TTS ReaderWhich text to speech apps for iPhone are actually free?
Two are free in full. TTS Reader, which we make, has no purchases, subscription, account or listening limit. Apple’s built-in Speak Screen is free too, but it has no library and cannot import documents. Speechify, NaturalReader and ElevenReader have free plans with limits. Voice Dream Reader requires a subscription for new users after a free trial.
We make TTS Reader, so this is a comparison by one side. Facts about the other apps come from their own pricing pages, help centers and US App Store listings. We checked them on 31 October 2026. Free plans change more often than apps do, so check the current terms before you rely on one. This page covers free plans only. For prices, voices and platforms, see the full comparison of text to speech apps for iPhone. TTS Reader here means our iPhone app, not the ttsreader.com web service.
What does each free plan include?
Free plans differ less in price than in what runs out. The table shows what each iPhone app gives a new user without paying, based on the developers' own pages on 31 October 2026.
| App | Free for new users | Free limit | Paid only |
|---|---|---|---|
| TTS Reader | Yes, every feature | None | Nothing is paid |
| Speak Screen (built into iOS) | Yes | None | Nothing is paid, but there is no library or document import |
| ElevenReader (ElevenLabs) | Free plan | 10 hours of text to audio a month, reset monthly | Offline downloads, unlimited hours (Ultra) |
| NaturalReader (NaturalSoft) | Free plan | Basic voices unlimited; 20,000 characters a day with Lite voices; 4,000 a day, shared, with Plus and cloned voices | MP3 export, which is NaturalReader’s documented offline method, and OCR for scans |
| Speechify | Free plan | 10 voices that Speechify calls “robotic sounding”, up to 1.5× speed | Natural voices, speeds up to 5×, Scan & Listen (Premium) |
| Voice Dream Reader | Free trial only | Subscription required after the trial | The app itself |
What is free in TTS Reader?
Everything in TTS Reader is free. The app has no in-app purchases, subscription, ads or account, and it has no limit on how much you listen. There is no paid tier, so nothing is held back.
- Voices: 10 multilingual voices are built in and read 31 languages offline from the first launch. 15 English voices (US and UK) are an optional download of about 190 MB and also work offline. All voices run on the iPhone.
- Documents: PDF in its original page layout, with the current sentence and word highlighted, plus EPUB, Word (DOCX), ODT, RTF, HTML, plain text, Markdown, pasted text and web articles from a link.
- Scans: photos and camera scans of printed pages, with text recognised on the iPhone. See scan to speech.
- Books: about 70,000 free public-domain books from Project Gutenberg.
- Reading: speed from 0.5× to 3×, with Lock Screen controls.
Some features are missing whether you pay or not. TTS Reader runs only on iPhones with iOS 26 or later. It cannot export audio to MP3 or clone voices. It has 25 voices, far fewer than the cloud apps. It is also not released yet. It is free in version 1, and if that ever changes, this site will be updated the same day.
What does Apple’s free Speak Screen do?
Speak Screen is built into iOS, so it is free and needs no download. Turn it on in Settings → Accessibility → Read & Speak → Speak Screen (in iOS 18 and earlier the menu is called Spoken Content). Then swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen, and the iPhone reads what is on the screen with Apple’s voices. Speak Selection, in the same menu, reads only the text you select.
Speak Screen has no library and does not remember your place. It cannot import files or scan pages; it reads whatever app is open. For a web page, an email or a page or two of a PDF, that is often all you need. For a long document or a book, a reader app is easier to use.
What does ElevenReader’s free plan include?
ElevenReader, made by ElevenLabs, gives free users 10 hours of text to audio a month. Its pricing page says “Free plans get 10 hours that expire and reset every month”, and it estimates 10 hours as “about a 400-page book”. The free plan also includes the 1,000+ voices, speeds up to 4.0× and sync between web and mobile.
- According to the ElevenLabs help center, hours are used only when imported text is converted to audio for the first time. Listening to it again does not use hours.
- Books and feeds in ElevenReader’s Explore library do not use hours.
- Faster listening uses hours more quickly, because plan hours assume normal 1.0× speed.
- Downloads for offline listening are listed only under Ultra, the paid plan. Ultra costs $11 a month, or $8.25 a month billed annually. You can also buy hour packs without a subscription.
More detail: TTS Reader vs ElevenReader.
What does NaturalReader’s free plan include?
NaturalReader, made by NaturalSoft Limited, offers unlimited free listening with its basic voices and a daily allowance of its AI voices. Its help center article “Voices, Languages, and TTS Limits” (dated 13 July 2026) lists these limits for free users:
- unlimited use of Free voices;
- 20,000 characters a day with Lite voices;
- 4,000 characters a day, shared between Plus voices and cloned voices. NaturalReader’s pricing page calls the same Plus allowance a “5 Minute daily limit”.
Free users cannot convert text to MP3. MP3 conversion is how NaturalReader’s help center describes listening offline. OCR for scanned or image-based files is a subscription feature. The free plan does include voice cloning, and you need no account to start listening. More detail: TTS Reader vs NaturalReader.
What does Speechify’s free plan include?
Speechify’s pricing page lists the free plan as 10 “robotic sounding” voices, speeds up to 1.5× and “text to speech features only”. Premium adds 1,000+ natural voices in 60+ languages, speeds up to 5×, Scan & Listen, AI summaries and cloud drive integrations. On 31 October 2026 the pricing page listed Premium at $29 a month or $139 a year. The US App Store lists Premium Monthly from $11.99.
