TTS ReaderA free Speechify alternative for iPhone
TTS Reader is a free alternative to Speechify on iPhone: every voice and feature is free, there is no account, and the voices run on the device, so it reads offline. Speechify has far more voices and works on every platform, but its best voices and offline listening are paid.
We make TTS Reader, so read this as a comparison by one side. Speechify facts are taken from its App Store listing and website on 25 October 2026; prices change, so check the current listing before you buy.
TTS Reader vs Speechify at a glance
| TTS Reader | Speechify | |
|---|---|---|
| Price on iPhone | Free, no purchases | Free tier; Premium from $11.99 a month in the App Store |
| Free version | Everything: 25 voices, any speed, no limit | 10 standard voices, up to 1.5× speed |
| Account | None | Used to sync your library between devices |
| Offline | Yes: built-in voices from the first launch | Downloads for offline listening on Premium, according to Speechify |
| Where voices run | On the iPhone; text is never uploaded | Cloud service |
| Voices and languages | 25 voices; reads 31 languages | 100+ voices in 40 languages (App Store listing) |
| Platforms | iPhone | iPhone, Android, web, Mac, Windows, Chrome and Edge |
| PDF, scans, EPUB | PDF in original layout, camera scans, photos, EPUB, Word, web links | PDF, camera scans, documents, web links |
| App Store rating (US) | New app | 4.7 from about 527,000 ratings |
Choose TTS Reader if you
- want to listen to documents and books on an iPhone without paying or signing up;
- read on planes, in the subway or anywhere with a weak connection;
- work with private documents and prefer that the text never leaves the phone;
- read in languages such as Turkish, Polish, Dutch or Ukrainian, which the built-in voices cover;
- want PDFs read in their original page layout with each word highlighted.
Choose Speechify if you
- need the same library on Android, a computer, the web or a browser extension;
- want a very large choice of voices, including premium and celebrity voices;
- listen to the same documents across several devices and want them synced.
Speechify is a mature product rated by more than half a million people in the US App Store, and for cross-device listening it is the stronger choice. TTS Reader is built for one thing: free, private reading on an iPhone.
Switching from Speechify
- Install TTS Reader and pick a voice.
- Open your PDFs, EPUBs and documents from the Files app, or share them to TTS Reader. Web articles can be added by link.
- Set your usual speed: TTS Reader goes from 0.5× to 3×.
Questions
Is there a free alternative to Speechify on iPhone?
Yes. TTS Reader is free with no subscription, no account and no listening limit, and its voices run on the iPhone, so it also works offline. Speechify offers more voices and works on more devices, but its premium voices and offline listening are paid.
Is TTS Reader better than Speechify?
It depends on what you need. For free, private, offline reading on an iPhone, TTS Reader. For cloud voices, celebrity voices and the same library on Android, the web and a computer, Speechify.
Can TTS Reader read PDFs and scans like Speechify?
Yes. TTS Reader reads PDFs in their original layout with word highlighting, recognises scanned pages and camera scans on the device, and also opens EPUB, Word documents and web articles.