20 Best Speed Reading Apps 2023

Best speed reading apps to learn more, read content faster, save time

Speed reading, as a practice, has its advocates and its opponents. However, for researching, studying and learning, it could be extremely useful to assimilate a lot of information in a short period of time. When your purpose for reading is enjoyment or deep learning, such reading strategies may not give you what you want. But that’s ok.

For processing digital information quickly, I’d like you to give a tour of the best speed reading apps 2023. They will either teach you to read faster on various types of media or allow you to go through digital content (web, docs, files) super quickly using a technology called RSVP or Rapid Serial Visual Presentation. These apps are great productivity tools.

Speed Reading Apps – Overview

Before diving into various speed reading apps, let’s briefly discuss terminologies. Many effective learners use speed reading as the go-to method to assimilate more information in shorter periods of time. They break down reading into terms that were never used by your language arts teacher in school: words per minute, fixation, saccade and subvocalization.

Fixation – This word refers to what your eye does with words on a page. Briefly, your eyes stop for a split second to focus on a single word or group, process and move on to stop again. The more fixation stops you need the slower your pace. Hence, to go faster, reducing those stops is crucial. Some speed reading apps will teach you exactly that.

Saccade – This term considers the time it takes your eyes to shift from one word to the next as you read. The idea is to learn to read groups of words, so your eyes need fewer stops and less time for each stop. Kind of makes sense, right?

Subvocalization – This refers to the voice in your head when you pronounce the words silently while reading. However, humans can only speak about 300 words per minute. Thus, subvocalization will reduce your potential top speed.

Vision – Speed reading apps also cover topics such as regression, skipping back in text, or the training of your eyes’ peripheral vision which allows you to see more at each fixation. Some apps flash and highlight words and show you 3-5 words per time to do that automatically, whereas other apps teach you to learn and apply faster reading methods.

In a nutshell, use RSVP eReader apps to process digital content faster. Or, choose speed reading apps if you want to learn the principles of fast reading, memorization, retention, and comprehension. Some apps even combine the best of both worlds, e.g. Spreeder.

Best Speed Reading Apps 2023 – Top Picks

Spreeder	QuickReader	Reading Trainer
Web / Mobile	for iOS	Android / iOS
RSVP, Training	RSVP Reader	RSVP Reader
from $9	$4.99	$2.99
★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★☆
Visit Store	Read Review	Read Review

Well, I hope you enjoy our tour of the best speed reading apps and RSVP reader apps for laptops, desktops and tablets as well as iPhones and Android devices.

1. Spreeder App

Spreeder (visit website) has a lot to offer if you are really serious about speed reading and want to process a lot of digital content daily but also learn how effective reading actually works. It’s a powerful RSVP eReader (46 types of documents allowed) combined with video tutorials, exercises and tracking features.

The app also targets bad reading habits (subvocalization, regression) and reduces fixation stops through ‘expert training’ and scientifically designed exercises. This is certainly one of the best speed reading apps available for students, learners and even entrepreneurs who do a lot of digital research.

Spreeder is accessible through a browser and an iOS app. There are MP3 downloads, exercise eBooks, and printable flashcards. Import any digital document to the app and spreed it. In addition to monitoring your progress, it tracks the time you spend reading.

Cool Feature! Remember bookmarks? You know, the ones you used to get as gifts to stick between the pages of the novel you are reading to keep your place. The folks at Spreeder built one into their speed reading app. It holds your place on every book, page or document you’ve been reading, even if you open that same file on another linked device.

Platform: Browser, Desktop, iOS | Review: 4.8 ★★★★★
Info: from $9. View Website. Free for 7 days. 5 users.

2. The 7 Speed Reading App

7 Speed Reading, now Spreeder (visit website), is all about learning to read faster featuring video tutorials, exercises, drills, progress tracking and functionality to import your own content for practicing. The app hosts recognized speed reading experts that will explain to you the principles and techniques to become an effective reader.

Using any of the exercises, tests, and drills, it then tracks improvements in both speed and comprehension. They also teach eye muscle fitness and help you develop effective memory techniques or expand your peripheral eye vision.

On top of the training, the app also functions as a speed e-reader to some extend but not as efficient and convenient as Spreeder does. The focus here is rather to facilitate learning and exercising. It additionally allows social sharing so that you can join a reading circle.

