The Best Speed Reading Apps, Compared Side by Side
Facts checked October 9, 2026 by the Read Fast team. How we compared
You have a pile of reading and not enough hours. Search for a speed reading app and you get listicles written by the apps themselves, each crowning itself, with prices that went out of date a year ago and two products that no longer exist. We make one of these apps too, so here is how we handled that: every option below is compared on the same features, from each vendor's own pages, dated, with the cases where a competitor is the better pick spelled out.
The apps compared are Read Fast, Spreeder, SwiftRead, Outread, Speeedy, AccelaReader, Readlax and Reedy, with notes on AceReader, Sprint Reader, Iris Reading, Spritz and 7 Speed Reading further down.
The short answer
For most people who want to read faster on any device without paying or signing up, the best speed reading app is a browser-based RSVP reader such as Read Fast; pick Spreeder if you want structured training, SwiftRead if you read mostly in Chrome, and Outread if you live on an iPhone or Mac.
- For free reading in any browser with no account: the best option is Read Fast, because it runs in a tab on phone or laptop, imports web articles, and gives you 5,000 words a day free without an email address.
- For free PDF and EPUB speed reading: the best option is Speeedy, because it opens PDF, EPUB and DOCX files locally in the browser at no cost and with no account.
- For reading inside Chrome, including Kindle Cloud Reader: the best option is SwiftRead, because its extension speed-reads any web page, PDF or Kindle Cloud Reader book where you already are.
- For structured speed reading training: the best option is Spreeder, because it pairs its RSVP reader with drills and courses, which no pure reader offers.
- For iPhone, iPad and Mac: the best option is Outread, because it is a native Apple app with a Flash (RSVP) mode, read-later imports and a 4.7-star App Store rating from about 1,400 reviews.
- For Android e-books: the best option is Reedy, because it is a free Android e-reader that speed-reads EPUB files, though it has not been updated since late 2024.
At a glance
| Feature | Read Fast | Spreeder | SwiftRead | Outread | Speeedy | AccelaReader | Readlax | Reedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (5,000 words/day, up to 400 WPM); Premium $19/yr or $49 lifetime | Free basic tier; VIP lifetime reported at $67 | Free with a daily quota; PRO monthly, annual or lifetime (price varies by region) | Free download; Outread+ from $4.99/mo, $29.99/yr or $119.99 lifetime (App Store) | Free (open source) | Free; premium tier (URL import, AI passages) with no published price | Free basic; Pro $8.99/mo, $44.99/yr or $199.99 lifetime (Google Play, US) | Free with ads and in-app purchases |
| Free plan | Yes, no signup | Yes, limited (reported 200 words at a time) | Yes, daily quota | Yes, limited (imports and higher speeds need Outread+) | Yes, fully free | Yes, paste text | Yes, basic | Yes, with ads |
| Platforms | Web | Web, iOS, Android | Chrome extension, Web, iOS, Android | iOS, Mac | Web | Web, Chrome extension | Web, iOS, Android, Chrome extension | Android, Chrome extension |
| Account needed | No | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | No | No | Not stated | No |
| RSVP (one word at a time) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not stated | Yes |
| Multi-word chunks | Yes, 1-3 words | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not stated | Yes | Phrase highlighting | Not stated |
| PDF import | Premium | Yes | Yes | Outread+ | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | No |
| EPUB import | Premium | Yes | Yes | Outread+ (DRM-free) | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | Yes |
| Web article import | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Premium (reported) | Via browser extension | Yes |
| Training / exercises | No | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | No | No | Yes | No |
| Comprehension check | Speed test only | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | No | No | Yes | No |
Read the full feature and pricing notes for each app below. “Not stated” means the vendor doesn't say and we couldn't confirm it.