Speechify’s pricing page does not say whether offline listening is part of the free plan, and third-party reviews disagree, so we leave that question open. More detail: TTS Reader vs Speechify.
Is Voice Dream Reader free?
No, not for new users. Voice Dream Reader’s US App Store listing says: “A subscription is required to access the app. A free trial is offered to new users.” The listing’s in-app purchases start at $4.99 a month. In 2024 the app moved from a one-time purchase to a subscription. Its owners said people who had already bought it would keep the app’s existing features at no extra cost. All of its voices work offline, according to the listing. More detail: TTS Reader vs Voice Dream Reader.
When is a free plan enough?
A limited free plan can be enough, depending on how much you read and what you need. Here is where each free option works without paying:
- Speak Screen is enough for a web page, an email or a short PDF you already have open. Nothing to install.
- ElevenReader’s free plan is enough if your own documents come to about 10 hours a month or less (ElevenReader estimates that as a 400-page book), you listen online, and voice quality matters most. Its voices are cloud voices, and in our view they sound more natural than TTS Reader’s. The free Explore books don’t count against the hours.
- NaturalReader’s free plan is enough if you are fine with its basic, non-AI voices, which are unlimited. It is an option, too, if you also want NaturalReader on Android or in a browser.
- Speechify’s free plan is enough if 1.5× speed and the basic voices suit you, or if you already use Speechify on other devices.
- TTS Reader fits if you want to listen to long documents and books on an iPhone without counting hours or characters, read offline, or keep your files on the phone. It does not fit if you need Android, a computer, MP3 export or a large voice choice.
People with dyslexia or ADHD often look for a free reader. Word highlighting helps you follow along; it is a reading aid, not a treatment.
Which features usually need a paid plan?
Among the apps we checked, the features most often kept for paid plans are offline listening, MP3 export and scanning:
- Offline listening: ElevenReader offers downloads only on Ultra. NaturalReader’s documented offline method is paid MP3 conversion. Voice Dream Reader’s voices work offline, but the app needs a subscription after the trial. TTS Reader reads offline for free. See how offline text to speech works.
- MP3 export: NaturalReader offers it on paid plans only. TTS Reader does not export audio at all.
- Scans and OCR: Speechify’s Scan & Listen is a Premium feature, and so is NaturalReader’s OCR. In TTS Reader, scanning is free and the text is recognised on the iPhone.
- More and better voices: Speechify’s 1,000+ natural voices are Premium only (the free plan has 10). ElevenReader’s 1,000+ voices are on its free plan too, within the 10 hours. TTS Reader’s 25 voices are all free, but it has far fewer of them.
Sources
- ElevenReader pricing and FAQ: Free plan with 10 hours of text to audio a month (“about a 400-page book”), “Free plans get 10 hours that expire and reset every month”, 1,000+ voices, 4.0× speed, sync between web and mobile; Ultra $11 a month or $8.25 a month billed annually, with offline downloads. Checked 31 October 2026.
- ElevenLabs help center: How do ElevenReader hours work?: 10 free hours a month, hours used only on first conversion, Explore library free, faster listening uses hours more quickly, hour packs without a subscription. Checked 31 October 2026.
- NaturalReader help center: Voices, Languages, and TTS Limits, dated 13 July 2026: unlimited Free voices, 20,000 characters a day with Lite voices, 4,000 shared characters a day with Plus and cloned voices, no MP3 for free users. Checked 31 October 2026.
- NaturalReader help center: What Features Are Available, dated 13 July 2026: OCR and MP3 as subscription features. Checked 31 October 2026.
- NaturalReader web app and pricing page: free plan with unlimited free voices, “Plus AI Voices (5 Minute daily limit)”, limited AI features and voice cloning. Checked 31 October 2026.
- NaturalReader, US App Store listing (NaturalSoft Limited): no account required to start listening. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Speechify pricing: Free plan with 10 “robotic sounding” voices, up to 1.5× speed, “text to speech features only”; Premium $29 a month or $139 a year with 1,000+ voices, 60+ languages, 5× speed and Scan & Listen; offline listening not mentioned. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Speechify, US App Store listing (Speechify Inc.): in-app purchases including Premium Monthly $11.99. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Voice Dream, US App Store listing (Voice Dream LLC): “A subscription is required to access the app. A free trial is offered to new users.”; Monthly Subscription $4.99; “All voices work offline”. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Michael Tsai, “Voice Dream Reader Switches to Subscriptions”, 8 April 2024: the developer’s statement that existing features stay available at no additional cost to earlier buyers. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Apple iPhone User Guide: Hear iPhone speak the screen, selected text, and typing feedback: Speak Screen and Speak Selection in Read & Speak settings (Spoken Content in earlier iOS), two-finger swipe down from the top of the screen. Checked 31 October 2026.
- AbilityNet My Computer My Way: How to enable your device to read aloud the text that is on the screen, iOS 26, 13 October 2025: Settings → Accessibility → Read & Speak → Speak Screen. Checked 31 October 2026.
- NaturalReader home page: “iOS and Android apps”, “Access NaturalReader from any browser”. Checked 31 October 2026.