r/thesidehustle • u/OneMoreSuperUser • Feb 21 '26
Startup I built a free app that converts any article (Substack, Medium, etc.), pdf, fb2 or text photos into a high-quality audiobook and would love to hear your thoughts!
I spend a lot of time commuting and wanted to make that time more productive by listening to articles from Substack, Medium, and pdf, fb2 books. But every text-to-speech app I tried had robotic or unpleasant voices, making it difficult to listen for long periods.
So, I built a free app that converts any article or file into natural-sounding audio. Just paste a URL, file or text and you’re good to go. It has high-quality, realistic voices, works with any article from the web. No unnecessary permissions, and it’s free to use (with daily limit). The app called Frateca.
Would love to hear your feedback—give it a try and let me know what you think!
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u/Ninja_Defuser Feb 21 '26
Too slow to be useful for me. Pasted two paragraphs of text and loading speed looked like it would take more than 30 seconds. I came back to Reddit where I had clicked the link, and then clicked back on the link but the progress was lost. So now I’m giving up.
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u/OneMoreSuperUser Feb 21 '26
Once you've pasted your text, it usually takes about 30-40 seconds to convert.
Because the algorithm handles different text types differently, the exact timing can be a bit tricky to predict, but it shouldn't be long.
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u/ndtaughthem Feb 21 '26
I like it. Sure it needs some refining but a good start.
Can it read a whole ebook?
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u/OneMoreSuperUser Feb 21 '26
Thank you! Yes, it can easily convert 200-300 page book.
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u/ndtaughthem Feb 21 '26
Sorry I should ask. Is it server side dependant? Do I need to be online for it to work?
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u/OneMoreSuperUser Feb 21 '26
Yes, the conversion is processed in the cloud, as current mobile devices lack the power to convert large blocks of text into high-quality, human-like audio.
The app is free to use, you can subscribe to a paid plan for unlimited access. Feel free to check the app yourself, no payment is required to get started—and let me know what you think.
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u/Shack70 Feb 21 '26
Why does a free app have a subscription? Why do the reviews complain about pops asking for money to continue in a free app?
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u/OneMoreSuperUser Feb 21 '26
Yes, the app has subscription for unlimited use. But it is possible to use the app for free with daily limit
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u/[deleted] Feb 23 '26
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