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The options, ranked
1. Read FastOur app
Web · Free (5,000 words/day, up to 400 WPM); Premium $19/yr or $49 lifetime
Read Fast is our app, so weigh this accordingly. It is a browser RSVP reader with a focus-letter highlight, 1 to 3 word chunks, keyboard shortcuts and dark mode, built around the free tools most people want first: a reading speed test with a comprehension check, a reading time calculator and a bionic reading converter. The free tier is meant to be genuinely usable: 5,000 words and 3 documents a day at up to 400 WPM, which covers a few long articles.
- Best for
- Students and knowledge workers who want to paste an article, a URL or notes and start reading faster in seconds, on any device, without creating an account.
- Trade-off
- PDF and EPUB upload, speeds above 400 WPM and unlimited reading need Premium ($19/year or $49 lifetime). No native mobile app or browser extension yet.
2. Spreeder
Web, iOS, Android · Free basic tier; VIP lifetime reported at $67
Spreeder is the oldest name in the category and the one chatbots recommend by default. It combines an RSVP reader with drills and courses (eReflect folded its 7 Speed Reading software into it), and it runs on the web, iOS and Android. Its mobile apps rate well, 4.7 on the App Store and 4.5 on Google Play, but the recurring complaints are about logins and stability rather than the reading itself.
- Best for
- People who want a training program, not just a reader, and are happy to make an account.
- Trade-off
- The free reader is reportedly limited to 200 words at a time, and app reviewers complain about being signed out and occasional hangs on EPUB import.
“makes you sign in again every single time I open the app”
“does seem to hang sometimes after I import and start reading an epub”
3. SwiftRead
Chrome extension, Web, iOS, Android · Free with a daily quota; PRO monthly, annual or lifetime (price varies by region)
SwiftRead, formerly Spreed, is the strongest option for reading in place: highlight text or open the extension on a page and it flashes it at your chosen speed. It handles PDFs and EPUBs and works with Kindle Cloud Reader, which few rivals do. It has around 200,000 Chrome users and a 4.5 rating overall, but reviews since the free tier was tightened are noticeably less happy.
- Best for
- Heavy Chrome users who want to speed-read whatever page, PDF or Kindle Cloud Reader book is already open.
- Trade-off
- The free tier now runs on a daily quota, recent Chrome Web Store reviews are much lower than its all-time average, and PRO has no free trial (there is a 14-day refund window).
“The Swiftread Chrome extension was updated to put basic features behind a subscription.”
“the free version works quite well”
4. Outread
iOS, Mac · Free download; Outread+ from $4.99/mo, $29.99/yr or $119.99 lifetime (App Store)
Outread offers a one-word Flash mode plus a guided-highlight mode that moves through normal text, and it imports DRM-free EPUB, PDF and articles from read-later services. At 4.7 stars from about 1,400 App Store ratings, it is the best-reviewed dedicated speed reading app on Apple devices.
- Best for
- iPhone, iPad and Mac readers who want a polished native app with read-later imports.
- Trade-off
- Apple only. Document imports and higher speeds need Outread+, from $4.99 a month or $119.99 lifetime, and some long-time subscribers dislike recent versions.
“the flashing mode was what did it”
“it's been awful after version 2.4”
5. Speeedy
Web · Free (open source)
Speeedy is a free, open-source, local-first RSVP web app that opens PDF, EPUB, DOCX, text and URLs without an account, with a focus-letter alignment like ours. On free file support it beats Read Fast's free tier outright, and we say so.
- Best for
- Anyone who wants free PDF and EPUB speed reading in the browser and is comfortable with a newer, less polished project.
- Trade-off
- No reading speed test, comprehension checks or training, and as a young open-source project there is little independent track record yet.
6. AccelaReader
Web, Chrome extension · Free; premium tier (URL import, AI passages) with no published price
AccelaReader, from the course company Iris Reading, is a single web page: paste text, set a speed and chunk size, and go. It is simple and it works, which is why it still ranks for some very large searches, but it has barely changed in years.
- Best for
- A quick, no-frills paste-and-read session.
- Trade-off
- Very basic: no file import on the free page, URL import reportedly moved to a premium tier, and its Chrome extension looks unmaintained.
