Thorium Reader
A free desktop reader built by accessibility people: ebooks, PDFs and text-to-speech, with no account or ad slot.
Technical Profile & Specs
verified 2026-08-11
- Cost
- $0 / forever (Open Source)
- License
- BSD-3-Clause
- Hosting Model
- Local (on your machine)
- Platforms
- desktopone-click install
- Installation
- Install from Microsoft Store or use the official Windows installer, macOS build, AppImage or Debian package
- Operational Setup
- A corresponding operating-system voice pack must be installed for any missing language
- Where Your Data Lives
- Imported publications in Thorium's local application-data publications directory; bookmarks/highlights in local state and a dedicated SQLite notes database in recent versions
- The Catch / Trade-off
- Read-aloud is EPUB-focused and does not work for PDFs, a major limitation beside NaturalReader's document coverage.
Replaces 2 paid apps
up to $42.90/mo ($515/yr) in subscriptions
Thorium Reader FAQ
Common questions
Is Thorium Reader free and open source?+
Thorium Reader is an open-source tool licensed under BSD-3-Clause that runs on local. A free desktop reader built by accessibility people: ebooks, PDFs and text-to-speech, with no account or ad slot.
What paid software does Thorium Reader replace?+
Thorium Reader serves as a free replacement for 2 paid SaaS applications: NaturalReader, Speechify, saving up to $42.90/month ($515/year) in subscription bills.
How do you install and set up Thorium Reader?+
Installation: Install from Microsoft Store or use the official Windows installer, macOS build, AppImage or Debian package. Setup notes: A corresponding operating-system voice pack must be installed for any missing language
What is the catch or trade-off with Thorium Reader?+
Read-aloud is EPUB-focused and does not work for PDFs, a major limitation beside NaturalReader's document coverage.