Compare · Speechify vs Speech Central
Speechify vs Speech Central
Speechify: Text-to-speech app that reads text aloud across documents, web pages and email, bundled with voice typing and an AI assistant. Speech Central: Text-to-speech app for reading PDFs, web articles, books and documents, sold as a one-time purchase with no ads or data collection. Here is how they differ, and where Book2Speech fits if what you want is your books as audiobooks.
Choose Speechify if…
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Reads web pages, email and any on-screen text through browser extensions and the Mac app, not just book files.
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A much larger voice catalogue on the paid plan: 1,000+ voices in 60+ languages.
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Faster top listening speed on Premium (up to 900 words a minute).
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Scan & Listen for printed pages, plus Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive imports on Premium.
Choose Speech Central if…
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One-time purchase instead of a subscription, and free for blind users and schools.
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Works offline with the device’s own voices; runs on iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac and Windows.
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Export of text to audio files for offline listening (format not stated on the fetched pages).
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Deep customisation and accessibility profiles for ADHD, dyslexia and low vision.
Or, for your books: Book2Speech
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Any book, not just the bestsellers that got an audiobook: fewer than 1 in 100 books ever does.
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Unlimited free listening in English with Standard voices, no trial clock.
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A real audiobook file to keep: M4B with chapters and cover, or MP3. One is included on the Free plan.
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Built for whole books: the book’s own chapters, a start past the front matter, page clutter left out of PDFs.
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265 narrators in 42 languages, and 70,000 free classics ready to play.
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Paid plans from $4.99 a month.
Notes on the comparison
Pricing shown in USD on 2026-10-07 from the vendor pricing page; the US App Store lists different in-app prices (Premium Monthly $11.99 or $24.99, Premium Annual $139.99–$159.99).
Upload formats verified from Speechify’s own upload guide: DOC, DOCX, PDF and EPUB. TXT and MOBI were not listed on any fetched page.
MP3 download and offline listening are Premium features (“Offline MP3 Download” on the vendor’s Free vs Premium page). Word-for-word highlighting is from the App Store description.
Pronunciation editing, chapter splitting and a sleep timer were not confirmed on a fetched vendor page; a Windows app was not named on the fetched pages.
Price in USD from the US App Store in-app purchase list on 2026-10-07; the vendor homepage gives no figure (“One-time purchase. No ads. No data collection.”).
Formats from the App Store description: PDF (including scanned), EPUB, Word (.docx), PowerPoint, OpenOffice, HTML, TXT, RTF, Markdown. MOBI absent.
Word highlighting and the sleep timer (now “Sleep Assistant”) are confirmed on the vendor’s own blog. Chapter detection and pronunciation editing were not stated on a fetched page.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper, Speechify or Speech Central?
Speechify: Premium $29/month (monthly billing); yearly billing advertised at 60% off. Premium includes at least 150,000 words a month (1,000,000 a month through 2026). Speech Central: One-time purchase: Speech Central Pro $9.99 in-app purchase (US App Store). For books, Book2Speech starts free and from $4.99 a month.
Which has a better free plan, Speechify or Speech Central?
Speechify: Free plan: 10 basic voices, listening speed up to 1.5x, 5-file limit, text-to-speech features only. Speech Central: Free download with a one-time in-app upgrade; free access for blind users with VoiceOver and for schools deploying through Apple School Manager. Book2Speech’s Free plan has unlimited English listening with Standard voices.
Can I download audiobooks with Speechify or Speech Central?
Speechify: MP3. Speech Central: not confirmed on its own pages. Book2Speech downloads an M4B with chapters and cover, or an MP3, and the Free plan includes one.