7. Readlax
Web, iOS, Android, Chrome extension · Free basic; Pro $8.99/mo, $44.99/yr or $199.99 lifetime (Google Play, US)
Readlax is a training app: eye exercises, brain games and comprehension checks, plus a browser extension that highlights phrases on web pages. It is a different job from an RSVP reader, and better suited to someone who wants a routine.
- Best for
- People who want daily exercises and games to build reading habits rather than a reader for their own documents.
- Trade-off
- Pro is pricier than most readers ($8.99 a month or $44.99 a year on Google Play), and whether it has a true RSVP mode is unclear.
8. ReedyNot actively maintained
Android, Chrome extension · Free with ads and in-app purchases
Reedy is an Android e-reader with an RSVP mode and text-to-speech. Reviewers like that it is free; the complaints are about missing PDF support and voice glitches after updates.
- Best for
- Android users with a library of EPUB books who want RSVP and text-to-speech in one free app.
- Trade-off
- No PDF support, ads, a 3.5-star rating, and no update since November 2024.
“with a good voice it is a very good reader. Especially given the fact its free.”
RSVP readers, training apps and extensions: pick the job first
Most disappointment with speed reading apps comes from buying the wrong kind. There are three:
| Type | What it does | Examples | Choose it if |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSVP reader | Flashes your own text one word at a time at a set speed | Read Fast, Speeedy, AccelaReader, Outread | You have specific things to read and want to get through them faster now |
| Training app | Drills, eye exercises and lessons to change how you read normally | Spreeder, Readlax, AceReader | You want to build a skill over weeks and do not mind daily practice |
| Browser extension | Speed-reads whatever is on the page you already have open | SwiftRead, Sprint Reader | You do most of your reading in Chrome |
If you are not sure which you need, the quickest test is to try an RSVP reader on a real article for five minutes. Our free RSVP reader needs no account, and the RSVP explainer covers how the one-word-at-a-time method works and where it breaks down.
What the research says before you pay for anything
The science behind speed reading is more modest than the marketing. The best summary is a 2016 review in Psychological Science in the Public Interest by Rayner and colleagues, which found that the main thing limiting reading speed is how fast you understand language, not how fast your eyes move. Apps can strip out eye movements and re-reading, which is a real gain, but they cannot speed up comprehension.
The useful number to keep in mind is the average. A 2019 meta-analysis of 190 studies by Marc Brysbaert put typical adult silent reading at about 238 words per minute for nonfiction. Getting to 300 or 400 WPM on straightforward text is realistic. Promises of 1,000+ WPM "with full comprehension" are not supported by the evidence. Our page on whether speed reading works goes through the studies in more detail, and you can find your own baseline with the reading speed test before you choose.
What users actually complain about
The reviews tell you more than the feature lists. Across app stores, Trustpilot and blogs, the same three problems come up:
- Free plans that shrink after you start relying on them. SwiftRead users wrote in the Chrome Web Store and on personal blogs that basic features moved behind a subscription; its recent rating is far below its all-time average.
- Account and login friction. Spreeder's Google Play reviews include people being asked to sign in again each time they open the app.
- Subscriptions that are hard to leave. This is most visible in adjacent tools like Speechify, where Trustpilot reviewers describe trouble cancelling trials, but it is worth checking the cancellation path for any app with a weekly plan.
No listicle we read mentioned any of these. They matter more than an extra 200 WPM on the speed slider.
Apps we looked at and left out
- Spritz. Still named by chatbots trained on 2014 press coverage. It licensed its technology rather than making an app, and has been quiet since about 2017. See our Spritz alternatives guide.
- 7 Speed Reading. Its maker, eReflect, says it has joined Spreeder; it is no longer sold on its own.
- AceReader. Solid, long-running training software with levelled comprehension tests, but there is no free plan (Personal is $39 a year) and it is aimed at schools and families more than individual readers.
