Compare · Paper-to-audio app
Aethel Audio vs Paper2Audio
Paper2Audio turns PDFs, papers and web pages into audio and, according to its own listing, describes maths, code and tables in plain language instead of reading them symbol by symbol. Aethel takes the other approach: it reads each equation as maths, in full, and keeps the printed formula on screen. A summary is easier on the ear and is enough to follow the story of a paper. The full reading is what you need when you have to know exactly what the equation says. Paper2Audio has a free tier; Aethel adds textbooks, translation and study tools.
Last reviewed 11 November 2026. Paper2Audio is a product of Paper2Audio; this page is not affiliated with or endorsed by Paper2Audio. Something out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.
Side by side
What it is
Paper2Audio: An app that turns papers, PDFs, ebooks and web pages into audio
Aethel: A study reader for technical books and research papers
Equations
Paper2Audio: Described in plain language rather than read symbol by symbol, per its store listing
Aethel: Read in full as maths (powers, subscripts, fractions, sums), with the printed formula on screen
Figures and tables
Paper2Audio: Summarised in the narration, per its store listing
Aethel: Kept beside the paragraph that cites them, with a spoken description
Following the text
Paper2Audio: Listening is the focus
Aethel: Every sentence highlighted as it is read; tap a sentence to continue from it
Study tools
Paper2Audio: Focus is on listening
Aethel: Ask about a passage, review cards, highlights exported as Markdown
Translation
Paper2Audio: Not a documented focus
Aethel: Chapters translated into 17 languages and narrated in the translation
Where it runs
Paper2Audio: Web, iOS and Android
Aethel: Web app on any device, installable, with offline downloads
Price
Paper2Audio: See Paper2Audio's current prices
Aethel: Free: 5 books and 1 hour of narration. Pro Reader $4.99/month (6 h, standard voices). Pro $9.99/month (12 h, ElevenLabs voices). Yearly plans save about two months. All plans
Choose Paper2Audio if…
- • You want the gist of each equation, not its full reading.
- • You want to try listening to papers on a free tier.
- • You prefer a native mobile app.
Choose Aethel if…
- • You need to hear exactly what each equation says.
- • You study from textbooks as well as papers.
- • You want to ask questions, make review cards or translate a chapter.
Test it on your hardest page
The fairest comparison is your own material. Import the same maths-heavy chapter into both and listen to a page with equations. Here is what Aethel says for a classic:
Attention(Q, K, V) = softmax(QKᵀ / √dₖ)V
Aethel says
Attention of Q, K, V equals softmax of the quantity Q K transpose over the square root of d sub k, times V
Vaswani et al., “Attention Is All You Need”, NeurIPS 2017, equation 1
Questions
Summary or full reading: which should I choose?
For skimming many papers, a summary of each equation keeps the audio moving. For a paper you will build on, or a textbook you are examined on, you need the equation itself: hear it in full, then look at it on screen.
Can I use both?
Yes. They suit different passes: a quick listen to decide whether a paper matters, then a careful one with the maths intact.
Other comparisons
Hear your own book this way.
Free to start: five books and an hour of narration, no card needed.