Text-to-speech solutions bring with them a wide range of different benefits for many types of people.

The most obvious use case has to do with the millions of people out there who have visual impairments or struggle with dyslexia. Even if you’re not totally blind or don’t technically suffer from “extreme” vision loss, there are still certain conditions that can make it difficult to see the text on a computer or a smaller device like a smartphone. Therefore, text-to-speech solutions can help make sure you enjoy all of the content you love, all in the least obstructive way possible.

Of course, there are other reasons to employ a text-to-speech reader, too. Sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in a day to accomplish everything that you want to. A text-to-speech solution can be a great way to multitask without compromising everything that you had on your agenda.

To that end, one popular TTS app is called Natural Reader. It has a lot of the basic functionality that you would expect including the option to choose between different voices, the ability to control the speed and pitch of the content that is being played back, and more.

Given that there are multiple text-to-speech apps in this space, which one is the best? There are alternatives that you may want to compare of before you choose any one particular service to go with.

When reading English audio files and our natural-sounding speech, our API works well on iOS. It also operates on Android or iPhone, whether it’s offline or not.

When reading ePub, our natural-sounding voices will read text, but the best text is on Apple, Mac, or iPad thanks to our deep learning that makes HTML sound good, even if it’s in Spanish. If you’re on Windows, our high-quality AI voice makes voiceover sound better than other text-to-speech software.  Just use the toolbar and follow our tutorial, but don’t forget to use shortcuts so you get lifelike speech if using a custom voice with your TTS reader. Microsoft users will find our TTS reader works well on OCR, and even better than Voice Dream Reader.

Text files and web pages, podcasts, and txt files are something Natural Reader does well.

Alternatives to Natural Reader Text-to-Speech

When it comes to alternatives to Natural Reader, there are a number of core options that are available to you. Many work on not only desktops and laptops but also on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets as well.

1. Balabolka

Balabolka is a text-to-speech program that acts as a screen reader to leverage all of the computer voices that are already installed on your desktop or laptop to your advantage. All you have to do is select the text that you want to read out loud and the application will take it from there. Files can also be saved not just in the WAV and MP3 file formats but also as MP4, OGG, WMA files, and more.

Read: What is AI generated text-to-speech voices?

2. LOVO Studio

LOVO Studio is an artificial intelligence-powered voice creation platform that is commonly used not just as a screen reader, but for the purposes of e-learning, movies, games, and more. It features more than 60 different voices, all of which sound human-like and can also be played back in various accents and even languages depending on your preferences.

3. Nuance

Nuance’s TTS product Dragon, allows you to have not only documents but also reports, websites, and more read out loud. It can even read your emails should you need that functionality. All told, it’s an easy way to complete all important tasks on your PC without needing to have a number of different programs open in order to do it.

Did you know: You can listen to this blog to see Speechify in action. Click the “Listen to this story” button at the top, below the title.

4. Read Aloud

Read Aloud is a text-to-speech service that does precisely what the name implies. It’s free and open source, meaning that there are a plethora of different plug-ins and customization options to choose from depending on your needs. It is, however, an extension for the Google Chrome web browser – meaning that in order to have it read anything on your screen, Chrome has to be open. It, too, allows for playback of audio in different languages and also allows for adjustments in terms of speed, pitch, and more.

5. TextAloud

Created by the people at NextUp, TextAloud enables you to play back words on the screen in a wide range of different natural voices for you to choose from. It can even be used as a plug-in for Microsoft Word if you do a lot of work in that particular productivity suite.

6. The best Alternative to Natural Reader is Speechify Text-to-Speech

The best alternative to Natural Reader is Speechify – a solution that has already enabled countless people around the world to read smarter, not harder.

When you leverage a text-to-speech solution like Speechify, you don’t just have the convenience of having text read out loud. It’s also something that has been proven to boost your understanding of what you’re reading nada your focus at the exact same time. This can help you remember more of what you read, which ultimately creates a more pleasurable and convenient experience as well.

About Speechify

Speechify also includes a number of features that can help you maximize your time while you enjoy the content that you’re interested in. You can change the pitch of the voice on your device and even the speed, allowing you to read between two and three times faster than it would through traditional means.

But overall, the major benefit of a Natural Reader alternative like Speechify is that you can do more at once. Most people lead busy lives these days – we don’t all have the time to sit down with our favorite book or load up our favorite blogs for a few hours every night. But with Speechify, you don’t have to worry about it – you can take your desired content with you wherever you go, be it while working out at the gym while enjoying the weather at the park, or even on your couch.

All told, it’s a perfect option for professionals and casual readers alike. Speechify can read not just text-based content from your browser like blog posts but also eBooks, reports, PDFs, and more. In the end, it’s easy to see why it’s become such a popular option with so many people over the years.

If you’d like to find out more information about the best alternative to Natural Reader, or if you just have any additional questions that you’d like to go over with someone in a bit more detail, please don’t hesitate to contact Speechify today.

You can try Speechify free – right now. Try it.