Microsoft Edge Read Aloud review

Microsoft Edge has read-aloud built in, which makes it a sensible free choice for anyone who reads articles on a Windows PC. Open Settings and more, choose Read aloud, or right-click selected text and pick Read aloud selection. Microsoft says it offers a variety of natural-sounding voices and accents, and it works offline with a smaller set of voices. For cluttered news sites, press F9 to open Reading mode, which strips ads and sidebars and remembers your theme, spacing and font choices, a help for readers with dyslexia or low vision. Read aloud also runs in the Edge apps for iOS and Android, though Reading mode itself is desktop only. The limits are clear: it works only inside Edge, cannot import PDFs into a library the way dedicated apps do, and some Copilot extras vary by market.

Who it is for

Windows and Mac users who read articles in a browser and want a free option.

Price

Included free with Microsoft Edge (USD check pending).

US price check pending. See the vendor pricing page.

Key features

• Reads a whole page or just the selected text
• Natural-sounding voices and accents in many languages
• Reading mode removes ads, sidebars and clutter
• Works offline with a smaller set of voices
• Available in Edge on desktop, iOS and Android

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Free and already installed on most Windows PCs
• Strength: Reading mode remembers your theme, spacing and fonts
• Strength: No account needed for the core features
• Weakness: Only works inside the Edge browser
• Weakness: Few voices offline
• Weakness: Reading mode is not available on Edge mobile

Key facts

• Platforms: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
• Offline: Yes, with fewer voices
• Reading mode: Windows 10, Windows 11, macOS, Edge 149+
• Shortcut: F9 opens Reading mode
• Price: Included with Edge

Where it ranks

Microsoft Edge Read Aloud is No. 8 in our Best Text to Speech Apps verdict.