Absorb vs SpeedyRead
Absorb
absorb-app.comSpeedyRead
speedyread.appSide by side
| Figure | Absorb | SpeedyRead |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $1.67/mo | $1.99/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 2 |
| Spec score · Speed Reading Apps | 7.7 (#14) | 8.4 (#6) |
| Purpose | Absorb is an iPhone RSVP reader that displays books and other text one word at a time with ORP highlighting. | SpeedyRead is an iOS speed-reading app that uses Rapid Serial Visual Presentation to display text one word at a time. |
| Support | Users can contact the developer about questions, bug reports, purchase issues, import problems, or feature ideas through the support form. | The privacy policy provides [email protected] for questions and support requests. |
Plans
Absorb
- Absorb$4.99 a month
- Absorb Pro Annual$19.99 a year
- Absorb Pro Lifetime$69.99, paid once
In their own words
SpeedyRead
SpeedyRead is an iPhone speed-reading app that presents text one word at a time using Rapid Serial Visual Presentation. It imports PDFs, Word documents, ePubs, Markdown, HTML, and other content, and can open files from the Files app. Readers can also paste a web address for article extraction or scan printed pages with live OCR and torch support. The reading pace can be adjusted from 300 to 725 WPM with a speed wheel and haptic feedback. An audio mode speaks each word in sync with the display, with adjustable audio speed from 50 to 450 WPM and multiple voices.
The app includes comprehension exercises, guided training, dark and light modes, five accent colors, automatic session saving, and reading-position resumption. Its library and progress are stored locally; personal files are not synced to servers unless a future cloud backup is enabled. The privacy policy says anonymous usage statistics are collected, with device model and OS version potentially collected for diagnostics. Support requests may involve an email address. SpeedyRead requires iOS 18.0 or later. It has a free download, and Monthly Premium costs $1.99 a month with a 14-day free trial.