You will have access to a large classic eBook library you can use for practicing and reading. With possible reading speed increases of more than 160%, you could be in five reading circles! Thus, this is one of the best speed reading apps if you want to learn the ins and outs and, as a result, level up your learning performance.

Platform: Browser, Desktop, Mac, Windows, Mobile | Review: 4.7 ★★★★☆
Costs: from $9. | Info: View Website. (now merged with Spreeder)

3. Reedy Reader

This so-called “Intelligent Reader” helps you “read ebooks, articles, any texts and web pages fast and comfortably”. Settings include Regular Reading, Speed Reading and Text-to-Speech. Reedy uses RSVP, which is Rapid Serial Visual Presentation.

As you scroll across lines and down the screen, the speed reading app magnifies the individual words quickly to increase the “the speed of perception of every single word”. You set your speed preference and enter your link – ebooks, articles, blogs, etc.

App Store: Android | Costs: Ads. In-app offers. | Review: 4.5 ★★★★☆

Reading Tip – Please read our tutorial on how to speed read to learn more about the methods and strategies applied in speed reading apps in greater detail.

4. QuickReader App

The QuickReader speed reading app teaches your eyes to read faster. You can set your reading speed, time yourself, and then set out to beat your own time. Their Guided Reading Technology allows you to set the speed, and the pages turn for you. As a bonus, they say you will be able to access 2 million books for free, including some titles other speed reading apps don’t have.

App Store: iOS | Costs: $4.99 | Review: 4.6 ★★★★☆

Reading Tip: Speed reading apps are great tools to improve your learning performance. We also recommend these tutorials on how to improve productivity, to learn how to do deep work or how to learn faster.

5. Reading Trainer App

This is an app that users say has helped them improve their reading pace by “an average of 143% in 10 days”. It trains in rapid recognition of characters and words and increases in eye movement flexibility, concentration, and vision span.

Users are guided through a step by step process with an algorithm designed to pick up on their strengths and weaknesses. It also includes comprehension tests to help ensure you retain the information you are reading while your speed increases.

App Store: Android, iOS | Costs: $2.99 | Review: 4.7 ★★★★☆

6. ReadMe! App

ReadMe! is an e-Reader app that uses spritz, a technology that minimizes eye movement during reading. They claim that saccade accounts for 80% of your reading time and that the technology can help you read up to 1,000 words per minute.

This is up from the average reader’s 220 wpm speed, achieved by “word alignment”. They also promise increased comprehension as a bonus. It’s certainly one of the best speed reading apps based on Spritz but receives mixing user reviews as well.

App Store: Android, iOS | Download: Gratis. in-app offers. | Review: 4.2 ★★★★☆

7. ReadLax App – Brain Games

This is the place to go for online games and workouts for your brain. The activities are for memory training and increasing reading speed, concentration and peripheral vision 7 minutes at a time. Tests for checking your speed and comprehension are included to help you track progress. There is support for various languages such as Spanish, Portuguese, Russian or Ukrainian,

App Store: Android, iOS | Costs: Free with in-app offers | Review: 4.6 ★★★★★

8. Speed Reading, Blinova Maryna, iOS, Android

The developers of this speed reading app have done their best to assemble onscreen activities to train your attention and memory. They offer you Schulte table games for attention training. The Schulte table is a grid of numbers scattered in random order. It’s used for games designed to help improve peripheral vision and visual perception. For memory training, there are number and word exercises. Download and read books with this app too. 

App Store: iOS, Android | Price: With ads. In-app offers. | Review: 4.6 ★★★★☆

9. Outread App

The Outread app helps improve reading efficiency by focusing on reading chunks of text with each fixation stop. This maximizes the eye fixation method we talked about earlier. You can either follow the highlighter along the page or keep it centered. Follow your own stats to track progress. Additional features are available on the Plus version, including free books and the option to achieve even higher reading speed (up to 1,500 wpm).

App Store: iOS | Costs: Free. In-app offers| Review: 4.4 ★★★★☆

10. AceReader Personal Edition

This is one of the best speed reading apps for browsers and is based on a desktop version that many schools and teachers still use. Having received many awards, it predominantly targets fluency and comprehension as well as reading speed.

