Use case · PDF
How to Listen to PDFs Aloud on iPhone and Android (Free, No Word Limit)
Whether it's a 300-page textbook, a scanned journal article, or a signed contract, SayTXT reads it aloud with no subscription or word cap.
The problem
You've got a PDF. It's long. You're already tired of looking at screens. Many text-to-speech apps either:
- Limit how much text you can read with certain voices or plans
- Put useful document-reading features behind a subscription
- Can't handle scanned PDFs at all
- Make you sign up before you can hear the first sentence
What SayTXT does
- Reads native PDFs instantly. Import from your device's file picker or share a PDF from another app.
- Reads scanned PDFs with built-in OCR. Old research articles, scanned textbooks, printed contracts — all work.
- No word limit. Listen to a 500-page book cover to cover.
- Natural voices. Pick a voice that suits what you're listening to.
- Background playback. Lock the screen and keep listening on your walk.
- Focus View. Highlighting follows the narration word by word or sentence by sentence, depending on the voice.
- Offline replay. Once the PDF has played, its generated audio is cached in SayTXT for replay without a connection.
- Audio you can reuse. Export the current PDF as AAC on iPhone and iPad or WAV on Android when you want to use the narration outside SayTXT.
SayTXT is 100% free. There is no subscription tier, feature paywall, or word limit. If pricing changes in the future, users will be notified in advance.
3 steps to listen to your first PDF
- Download SayTXT from the App Store or Google Play. No sign-up required.
- Open the PDF. In SayTXT, tap the + button and choose the PDF you want to open, or share a PDF to SayTXT from another app.
- Choose a voice and tap Play. Adjust the speed if you want; playback can continue with the screen locked.
What PDFs people listen to most
- Research papers on the commute
- Textbooks and course readers
- Legal contracts (proofread by ear catches errors your eye misses)
- Government forms and tax documents
- Meeting notes and PDF exports of Google Docs
- Scanned pages of physical books
How it compares
| Feature | SayTXT | Speechify |
|---|---|---|
| Native PDF | Yes | Yes |
| Scanned PDF (OCR) | Yes | Yes |
| Usage limits | No word limit | Vary by voice and plan |
| Account to start | No | Varies by product and workflow |
| Download or export audio | Current item: AAC on iPhone & iPad; WAV on Android | Available; options vary by product and plan |
| Access model | 100% free | Free tools and paid plans |
Speechify changes its products and plans over time. This comparison was checked against Speechify's official site in August 2026; check its site for current details.
Full comparison: The Best Free Speechify Alternative for iPhone & Android.
