The best EPUB to audiobook apps for iPhone, compared
Last checked against each app's App Store page and website.
The best EPUB to audiobook app depends on what you need. Sandbook runs 41 on-device voices in six languages and has a sleep timer. Éist and Narraloud also use on-device voices. ElevenReader and Speechify offer the most voices and work across devices. CocoReader is English-only for iPhone, with word-by-word highlighting and 1,500+ free classics you can download in the app.
How we compared these apps
Every fact comes from each app's own App Store page or website, checked on 27 Oct 2026, with a link next to it. We haven't tested every app by hand. Where an app's own pages don't state something, the cell shows "—" (left out), never a guess. Paid tiers and their prices are as each app's App Store page listed them (US store) on 27 Oct 2026; prices change, so check each link. CocoReader is our app.
Comparison table
Scroll sideways to see every column. Each fact links to its source on the app's own App Store page or website.
| App | EPUB import | Where voices run / offline | Highlighting | Speed | Sleep timer | Screen locked / background | Voice languages | Devices | Min iOS | Books in the app |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audiobookify (App Store) | Yes, EPUB (plus txt, MD) (App Store) | On device; fully offline once a voice is downloaded (App Store) | Sentence by sentence (App Store) | Adjustable speaking speed (App Store) | Yes: "a more visible active sleep timer" (v1.6) (version notes) | Yes, background and lock-screen controls (App Store) | Supertonic 30+ languages, Kokoro English, plus Apple system voices (App Store) | iPhone, iPad (App Store) | 26.0 (App Store) | — |
| CocoReaderour app | Yes: import your EPUB. DRM-free EPUBs only; copy-protected Kindle or Apple Books files won't import | Voices run on your iPhone; works offline once your voice is downloaded; your imported books stay on your iPhone | Words highlight as they're read aloud. | 0.75x to 2x | — | Listen with the screen locked | English only | iPhone only | 26.2 | 1,500+ free classics you can download in the app (Standard Ebooks) |
| Éist (App Store · site) | Yes, EPUB and PDF (App Store) | On-device voices; offline once a voice is downloaded; optional Cloud Assist (App Store) | Word-by-word Read-along (App Store) | 0.5x–3.0x (App Store) | Yes (App Store) | Yes (App Store) | "Dozens of languages" across Kokoro, Piper, Supertonic (App Store) | iPhone, iPad; Android (App Store · site) | 17.0 (App Store) | Project Gutenberg browsing in app (App Store) |
| ElevenReader (App Store · site) | Yes, "PDF, doc, ePub, or article link" (App Store) | Offline listening: "download and listen anywhere" (App Store) | Text highlighting (App Store) | 0.25x–4x (App Store) | Yes (App Store) | Yes: "the audio will continue playing in the background while you use other apps… or lock your screen" (site blog) | 30+ languages (App Store); its website says 90+ (App Store · site) | iPhone, iPad; web, Android, Chrome extension (App Store · site) | 18.0 (App Store) | Audiobook catalogue plus classics (App Store) |
| Narraloud (App Store · site) | Yes, PDF, EPUB, Word (App Store) | On device; "narration works offline" (App Store) | Word by word (App Store) | Up to 3x, in quarter steps (version notes) | Yes (App Store) | Lock Screen playback controls (App Store) | Six named: English, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese (App Store · site) | iPhone, iPad (App Store) | 18.0 (App Store) | — |
| Sandbook (App Store · site) | Yes, DRM-free EPUB plus PDF, docx, TXT, RTF, MD, HTML (App Store · site) | On device (Kokoro model); "no internet connection needed" (App Store) | Each spoken word (App Store) | 0.5x–2.5x (App Store) | Yes: set time or end of chapter (App Store) | Yes (App Store) | 41 voices: American and British English, Spanish, French, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Hindi (App Store) | iPhone 12 or later, iPad with A14/M1 or later; Mac with M1 (App Store · site) | 18.2 (App Store) | Shelf of public-domain classics (App Store) |
| Speechify (App Store · site) | Yes, EPUB listed in supported formats (site) | On-device iOS voices or cloud voices, the user's choice (newsroom, 18 Dec 2025); offline listening by downloading converted audio (newsroom · site) | Word for word (App Store) | Adjustable with a speed slider, plus optional speed ramping (site help) | — | Yes: "Lock your phone and keep listening. Playback continues in the background" (iOS steps) (site blog) | 60+ languages (site) | iPhone, iPad; Android, Mac, Windows, web, Chrome extension (App Store · site) | 18.0 (App Store) | "Hundreds of timeless books", public-domain classics (App Store) |
| Voice Dream Reader (App Store · site) | Yes, DRM-free EPUB only (App Store) | "All voices work offline" (App Store) | Spoken word highlighted (App Store) | Adjustable: "Choose your voice and adjust the speed" (site) | — | Yes, plays in background with screen locked (App Store) | 36 iOS voices in 27 languages; 200+ more voices in 30 languages (App Store) | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch; Mac (App Store · site) | 15.0 (App Store) | Bookshare access (App Store) |
"—" means left out. For competitor apps, that's because their own App Store page and website don't state it (checked 27 Oct 2026); we don't fill gaps from reviews or other sites. Left out: Audiobookify: books in the app; Narraloud: books in the app; Speechify: sleep timer; Voice Dream Reader: sleep timer. Version notes are the app's own "What's New" text on its App Store page. Paid tiers are listed under each app below; prices change, so check each App Store link.
