SpeechReader Review: Does It Read PDFs and Images Aloud?

SpeechReader is a text to speech tool that runs in the browser. You paste text or upload a PDF or an image. It reads the words back in one of 2,000+ AI voices across 60+ languages. Paid plans start at $7.99 a month.

This review covers what it does, what it costs, and where it falls short. One claim on the homepage does not hold up, and it matters.

What does SpeechReader do?

You give it text in one of three ways. Type or paste it, upload a PDF, or upload an image. For PDFs you can pick which pages to read. For images, OCR pulls the text out of a photo or screenshot first. JPG and PNG both work. The text lands in an editor, so you can fix mistakes before you press play.

Playback runs in the browser tab. Speed goes from 0.5x to 4x. Pitch moves ten semitones up or down. Paid plans can download the audio as an MP3 file.

The voice library is the other half of the pitch. SpeechReader lists more than 2,000 AI voices in 60+ languages. Each language has named voices. Stella reads English, Alejandro Spanish, Hana Japanese and Pierre French. Voices come in three grades: Normal, Premium and Studio.

The interface itself comes in 14 languages, from German and Spanish to Japanese, Arabic and Hindi. You sign in with Google, GitHub, Apple or an email link.

Which features stand out?

• PDF to speech — upload a document, pick the pages you want, and hear it read back
• Image to speech — OCR reads the text out of a photo or screenshot before it is spoken
• 2,000+ voices in 60+ languages — accents and styles per language, in three quality grades
• Speed and pitch control — 0.5x to 4x playback, with pitch adjustable ten semitones either way
• MP3 download — export audio on Basic and Premium, for a phone or a podcast app
• Editable text — review what OCR found before you listen, and fix it if needed
• Cancel anytime — access runs to the end of the billing period you paid for

How much does SpeechReader cost?

There are three tiers. All of them are metered in credits per day, not minutes per month. One credit is one character spoken by a Normal voice. Premium voices cost three to four credits per character. Studio voices cost fifteen.

• Free Demo: $0. 5,000 credits a day, which the site puts at around 5 minutes of audio. Email support. An account is required.
• Basic: $7.99 a month, or $71.99 a year. The annual plan works out to $6 a month. 100,000 credits a day, around 2 hours of audio. Adds Premium voices, MP3 download, PDF and image upload, and priority support.