] | Yes. The format list says audiobooks and names no file types. [4] |
| Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive | No. Books come in through iCloud Drive and the Files picker. [5] | Not stated by the developer [10][1] | Yes. Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive on the paid plan. [11] | Yes. Dropbox, Google Drive and iCloud Drive natively, Box and OneDrive through the Document Picker. [2] | Not stated by the developer [9][3] | Not stated by the developer [4][7] |
| Your own Audiobookshelf server | Yes. Sign in, download a book and listen. It is a download, not a stream. [5] | Not stated by the developer [10][1] | Not stated by the developer [6][11] | Not stated by the developer [2][13] | Not stated by the developer [9][3] | Not stated by the developer [4][7] |
| Where the voices come from | Apple, Kokoro, Supertonic. Read Aloud routes between Apple system voices and two neural voice engines. [5] | Its own library. 1,000+ voices chosen by accent, tone and style, powered by ElevenLabs. [10] | Free and paid sets. 10 robotic sounding voices on the free plan, 1000+ natural voices on Premium, in the vendor's words. [11] | Built-in and premium. 36 iOS voices are free; 200+ premium voices come from Acapela, NeoSpeech and Ivona. [2] | Named narrators. Six listening styles, each with its own narrator. [3] | Four engines. Apple system voices, offline English neural voices, a built-in cloud engine or your own TTS API. [4] |
| How many voices and languages | 8 + 10. Kokoro has eight English voices. Supertonic has ten voices, and each can speak any of 31 languages. [5] | 1,000+. In 30+ languages, from the listing. [10] | 10, then 1000+. Free versus Premium, with 60+ languages on Premium. [11] | 36 + 200+. 27 languages for the iOS voices, 30 for the premium ones. [2] | 60+ languages. Detected automatically. The pages name six narrators. [9][3] | Depends. Languages depend on the engine and the voices you use. [4] |
| Highlights words as it reads | Yes. A word underline follows the voice. With a Supertonic voice it is an estimate from each clip's length, not exact timing. [5] | Yes. Text highlighting. [10] | Yes. Highlighted and synced word for word, says the listing. [6] | Yes. The spoken word is highlighted. [2] | Yes. The 11.2.0 notes say word highlighting stays in sync. [9] | Sentence. The current sentence stays highlighted. [4] |
| Plays an EPUB that ships its own narration | Yes. EPUB 3 books with synced audio get a narration transport, and a tap in the text moves the voice there. [5] | Not stated by the developer [10][1] | Not stated by the developer [6][11] | Not stated by the developer. It lists DAISY books, which is a different format. [2] | Not stated by the developer [9][3] | Not stated by the developer [4][7] |
| Speed range | 0.75x to 2.0x. In the audiobook player. We make no claim for Read Aloud speed. [5] | 0.25x to 4x. The pricing page gives 4.0x on the free plan too. [10][8] | Up to 5x. The free plan stops at 1.5x. The listing says 4.5x, the pricing page 5x. [6][11] | Not stated by the developer. The site says you can adjust the speed and gives no range. [2][13] | Up to 5x. From the listing. [9] | Not stated by the developer. The listing says the speed can be adjusted and gives no range. [4] |
| Sleep timer | Yes. 5 to 60 minutes, or End of Chapter, in the audiobook player. [5] | Yes. On the free plan and on Ultra. [10][8] | Not stated by the developer [6][11] | Not stated by the developer [2][13] | Yes. The 7.5.0 release notes add a sleep timer. [9] | Not stated by the developer [4][7] |

A gap in a rival's cell is a gap in what the developer wrote. We did not compare the voices by ear.

## How justRead reads a book aloud

Read Aloud works inside the reader, on the book you have open.

Pick Apple's voices or justRead's own, Kokoro and Supertonic. Tap one to hear a sample.

- Kokoro has eight English voices, five American and three British.
- Supertonic has ten presets, and each speaks 31 languages.
- PDFs work if they have a text layer. A scanned PDF says why it cannot speak.

A prepared book keeps playing with the screen locked, even in CarPlay.

