| App | Free | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Speak Screen and Speak Selection | Everything. Built into iOS, reads any text on screen, optional word highlighting. | No reading layout controls. Reads menus and buttons too. |
| ClearRead | Unlimited read-aloud with system voices and word highlighting, for ePubs, PDFs, web articles and pasted text. All fonts, spacing controls, bionic reading, focus mode and themes. | Natural AI voices need Premium. iPhone and iPad only. No camera scanning. |
| Microsoft Immersive Reader | Everything. Read aloud with highlighting, text spacing, line focus and syllables in Edge, Word, OneNote and Teams. | Only inside Microsoft apps and Edge. |
| Speechify | A free plan with a limited set of voices and features. | The most natural voices, faster speeds and many features are in Premium. |
| NaturalReader | Basic voices without a time limit. | Premium AI voices are limited on the free tier. |
| ElevenReader | A monthly allowance of listening hours with very natural AI voices. | Heavy listeners will need a subscription. |
Start with what your iPhone already has
Before downloading anything, turn on Apple's built-in reader: Settings, Accessibility, Spoken Content, then switch on Speak Selection and Speak Screen. Turn on Highlight Content to see words highlighted. While you are there, open Voices and download an Enhanced or Premium voice for your language. They are free and sound much better than the defaults.
When you need a reading app
Speak Screen reads whatever is on screen, but it does not remember your place in a book, cannot change how the text looks, and reads buttons and menus along with the content. A reading app fixes that. ClearRead opens your ePubs, PDFs and saved articles, reads them with word highlighting, and lets you set dyslexia-friendly fonts, spacing and colours, all free, using your device's standard system voices.
When a paid app is worth it
- You listen for hours a day and want the most natural voices.
- You need to scan printed pages or image-only PDFs.
- You need the same app on Android or a computer.
For those, see our comparison of reading apps and ClearRead vs Speechify.
Free plans are based on each app's App Store listing and website in September 2026. They change, so check before you subscribe.