SpeakCoveThe free app that speaks what you type is already on your iPhone: Live Speech, built into iOS 17 and later. Turn it on in Settings > Accessibility > Live Speech, triple-click the side button, type and tap Send; in phone and FaceTime calls, the other person hears the words. If you want more voices, saved phrases in folders or audio files, Speak ($1.99 to remove ads) and Text to Speech! ($9.99 to remove ads) are one-time purchases, and TTS: Text to Speech is a subscription. If you'd rather open a file or paste a page and listen, SpeakCove and Voice Aloud Reader do that job. We compared their US App Store listings, in-app purchase lists and privacy labels as of October 2026, plus Apple's documentation for Live Speech. SpeakCove is our app, and its limits are listed below like everyone else's.
At a glance
| App | In short | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Apple Live Speech | Best free way to have your iPhone speak what you type, in person and in phone and FaceTime calls, with nothing to install. | Free, built into iOS 17 and later (as of October 2026) |
| 2. Speak • Speech Synthesizer | Best for speaking typed phrases aloud, especially if you have lost your voice. | Free with ads; $1.99 to remove ads in the US App Store (as of October 2026) |
| 3. Text to Speech! | Best for the most voices and for exporting speech as audio files. | Free with ads; $9.99 to remove ads in the US App Store (as of October 2026) |
| 4. TTS: Text to Speech | Best for a plain text-in, audio-out app, if you don't mind a subscription. | Free; premium from $2.99/week, $9.99/month or $19.99/year in the US App Store (as of October 2026) |
| 5. SpeakCove | Best if you want to hear pasted text or whole files instead: a free web reader and an iPhone app, with no ads and no subscription. | Free; optional Premium $14.99 one-time in the US App Store (as of October 2026) |
| 6. Voice Aloud Reader | Best for a low one-time price to hear documents and websites in 40 languages. | Free with ads; Pro $8.99 one-time, premium voices $9.99/month in the US App Store (as of October 2026) |
The ranking
1Apple Live Speech
Best free way to have your iPhone speak what you type, in person and in phone and FaceTime calls, with nothing to install.
- Type and your iPhone speaks the words; in phone and FaceTime calls, the other person hears them
- Saved phrases, dozens of system voices, or a Personal Voice you create
- Also on iPad, Mac and Apple Watch
- Needs iOS 17 or later on an iPhone XS or newer
- Made for conversation: it doesn't open or read files
2Speak • Speech Synthesizer
Best for speaking typed phrases aloud, especially if you have lost your voice.
- Favorite phrases, phrase history and a repeat option; its developer says many users rely on it after losing their voice
- Keeps speaking in the background and with the screen locked, and needs no internet connection
- Volume, pitch and rate sliders, a choice of accent, VoiceOver support and audio sharing; 4.6 stars from about 3,400 ratings
- Shows ads unless you pay $1.99
- Its App Store privacy label lists location, identifiers, usage data and diagnostics as data that may be used to track you
- No document import listed: you type or paste the text
3Text to Speech!
Best for the most voices and for exporting speech as audio files.
- 178 voices in 63 accents and languages, with rate and pitch control
- Starred phrases in folders, speech mixed into phone calls, and export to audio files
- No internet required; on the App Store since 2013, with 4.6 stars from about 33,400 ratings
- Shows ads unless you pay $9.99
- Its App Store privacy label lists location, identifiers, usage data and diagnostics as data that may be used to track you
4TTS: Text to Speech
Best for a plain text-in, audio-out app, if you don't mind a subscription.
- 50+ voices in 30+ languages, with rate and pitch control
- Exports and shares audio files; keeps a history of past texts and favorite phrases
- 4.7 stars from about 1,000 ratings
- Premium is a subscription: weekly plans at $2.99 or $4.99 come to about $155 or $259 a year, and yearly plans cost $19.99 or $39.99
- Its App Store privacy label lists purchase history, identifiers, usage data and diagnostics (not linked to you)
5SpeakCove
Best if you want to hear pasted text or whole files instead: a free web reader and an iPhone app, with no ads and no subscription.
- The free web reader at speakcove.com/text-to-speech reads pasted text with all 10 voices, no sign-up and no length limit
- The app opens 10 formats (PDF, EPUB, MOBI, AZW3, DOCX, FB2, CBZ, RTF, TXT, HTML) and scans paper pages with on-device text recognition
- No ads and no account; the voices run on the device, so the app reads offline
- Its App Store privacy label says the app collects no data
- Not a type-to-speak tool: the app reads files, not text you type, and has no saved phrases or audio export
- Only 2 of 10 voices are free in the app, and free playback pauses when you leave it
- Needs iOS 26 or later
6Voice Aloud Reader
Best for a low one-time price to hear documents and websites in 40 languages.
