Free Tool · No Signup for 3 Books
Free PDF reader with text to speech
Upload any PDF and listen to it with sentence-sync highlighting. Built for textbooks, research papers, and articles you've been meaning to read.
FocusReader is a free, browser-based PDF reader with text-to-speech built in. Upload any PDF up to 80 MB, hit Listen, and it reads aloud with the active sentence highlighted on the page in sync — no install, no signup for the first three uploads. It uses your browser's built-in voices (Google voices on Chrome, Apple neural voices on Safari) so there's zero API cost and the audio quality is genuinely good. The reading surface around the audio is tuned for ADHD and dyslexia readers: anchor emphasis on every word, a line-ruler that dims peripheral text, page-flip mode (no infinite scroll), and 15-minute pomodoro sprints with streak tracking. Free plan covers 3 lifetime PDFs with every feature included. Pro is $4.99/month for unlimited uploads — roughly 1/28th the price of Speechify Premium at $139/year.
Listen to your first PDF — free
No credit card. No software install. Works in any browser.
Upload a PDF →What you get
Sentence-sync highlighting
The active sentence highlights as it speaks. Pause, resume at the exact word, anywhere.
Browser-native voices
Google on Chrome, Apple neural on iOS/Safari, Microsoft on Edge. Free, fast, no quota.
PDF up to 80 MB
Big textbooks, research papers, scanned chapters — all fit.
Anchor emphasis
Bionic-style first-letter bolding on every word for steadier visual fixation.
Line ruler
Current line stays at full opacity; everything else dims. One line at a time.
Pomodoro sprints
15-minute focus blocks with streak tracking. Calibrated for ADHD attention.
Cross-device sync
Start on your phone in line. Continue on your laptop. Position carries over.
Private storage
Files in your own scoped Cloudflare R2 bucket. Not shared, not used for training.
How it works
- Step 1: Open focusreader.xyz in any browser and sign up free (or use one of the 3 free books without an account).
- Step 2: Drag and drop your PDF, or click to upload. Up to 80 MB.
- Step 3: Wait ~10-20 seconds while we parse the text + extract images.
- Step 4: Hit the Audio button (bottom HUD). Pick a voice, adjust speed, hit play.
- Step 5: Listen while the sentence highlights, or read along, or both.
How this compares to other PDF TTS tools
| Tool | Free tier | Paid price | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|
| FocusReader | 3 PDFs, all features | $4.99/mo unlimited | Reading + listening for ADHD/dyslexia |
| Speechify | Limited | ~$139/year | Listening, AI voices |
| NaturalReader | 20 min/day | $9.99/mo | Document TTS conversion |
| Voice Dream Reader | No | $19.99 one-time iOS | iOS power-user TTS |
| Adobe Acrobat Read Out Loud | Yes | — | Basic robotic TTS |
Who this is for
- Students reading dense PDFs who absorb material better through paired audio + text than silent reading alone
- Researchers getting through a stack of papers — use RSVP for dense sections, read-aloud for tired-eye sections
- ADHD readers who can't sit and silent-read for long but can sustain attention with audio carrying them forward
- Dyslexic readers for whom the multi-modal pairing of sound + highlighted text is more comprehensible than text alone
- Anyone with a backlog of PDFs they've been meaning to read but never start
Frequently asked questions
Is this PDF text-to-speech free?
Yes. Free for 3 lifetime PDF uploads with every feature included — including text-to-speech using your browser's built-in voices. No credit card required. Pro is $4.99/month for unlimited uploads.
What's the maximum PDF size?
Up to 80 MB per PDF. Large textbooks and research papers fit comfortably. Files are parsed and stored privately in your Cloudflare R2 bucket, scoped to your account.
Does the read-aloud sync with the text?
Yes. The active sentence is highlighted on the page as it's spoken, in real time. Pause anywhere and resume at the exact word. This multi-modal pairing (sound + sight) is one of the most reliable supports for dyslexic and ADHD readers.
What voices does it use?
Your browser's built-in voices — Google voices on Chrome, Apple neural on iOS/macOS Safari, Microsoft on Edge. High-quality natural voices that work offline once loaded, with zero API cost.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes — on any modern mobile browser. Pinch-to-zoom is explicitly enabled. Reading position syncs across devices.
How does this compare to Speechify?
Speechify is audio-first with premium AI voices at $139/year. FocusReader is reading-first with free read-aloud using browser-native voices, at $4.99/month for unlimited. For pure listening with premium voice quality, Speechify wins. For reading with TTS as one of several focus aids, FocusReader is built for that use case at 1/28th the price.
Related: best reading apps for ADHD · 7 Speechify alternatives · FocusReader for students · for researchers