The Read Aloud Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Read Aloud in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Read Aloud
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source browser extension that reads web pages aloud
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI voice generators, read from Read Aloud’s own pages.
Made by LSD Software · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Read Aloud’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Read Aloud’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.0
GPA, above 71 of the 72 other AI voice generators we grade
Read Aloud is a browser extension for Chrome, Edge and Firefox that reads the current web page aloud with one click. It uses the voices built into the browser and can also connect to cloud voice providers. The code is open source under an MIT license, and the extension is made by LSD Software.
To get you started, here are 7 things to know about Read Aloud, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Install it and click the toolbar icon, with nothing to set up.
- 1
Best for reading web pages aloud in the browser
Read Aloud is a free, open-source browser extension for Chrome, Edge and Firefox that reads the current page with one click.
- 2
It is free
Read Aloud has no paid plan at all. The extension is installed from the browser stores and reads pages with the browser's own voices.
- 3
One-click page reading
Click the toolbar icon or use a keyboard shortcut to read the current article, or only the text you have selected.
- 4
Browser and cloud voices
Uses native browser voices, and the Chrome Web Store page says it can use cloud voices from Google Wavenet, Amazon Polly, IBM Watson, Microsoft Azure and OpenAI.
- 5
40+ languages
The store listing says it supports more than 40 languages.
- 6
A 3.0 GPA, above 71 of 72
That is against the other AI voice generators we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 7
Keep it
Read Aloud is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Read Aloud at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Browser extension
- Made by
- LSD Software
- Category
- AI Voices & Text to Speech
- Our grade
- 3.0 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for reading web pages aloud in the browser
Read Aloud is a free, open-source browser extension for Chrome, Edge and Firefox that reads the current page with one click. It uses your browser's own voices, so the sound depends on your system, and nicer cloud voices need your own API key or a purchase with no price listed.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Free and open source under an MIT license. Anyone can install it, so it counts as free and substantial. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Free outright with no account. The only paid parts are optional cloud voices. |
| Features | C | Reads pages, selected text, PDFs, Google Docs and Kindle pages, with speed, pitch and highlighting. Cloud voices need a provider key, and EPUB depends on a separate extension. |
| Ease of use | B | No store rating on record. Install it and click the toolbar icon, with nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Browser extension only: Chrome, Edge and Firefox. No phone or desktop app, though it can plug into Polly, Azure, OpenAI and other voice providers. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Read Aloud is for
- Fits if you want a free way to hear web articles read out in your browser
- Works for people comfortable bringing their own cloud voice key for better sound
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want natural voices out of the box: the free setup uses whatever voices your system has
- Not for you if you read on a phone, because there is no mobile app
- Too light for books: EPUB reading depends on a separate extension from another publisher
- Watch out: cloud voices may need an in-app purchase or your own API key, and the pages state no prices
Good to know
Good for
- People who want any web page read aloud without leaving the browser
- Users who prefer an open-source tool they can inspect
Worth knowing
- Voice quality with the free setup depends on the voices your browser and operating system provide.
- Cloud-based voices may need an in-app purchase or your own provider API key; the pages do not state prices.
- It runs only as a browser extension, with no mobile or desktop app.
- EPUB reading depends on a separate extension from another publisher.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
Read Aloud is free to use.
Free and open source under an MIT license.
Extension
$0
Reads pages with the browser's built-in voices. Cloud voices may need an in-app purchase or your own API key, with no prices stated.
The free plan
The extension is installed from the browser stores and reads pages with the browser's own voices.
Read from chromewebstore.google.com on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Browser extension
Open-source browser extension that reads web pages aloud. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, AI features, text to speech.
Reads pages, selected text, PDFs, Google Docs and Kindle pages, with speed, pitch and highlighting.
- One-click page reading
- Click the toolbar icon or use a keyboard shortcut to read the current article, or only the text you have selected.
- Browser and cloud voices
- Uses native browser voices, and the Chrome Web Store page says it can use cloud voices from Google Wavenet, Amazon Polly, IBM Watson, Microsoft Azure and OpenAI.
- 40+ languages
- The store listing says it supports more than 40 languages.
- Reading controls
- Voice, speed and pitch can be changed, text highlighting can be turned on, and the popup has a dark mode.
