RiffSpeechify alternatives
If you want a free Speechify alternative on iPhone, start with Apple's built-in Speak Screen and Speak Selection, which cost nothing. For a full reading app, ElevenReader gives 10 free hours of listening a month, NaturalReader has a free plan with unlimited use of its free voices, and Voice Dream suits people who want offline reading with strong accessibility support. Microsoft Edge reads web pages aloud for free. Riff, which we make, is not a reader: it fits only if you want your own voice narrating short scripts for videos.
Disclosure. We make Riff. We've tried to rank it fairly. Riff is listed last because it solves a different problem from Speechify. Facts about other products come from their websites, Apple and Microsoft support pages, and US App Store listings, read in October 2026.
How we chose
We picked tools that read documents, web pages or typed text aloud, with an official listing or help page we could read. We give prices only where the product's own site or its US App Store listing shows them. To see why people look elsewhere, we read the 50 most recent US App Store reviews of Speechify's iPhone app, dated October 11 to 19, 2026, from Apple's public review feed. They describe the iPhone app only, not Speechify's web or desktop apps, and 50 reviews is a small sample next to the app's 526,812 ratings. The "What to weigh" notes are our own assessment of each product's documented features, not a summary of reviews.
Who Speechify fits
Speechify reads documents, articles, PDFs and email aloud, and its app can photograph a printed page and read it. It runs on iPhone and iPad, Android, Mac, Windows, the web, and as Chrome and Edge extensions. Its iPhone app, Speechify – Text to Speech PDF, is rated 4.7 from 526,812 ratings on the US App Store (October 2026).
Its pricing page lists a free plan capped at 1.5x listening speed with 10 voices that it calls robotic. Premium is listed at $29 a month or $139 a year on the web and adds more than 1,000 voices, more than 60 languages, 5x speed, scanning, AI summaries and cloud-drive imports. In the iPhone app, the in-app purchases include Premium Monthly at $11.99 and Premium at $139.99, so the price can depend on where you buy.
Why people look elsewhere (iPhone app reviews)
Recent reviews skew negative: of the 50 we read, 36 gave one or two stars and 10 gave four or five, against the listing's 4.7 average. The complaints clustered around four themes:
- Price and paywalls. 11 of 50 said the app costs too much or that little works without paying.
- Reading glitches. 9 of 50 described the reader skipping words, starting in the wrong place, misreading photographed pages, stopping with Kindle books, or failing offline.
- Billing, trials and cancelling. 8 of 50 described unexpected charges, trials that charged early or not at all, unclear purchases, or trouble cancelling and getting refunds.
- Voice quality. 5 of 50 disliked how the voices sounded; two explicitly criticized the free voices.
These are App Store reviews of the mobile app, so they don't tell you how Speechify works on the web or desktop.
What to weigh (our assessment)
- What you read. PDFs and scanned pages need a reader with text recognition. Web articles only need a browser feature.
- How you pay. Some readers charge a subscription, some sell hours, and some are one-time or free. Count how many hours you listen in a month.
- Speed and voices. Speechify's free plan caps speed at 1.5x. If you listen fast, check each free plan's limit.
- Accessibility. If you rely on VoiceOver, braille or Dynamic Type, test the app with them before paying.
