Comparison
Aloud vs Scroll: which Mac read-aloud app fits you?
Scroll is a $49 Mac app for macOS 26 Tahoe that watches what you scroll, explains and summarises the page in a voice, highlights key lines and lets you ask questions about the screen. Aloud is $19 once per Mac and reads the text itself, word for word with a highlight, from any app on macOS 14 or later. If you want an AI that explains dense documents as you skim, start with Scroll.
Updated 30 October 2026.
At a glance
| Aloud | Scroll | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19 once per Mac, no subscription | $49 once, license for up to three Macs, updates included |
| Requirements | macOS 14; Kokoro needs Apple silicon and macOS 15 | macOS 26 Tahoe or later |
| What it does | Reads the text aloud, word for word | Explains and summarises as you scroll (Look), voice Q&A about the screen (Ask), or reads body text (Read Aloud) |
| Voices | Apple voices, Kokoro on device (eight English voices), your own ElevenLabs/Cartesia key | Cloud voices with your own OpenAI API key, or the system voice in local-only mode |
| Selected text in any app | Control-Option-S or Services menu | Select and press Command-C to explain a passage |
| Scanned PDFs and screenshots | On-device OCR (Control-Option-O) | Vision OCR for scanned PDFs and on-screen text |
| Web articles | Front tab of Safari, Chrome, Edge, Brave with one shortcut | Safari and Chrome pages, skipping menus and sidebars |
| Highlight | Word-by-word highlight with click-to-seek | Briefly marks key words, phrases and lines on the page |
| Export audio | .m4a | Not stated |
| Privacy | No account; no analytics or telemetry in the app | Local-only mode keeps everything on the Mac; app exclusion list and redaction before cloud calls |
Scroll details from getscrollapp.com and getscrollapp.com/read-aloud-mac, checked 30 October 2026. They change; check before you choose.
Explaining vs reading
Scroll is an AI reading layer: in Look mode it narrates a gist when you scroll fast and goes deeper when you slow down, and in Ask mode you talk to it about the page. Aloud does not summarise or answer questions. It reads the words that are there, at the speed you set, and highlights each one so you can follow along or click to jump.
Which Macs
Scroll needs macOS 26 Tahoe. Aloud runs on macOS 14 Sonoma and later, including Intel Macs with Apple voices; the Kokoro voice needs Apple silicon and macOS 15.
Voices and keys
Scroll's cloud narration uses your own OpenAI API key, billed by OpenAI; its local-only mode uses Apple's on-device models and the system voice. Aloud uses Apple voices and Kokoro on your Mac with no key, and ElevenLabs or Cartesia only if you add your own key.
PDFs, scans and articles
Both read PDFs, scanned pages and web articles. Aloud also drops running headers, footers and page numbers, rejoins hyphenated words, and can save any reading as an .m4a file.
Who should pick which
Scroll if you are on macOS 26 and want an AI to explain and answer questions about contracts, reports and papers as you skim, on up to three Macs. Aloud if you want any text in any app read word for word on a shortcut, with a highlight to follow, audio export and no account, for $19.
Questions
Is Scroll better than Aloud?
For explaining dense reports, contracts and papers as you skim, and asking questions about the screen, Scroll does things Aloud does not. Aloud is better if you want the exact text read word for word with a highlight, on macOS 14 or later, with .m4a export, for $19.
What is a Scroll alternative for Mac?
Aloud ($19 once per Mac, macOS 14 or later) or the built-in Speak Selection.
Does Scroll work on macOS Sonoma or Sequoia?
No. Scroll says it requires macOS 26 Tahoe or later. Aloud runs on macOS 14 Sonoma or later; its Kokoro voice needs Apple silicon and macOS 15.
Does Scroll need an OpenAI API key?
Only for cloud narration, which Scroll bills through your own OpenAI key. Its local-only mode uses Apple's on-device models and the system voice with no key. Aloud needs no key for Apple or Kokoro voices; an ElevenLabs or Cartesia key is optional.
How much do Scroll and Aloud cost?
Scroll is a one-time $49 purchase with a license for up to three Macs. Aloud is $19 once per Mac. Neither is a subscription.
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