- Documents and books
- Reads PDF, Google Docs, Google Play Books and Kindle pages, and EPUB through a separate extension.
Where it runs
- Browser extension
What it works with
- Google Wavenet
- Amazon Polly
- IBM Watson
- Microsoft Azure
- OpenAI
Read Aloud is made by LSD Software.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
71/72
Other AI voice generators it is graded above
Read Aloud's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 71 of the 72 other AI voice generators we grade, and level with 1.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 72 of 72) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Read Aloud has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 73 AI voice generators we grade, cut by the letter each got. Read Aloud’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 68 of 72
- AFree plan and trialAbove 72 of 72
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 72
- BEase of useAbove 63 of 72
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 1 of 72
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 52 AI voice generators. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Read Aloud is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
Read Aloud is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 71 of the 72 other AI voice generators we grade.
What you could not
- A voice model, which you can rent by the minute but not make.
- It plugs into other products, Google Wavenet, Amazon Polly and IBM Watson among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Read Aloud’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Speaktor, TTSReader, NaturalReader, Speechify and ElevenReader
The 5 tools Read Aloud is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Speaktor
Free plan · from $4.99/mo
Text-to-speech reader and voiceover tool for documents and video.
- Only Speaktor lists a web app.
- Only Speaktor lists iOS and Android apps.
- Read Aloud is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.6GPA
TTSReader
Free plan · from $8.25/mo
Online text reader with free voices, premium AI voices and MP3 export.
- Only TTSReader lists a web app.
- Only TTSReader lists iOS and Android apps.
- Read Aloud is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.8GPA
NaturalReader
Free plan · from $9.92/mo
Text-to-speech reader for listening to documents, with a voiceover app.
- Only NaturalReader lists a web app.
- Only NaturalReader lists iOS, Android, Windows and macOS apps.
- Read Aloud is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.8GPA
Speechify
Free plan · from $29/mo
Text-to-speech reader for listening to documents and web pages.
- Only Speechify lists a web app.
- Only Speechify lists iOS, Android, macOS and Windows apps.
- Read Aloud is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.8GPA
ElevenReader
Free plan · from $8.25/mo
Reader app that reads your files and audiobooks aloud in AI voices.
- Only ElevenReader lists a web app.
- Only ElevenReader lists iOS and Android apps.
- Read Aloud is open source, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
11
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Read Aloud free?
Yes. Read Aloud is free to use.
How much does Read Aloud cost?
Read Aloud lists one plan. Extension: $0.
Does Read Aloud have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Read Aloud is listed for no platform we could confirm.
Does Read Aloud have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Read Aloud is listed for no platform we could confirm.
Is Read Aloud open source?
Yes. Read Aloud is open source, according to its own site.
What does Read Aloud integrate with?
Read Aloud's listing names Google Wavenet, Amazon Polly, IBM Watson, Microsoft Azure and OpenAI.
Who makes Read Aloud?
Read Aloud is made by LSD Software.
What are the alternatives to Read Aloud?
The closest alternatives to Read Aloud in our directory are Speaktor, TTSReader, NaturalReader, Speechify and ElevenReader.
How does Read Aloud compare with other AI voice generators?
Read Aloud's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 71 of the 72 other AI voice generators we grade, and level with 1.
Is Read Aloud good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Read Aloud A for value for money. Read Aloud has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Read Aloud?
Read Aloud is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Read Aloud’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from LSD Software's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by LSD Software. Prices change, so check readaloud.app before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Read Aloud, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/read-aloud
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Read Aloud: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/read-aloud
Know someone choosing between AI voice generators?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/read-aloud/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI voice generators after Read Aloud, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Voices & Text to Speech Insider's GuideEvery one of the 73 AI voice generators we grade, compared
- ElevenLabs Insider's GuideAI voice platform for speech, voice cloning, dubbing and voice agents3.0 GPA
- ElevenReader Insider's GuideReader app that reads your files and audiobooks aloud in AI voices2.8 GPA
- Google Cloud Text-to-Speech Insider's GuidePay-per-character speech API with Gemini, Chirp and WaveNet voices2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Read Aloud’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Read Aloud is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by LSD Software. Prices and plans change: check readaloud.app before you buy.