# Read Aloud: A Text to Speech Voice Reader

> Read out loud the current web-page article with one click. Supports 40+ languages.

Canonical page: [https://chrome-stats.com/d/read-aloud](https://chrome-stats.com/d/read-aloud)

## Overview

- **ID:** `read-aloud`
- **Platform:** Firefox
- **Type:** Firefox add-on
- **Status:** Available
- **Publisher:** LSD Software
- **Category:** feeds-news-blogging,appearance,language-support
- **Daily users:** 222,072
- **Weekly downloads:** 4,347
- **Rating:** 3.81 / 5 (1,280 ratings)
- **Version:** 1.81.1
- **Last updated:** 2026-02-20
- **First published:** 2018-03-19
- **Size:** 598 KB
- **Data as of:** 2026-09-14
- **Store listing:** [Firefox Add-ons Store](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/read-aloud/)
- **Website:** [https://readaloud.app](https://readaloud.app/)
- **Privacy policy:** [https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/read-aloud/privacy/](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/read-aloud/privacy/)

## Description

**Read Aloud: A Text to Speech Voice Reader** is a powerful Firefox extension designed to enhance your web browsing by reading any webpage article aloud. Just click a button and listen to content across over 40 languages, whether it's news, blogs, textbooks, or online courses. The extension offers a variety of male and female voices, adjustable pitch and reading speed, and supports popular document formats like PDF and EPUB.

Leveraging advanced AI technologies such as Google Wavenet and Amazon Polly, Read Aloud provides natural-sounding voices that bring text to life. Users can select native browser voices or premium cloud-based options, some requiring additional purchase. Ideal for individuals with dyslexia, learning disabilities, or those who prefer auditory learning, this tool offers multiple playback controls and ensures privacy by operating with minimal permissions and handling data securely.

## Rankings

- #76 — Overall
- #2 — Feeds, News & Blogging
- #4 — Language Support
- #6 — Appearance
- #1 — speech
- #1 — speech to text

## Permissions and access

### Permissions

- `activeTab`
- `menus`
- `identity`
- `storage`
- `https://translate.google.com/`

### Content script matches

- `piper.ttstool.com`
- `supertonic.ttstool.com`

## Safety

- **Risk impact:** Moderate risk impact
- **Risk likelihood:** Very low risk likelihood

### Analysis details

- Request access to the following domains: google.com, ttstool.com
- This extension was updated more than 6 months ago. Older versions are more likely to be stable and safe.

> Some risk analysis details are omitted from this free response. [Upgrade to view the full analysis](https://chrome-stats.com/pricing).

## Review summary

Many users praise the add-on for enabling TTS on web pages and as a helpful accessibility tool, but reliability is a major problem. It often fails to work, crashes, or stops partway through pages. When it does read aloud, the voice is robotic and the volume control is unreliable. Privacy concerns arise due to dependence on Google services and data sharing. Additional UX issues include needing to stay in the reading window and occasional incomplete text reading, with some users preferring Edge or built-in options.

### Pros

- Provides text-to-speech reading of web pages when functioning, enabling TTS in Firefox
- Useful accessibility aid for listening to content (e.g., when unable to read visually)
- Positive notes about TTS quality on open-source platforms

### Cons

- Reliability issues: frequently nonfunctional, with crashes or pages loading halfway
- Voice quality and volume control problems: robotic voice and volume often unresponsive (only mute at extreme left)
- Privacy/data concerns: reliance on Google services (Translate/TTS) and potential data sharing
- UX limitations: must stay in the reading window to continue; inconsistent full-text reading; not always reading entire content
- Perceived poor voice-fetching/implementation and redirects to Google pages

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Source: [Chrome-Stats](https://chrome-stats.com/d/read-aloud)