## Offline use, CarPlay, price and upkeep

Offline use, CarPlay, price and how current each app is.

| What matters | justRead | ElevenReader | Speechify | Voice Dream | Peech | Aurader |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Keeps playing with the screen locked | Yes. A book prepared in advance becomes audio that keeps playing with the screen locked. [5] | Not stated by the developer [10][8] | Not stated by the developer [6][11] | Yes. "Play in the background even with the screen locked." [2] | Yes. The release notes mention background playback and resuming from the lock screen. [9] | Not stated by the developer [4][7] |
| Works with no connection | Prepared audio. A book can be prepared in advance as audio files. We do not claim every voice works offline. [5] | Ultra only. Offline downloads are made ahead of time: 150 hours a month, kept up to 60 days. [8] | Not stated by the developer [6][11] | Yes. All voices work offline. [2] | Not stated by the developer [9][3] | Yes. System voices and English on-device neural voices work without a network. Cloud and custom voices need one. [7] |
| CarPlay | Yes. An Audiobooks tab and a Read Aloud tab, and a prepared book's Read Aloud audio can play there. [5] | Yes. The 1.11.37 release notes add listening in the car with CarPlay: recents, library, chapters and voices. [10] | Not stated by the developer [6][11] | Not stated by the developer [2][13] | Yes. The release notes describe a rebuilt CarPlay with library browsing by status and cover art. [9] | Yes. The 1.4.2 release notes list CarPlay support. [4] |
| Apple Watch | No. There is no Apple Watch app. [5] | Not stated by the developer [10][8] | Not stated by the developer [6][11] | Listed. The store lists Apple Watch as a supported device and describes no Watch features. [2] | Yes. The release notes describe a rebuilt Apple Watch app with playback, speed and library browsing. [9] | Not stated by the developer [4][7] |
| Siri, Shortcuts and widgets | Yes. Siri and Shortcuts continue listening, and the Current Book widget has a Play and Pause button. [5] | Yes. Version 1.11.39 added Siri play or continue, Spotlight search and pinned Recent Reads. [10] | Widgets. Version 5.5.17 added Home Screen widgets. [6] | Siri. The store page shows Supports Siri. Shortcuts and widgets are not mentioned. [2] | Not stated by the developer [9][3] | Widget. A Home Screen widget jumps back into a book. [4] |
| Free to try | 14 days. The trial covers the whole app, and a paywall follows. [5][12] | Free plan. 10 hours of text to audio a month, with 4.0x speed, a sleep timer and bookmarks. [8] | Free plan. Up to 1.5x with 10 robotic sounding voices, in the vendor's words. [11] | Free trial. The listing says a subscription is required and that new users get a free trial. [2] | Some trials. The listing says some plans offer free trials, and describes no free tier. [9] | Free tier. Up to 10 books and 10 articles. [4] |
| Paid price | $4.99 a month. Or $29.99 a year, or $79.99 once. [12] | $11 a month. Ultra costs $8.25 a month billed yearly. The store also lists a Plus tier at $10.00 a month. [8][10] | $29 a month. On the pricing page. The store lists Premium Monthly at $11.99. [11][6] | $4.99 a month. The store also lists yearly plans at $39.99, $59.99 and $79.99. [2] | $3.99 to $99.99. Eight Peech Premium prices, with no billing periods given. [9] | $14.99 once. Or $0.99 a week. [4] |
| iOS version and platforms | iOS 18.1. iPhone and iPad. [14][5] | iOS 18.0. Also web, Android and a Chrome extension. [10][8] | iOS 18.0. Also Android, Mac, Windows and browser extensions. [6][11] | iOS 15.0. Reading continues across iPhone, iPad and Mac, says the site. [2][13] | iOS 26.0. Also Android. [9][3] | iOS 18.0. iPhone and iPad only. [4][7] |
| Rating in the US store | 4.61. 54 ratings. [14] | 4.72. 10,962 ratings. [10] | 4.66. 527,332 ratings. [6] | 4.48. 14,417 ratings. [2] | 4.40. 8,922 ratings. [9] | 4.72. 176 ratings. [4] |
| Latest update | 19 Oct 2026. Version 5.5. [14] | 15 Oct 2026. Version 1.11.39. [10] | 20 Oct 2026. Version 5.5.17. [6] | 18 Aug 2026. Version 5.5.8, the oldest of the six. [2] | 19 Oct 2026. Version 11.2.0. [9] | 23 Oct 2026. Version 1.8.2. [4] |

Prices are from the vendors and the US App Store on 26 October 2026. Where they disagree, both show.

