Readest
A book-and-PDF reader with built-in narration and no premium-voice bait-and-switch.
Technical Profile & Specs
verified 2026-08-11
- Cost
- $0 / forever (Open Source)
- License
- AGPL-3.0+
- Hosting Model
- Local or hosted (your machine or their cloud)
- Platforms
- desktopmobilewebone-click install
- Installation
- Install from an app store, the site/GitHub releases or Flathub, or use the hosted web app
- Operational Setup
- Desktop native voices are not yet wired up, so desktop users need Edge TTS or browser voices; Windows may also need WebView2
- Where Your Data Lives
- A local app library/cache plus optional Readest Cloud sync for books, progress, highlights and notes; exportable library backup ZIP; credentials can be end-to-end encrypted
- The Catch / Trade-off
- It is primarily an ebook reader, with desktop narration relying on browser or cloud voices and no comparable OCR workflow.
Replaces 2 paid apps
up to $42.90/mo ($515/yr) in subscriptions
Readest FAQ
Common questions
Is Readest free and open source?+
Readest is an open-source tool licensed under AGPL-3.0+ that runs on local or hosted. A book-and-PDF reader with built-in narration and no premium-voice bait-and-switch.
What paid software does Readest replace?+
Readest serves as a free replacement for 2 paid SaaS applications: NaturalReader, Speechify, saving up to $42.90/month ($515/year) in subscription bills.
How do you install and set up Readest?+
Installation: Install from an app store, the site/GitHub releases or Flathub, or use the hosted web app. Setup notes: Desktop native voices are not yet wired up, so desktop users need Edge TTS or browser voices; Windows may also need WebView2
What is the catch or trade-off with Readest?+
It is primarily an ebook reader, with desktop narration relying on browser or cloud voices and no comparable OCR workflow.