The best text to speech app for iPhone depends on what you read. Free: iPhone has a reader built in (Speak Screen, under Settings > Accessibility > Read & Speak). Best overall: Speechify reads PDFs, web pages, documents, emails and photos of printed pages aloud with natural voices at up to 4.5x speed. ElevenReader is the main alternative for very realistic voices.
Text to speech apps for iPhone compared
1. Speechify
Speechify reads PDFs, web pages, Google Docs, emails and ebooks aloud, and highlights each word as it goes. With Scan & Listen you photograph a printed page and hear it read back. Listening speed goes up to 4.5x (900 words per minute). The same account works on iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, Windows, the Chrome extension and the web.
The free plan has 10 basic voices and speeds up to 1.5x, with no time limit, and keeps up to 5 files in your library. Premium costs $139 a year (about $11.58 a month) or $29 a month on speechify.com and adds 1,000+ natural voices in 60+ languages, speeds up to 4.5x, scanning and AI summaries. In the App Store, Apple sets the final price, so it can differ slightly. See how much Speechify costs.
2. Apple Speak Screen (built in, free)
Every iPhone can read text aloud with no extra app. In current versions of iOS, go to Settings > Accessibility > Read & Speak and turn on Speak Screen. Then swipe down with two fingers from the top of any screen to hear it read aloud. You can also turn on Speak Selection to hear only the text you highlight. It is the quickest free option, but it has fewer voices and no document library.
3. ElevenReader
ElevenReader is ElevenLabs' reading app. Its voices are among the most realistic available, and it reads books, PDFs and articles. The free plan includes 10 hours a month of audio generated from your own content, and the Ultra plan costs $8.25 a month billed annually.
4. NaturalReader
NaturalReader reads documents and web pages aloud on iPhone, Android, the web and Chrome. Its free voices have no daily limit, while its more natural voices are limited each day on the free plan. Paid plans start at $79 a year.
5. Voice Dream Reader
Voice Dream Reader reads PDFs, web pages and books aloud, scans text with the camera and connects to Bookshare. It runs on iPhone, iPad and Mac and needs a subscription (from $4.99 a month) after a free trial.
How to choose
- You only need the occasional page read aloud: start with Apple Speak Screen.
- You read PDFs, articles and school or work documents every day: Speechify, ElevenReader or NaturalReader.
- You read printed books and handouts: an app that scans with the camera, such as Speechify or Voice Dream Reader.
- You have dyslexia: see the best apps for dyslexia.
FAQ
What is the best free text to speech app for iPhone?
Apple's built-in Speak Screen is free and needs no download. Among apps, Speechify's free plan reads text with basic voices at up to 1.5x, and ElevenReader gives 10 free hours a month.
Can my iPhone read a PDF out loud?
Yes. Open the PDF and use Speak Screen (swipe down with two fingers from the top). For a library of PDFs, natural voices and faster speeds, use an app such as Speechify. See PDF audio reader.
Is there an app that reads printed pages aloud on iPhone?
Yes. Speechify's Scan & Listen and Voice Dream Reader both read text from a photo taken with the iPhone camera.
