LightSpeedRead vs MonkeyReading
LightSpeedRead
lightspeedread.comMonkeyReading
monkeyreading.comSide by side
| Figure | LightSpeedRead | MonkeyReading |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $1.58/mo | $5/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 3 | 1 |
| Spec score · Speed Reading Apps | 9.0 (#1) | 7.8 (#13) |
| Data handling | The maker says it does not sell or share personal information and does not use advertising networks or third-party trackers. | The privacy policy says reading content is not stored permanently and is used to calculate performance metrics. |
| Security | The maker states that services use HTTPS, PCI-compliant payment processors and per-user access controls for optional account data. | The privacy policy lists HTTPS/SSL transmission encryption, row-level security policies, OAuth 2.0 authentication, and regular security audits and updates. |
| Support | The privacy policy lists [email protected] for privacy questions and data deletion requests. | The Plus plan includes priority support. |
Plans
In their own words
LightSpeedRead
LightSpeedRead is a speed-reading reader that presents words or short groups of words one at a time at a fixed point on screen using Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP). The web reader accepts pasted text, links, PDFs and EPUBs. Readers can adjust speed, pauses for long words and punctuation, gradual ramp-up, themes, fonts, emphasis and word size. A red letter marks each word’s optimal recognition point, aligned to a fixed center line. Submitting an article URL sends it to r.jina.ai to fetch and extract text; pages behind logins or paywalls may not extract cleanly. Pasted and uploaded text is processed locally in the browser, and the Chrome extension reads page text only when invoked. The free plan includes the website reader and extension reading up to 600 wpm. Pro is $2.99 per month or $19.00 per year, with speeds up to 1000 wpm and additional controls. The iOS app is marked “Coming soon.” The maker cautions that high RSVP speeds can reduce comprehension, especially for dense or important material.
MonkeyReading
MonkeyReading has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.