Free PDF speed reader
Drop a PDF into Grimoire and read it one word at a time with RSVP speed reading. It's free, it works in your browser, and the file itself is never uploaded.
How to speed read a PDF
- Open Grimoire and press the yellow Drop text / PDF button at the top left.
- Drag your PDF onto the window, or click to browse for it. EPUB books and plain text files work the same way.
- Press Play (or the space bar). Use the arrow keys or the speed buttons to go faster or slower.
Grimoire remembers where you stopped, so you can close the tab and pick up later from the Library.
It cleans the PDF up for reading
PDFs are built for printing, not for reading straight through, so a naive text dump is full of interruptions. Grimoire tidies the text before you read it:
- Hyphenated words are rejoined when a word was split across a line break.
- Running headers and page numbers are removed, so the book's title doesn't flash past on every page.
- Lines are reflowed into paragraphs, so pauses fall where the author put them.
- Chapters come from the PDF's own outline when it has one — jump between them with the Chapters panel or the [ and ] keys.
Your file stays on your device
The PDF is read inside your browser; the file itself is never uploaded. Your library, reading positions, highlights and notes are stored in your browser too. If you sign in with Pro, Your Library is also kept in your account — the document's text, not the file — so it's there on any device. See the privacy policy for exactly what is and isn't collected.
More than a PDF viewer
- Full-text and book views — see the whole page, or a two-page spread you can turn with a swipe.
- Highlights, notes and sticky notes — select text to highlight it in four colours, bold or italicise it, attach notes, and pin margin notes with arrows.
- Reading-friendly fonts, including dyslexia-friendly faces such as OpenDyslexic, Lexend and Atkinson Hyperlegible.
Free and Pro
The free reader handles any PDF at up to 475 words per minute and reads the first 5,000 words of each document — a long article or a chapter. Grimoire Pro removes the length limit so you can read whole books, goes up to 2,000 words per minute, and unlocks every setting.
Questions people ask
Can I speed read a scanned PDF?
Only if the PDF has a text layer. A scan that is just page images contains no text for the reader to show; run it through OCR software first.
Is the PDF uploaded anywhere?
No. Grimoire opens the file inside your browser. If you sign in with Pro, the extracted text is saved to Your Library in your account so you can read it on other devices; the PDF file itself is never uploaded.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. Grimoire runs in mobile browsers, and book view supports swiping to turn pages.
How long a PDF can I read for free?
The free version reads the first 5,000 words of any document and tells you how much is left. Pro has no limit.