To accomplish this, AceReader uses eye pacing drills, eye exercises, and comprehension passages with tests. It can also help you break bad reading habits including subvocalization and regression. They promote themselves as a how to read better app.

App Store: Browser, Desktop, Mobile | Costs: from $69 | Review: 4.5 ★★★★☆

11. Boba App

Boba is a browser extension powered by Spritz technology. It allows speed reading web content from the website of your choice. It is one of the few speed reading apps that have been around for at least the last 5 years, quite a long time in this niche.

User reviews are generally positive for this free app despite its rather basic set of features. For the fast reading modes, users can set bookmarks as well as the words per minute to change the comprehension-speed ratio.

App Store: iOS | Costs: Free | Review: 4.4 ★★★★☆

12. Speed Reading App – Brain Development

This app’s goal is to help you “expand the field of view” and increase concentration in your pursuit of more efficient reading strategies. They will also help you with simulators that get you to memorize numbers and words. Schulte tables are an additional feature, and you can download and read books to practice your new techniques right within this speed reading app.

Store: Android | Price: Ads. In-app purchases. | Review: 4.2 ★★★★☆

13. Focus Speed Reading App

This app uses the rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) method to train you for faster reading. It claims to reach up to 1,000 wpm which is quite ambitious. A built-in web browser makes it possible to power through any site of your choosing. If reading on your wrist interests you, this app works on the Apple Watch, too. Other than that, this speed reading app is rather minimalistic in features and structure, and interface.

App Store: iOS iphone | Costs: Free | Review: 4.0 ★★★★☆

14. SprintReader App – Chrome Extension

This simple webpage allows you to paste any copied text into a text box to be spritzed back at you. They also use the red letter focal point method to not need to shift your eyes to read the text.

The speed is adjustable. You simply paste your text in and press the play button to begin. It’s one of the quickest ways to test RSVP technologies and see if it can add any benefits to your workflow.

Extension: Google Chrome | Download: Free | Review: 4.1 ★★★★☆

15. Spreed App – Chrome Extension

Spreed is a browser extension that employs the rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) technique to help you read faster. It is designed to help you minimize sub-vocalization and regression to up your speed.

Their website has a speed test for you that also checks for comprehension. That’s always helpful!

Extension: Google Chrome | Costs: Free | Review: 4.3 ★★★★☆

16. Speed Reading App, Android

This app starts with a speed test for people who want to make quick changes to their reading speed. After that, they help you map out a 12-day plan for bumping your wpm up.

You can follow your progress using a chart and get records of your reading speed as you go. They promise to up your speed without sacrificing comprehension. If you have more books than time to read them, this is one of the speed reading apps that may help you!

Store: Android | Price: Free, In-App purchases | Review: 4.0 ★★★★☆

17. SpeedRead App

Using this app, you can practice a method known as “words per minute control”, with “additional fine-tuning for word length, comma” and “period delays.” The goal is to teach you how to spritz through your books.

When you want to cut out reading altogether, you can use the app to listen to books instead. You can download or copy and paste books easily into the interface of this speed reading app to read onscreen.

Store: Android | Price: Contains Ads, In-app purchases | Review: 4.0 ★★★★☆

18. Speed Reading, Android

Learn how to read fast in 48 languages with this fast reading app. They promise at minimum 5 fold increase in speed by way of 60 second long exercises you can do 3 times a day.

The app also offers you eye exercises, speed drills, field of vision apps and word search puzzles with the goal of an 8 fold increase. While it is not the best speed reading app of all, it is free to check out for Android users.

Store: Android | Costs: Free with Ads | Review: 3.9 ★★★☆☆

19. WearReader App

This reader flashes text across your screen quickly word by word to help you stop subvocalizing and increase your reading speed without sacrificing comprehension. Apparently, regression is allowed by scrubbing backward to catch something you missed. Practice fast reading your choice of interesting texts. It also has a night mode setting so you can read at night safely.

Store: Android, iOS | Price: $1.99 | Review: 3.5 ★★★☆☆

20. Spritz App

Named for the fast reading method this app uses, Spritz shows you text one word at a time. They say that when you read a word, your eyes will fixate on the key red letter highlighted in the word.