## Speechify vs ElevenReader vs Voice Dream

People search these three against each other. No card is a ranking.

### Speechify or ElevenReader

If you read EPUB books, ElevenReader fits. If you listen to web pages and email, Speechify fits. Speechify's pages do not name EPUB. [10][8][1][6][11]

### Speechify or Voice Dream

Voice Dream fits if you read DRM-free EPUBs or scanned PDFs. Speechify links Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive on Premium. [2][13][6][11]

### ElevenReader or Voice Dream

If you want a free plan, ElevenReader gives 10 hours a month. If you want every voice offline, Voice Dream does that from $4.99 a month. [10][8][2][13]

## When a human narrator is the better choice

A human narrator is a different product.

If you own narrated files, an audiobook player is the better tool. justRead plays m4b, m4a, mp3, aac and flac. See our [Audible comparison](https://justread.app/en/compare/justread-vs-audible).

- Pick a computer voice when you own only the text or want to start now.
- Pick a narrator when a recording exists and you will hear it more than once.

## Where justRead loses

Six places where another app here is the better choice.

### Fewer voices

ElevenReader lists 1,000+ voices and Voice Dream 200+ premium ones. justRead has Apple voices and two neural sets of its own. [5][10][2]

### Read Aloud takes fewer inputs

Five other apps read photographed pages, and most take web links. Read Aloud covers EPUB and text-layer PDFs. [5][1][6][2][9][4]

### No pronunciation dictionary

Two other apps list a pronunciation dictionary. We claim none for justRead. [5][10][2]

### No Apple Watch app, no cloud drives

Voice Dream and Peech have Watch apps, and two apps link Dropbox and Google Drive. justRead has none of these. [5][2][9][11]

### It runs on fewer devices

justRead runs on iPhone and iPad only. If you need Android or the web, other apps fit. [5][8][11][3]

### It costs more, with fewer ratings

Two apps have free plans. justRead is $79.99 once after a 14-day trial, with 54 US ratings against 10,962 for ElevenReader. [12][8][11][4][14][10]

## Where justRead is the better fit

Three reasons you may prefer it.

### Read Aloud, audiobooks and your server

justRead plays your audio files, downloads Audiobookshelf books and reads ebooks aloud. Two other apps handle audiobook files, but none describes a server. [5][2][4]

### One CarPlay screen for both

CarPlay shows an Audiobooks tab and a Read Aloud tab. Three other apps mention CarPlay, so the screen is not unique. [5][10][8][11][2][9][4]

### EPUB 3 books with their own narration

If your EPUB 3 book ships synced audio, the text follows the voice. The other five apps' pages do not describe it. [5][10][6][2][9][4]

More on the [audiobook player](https://justread.app/en/audiobook-player) and the [ebook library](https://justread.app/en/ebook-library).

## How to switch read-aloud apps

What you lose when you leave is mostly audio, not text.

### Keep your source files

Your EPUBs and PDFs are the part you can move. Voice Dream lets you export highlights and notes first. [2]

### Do not expect audio to leave

ElevenReader says you cannot export audio. Aurader keeps audio export for Premium. [8][1][4]

### Cancel where you subscribed

Use the platform where you subscribed. For the App Store, that is Settings, then Subscriptions. [8]

### Add the books and compare

Open your files in the new app. Play one chapter in both before you delete the old one. [5]

## What listeners say about these apps

Five App Store reviews picked by hand, from five apps. They are examples, not a count.

