The Free Alternative to Speechify
Speechify costs $139/year. CastReader does the same thing — reads any web page aloud with natural AI voices and paragraph highlighting — completely free. No account needed.
Everything Speechify Does, Without the Price Tag
Side-by-side: what you get for $0 vs $139/year
Free Forever
No Subscription, No Limits
Speechify locks most features behind a $139/year paywall. CastReader is 100% free — unlimited usage, all voices, all languages, no account required. Not a trial. Not a freemium trap.
Better Extraction
Works on Sites Speechify Can't Handle
Speechify struggles with Kindle Cloud Reader, WeRead, Notion, and Google Docs. CastReader has dedicated extractors for 15+ platforms — handling canvas rendering, font encryption, and complex DOM structures.
Real-Time Highlighting
Paragraph-Level Highlighting + Auto-Scroll
Both Speechify and CastReader highlight text as it's read. CastReader highlights at paragraph level with automatic scrolling — click any paragraph to jump there instantly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Switching from Speechify to CastReader
Is CastReader really free? What's the catch?
No catch. CastReader uses the open-source Kokoro TTS model. There's no API cost, so there's no reason to charge. Unlimited usage, all features, forever free.
How does voice quality compare to Speechify?
CastReader uses the Kokoro TTS model which produces natural, expressive voices in 40+ languages. Many users find it comparable to Speechify's premium voices. Try it yourself — it's free.
Does CastReader have a mobile app?
Currently CastReader is a Chrome/Edge browser extension. For mobile, you can use the OpenClaw AI agent integration — send a URL via Telegram and get MP3 audio back.
Can I import my Speechify library?
CastReader works differently — it reads web pages directly rather than saving to a library. Open any page, click the extension icon, and it starts reading. No import needed.
Does it work on PDFs and ebooks?
Yes. CastReader works on PDFs opened in the browser, Kindle Cloud Reader, and EPUB files. It also has dedicated extractors for Google Docs, Notion, and more.
Start Listening Now
Completely free. No signup. No limits. Install and start listening.