- Reads documents, e-books, websites and printed books aloud in 40 languages; its developer lists PDF, EPUB, DOC, DOCX and Pages files
- Pitch, volume and speed controls, custom fonts and reading modes
- Supports VoiceOver, Larger Text, Sufficient Contrast and Reduced Motion; 4.6 stars from about 18,800 ratings
- Ads in the free version
- Premium voices ($9.99 a month) and text recognition packs ($0.99 for 100, $1.99 for 800) are separate purchases
- Its App Store privacy label lists identifiers used for third-party advertising (not linked to you)
Buying Guide
Type to Speak, or Read a File?
Speak, Live Speech, Text to Speech! and TTS: Text to Speech speak what you type. Voice Aloud Reader and SpeakCove open files. Decide which job you need before comparing voices.
Ads, One-Time Fees and Subscriptions
Speak ($1.99), Text to Speech! ($9.99) and Voice Aloud Reader ($8.99 for Pro) show ads until you pay once. Live Speech is free. SpeakCove has no ads in any version. TTS: Text to Speech sells weekly, monthly and yearly plans.
Calls and Conversations
Live Speech and Text to Speech! can put typed speech into a phone call. Speak keeps talking with the screen locked and can repeat a phrase as many times as you set.
Privacy Labels
Each App Store listing has a privacy label. Speak's and Text to Speech!'s labels list data that may be used to track you across other companies' apps and websites. SpeakCove's label says the app collects no data.
The Verdict
To type and be heard, start with Apple's Live Speech: it is free, built into iOS 17 and later, and works in phone and FaceTime calls. Speak adds phrase history and a repeat option, and $1.99 removes its ads. Text to Speech! has the most voices, puts speech into calls and exports audio files, and $9.99 removes its ads. TTS: Text to Speech does its job well but costs the most over a year.
If you want to listen to pasted text or documents rather than speak for yourself, SpeakCove's web reader is free with all 10 voices and no sign-up, and its app reads 10 file formats offline with no ads. Voice Aloud Reader is the cheapest one-time unlock for hearing files in 40 languages.
Try SpeakCove Free. No sign-up required. Start listening in seconds.
One-time purchase, no subscription
Free to start with 2 voices and every format. $14.99 once unlocks all 10 voices, background playback and CarPlay. No subscription, ever.
Listen in the car with CarPlay
Your documents on your car's screen and speakers, with CarPlay in Premium.
Works offline, fully on-device
Your documents never leave your device. The app has no analytics and no ads, and reading and voices work in airplane mode.
Free Text to Speech, Right in Your Browser
Paste text or open any file (PDF, EPUB, Word, scans and more) and press Play. SpeakCove reads it aloud with natural voices in 31 languages. It's free, with no sign-up and no length limit, and your text never leaves your browser.
Open the reader →Frequently Asked Questions
- Which iPhone app speaks what I type?
- Apple's Live Speech is built into iOS 17 and later: turn it on in Settings > Accessibility > Live Speech. Of the App Store apps, Speak • Speech Synthesizer, Text to Speech! and TTS: Text to Speech are built for typed text. SpeakCove's app reads files instead, but its free web reader reads text you paste.
- Is there a free type-to-speak app without ads?
- Live Speech is free and has no ads, because it is part of iOS. Speak and Text to Speech! are free with ads; removing them costs $1.99 and $9.99 once in the US App Store as of October 2026.
- Which of these apps say they work offline?
- Speak says it doesn't require an internet connection, and Text to Speech! says no internet is required. SpeakCove's reading, speech and text recognition run on the device. The listings for Voice Aloud Reader and TTS: Text to Speech don't say.
- Can I save the speech as an audio file?
- Text to Speech! exports speech to audio files, TTS: Text to Speech exports and shares audio files, and Speak can share an audio recording of a phrase. SpeakCove doesn't export audio.
- Which app is best if I've lost my voice?
- Start with Live Speech: it speaks typed text in phone and FaceTime calls and can use a Personal Voice you create. Speak's developer says many of its users rely on it after losing their voice, often after surgery, and it has favorite phrases, history and a repeat option.