# Rafy vs WeAudition: An AI Reader or a Human Reader for Your Self-Tape?

> Rafy reads your sides with AI voices inside a self-tape app; WeAudition puts a live human reader on video chat. We judged both, and Offbook, on the same six points, with prices checked in November 2026. Our pick for most actors is Offbook.

- URL: https://www.offbook.com/blog/rafy-vs-weaudition
- Published: 2026-11-01
- Last updated: 2026-11-01

The sides arrived this afternoon, the tape is due tomorrow, and nobody you know is free to read. Rafy and WeAudition both solve that problem, in opposite ways. Rafy reads the other part with AI voices inside an app that also records your tape. WeAudition connects you with a live human reader over its own video chat, at any hour, and records your camera with the reader's audio.

That one difference, a voice or a person, decides most of what follows: how the scene sounds, how the timing works, what you set up, and what you pay. We judged both, and Offbook, on the same six questions, with prices checked in November 2026. Our pick for most actors is Offbook, where realistic voices read every other role and it listens for you to finish each line; the reasons are in the comparison below.

## How We Compared Them

A self-tape reader has one job: give you something real to answer, at the right moment, without pulling focus. These six questions decide whether it does that job the night before a deadline.

- **Who reads the other part?** A computer voice, a recording, or a live person.
- **How does it know it's your turn?** Listening for you, a timer, or a person who hears you.
- **How do your sides get in?** A PDF, a photo, typing, or nothing to set up.
- **How does the tape get made?** Recorded in the app, or on your own phone or camera.
- **Where does it run?** iPhone, Android, a laptop browser.
- **What does it cost?** The plan, how it is counted, and any extra fees.

## Offbook, Rafy, and WeAudition at a Glance

| App | Other part read by | Your turn | Sides in | The tape | Runs on | Price (US) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Offbook | Realistic voices for every role but yours | Listens and cues the next line when you finish; Strict, Lenient, or Manual | PDF, PNG, JPEG, or TXT; up to 50 pages a scene | Reads from your laptop while you film on your phone or camera | Laptop or desktop browser to rehearse; phone to listen | 7-day free trial; Starter $9.99/month, annual from $7.99/month |
| Rafy | AI text-to-speech voice for each character | Listens before it gives the next line | PDF, up to 7 pages a scene; lines can be typed in | Records in the app in HD or 4K, with slates | iOS, Android, web | Basic $9.99/month for 10 scenes; yearly from $99 |
| WeAudition | A live human reader on video chat | The reader hears you and answers | Not applicable (a person reads) | Records your camera with only the reader's audio | Computer browser, iPhone, iPad | Pro $14.99/month or $149/year; readers set their own fee |

## Each App on the Same Six Points

### Offbook

Offbook starts from your sides. You upload a PDF, a photo of the pages (PNG or JPEG), or a text file, and it sorts the pages into roles and lines. Pick your role, and realistic voices read every other character. Free and Starter cast from 12 voices; Pro and Premium cast from a larger catalog.

When you run the scene, Offbook plays the other lines, listens through your microphone while you say yours, and plays the next cue when it hears you finish. You can also press Enter or say "next line" to move on. Strict matching holds you close to the script, Lenient has a 0-100 slider, and Manual never moves on by itself. You can set the playback speed of the read lines and add custom pauses where a beat needs room.

For the tape itself, Offbook is the reader: it plays the other part from your laptop while your phone or camera films you. Before that, you can hide your lines, swap them for first-letter cues, or put your line large in the teleprompter, which highlights each word as you say it. You rehearse on your laptop with the full script on a big screen, and listen to your scenes on your phone anywhere.

**Price:** Starter is $9.99 a month, Pro $14.99, and Premium $29.99, with annual billing from $7.99 a month. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial, and students and educators get 50% off with a valid .edu email. **Best for:** actors who want a reader any hour of the day that listens for their line, with no lines to pre-record and no one to book.

### Rafy

[Rafy](https://rafy.app/support) is a self-tape app built around AI readers. You upload a PDF of your sides and choose the pages, up to 7 per scene, or enter the lines by hand. You give each character a text-to-speech voice, and Rafy listens before it gives the next line. If a line needs a particular rhythm, you can record it yourself and the reader copies your pace and delivery.

It records the tape in the same app, in HD or 4K, with a teleprompter that follows you, slates, and password-protected sharing for the finished tape, according to its [FAQ](https://rafy.app/faq.md). It runs on iOS, Android, and the web.