- Sprint Reader. A good, fully free, open-source Chrome extension for reading selected text. It is narrower than SwiftRead but costs nothing.
- Iris Reading. A course company, not an app. Its online courses run from $25 to $117 one-time and it also makes AccelaReader. If you want to be taught rather than to practise, see our speed reading app vs course comparison.
- Bionic Reading. It bolds the first part of each word but does not pace you, so it is a formatting style rather than a speed reading app. Its official apps rate poorly (2.4 on iOS, 1.9 on Google Play). You can try the effect free with our bionic reading converter.
- Speechify and Blinkist. Listening to text and reading summaries are both legitimate substitutes for reading faster, but they are different products, and both are far more expensive than any app here.
How we compared, and our bias
We make Read Fast, so treat our placement of it with appropriate suspicion. To keep this page useful anyway, every app is scored on the same attributes, using facts taken from each vendor's own website, pricing page or app store listing on the date shown above, and we say plainly where a competitor is the better choice. User quotes are verbatim from public reviews and forums, linked to their source. Prices are in US dollars and change often, so check the vendor's site before you buy.
Spotted something out of date? Tell us at hello@readfastapp.xyz and we'll re-check it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best speed reading app?
It depends on how you read. For free reading in any browser with no signup, a web RSVP reader like Read Fast is the simplest. For structured training, Spreeder. For reading inside Chrome and Kindle Cloud Reader, SwiftRead. For iPhone and Mac, Outread. No single app is best at all four.
What is the best free speed reading app?
For pasted text and web articles, Read Fast's free tier (5,000 words a day, no account) is the most generous we found among polished apps. For free PDF and EPUB reading, Speeedy is fully free and open source. Sprint Reader is a fully free Chrome extension for reading selected text.
Do speed reading apps actually work?
They help with one thing: removing eye-movement overhead and re-reading, which can take a typical reader from about 238 WPM toward 300 to 400 WPM on easy material. A 2016 review by Rayner and colleagues found no evidence that any app lets people read much faster than that with full comprehension. Treat 1,000 WPM claims as skimming.
What is RSVP in speed reading apps?
RSVP stands for Rapid Serial Visual Presentation: the app shows one word (or a short group) at a time in a fixed spot, so your eyes do not have to move along a line. Most of the apps on this page, including Spreeder, SwiftRead, Outread and Read Fast, are built on it.
Is Spreeder free?
Spreeder has a free basic version, reportedly limited to 200 words at a time, and a paid VIP upgrade that third-party reviews list at $67 for lifetime access. The mobile apps need an account. Check spreeder.com for the current offer, as eReflect's pricing changes often.
Is there a speed reading app for PDFs?
Yes. SwiftRead reads PDFs in its extension and apps, Speeedy opens PDFs free in the browser, Outread imports them with Outread+, and Read Fast reads uploaded PDFs on Premium. Scanned PDFs without a text layer will not work in any of them.
What is the best speed reading app for iPhone?
Outread is the best-rated dedicated option on iPhone, at 4.7 stars from about 1,400 App Store ratings. If you would rather not install anything, browser-based readers like Read Fast work in Safari on iPhone, and Spreeder and SwiftRead also have iOS apps.
Is Spritz still available?
Not as an app you can download. Spritz licensed its RSVP technology to other companies rather than shipping its own reader, and the company has shown little public activity since around 2017. Any RSVP reader, including the free ones on this page, does the same core job.
Which speed reading app is best for students?
For reading lecture notes, articles and PDFs faster, a reader that handles your files matters most: SwiftRead or Read Fast Premium for PDFs, Speeedy if you need it free. For building the underlying skill over a semester, a training app such as Spreeder or AceReader is the better fit.
How fast can you read with a speed reading app?
Most people can follow RSVP comfortably at 300 to 450 WPM after a few sessions, compared with an average of about 238 WPM for silent reading (Brysbaert, 2019). Many apps go to 1,000 WPM or beyond, but understanding falls off steeply past about 500 WPM for almost everyone.