About NaturalReader
NaturalReader's Chrome extension is the browser end of a wider service that includes a web app and mobile apps. It reads web pages, Google Docs, PDFs, emails and Kindle books aloud.
Its selling points are listening comfort and reach. The listing says its reader skips page headers, footers, citations, captions and URLs, and offers an immersive mode that removes distractions. There are more than 150 voices in over twenty languages, split into free, premium and plus tiers, with paid users getting unlimited use of the top voices. One account covers the extension, web app and mobile app.
The cautions are plain. The extension is only in the Chrome Web Store, so there is no Firefox or Safari version. The better voices are a paid upgrade, and it is a commercial service rather than open source. The listing says the developer does not sell data, but its privacy policy is general and does not spell out how text read in the extension is handled, so treat the AI voices as a cloud service and avoid confidential documents. Rated 4.1 on Chrome, it is solid rather than outstanding, and a fair alternative to Speechify.
Pros and cons
- Reads web pages, Kindle books, Google Docs, PDFs and email
- Free tier, with free, premium and plus voice levels
- Skips headers, footers and citations for smoother listening
- Same account works in its web and mobile apps
- The extension is only in the Chrome Web Store (no Firefox or Safari version)
- Best voices need a paid plan
- Privacy policy is generic and says little about extension text
Permissions
It asks for access to all websites so it can read the page you choose, plus tabs, scripting, web navigation, storage and text-to-speech permissions. Its Chrome listing declares that it handles personally identifiable information.
