List of screen readers
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This is a comparison of some screen reader programs.
Current screen readers
| Screen reader | Creator | Supported platforms | License | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRLTTY | The BRLTTY Team | Unix-like, Windows console, DOS, Android | Free and open source (GPL2) | Available to download; part of most Linux distributions |
| ChromeVox | ChromeOS or, with a speech processor, Linux, Mac, Windows | Free | ChromeVox is a screen reader for Chrome and ChromeOS. The is in maintenance-only mode. The has more information on the transition to the version bundled with ChromeOS. | |
| Emacspeak | T. V. Raman | Emacs (on Unix-like systems) | Free and open source | Turns Emacs into a "complete audio desktop". |
| iZoom | Issist | Windows | Commercial | Screen magnifier with low-vision speech capabilities. Includes support for Mozilla Firefox. |
| JAWS | Freedom Scientific | Windows and DOS | Commercial for Windows; freeware for DOS | Includes support for MSAA, the Java Access Bridge, and PDF. |
| Microsoft Narrator | Microsoft | Windows | Free, Commercial | Bundled with recent versions of Windows, this basic screen reader makes use of MSAA. |
| All that run Chrome browser | Free | Microsurf is a screen reader for Chrome | ||
| NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA) | NonVisual Desktop Access project | Windows | Free and open source (GPL2) | Programmed and scriptable in Python. Supports Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Word, Excel and Outlook Express, and Mozilla Thunderbird. Supports web content using JavaScript. Supports Java Access Bridge. IAccessible2 is supported. |
| Orca | GNOME | Unix-like | Free and open source ( LGPL 2.1) | The development of Orca was started by Sun Microsystems as part of the GNOME project with contributions from many community members, but since Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems in 2010, Orca turned into a completely community-driven project. It supports AT-SPI, so it works with the GNOME desktop, Mozilla Firefox/Thunderbird, OpenOffice/LibreOffice and GTK+, KDE/Qt and Java Swing/SWT applications. Though it is developed by the GNOME project, it is the most popular screen reader for Unix like systems with graphical environments other than GNOME, like KDE or Unity. |
| PC-Talker | Kochi System Development | Windows | Commercial | Japanese screen reader. Supports MSAA and Flash. |
| PCVoz | EzHermatic | Windows | Commercial | Available to buy or download trial. Supports MSAA. |
| (formerly Supernova) | Dolphin Computer Access | Windows | Commercial | Includes a screen magnifier and output to Braille devices. 30 day free trial available for download. Supports MSAA, the Java Access Bridge, and PDF. |
| Simply Talker | EcoNet International | Windows | Commercial | Trial download available. |
| TalkBack | Android 1.6+ | Open Source | Use with SoundBack and kickback | |
| TalkButton | Upward Spiral Software | Mac | Commercial | TalkButton works together with Microsoft Word to create an extensive text-to-speech environment. Features include highlighting of spoken text and keyboard echo. Trial version available. |
| Text to Speech | SpeakComputers.com | Windows | Freeware | A free program that converts written text into spoken words or even written text into MP3 files. Seven programs: Text to speech: Reader, Web browser, Mini Clipboard reader, Image Presentation, Appointment Reminder, Speaking Clock, Parental Controls |
| Thunder ScreenReader | Sensory Software | Windows | Freeware | Last update 2015. Supports MSAA. |
| VoiceOver | Apple Inc. | Mac OS X, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, iPods, and Apple TV | Free, Commercial | Free and included with any Apple product. No installation or setup required. Available in over 30 language voices, which are also included for free. See Apple Accessibility for more information. |
| VoiceView | Amazon | Fire OS | Free, Commercial | Included with Amazon Fire tablets |
| WebAnywhere | University of Washington | Web | Free and Open Source (new BSD) | Does not require any software installation to run so can be used at any public terminal that has sound available. Works on any platform. |
| WinZoom | Clarity | Windows | Commercial | Screen reader with magnifier. USB version does not require any installation and can be used on any public computer. |
| Screen Access for All | National Association for the Blind, New Delhi | Windows | Open source | Last update: 2004 |
| ZoomText | Freedom Scientific, formerly Ai Squared | Windows | Commercial | Includes a screen magnifier. Trial download available. |
| Screen reader | Creator | Supported platforms | License | Notes |
Discontinued and/or obsoleted screen readers
| Screen reader | Creator | Supported platforms | License | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 95Reader | SSCT | Windows | Commercial | Japanese screen reader; latest version (ver. 6.0, release date unknown) has specific support for Internet Explorer 6 and Macromedia Flash 6, so seems obsolete and its availability seems unlikely to change. |
| ASAP (Automatic Screen Access Program) | MicroTalk | DOS | Commercial | |
