The short version. For reading your own books and PDFs with audio and dyslexia-friendly text on iPhone or iPad, try ClearRead. For listening across all your devices, Speechify. For the widest format support, Voice Dream Reader. For free tools you already have, Microsoft Immersive Reader and Apple Speak Screen.
What to look for in a dyslexia app
- Read-aloud with word highlighting. Seeing and hearing each word together has the strongest evidence. A 2018 meta-analysis of 22 studies found a moderate benefit for comprehension.
- Control over spacing. Extra letter spacing improved reading speed and accuracy for children with dyslexia in a 2012 study.
- Your own content. An app is only useful if it opens what you actually need to read: PDFs, ePubs, articles, documents.
- Fonts and colours you can change. The evidence for specific fonts is weak, but comfort matters. Try them in our font tester.
- A fair free tier. Know what is free and what the subscription costs before you start a trial.
At a glance
| App | Best for | Platforms | What is free |
|---|---|---|---|
| ClearRead | Reading your own books, PDFs and articles with read-along audio and full control over how the text looks | iPhone and iPad | Unlimited text-to-speech with system voices and word highlighting, all fonts including Lexend and OpenDyslexic, spacing controls, bionic reading, focus mode and themes |
| Speechify | Listening to lots of text across devices, including in the browser | iPhone, iPad, Android, web and a Chrome extension | A free plan with a limited set of voices and features |
| Voice Dream Reader | Power users and blind or low-vision readers who need wide format support | iPhone and iPad | Free download with limited functionality; full features need a subscription |
| NaturalReader | Converting documents to audio, including MP3 downloads | iPhone, iPad, Android, web | A free tier with basic voices; premium AI voices are limited without a subscription |
| ElevenReader | The most natural-sounding AI voices | iPhone, iPad, Android | A monthly allowance of listening hours |
| Microsoft Immersive Reader | Students and anyone already using Word, OneNote, Teams or the Edge browser | Built into Microsoft 365 apps and Edge | Completely free |
| Apple Speak Screen and Speak Selection | Free, built-in read-aloud on any iPhone or iPad | Built into iOS and iPadOS | Completely free |
| Kindle | Reading Kindle books in OpenDyslexic | iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle devices | The app is free, and OpenDyslexic is a built-in font choice |
| Claro ScanPen | Reading printed worksheets and paper documents aloud | iPhone and iPad | Paid app |
The apps in detail
1. ClearRead
This is our app, so weigh this entry accordingly. ClearRead is built around reading while listening: it reads ePubs, PDFs, web articles and pasted text aloud and highlights each word as it goes. What sets it apart is how much of the page you can change for free: separate letter, word, line and paragraph spacing, dyslexia-friendly fonts, a focus line that dims the rest of the page, and light, dark, sepia, high-contrast or custom colours.
- Best for
- Reading your own books, PDFs and articles with read-along audio and full control over how the text looks
- Platforms
- iPhone and iPad
- Free
- Unlimited text-to-speech with system voices and word highlighting, all fonts including Lexend and OpenDyslexic, spacing controls, bionic reading, focus mode and themes
- The catch
- iOS only for now. Natural AI voices need the Premium subscription. It cannot scan paper pages or image-only PDFs.
2. Speechify
Speechify is the best-known text-to-speech app and is strongest as a listening tool: it follows you from phone to laptop, reads web pages through its extension, and can scan printed pages. It highlights words as it reads. It offers fewer controls over how the text itself looks than a dedicated dyslexia reader.
- Best for
- Listening to lots of text across devices, including in the browser
- Platforms
- iPhone, iPad, Android, web and a Chrome extension
- Free
- A free plan with a limited set of voices and features
- The catch
- Most of what makes it appealing, including the most natural voices and faster speeds, is in Premium, which is one of the pricier subscriptions in the category. Check the renewal price before starting a trial.
3. Voice Dream Reader
Voice Dream Reader has been a favourite in the accessibility community for years. It handles PDF (including OCR for scanned pages), ePub, DAISY, Word documents and Bookshare, with synchronised highlighting and deep customisation. It is very capable, with a steeper learning curve than simpler apps.
- Best for
- Power users and blind or low-vision readers who need wide format support
- Platforms
- iPhone and iPad
- Free
- Free download with limited functionality; full features need a subscription
- The catch
- The switch to subscriptions in 2024 caused a backlash among long-time users. The owners later confirmed that people who had bought the app keep the features they paid for.
4. NaturalReader
NaturalReader reads PDFs, ePubs, Word and PowerPoint files and web pages, highlights text as it reads, and offers a dyslexia-friendly font option. It is a solid general-purpose text-to-speech tool.
- Best for
- Converting documents to audio, including MP3 downloads
- Platforms
- iPhone, iPad, Android, web
- Free
- A free tier with basic voices; premium AI voices are limited without a subscription
- The catch
- Pricing tiers are confusing and vary between the app and the website, so compare carefully.
5. ElevenReader
ElevenReader comes from ElevenLabs, whose AI voices are among the most lifelike available. It imports PDFs, ebooks and web articles and highlights text in sync with the audio. It is a great listening app, with fewer typography controls for readers who want to follow along visually.
- Best for
- The most natural-sounding AI voices
- Platforms
- iPhone, iPad, Android
- Free
- A monthly allowance of listening hours
- The catch
- Focused on audio rather than on making text easier to read. Heavy use needs a subscription.
6. Microsoft Immersive Reader
Immersive Reader is one of the best free tools for dyslexia. It reads text aloud with highlighting, and adds text spacing, line focus, syllable splitting and colour options. If you or your school already use Microsoft 365, try it first.
- Best for
- Students and anyone already using Word, OneNote, Teams or the Edge browser
- Platforms
- Built into Microsoft 365 apps and Edge
- Free
- Completely free
- The catch
- It is not a standalone app. It only works inside Microsoft apps and Edge.
7. Apple Speak Screen and Speak Selection
Turn it on in Settings, Accessibility, Spoken Content. Swipe down with two fingers to hear the whole screen, or select text and tap Speak. Turn on Highlight Content to see words highlighted as they are read. It is basic, but it works everywhere.
- Best for
- Free, built-in read-aloud on any iPhone or iPad
- Platforms
- Built into iOS and iPadOS
- Free
- Completely free
- The catch
- No dyslexia fonts or reading layout controls, and it reads whatever is on screen, including menus and ads.
8. Kindle
If most of your reading is Kindle books, the Kindle app lets you pick OpenDyslexic from the font menu and adjust spacing and margins.
- Best for
- Reading Kindle books in OpenDyslexic
- Platforms
- iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle devices
- Free
- The app is free, and OpenDyslexic is a built-in font choice
- The catch
- Only for Kindle books, not your own PDFs or web articles.
9. Claro ScanPen
Take a photo of a printed page, tap a line, and ScanPen reads it aloud. It is popular in schools for worksheets and exams.
- Best for
- Reading printed worksheets and paper documents aloud
- Platforms
- iPhone and iPad
- Free
- Paid app
- The catch
- Designed for scanning paper, not for reading long books.
What about bionic reading apps?
Bionic reading bolds the first part of each word. It is popular, but a 2024 study titled "No, Bionic Reading does not work" found no benefit for reading speed. If you want to try it, our free bionic reading converter needs no account, and ClearRead has it built in.
How we compared
We looked at each app's App Store listing, official website and support pages in September 2026. Features and prices change often, so check the current listing before you subscribe. If anything here is out of date, email hello@clearread.app and we will fix it.
Comparing two specific apps? See ClearRead vs Speechify or our guide to free text-to-speech apps.