Which app is best for…
- Several languages and a sleep timer: Sandbook. It has 41 voices in American and British English, Spanish, French, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese and Hindi, and a sleep timer you set to a time or the end of a chapter. (App Store)
- Older iPhones and iOS versions: Voice Dream Reader needs iOS 15.0 or later, and Éist needs iOS 17.0 or later. (App Store · App Store)
- The most voices, and other devices: ElevenReader lists 30+ languages on its App Store page (90+ on its website) and runs on web, Android and a Chrome extension. Speechify lists 60+ languages and apps for Android, Mac, Windows, web and a Chrome extension. (App Store · site · site)
- Accessibility and Bookshare: Voice Dream Reader. Its App Store page lists Bookshare access and says it's "Optimized for VoiceOver, Braille and switch control". (App Store)
- Classics on a recent iPhone: CocoReader has 1,500+ free classics you can download in the app, and words highlight as they're read aloud. It needs iOS 26.2 or later.
The apps
Audiobookify
Audiobookify imports EPUB (plus txt and MD) and runs its voices on the device; its App Store page says it's fully offline once a voice is downloaded. It highlights sentence by sentence, has an adjustable speaking speed, a sleep timer, and background and lock-screen controls. Voices: Supertonic in 30+ languages, Kokoro in English, plus Apple system voices. iPhone and iPad, iOS 26.0 or later. (App Store · version notes)
CocoReader (our app)
CocoReader is our app. Import your EPUB; it works with DRM-free EPUBs only, and copy-protected Kindle or Apple Books files won't import. Where the voice runs: on your iPhone. CocoReader works offline once your voice is downloaded, and your imported books stay on your iPhone. Words highlight as they're read aloud, and you can set the speed from 0.75x to 2x. It has 1,500+ free classics you can download in the app, from Standard Ebooks. You can listen with the screen locked. Limits: iPhone only, iOS 26.2 or later, and English only.
Get CocoReader on the App Store (iOS 26.2 or later), see how to turn an EPUB into an audiobook on iPhone, read more about the CocoReader app, or browse more books you can listen to with CocoReader.
Éist
Éist imports EPUB and PDF and uses on-device voices that work offline once a voice is downloaded, with an optional Cloud Assist. It has word-by-word Read-along highlighting, 0.5x–3.0x speed, a sleep timer and screen-locked listening, and lists "dozens of languages" across Kokoro, Piper and Supertonic voices. It runs on iPhone and iPad from iOS 17.0, has an Android app per its website, and lets you browse Project Gutenberg in the app. (App Store · site)
Paid tier: Éist Premium. Its App Store page lists Premium Monthly and Eist Premium ($4.99 each), and Premium Annual and Eist Premium (Annual) ($33.99 each) as in-app purchases (checked 27 Oct 2026, US App Store). (App Store)
ElevenReader
ElevenReader imports a "PDF, doc, ePub, or article link" and offers offline listening ("download and listen anywhere"). It has text highlighting, 0.25x–4x speed and a sleep timer, and its website says audio keeps playing when you lock your screen. Its App Store page lists 30+ languages; its website says 90+. It runs on iPhone and iPad (iOS 18.0 or later), plus web, Android and a Chrome extension, with an audiobook catalogue plus classics. (App Store · site · site · site blog)
Paid tiers: ElevenReader Ultra and Plus. Its App Store page lists Ultra Monthly ($11.00), Ultra Annual ($99.00), Plus Monthly ($10.00) and Plus Annual ($96.00) as in-app purchases (checked 27 Oct 2026, US App Store). (App Store)
Narraloud
Narraloud imports PDF, EPUB and Word files and runs on the device; its App Store page says "narration works offline". It highlights word by word, goes up to 3x in quarter steps, has a sleep timer and Lock Screen playback controls, and names six languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese and Portuguese. iPhone and iPad, iOS 18.0 or later. (App Store · site · version notes)
Paid tier: Narraloud Plus. Its App Store page lists Weekly Plus ($2.99), Monthly Plus ($6.99), Yearly Plus ($49.99) and Lifetime Plus ($79.99) as in-app purchases (checked 27 Oct 2026, US App Store). (App Store)
Sandbook
