Read Aloud review

Read Aloud from LSD Software is a free, open-source extension that reads the web page you are on with one click. Its Chrome Web Store listing says it helps people who prefer listening, including children learning to read and readers with dyslexia or other learning disabilities. It supports more than 40 languages and uses the voices your browser already has, with optional cloud voices from Google WaveNet, Amazon Polly, IBM Watson, Microsoft Azure and OpenAI that may need an in-app purchase or your own API key. Beyond regular pages it reads PDFs, Google Docs, Google Play Books and Kindle in the browser. Keyboard shortcuts start and stop playback, and options cover voice, speed, pitch, text highlighting, font size and dark mode. It is a good fit for Chromebooks, which many school users have. The 3.8 star rating is lower than other picks here, and there is no library for saving articles.

Who it is for

Chromebook and Chrome users who want a free, simple page reader.

Price

Free with browser voices; some cloud voices need an in-app purchase or your own API key.

Cloud-based voices may require additional in-app purchase or bringing your own API key to enable.
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 9, 2026.

Key features

• Reads the current article with one click or a keyboard shortcut
• Supports 40+ languages
• Browser voices plus optional cloud voices from Google, Amazon, IBM, Microsoft and OpenAI
• Reads PDF, Google Docs, Google Play Books and Kindle in the browser
• Optional text highlighting, font size and dark mode

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Free and open source
• Strength: About 6 million Chrome Web Store users
• Strength: Works on Chromebooks, where many apps here do not
• Weakness: 3.8 average rating, lower than other picks
• Weakness: No saved library or offline queue
• Weakness: Best voices may cost extra

Key facts

• Platforms: Chrome, Firefox, Edge
• Users: 6,000,000 on Chrome Web Store
• Languages: 40+
• Shortcuts: ALT-P, ALT-O, ALT-Comma, ALT-Period
• Rating: 3.8 from about 3,700 ratings

Where it ranks

Read Aloud is No. 9 in our Best Text to Speech Apps verdict.