> I use VoiceDream everyday of my life. It is the single most helpful accommodation that I use for my dyslexia in order to succeed in school.
>
> App Store review of Voice Dream, 5 stars, version 5.5.2, US, 2 January 2026

> I can get so much more reading done now. Also my reading skills are definitely improved and it’s great for doing my schoolwork, especially when I’m on a time crunch.
>
> App Store review of ElevenReader, 5 stars, version 1.11.39, US, 21 October 2026

> I’m disappointed that the AI that you’re using doesn’t render the text as it was written. There’s little or no inflection and words are mispronounced.
>
> App Store review of Speechify, 2 stars, version 5.5.10, GB, 13 September 2026

> I paid for a year subscription and I am still limited to how long I can listen.
>
> App Store review of Peech, 2 stars, version 11.2.0, US, 23 October 2026

> This is by far the best app I’ve ever used for turning books into audio. It supports multiple languages and accents, and the narration is incredibly smooth and natural.
>
> App Store review of Aurader, 5 stars, version 1.3.5, US, 7 June 2026

## Questions about reading aloud on iPhone

### Can an iPhone read an EPUB aloud?

Yes. Apple's Read & Speak reads what is on screen. Five apps open an EPUB file and read it. Speechify's pages do not name EPUB. [20][1][2][3][4][5][6]

### Can an iPhone read Kindle books aloud?

Yes, for many books. Amazon says Assistive Reader needs Enhanced Typesetting. Turn it on under Aa, then More. [21]

### How do I read aloud without an app?

Open Settings, then Accessibility, then Read & Speak, and turn on Speak Screen. Open your book and swipe down with two fingers from the top. Voices and Speaking Rate sit in the same menu. [20]

### Which read-aloud apps are free?

ElevenReader gives 10 hours a month. Speechify's free plan stops at 1.5x with 10 voices. Aurader's free tier holds 10 books. Voice Dream needs a plan after its trial, and justRead after 14 days. Read the limits before you pay. [8][11][4][2][12]

### Which of them work offline?

Voice Dream says all its voices work offline. Aurader says system voices and English neural voices do. ElevenReader sells offline downloads on Ultra. Speechify and Peech do not say. justRead can prepare a book as audio in advance. [2][7][8][5]

### Which of them have CarPlay?

justRead lists CarPlay, with an Audiobooks tab and a Read Aloud tab. Three other apps mention it in release notes. We found nothing for Speechify or Voice Dream. [5][10][9][4][6][2]

### How do I test a read-aloud app?

Open a chapter with names and numbers. Lock the screen for two minutes, switch on airplane mode, change the speed, then close and reopen the app. Your position should come back. 

### Can justRead read a PDF aloud?

Yes, when the PDF has a text layer. A scanned PDF keeps the Read Aloud button, and the app says it has no text to speak. [5]

### Which app has the most natural AI voices?

We did not compare voices by ear, so we do not rank them. ElevenReader lists 1,000+ voices and Voice Dream 200+ premium ones. justRead uses Apple's voices and two neural sets of its own. [10][11][2][5]

### Does justRead highlight the words as it reads?

Yes, with a word underline that follows the voice. With a Supertonic voice the underline is estimated from each clip's length, so it is not exact word timing. [5]

### Are site and App Store prices the same?

Not always. Speechify's site shows Premium at $29 a month, but the store lists $11.99. ElevenReader's store lists a Plus tier its site does not. Check both before you pay. [11][6][8][10]

### Which is best for dyslexia or ADHD?

Two listings name dyslexia and ADHD, and Voice Dream says it was built for people who read differently. We did not test any with readers who have those needs. [10][6][13]

### A free Speechify alternative for EPUB books?

Speechify does not name EPUB, so check it opens your files first. ElevenReader's free plan gives 10 hours a month. Aurader's free tier holds 10 books. Apple's Spoken Content is already on your iPhone. [6][8][4][20]

### What is a good Voice Dream alternative?

Aurader reads EPUB, PDF and TXT with offline English voices and a free tier of 10 books. Apple's Spoken Content is free and built in. If you need screen-reader support, read Voice Dream's own page first. [2][13][4][20]

### Is there a Moon+ Reader for iPhone?

Moon+ Reader Pro is on Google Play, with text to speech. The iPhone app with that name is a novel finder from another developer. To hear your own EPUBs, use the table above. [22][23]

### Is a voice as good as a narrator?

That is a matter of taste, and we did not compare voices by ear. See when each fits above. 

### How much does justRead cost?

$4.99 a month, $29.99 a year or $79.99 once, after a 14-day trial of the whole app. [12]

## Try Read Aloud on your own book

Open an EPUB or a PDF with a text layer and try Read Aloud with the Apple, Kokoro or Supertonic voices. The 14-day trial covers the whole app.