Sandbook imports DRM-free EPUB plus PDF, docx, TXT, RTF, MD and HTML, and runs the Kokoro model on the device ("no internet connection needed"). It highlights each spoken word, runs 0.5x–2.5x, has a sleep timer you set to a time or the end of a chapter, and keeps playing with the screen locked. It has 41 voices in American and British English, Spanish, French, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese and Hindi. It needs an iPhone 12 or later (iOS 18.2), also runs on iPad with A14/M1 or later, and on Mac with M1 per its website, with a shelf of public-domain classics. (App Store · site)
Speechify
Speechify lists EPUB among its supported formats. Its newsroom says you can choose on-device iOS voices or cloud voices, and its website says you can listen offline by downloading converted audio. It highlights word for word, has a speed slider with optional speed ramping, and keeps playing with your phone locked. It lists 60+ languages and runs on iPhone and iPad (iOS 18.0 or later), Android, Mac, Windows, web and a Chrome extension, with "hundreds of timeless books" in the app. (App Store · site · newsroom · site help · site blog)
Paid tier: Speechify Premium. Its App Store page lists in-app purchases named Premium Monthly ($11.99 and $24.99), Premium ($139.99) and Speechify Premium ($159.99) (checked 27 Oct 2026, US App Store). (App Store)
Looking past Speechify? See Speechify alternatives for EPUB.
Voice Dream Reader
Voice Dream Reader imports DRM-free EPUB only, and its App Store page says "All voices work offline". It highlights the spoken word, lets you adjust the speed, and plays in the background with the screen locked. It has 36 iOS voices in 27 languages plus 200+ more voices in 30 languages, runs on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch from iOS 15.0 and on Mac per its website, and offers Bookshare access. (App Store · site)
Paid tier: Premium. Voice Dream Reader's App Store page lists in-app purchases named Premium ($79.99), Monthly Subscription ($4.99) and Annual Subscription ($39.99, $59.99 and $79.99) (checked 27 Oct 2026, US App Store). (App Store)
Switching from Voice Dream? See Voice Dream Reader alternatives.
What about Apple Speak Screen?
- Apple Speak Screen is built into iPhone. It reads all the text on your screen when you swipe down with two fingers from the top, and you can choose a voice and dialect, turn on Detect Languages, drag a speaking-rate slider and customise the highlight style. It doesn't import EPUB files, so you open the book in another app first. (Apple Support)
FAQ
What is the best app to turn an EPUB into an audiobook on iPhone?
It depends on what you need. For several languages and a sleep timer, Sandbook is a strong pick. For 1,500+ free classics you can download in the app and word-by-word highlighting on a recent iPhone, try CocoReader (iOS 26.2 or later).
Which EPUB to audiobook apps work offline?
Sandbook, Éist, Narraloud, Audiobookify and Voice Dream Reader say their voices work offline; some need a voice download first. CocoReader works offline once your voice is downloaded, its voices run on your iPhone, and your imported books stay on your iPhone. Speechify says it offers on-device iOS voices and offline listening through downloads, and ElevenReader offers offline listening through downloads, according to their own sites.
Which apps have a sleep timer?
According to their App Store pages, Sandbook, Éist, Narraloud, ElevenReader and Audiobookify have one.
Can I listen to EPUBs in languages other than English?
Yes, in most of these apps: Sandbook and Narraloud name six languages each, and Voice Dream Reader, ElevenReader, Speechify, Éist and Audiobookify list many more. CocoReader is English only.
Is Apple Speak Screen good enough for books?
Speak Screen is built into iPhone and reads all the text on your screen when you swipe down with two fingers, with a speaking-rate slider and highlighting. It doesn't import EPUB files, so you open the book in another app first.
Can these apps read Kindle or Apple Books purchases?
CocoReader works with DRM-free EPUBs only; copy-protected Kindle or Apple Books files won't import. Voice Dream Reader also says it supports DRM-free EPUBs only, and Sandbook says DRM-protected store books don't work, so use DRM-free EPUBs such as Standard Ebooks or Project Gutenberg titles.
DRM-free examples you can listen to: Pride and Prejudice, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, or more books you can listen to with CocoReader.
Related: Voice Dream Reader alternatives and Speechify alternatives for EPUB.