| ASAW (Automatic Screen Access for Windows) | MicroTalk | Windows | Commercial | |
| Blindows | BAUM Retec (formerly Audiodata) | Windows | Commercial | Substituted by COBRA |
| COBRA | BAUM Retec | Windows | Commercial | Supports Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA) and the Java Access Bridge. |
| DRACULA family | Eurobraille | Windows | Commercial | |
| Enable Reader Professional Speech System | Enable Talking Software | DOS | Uncertain | |
| Enhanced PC Talking Program | Computer Conversations | DOS | Uncertain | |
| Gnopernicus | GNOME | Unix-like | Free and open source (LGPL 2) | It was developed by BAUM Engineering, a partner company of Baum Retec AG. Used to be bundled with GNOME, but it was replaced by Orca in GNOME 2.16. Included a screen magnifier. It supported AT-SPI. |
| HAL | Dolphin Computer Access | Windows, DOS | Commercial | Windows version was superseded by Supernova (later renamed to ScreenReader) |
| HT Reader | HT Visual | Windows | Commercial | Included support for MSAA and PDF. Disappeared from the price list of HT Visual, absolutely no other sign of it being available |
| Leitor de Telas | MC / CPqD | Windows | Free | Brazilian Portuguese screen reader. MSAA support. Latest info about it is from December 2007 |
| Linux Screen Reader (LSR) | GNOME | Unix-like | Free and open source (New BSD License) | It was an alternative screen reader to Orca led by IBM started in 2006. However, it was ceased in 2007 when IBM focused their resources in other projects. It supported AT-SPI. |
| LookOUT | Choice Technology | Windows | Commercial | Was also available integrated with a screen magnifier. Last mention of it is from 2003. |
| Mercator/UltraSonix | Georgia Institute of Technology | X Window System/Linux | Educational, Non-commercial | More information at Georgia Tech's College of Computing and (1994) by W. Keith Edwards and Elizabeth D. Mynatt. |
| Evaluera Ltd. | All that run Chrome browser | Free and open source (Apache 2.0) | No announcement about discontinuation. Last updated in 2014 and not available in the Chrome Web Store anymore. | |
| Model T Reader | Dolphin Computer Access | DOS | Freeware | |
| Pocket Hal | Dolphin Computer Access | Windows Mobile PDA and PDA Phones | Commercial | |
| PROVOX | Kansys, Inc. | DOS | Uncertain | |
| Screen Reader | Research Centre for the Education of the Visually Handicapped (RCEVH) | BBC Micro and NEC portable | ||
| Screen Reader/2 | IBM | OS/2 | Commercial | |
| Smart Hal | Dolphin Computer Access | Windows Mobile and WM Smartphone | Commercial | |
| Soft Vert | TeleSensory Systems | DOS | Commercial | |
| SUSE-Blinux | Novell | Linux | Free and open source | |
| System Access | Serotek | Windows | Commercial | Trial download available. Supports Microsoft Internet Explorer (including DHTML/Ajax and Flash), Outlook Express, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Skype, and Adobe Reader. No support for Java yet. |
| Talks & Zooms | Nuance Communications | Symbian OS Series 60 3rd and 5th Ed and Symbian 3 | Commercial | Presentation and free trial version to be found on the site. The discontinuation of Symbian OS in 2013 made this obsolete. |
| All Platforms: Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, iPhone, iPad, iPods, Windows, Android etc.. | Free | TeleTender is a voice communication platform for sight impaired people, embedded with a cloud based screen reader. Users can interact with any web pages on the internet by issuing voice commands over the phone. To use it, just dial one of its access . | ||
| Tinytalk | OMS Development | DOS and perhaps Windows | SHARE WARE | |
| Virgo | BAUM Retec AG | Windows | Commercial | Substituted by COBRA. |
| Window Bridge | Syntha-voice Computers (now out of business) | Windows | Commercial | |
| Window-Eyes | GW Micro (merged with AI Squared in 2014, acquired by VFO Group, later Vispero, in 2016) | Windows | Commercial | As of 2017, no longer available for sale. |
| WinVision | Artic Technologies | Windows | Commercial | Not officially discontinued, but there has been no further release since 1997. |
| Screen reader | Creator | Supported platforms | License | Notes |
Software aids for people with reading difficulties
- Automatik Text Reader from Davide Baldini (Firefox extension)
- Balabolka from Ilya Morozov
- BrowseAloud from Texthelp Systems Inc
- Capture Assistant from Renovation Software
- ClaroRead from Claro Software
- Claro ScreenRuler Suite from Claro Software
- ClickHear from gh LLC
- ClickHear Mobile from gh LLC
- ClipSpeak (last update: 2009) from Daniel Innala Ahlmark
- EasyTutor from Dolphin Computer Access
- EnVision: basic multi-featured Windows accessibility tool
- Kurzweil 1000 (for the visually impaired) and Kurzweil 3000-firefly (for those with reading or writing difficulty) from Kurzweil Educational Systems
- Penfriend from Penfriend Ltd
- ReadHear from gh LLC
- ReadSpeaker from ReadSpeaker Holding B.V.
- Read & Write from TextHelp Systems
- ReadPlease from ReadPlease Corporation
- Read:OutLoud from Don Johnston, Inc.
- Screen Reader from (no longer available, latest trial version can be obtained from other download sites)
- SodelsCot from Sodels Factory
- TextAloud from NextUp.com
- Ultra Hal TTS Reader from Zabaware, Inc.
- yRead from Spacejock Software