TextAloud vs TTSReader (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, TTSReader grades higher than TextAloud: 2.6 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
TextAloud grades higher on value for money and ease of use. TTSReader grades higher on the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
TextAloud
Windows text-to-speech program that reads documents and saves audio
TTSReader
Online text reader with free voices, premium AI voices and MP3 export
Which one is for you
Pick TextAloud if
- Fits if you are on Windows and prefer to pay once instead of every month
- Works for people who want to turn long text into audio files in batches
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac, iPhone or Android, as it is Windows only
- Tight if you want better voices: premium voices from other companies are paid extras
- Watch out: the trial length isn't stated on the pages we read
- Watch out: the home page mentions a limited-time upgrade discount without giving its price
- Not for you if you want a web or cloud tool, since the Edge extension only works with TextAloud 4 installed
Pick TTSReader if
- Fits if you want text read aloud with free voices
- Works for someone exporting MP3s of articles
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need commercial use on the free plan, as it bars commercial use or publishing
- Tight if you want premium voices free, as the total is 5K characters
- Watch out: Premium is single-seat, and more users need extra licenses or credits
- Watch out: Premium Plus at $20.99 is listed as not yet available
- Watch out: the pricing page was last updated on 20 June 2025
How we grade them
| 2.4GPATextAloudFair | 2.6GPATTSReaderGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$34.95 one time, well under a year of the category's middle subscription at about $10 a month. Premium voices are extra, for example $25 for AT&T Natural Voices. | C$8.25 a month on yearly billing, between the category's $5 cheaper quarter and $9.99 middle. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free download trial is offered, but the length isn't stated. A 30-day money-back guarantee is a refund, not a trial. | BUnlimited non-premium voices and 5K characters of premium AI voices, for personal use. |
| Features | CReads documents, email, web and PDFs, saves audio with a splitter and batch converter, highlights words. Without premium voices you get the Windows voices already installed, and the Edge extension needs the program installed. | BReads text, files and web pages, free and premium voices, MP3 export, a pronunciation dictionary, an API and automation. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. You install it and start reading, with nothing to set up. | CNo store rating on record, and the mobile apps have their own separate plans. |
| Platforms and integrations | DWindows only, Vista through 11. No Mac, phone or web version. | BWeb, a browser extension, iOS and Android apps, and an API. No desktop app. |
| Best for | Windows text-to-speech with a one-time price | an online reader with free and premium voices |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: TextAloud and TTSReader. How we grade
Where they differ
- TextAloud can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- TTSReader also covers read later.
At a glance
| TextAloud | TTSReader | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $34.95 one-time, uses the Windows voices already on the PC | $8.25 per month, billed annually ($99); $10.99 billed monthly |
| Free plan | None | Unlimited non-premium voices and 5K characters of premium AI voices, personal use only. |
| Free trial | Free download trial of TextAloud 4; the page does not state its length | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | NextUp Technologies, LLC | WellSource Ltd. |
| Price read from | nextup.com | ttsreader.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
TextAloud
- Windows only, listed as Vista through 11; there is no Mac or mobile version.
- Without extra voices it uses the Windows voices already installed, and premium voices are extra purchases.
- The Edge extension is free but works only with TextAloud 4 installed.
- The site says it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, and the homepage mentions a limited-time upgrade discount whose price it does not state.
TTSReader
- The free plan allows only 5K characters of premium AI voices in total and bars commercial use or publishing.
- The Premium plan is single-seat; more users need extra licenses or pay-as-you-go credits.
- A Premium Plus plan ($20.99 a month) is listed as not yet available.
- The pricing page was last updated on June 20, 2025, and says the mobile apps have their own separate plans.
Key features
TextAloud
- Speak from many sources
- Reads text from documents, email, web pages and PDF files, with extensions for Chrome, Edge and Microsoft Word and a floating toolbar for selected text.
- Save to audio files
- Saves reading as audio files, with a file splitter and a batch converter for working through a book chapter by chapter.
- Word highlighting
- Highlights words as they are spoken, which the vendor pitches for dyslexia, ADD and low vision.
- Optional premium voices
- Sold separately from Acapela, Ivona, Cerence and ReadSpeaker, in more than 29 languages according to the homepage.
- Pocket and Instapaper import
- Bookmarked articles from Pocket and Instapaper can be imported into TextAloud.
TTSReader
- Reads text, files and web pages
- Plays plain text, PDFs, e-books and web pages aloud, and remembers the text and your position so you can resume later.
- Free and premium voices
- Free voices have no cap on the free plan; premium AI voices from Google, OpenAI, Microsoft and TTSReader's own are metered by characters.
- MP3 export
- Export speech as downloadable MP3 audio, mixing voices, languages, speeds and pauses.
- Extension and mobile apps
- A Chrome extension reads any web page, and iOS and Android apps support listening on the go, including CarPlay and Android Auto.
- Pronunciation dictionary
- Custom pronunciation entries let you fix how names and terms are spoken.
- API and automation
- Programmatic access is part of the pay-as-you-go credits plan; the free and Premium plans exclude API, bots and automation.
Plans
TextAloud
TextAloud 4$34.95
one-time purchase
Uses the Microsoft voices already on the PC. Premium voices are optional extras; AT&T Natural Voices Mike and Crystal add $25.
TTSReader
Free$0
Unlimited free voices, 5K premium characters in total, no commercial use or publishing of audio.
Premium$8.25
per month, billed annually ($99); $10.99 billed monthly
Single seat, 1M premium-voice characters a month, commercial use and publishing allowed.
Pay-as-you-go$10
for 200K characters, prepaid credits valid 1 year
Prepaid credits for API use or going over plan limits: $32 for 1M characters, $300 for 10M.
Ways to pay less
TextAloud
No public discounts listed.
TTSReader
- Annual discount
Annual billing on Premium
Premium is $99 a year ($8.25 a month) against $10.99 a month when billed monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, TextAloud or TTSReader?
As of Nov 13, 2026, TextAloud starts at $34.95 one-time, uses the Windows voices already on the PC, and TTSReader starts at $8.25 per month, billed annually ($99); $10.99 billed monthly.
Which has a free plan, TextAloud or TTSReader?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only TTSReader has a free plan. TextAloud does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do TextAloud and TTSReader run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only TextAloud lists a Windows app and only TTSReader lists a web app, iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.