**Price:** Rafy counts scenes in tokens, one token per scene with unlimited takes. On its [home page](https://rafy.app/), Basic is $9.99 a month for 10 tokens, Plus $14.99 for 20, and Premium $24.99 for 50; yearly plans are $99, $149, and $249. **Best for:** actors who tape a set number of short scenes a month and want the reader and camera in one app.

### WeAudition

[WeAudition](https://www.weaudition.com/blog/support/faqs-for-non-members/) is a network of live human readers who read with you over WeAudition's own video chat, with readers available at any hour. You book a session of 15, 30, or 60 minutes, and you can extend it if you and the reader both agree.

You can record your own camera with only the reader's audio, and its ScriptScroll teleprompter follows your voice to keep your place in the sides, according to its [App Store listing](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/weaudition/id1524960910). It runs in a computer browser and on iPhone and iPad.

**Price:** Membership is $14.99 a month or $149 a year on its [pricing page](https://www.weaudition.com/pricing). On top of that, each reader sets their own fee (free, tips, or a set fee), paid to the reader directly, as its [member FAQ](https://www.weaudition.com/blog/support/faqs-for-members/) explains. **Best for:** actors who want a person on the other end for a particular take and are happy to book a session.

## An AI Reader or a Human Reader: What Casting Hears

This is the question under the comparison. Casting watches you, not the reader, but a bad reader still drags the scene down. The acting coach Joseph Pearlman's [advice on readers](https://josephpearlman.com/articles/2018/7/30/why-your-reader-can-make-or-break-your-self-tape-auditions) names the classic failures: a monotone, almost robotic read, whispering so quietly the scene is hard to hear, and doing different voices for each character.

Read that list again with each reader in mind. A human reader can fail every one of those ways, and a good one fails none of them. Pearlman prefers a capable actor who understands the scene over a roommate pulled off the couch. A computer voice doesn't get tired or distracted, and it won't do a funny voice for the second character.

The Broadway coach Kyle Branzel's [notes on working with a reader](https://kylebranzel.com/videos/working-with-a-reader-self-tapes) add a point that matters for any remote setup: lag on a call can throw off the timing of a scene, so he favors working in the same room when you can. Whichever reader you choose, run the scene once before you hit record and listen back for the gaps.

Branzel and Pearlman agree on one more thing: the reader's voice should sit under yours on the tape. Branzel puts the reader farther from the microphone; Pearlman tells a reader who needs to project to pull back from the camera and mic. With a voice from a laptop, that means turning the volume down until you are clearly the louder of the two.

**Tip:** record ten seconds of the scene and play it back on your phone's speaker before the real take. If the reader is louder than you, move the laptop back or lower its volume.

## How Each One Knows It's Your Turn

Timing is where a reader feels like a partner or like a tape. In ordinary conversation people leave very small gaps. A [study of turn-taking across 10 languages](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2705608/) by Tanya Stivers and colleagues found an average gap of about 200 milliseconds between turns, with speakers avoiding both overlap and long silences. A reader that comes in too early makes you rush; one that comes in too late makes you wait.

A human reader on WeAudition hears you and answers, the way a scene partner does. Rafy listens before it gives the next line. Offbook listens to your whole line and plays the next cue when it detects you've finished, and you choose how strict it is: Strict for word-perfect work, Lenient while you're still finding the words, or Manual when you want to hold a long pause and move on with Enter. It can also move on after a silence of 1 to 6 seconds.

For a scene with a big silent reaction, Manual mode or a custom pause in Offbook gives you the beat. With a human reader, tell them before the take where you'll hold.

## Getting Your Sides In

Setup time is the hidden cost of any reader. With WeAudition there is nothing to parse: a person reads the other part, and you book the session. With Rafy, you upload a PDF and pick the pages, up to 7 per scene, or type the lines in yourself.

Offbook takes a PDF, photos of the pages, or a text file, and turns them into roles and lines. One scene holds up to 50 pages or about 10,000 words, so long sides fit. You can edit dialogue, reassign a line to another character, and add pauses. If your sides come with three small parts, see our guide to [self-taping a scene with several characters](https://www.offbook.com/blog/self-tape-with-several-characters).

Under SAG-AFTRA's 2023 contract changes, as [summarized by SAGindie](https://www.sagindie.org/sagaftra/contract-changes-2023/), a first self-tape is capped at 8 pages and a callback at 12, and actors get the sides at least 48 hours ahead (72 for minors). The same summary says producers can't require specific software or equipment. That rule is about gear, not readers: if the casting notice asks for a live reader or gives other reader instructions, follow them.