## How we checked

justRead.app makes justRead, so we hold this page to a stricter rule than a neutral roundup. Every justRead cell comes from the app's source code at the 5.5 release.

The other five apps' cells come from each app's US App Store listing and vendor site, all re-read on 26 October 2026.

"Not stated by the developer" means we found nothing either way and did not guess. We did not compare the voices by ear, and we ran no app against a file.

Apps ship updates often, and prices change. The dates tell you how old each fact is.

The quotes are examples, not a count. We re-read each one in Apple's feed on 26 October 2026. In our samples, 68 percent of Speechify reviews and 56 percent of Peech reviews give one or two stars.

## Sources

1. ElevenReader, vendor homepage (imports, export, price) (https://elevenreader.io/), accessed 2026-10-26.
2. Voice Dream, App Store listing (US): version 5.5.8, description, price and in-app purchases (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id496177674), accessed 2026-10-26.
3. Peech, vendor homepage (narration, file types, platforms) (https://getpeech.com/), accessed 2026-10-26.
4. Aurader, App Store listing (US): version 1.8.2, description, release notes and in-app purchases (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6758951184), accessed 2026-10-26.
5. justRead 5.5 app behavior, read from the app's source code at the release build (our own review), accessed 2026-10-26.
6. Speechify, App Store listing (US): version 5.5.17, description, release notes and in-app purchases (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/speechify-text-to-speech-pdf/id1209815023), accessed 2026-10-26.
7. Aurader, vendor homepage (offline voices, engines, platforms) (https://aurader.com/), accessed 2026-10-26.
8. ElevenReader, vendor pricing page (plans, hours, offline downloads, export, canceling) (https://elevenreader.io/pricing), accessed 2026-10-26.
9. Peech, App Store listing (US): version 11.2.0, description, release notes and in-app purchases (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1429704005), accessed 2026-10-26.
10. ElevenReader, App Store listing (US): version 1.11.39, description, release notes, price and in-app purchases (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6479373050), accessed 2026-10-26.
11. Speechify, vendor pricing page (plans, speed, integrations, platforms) (https://speechify.com/pricing/), accessed 2026-10-26.
12. justRead pricing and trial, from the justRead site (https://justread.app/en/#pricing), accessed 2026-10-26.
13. Voice Dream, vendor homepage (accessibility, platforms, offline) (https://www.voicedream.com/), accessed 2026-10-26.
14. justRead, App Store listing (US): version 5.5, minimum iOS, rating count and last update (https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6757948605?pt=128143318&ct=home-hero&mt=8), accessed 2026-10-26.
15. Voice Dream, App Store customer reviews (US storefront), read from Apple's public review feed on 26 October 2026 (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id496177674?see-all=reviews), accessed 2026-10-26.
16. ElevenReader, App Store customer reviews (US storefront), read from Apple's public review feed on 26 October 2026 (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6479373050?see-all=reviews), accessed 2026-10-26.
17. Speechify, App Store customer reviews (GB storefront), read from Apple's public review feed on 26 October 2026 (https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/speechify-text-to-speech-pdf/id1209815023?see-all=reviews), accessed 2026-10-26.
18. Peech, App Store customer reviews (US storefront), read from Apple's public review feed on 26 October 2026 (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1429704005?see-all=reviews), accessed 2026-10-26.
19. Aurader, App Store customer reviews (US storefront), read from Apple's public review feed on 26 October 2026 (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6758951184?see-all=reviews), accessed 2026-10-26.
20. Apple, iPhone User Guide: Hear iPhone speak the screen, selected text, and typing feedback (https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/spoken-content-iph96b214f0/ios), accessed 2026-10-26.
21. Amazon Customer Service, How to Use the Assistive Reader in Kindle Apps (text-to-speech on iPhone, iPad and other devices) (https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=TqLHvK6eo6O7DJVQoZ), accessed 2026-10-26.
22. Moon+ Reader Pro, Google Play listing, read on 26 October 2026 (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.flyersoft.moonreaderp), accessed 2026-10-26.
23. Moon+ Reader, App Store listing (US storefront), read on 26 October 2026 (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/moon-reader/id6785269880), accessed 2026-10-26.