Compare at a glance
| Tool | Reads | Free option | Paid (as shown) | US App Store rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Speak Screen | Anything on screen, selected text | Built into iOS | None | Built in |
| ElevenReader | PDFs, ePubs, links, scanned images | 10 hours a month | Ultra $11 a month | 4.7 (10,823) |
| NaturalReader | PDFs, Word, ePub, web pages, scans | Free voices, unlimited | Plus $20.90 a month or $119 a year | 4.6 (9,139) |
| Voice Dream | PDFs, EPUB, Word, web pages | Free trial; free iOS voices | From $4.99 a month in the app | 4.5 (14,407) |
| Edge Read Aloud | Web pages | Free browser | None stated | 4.7 (590,559) |
| Voice Aloud Reader | Documents, e-books, websites, printed pages | Free app | Pro $8.99 in the app | 4.6 (18,823) |
| Riff | Your own pasted script, in your cloned voice | Three clips | $6.99 a week or $59.99 a year | No ratings yet |
Apple Speak Screen and Speak Selection
Every iPhone can already read text aloud. In Settings, under Accessibility, then Read & Speak, you can turn on Speak Screen, which reads everything on screen when you swipe down with two fingers from the top, and Speak Selection, which reads text you select. Apple's guide says you can change the voice, dialect and speaking rate, and that Accessibility Reader shows text full screen with your own font and color choices. Apple's pages show no price; these are part of iOS. It fits you if you mostly read web pages, email and notes and do not want another subscription. support.apple.com
ElevenReader
ElevenReader comes from ElevenLabs. It reads PDFs, ePubs, article links, pasted text and text scanned from images. Its help center says the free plan includes 10 hours of listening a month, and that hour packs can be bought without a subscription. The US App Store lists Ultra at $11 a month or $99 a year, and hour packs from $5 (October 2026). If you have a paid ElevenLabs account, ElevenLabs says you can use your voice clones in the app for personal listening. It is rated 4.7 from 10,823 ratings. It fits you if you want natural AI voices and a generous free allowance. elevenreader.io
NaturalReader
NaturalReader reads PDFs, Word files, ePub and web pages, and has a camera scanner for printed books. It runs on the web, iPhone, Android and as a Chrome extension. Its plan page says the free plan is free forever with unlimited listening on the free voices and five minutes a day of its better voices. Plus is listed at $20.90 a month or $119 a year and adds MP3 downloads and text scanning; Pro is $25.90 a month or $159 a year (October 2026). Its homepage also lists a voice cloning feature, though we could not tell which plan includes it. It is rated 4.6 from 9,139 ratings. It fits you if you want a free plan with no daily cap on basic voices. naturalreaders.com
Voice Dream
Voice Dream, listed as Voice Dream - Natural Reader, imports PDFs, EPUB, Word, PowerPoint and web pages, works offline, and runs on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Its site highlights VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, Voice Control and braille display support. The listing says 36 built-in iOS voices are free, with more than 200 premium voices available. In-app purchases include a $4.99 monthly subscription and annual options (October 2026). It is rated 4.5 from 14,407 ratings. It fits you if you are a long-time screen reader user or need offline reading. voicedream.com
Microsoft Edge Read Aloud
Microsoft Edge has a Read Aloud feature in its reading mode. Microsoft's support page says it reads web pages in natural-sounding voices, with controls for voice and speed. The Edge iPhone app lists Read Aloud too, and the app is free; it is rated 4.7 from 590,559 ratings (October 2026). Microsoft's page covers web pages only, so we do not claim PDF support. It fits you if your reading is mostly articles in a browser. support.microsoft.com
Voice Aloud Reader
Voice Aloud Reader is a free iPhone app that reads text documents, e-books, websites and printed books in 40 languages, according to its listing. In-app purchases include a Pro version at $8.99 and small text-scanning packs (October 2026). It is rated 4.6 from 18,823 ratings. It fits you if you want a simple free reader and are fine with optional in-app upgrades. App Store listing
Riff
Riff is our iPhone app, and it does not read PDFs, books or web pages. It is for people who make short videos and want narration in their own voice. You tick "This is my own voice", read a passage aloud for about 25 seconds, and Riff builds a clone of your voice. Then you paste or write a script of up to 1,000 characters, choose English or Spanish, listen, and share the audio. There are no preset voices.
Riff is free to download with three generated clips. The US App Store lists Riff Creator Weekly at $6.99 and Riff Creator Annual at $59.99 for unlimited voiceovers (October 2026). Riff has no App Store ratings yet. If you came here to listen to documents, pick one of the readers above. If you came here because you want Speechify-style voices for your own videos, see the Riff page or our list of ElevenLabs alternatives.
Riff: narration for your videos, read in your own cloned voice. English or Spanish. Three clips free.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there a free alternative to Speechify?
- Yes. Apple's Speak Screen and Speak Selection are built into the iPhone at no cost. ElevenReader's free plan includes 10 hours of listening a month, NaturalReader's free plan allows unlimited listening with its free voices, and Microsoft Edge's Read Aloud is free in the browser, as of October 2026.
- How much does Speechify Premium cost?
- Speechify's pricing page lists Premium at $29 a month or $139 a year, as of October 2026. Its iPhone app sells Premium Monthly at $11.99 and Premium at $139.99, so the price can depend on where you buy.
- Does the iPhone have built-in text to speech?
- Yes. Go to Settings, then Accessibility, then Read & Speak. Turn on Speak Screen to hear the whole screen with a two-finger swipe down from the top, or Speak Selection to hear text you select.
- Can a text-to-speech app read in my own voice?
- Some can. ElevenLabs says ElevenReader can use voice clones made in a paid ElevenLabs account, for personal listening. Riff reads scripts you write in your own cloned voice, but it is made for video narration, not for reading documents.