SpeakCoveSupertonic 3 is Supertone's open text-to-speech model: it runs entirely on the device and speaks 31 languages. Two iPhone e-book readers that use it as of October 2026 are PageEcho, which lists Supertonic next to Kokoro and Apple's voices, and SpeakCove, whose 10 voices are Supertonic 3. To hear it without installing anything, SpeakCove's free web reader at speakcove.com/text-to-speech runs Supertonic 3 in your browser, with no sign-up and no length limit.
SpeakCove and PageEcho share a similar philosophy: on-device processing, offline use and no account. Both are built for people who want to read and listen to their books without sending them to a server.
PageEcho, by developer harim kang, is an e-book reader with on-device text-to-speech and offline AI features such as chapter summaries, Q&A and mind maps. SpeakCove focuses only on listening, opens more file formats and sells Premium as a one-time $14.99 upgrade. PageEcho's lifetime option costs $29.99 as of October 2026. Here is how they compare.
| Feature | SpeakCove | PageEcho |
|---|---|---|
| Account Required | No | No |
| Free Version | ✓ 2 voices in the app, all 10 in the free web reader; all formats and languages, iCloud sync, no time limits | Free download; Premium unlocks unlimited text-to-speech and AI |
| Premium Price | ✓ $14.99 one-time | $4.99/month, $24.99/year or $29.99 lifetime in the US App Store |
| Supported Formats | ✓ 10 (PDF, EPUB, MOBI, AZW3, DOCX, FB2, CBZ, RTF, TXT, HTML) | 5 (EPUB, MOBI, AZW3, FB2, PDF) |
| Voices | 10 on-device Supertonic 3 voices (2 free in the app, all 10 in the free web reader) | On-device Supertonic 3, Kokoro and Apple's built-in voices; experimental Qwen3 voice |
| AI Features | Not available | ✓ On-device summaries, Q&A, mind maps |
| Offline Support | Reading, OCR and speech work offline | Reading, text-to-speech and AI work offline |
| Privacy | No analytics, tracking or ads in the app | No server, account or tracking; App Store label: Data Not Collected |
| Reading Customization | Sentence highlighting, speed 0.75x to 1.75x | Custom themes, fonts and spacing, chapter navigation |
Where PageEcho Does Well
- On-device AI: chapter summaries, book Q&A, mind maps and topic extraction
- Strict privacy: no server, no account, no tracking, and a Data Not Collected App Store label
- Several on-device voice engines, including Supertonic, Kokoro and Apple's built-in voices
- A focused reading view with custom themes, fonts and spacing; it also runs on Apple silicon Macs
Where PageEcho Falls Short
- Premium is $4.99 a month or $24.99 a year; the lifetime option is $29.99
- Fewer formats: no DOCX, RTF, TXT, HTML or CBZ
Where SpeakCove Excels
- Free version with no time limits: 2 voices, all 10 formats, all 31 languages, speed control, sleep timer, iCloud sync and widgets
- Premium is a one-time $14.99, with no subscription
- 10 document formats, including DOCX, RTF, TXT, HTML and CBZ
- Document scanner with on-device text recognition for paper pages
- Sleep timer from 5 to 60 minutes
- iCloud sync keeps your library and reading position across iPhone and iPad
- Home screen widgets, plus lock-screen and CarPlay playback with Premium
- Free Project Gutenberg store and research-paper search (arXiv, Semantic Scholar, OpenAlex)
- 10 on-device neural voices (2 free, 8 with Premium)
The Verdict
PageEcho and SpeakCove share the same core values: on-device processing, offline use, privacy and no account. Where they differ is focus and pricing.
PageEcho bets on AI. Its on-device summaries, Q&A and mind maps can help with studying and research, and it offers several voice engines. It supports five formats, and its Premium costs $4.99 a month, $24.99 a year or $29.99 lifetime as of October 2026.
SpeakCove focuses on listening. It opens 10 formats, includes a document scanner, a sleep timer, iCloud sync and widgets, and its free version has no time limits. Premium is a one-time $14.99. If AI summaries matter to you, PageEcho is worth a look. If you mainly want to listen to a wide range of documents, SpeakCove covers more formats for less.
Try SpeakCove Free. No sign-up required. Start listening in seconds.
One-time purchase, no subscription
Free to start with 2 voices and every format. $14.99 once unlocks all 10 voices, background playback and CarPlay. No subscription, ever.
Listen in the car with CarPlay
Your documents on your car's screen and speakers, with CarPlay in Premium.
Works offline, fully on-device
Your documents never leave your device. The app has no analytics and no ads, and reading and voices work in airplane mode.
Free Text to Speech, Right in Your Browser
Paste text or open any file (PDF, EPUB, Word, scans and more) and press Play. SpeakCove reads it aloud with natural voices in 31 languages. It's free, with no sign-up and no length limit, and your text never leaves your browser.
Open the reader →Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Supertonic TTS, and which iPhone apps use it?
- Supertonic is a text-to-speech model from Supertone Inc. that runs on the device, with no cloud call; version 3 speaks 31 languages and is released under the OpenRAIL-M license. As of October 2026, PageEcho lists Supertonic among its voice engines (its version 1.3.0 notes a Supertonic 3 update with 31 languages), and SpeakCove's 10 voices are Supertonic 3, converted to fp16 and int8. SpeakCove's free web reader runs the same voices in Chrome, Edge or Safari, with no sign-up.
- What is PageEcho?
- PageEcho (listed as PageEcho - AI Text Reader on the App Store) is an on-device e-book reader by independent developer harim kang. It opens EPUB, MOBI, AZW3, FB2 and PDF files, reads them aloud with on-device voices (Supertonic 3, Kokoro and Apple's built-in voices, plus an experimental Qwen3 voice), and adds offline AI features such as chapter summaries, Q&A and mind maps.
- How does PageEcho's pricing compare to SpeakCove?
- As of October 2026, PageEcho's App Store listing shows Premium at $4.99 a month, $24.99 a year or $29.99 for lifetime access. Premium unlocks unlimited text-to-speech and AI features. SpeakCove's Premium is a one-time $14.99 (US) for 8 more voices, background and lock-screen playback, and CarPlay. SpeakCove's free version includes 2 voices, all 10 formats and all 31 languages with no time limits.
- Does PageEcho support DOCX, RTF, TXT, or HTML files?
- PageEcho lists EPUB, MOBI, AZW3, FB2 and PDF. SpeakCove supports those plus DOCX, RTF, TXT, HTML and CBZ, 10 formats in total.
- Do both apps work offline?
- Yes. PageEcho says its reading, text-to-speech and AI features run on the device, without servers or accounts. SpeakCove's reading, speech and text recognition also run on-device. Its book store, paper search, iCloud sync and the purchase need a connection.
- Does PageEcho have AI features that SpeakCove doesn't?
- Yes. PageEcho offers on-device chapter summaries, book Q&A, mind maps and topic extraction. SpeakCove has no AI summaries. It focuses on listening: sentence highlighting, a sleep timer, speed control, iCloud sync and widgets.
- Which app is more established?
- Both are young apps from independent developers, and both require iOS 26. PageEcho first appeared on the App Store in December 2025 and has a 4.0 rating from 6 ratings as of October 2026. Judge them on the features you need rather than on review counts.