This, they claim, triggers the brain to recognize and process its meaning quickly. They refer to the highlighted letter in the word as your “Optimal Recognition Point”. You can then read, comprehend, and retain the content without needing to move your eyes.

Interestingly, this is the worst-rated of all best speed reading apps in this list although it actually hosts the original Spritz technology. Functionality does not seem to satisfy users.

Store: iOS, Android | Price: Free | Review: 2.8 ★★☆☆☆

How to Choose the Best Speed Reading Apps?

Indeed, this is just a curated list of the best speed reading apps available. It cannot be fully comprehensive. That said, you can imagine the dizzying array of free and premium resources out there. How do you choose the one that is best for you?  

Questions – You need to ask yourself some questions to help you decide which of the many resources you should go with. This brief list should help you narrow things down: 

1. How well do you currently read? 
2. How much do you currently read?
3. Do you want to read everything faster? Or just for work, college or school?  
4. Do you prefer printed materials or are you more into online and ebooks? 
5. Do you have experience with quick reading or are you just starting? 
6. How soon do you need to increase your wpm rate? 
7. Do you want to read fiction books or non-fiction material?
8. Do you need support for txt files, browsers (Safari, Google Chrome, Brave, Firefox)?

For vocab – Some of us are avid readers who love to build their vocabulary and want to consume more content. Such readers would be well served by a speed reading app that offers training with goals and progress tracking. Also, any speed reading app that offers a test is a plus. Interestingly, none of the resources we looked at considers aptitude.  

For Business – Others want to assimilate school or business material faster for short-term purposes. Consider RSVP eReader apps or browser extensions. If you have a deadline to meet, there’s a speed reading app that can fast-track you to higher wpm rates. 

For ebook lovers, an e-reader that is designed to improve fast reading would fit the bill. The speed reading apps that can be shared with other users make it possible to share your reading pleasure with friends.  

There is something in the market for everyone who wants to read more efficiently. However, consider most of the speed reading apps to be more suitable for non-fiction material.

Best Speed Reading Apps 2023 – Verdict

Wrapping up our guide to the best speed reading apps 2023. As mentioned, the debate about fast reading is an ongoing one. Meanwhile, the market is flooded with speed reading apps and RSVP eReader apps. The latter is helpful if you want to read material for work or school faster or read more in general.

Popular speed reading apps such as Spreeder (view website) or 7 Speed Reading (view website) can really assist you to train to be a reading Olympian as they will equip you with the mental techniques to do so. They don’t just highlight the words in a document or force your brain to process faster but actually teach you to comprehend more while being faster.

On the other hand, free speed reading apps and websites can help you bump up your wpm rate. Your training is in your own hands. If you need to speed through some material for a work presentation or an exam, the websites that can help RSVP read your material.

What do the critics say about speed reading apps?

Some believe the whole idea of speed reading apps is bunk. They refer to the potential problem of limiting the number of words you focus on can create. If you only fixate on certain words (a common technique) to get the text’s general idea, you can miss nuances.

Also, proponents shun the practice of regression (more vocabulary!). Regression is when you shift your eyes backward to reread a sentence or phrase. Opponents defend this practice, saying that it is part of what helps a person’s comprehension. They also defend subvocalization. They argue that the inner voice is not just a parrot mimicking the words you see. The voice is actually your brain helping you discern words in context, they say. Speed reading advocates often encourage you to suppress that voice.  

Whatever your position, it may be worth at least test driving some speed reading apps. You might be able to beat the 1.5 books per year the average adult is reading these days.

What are the best speed reading apps? No matter you use them on iPhone or Android devices, tablets, laptops, or computers. Let us know which apps you use day to day, how you use them, and what you have learned so far, and maybe what not.

Thanks for reading. Please share this review.

Resources: What is RSVP? – Wikipedia | What is peripheral vision? – Exploratorium

One last thing: We have not included all apps in this list. Accelerator or Acceleread have not been mentioned so far because there are either outdated or not available. Furthermore, the Pocket app is a different style of app that rather saves content for later. Some eReader apps, however, allow connecting to this convenient tool.

Disclosure: This site contains affiliate links to some providers of speed reading apps. courselounge may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. It does not add any extra costs. All reviews, opinions, descriptions, and comparisons expressed here are our own.