## Recording the Tape, Devices, and Price

Rafy and WeAudition both record. Rafy films in the app in HD or 4K, adds slates, and shares the finished tape behind a password. WeAudition records your camera with only the reader's audio during the session. With Offbook, your phone or camera films you while the laptop reads, so you keep your own camera app and lighting setup. For the full setup, see [how to self-tape alone](https://www.offbook.com/blog/how-to-self-tape-alone) and [how to slate for a self-tape](https://www.offbook.com/blog/how-to-slate-for-a-self-tape).

On devices, Rafy runs on iOS, Android, and the web; WeAudition in a computer browser and on iPhone and iPad. With Offbook, you rehearse in a laptop or desktop browser and listen to your scenes on your phone, even with the screen locked.

On price, the three are counted differently, so compare them against your actual month. Rafy charges by the scene: 10 scenes for $9.99 a month on Basic. WeAudition's membership is $14.99 a month, and each reader may charge a fee or ask for a tip on top. Offbook's paid plans have no monthly cap on the number of scripts. Every Offbook plan starts with a 7-day free trial.

## What Your Situation Calls For

- **The tape is due tomorrow and nobody is free:** Offbook, where realistic voices read every other role any hour, with nobody to book.
- **You tape several auditions a week:** Offbook, whose paid plans have no monthly cap on the number of scripts.
- **You need to be word-perfect on the sides:** Offbook's Strict matching holds you close to the script.
- **The scene has a long silent beat:** Offbook's Manual mode or a custom pause lets you hold it as long as the moment needs.
- **You want to learn the sides on the way to set:** Offbook's listen mode plays the whole scene on your phone, and a scene can be saved as an MP3.
- **You want to try before you pay:** Offbook's free run lines online tool and first-letter memorizer need no account, and every plan starts with a 7-day free trial.

If you're weighing a switch from either app, our [Rafy comparison](https://www.offbook.com/rafy-alternative) and [WeAudition comparison](https://www.offbook.com/weaudition-alternative) go into more detail. For readers in general, see [how to find a self-tape reader](https://www.offbook.com/blog/how-to-find-a-self-tape-reader).

## Be Off Book Before You Hit Record

No reader, human or AI, can save a tape where you're reading the sides. You want your eyes on the reader, not the page, so learn the lines before the first take.

- Run the scene with your lines hidden as soon as you know roughly what happens. In Roediger and Karpicke's study, [summarized by the APS](https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/test-enhanced-learning), students who tested themselves read the passages about 3.4 times and recalled 61% a week later; students who kept rereading read them about 14.2 times and recalled 40%.
- Say your lines out loud every time. A [University of Waterloo study](https://uwaterloo.ca/news/news/study-finds-reading-information-aloud-yourself-improves) compared reading silently, hearing someone else read, hearing a recording of yourself, and reading aloud yourself, and reading aloud yourself was remembered best.
- Turn your lines into first-letter cues with our free [first-letter memorizer](https://www.offbook.com/tools/first-letter-memorizer), then test yourself until you don't need them.
- Run the scene against a reader that waits for you in our free [run lines online](https://www.offbook.com/tools/run-lines-online) tool, with a scene from our [public-domain plays](https://www.offbook.com/plays) or a speech from the [monologue collection](https://www.offbook.com/monologues).
- Do one run standing in your frame, with your eyeline set where the reader will be.

## Questions Actors Ask

### Is Rafy or WeAudition better for self-tapes?

For most actors, Offbook: realistic voices read every other role at any hour, it listens and cues the next line when you finish, and your paid plan has no monthly cap on scripts. Between the two, the split is the reader. Rafy reads with AI voices inside a self-tape app and counts scenes in tokens. WeAudition gives you a live human reader on video chat, with a membership plus whatever each reader charges.

### How much does WeAudition cost?

Membership is $14.99 a month or $149 a year. Readers set their own fee on top: some read free, some ask for tips, and some charge a set fee, paid to the reader directly. Offbook's plans start at $9.99 a month (annual from $7.99) with a 7-day free trial.

### Does Rafy use AI voices?

Yes. Rafy gives each character a text-to-speech voice, listens before it gives the next line, and can copy the pace and delivery of a line you record yourself. Offbook's realistic voices also read every character but yours and listen for you to finish.

### Is a human reader better than an AI reader?

A good human reader is clear, invested, and quieter than you; a weak one reads flat, whispers, or does voices. An AI reader doesn't get tired between takes and is there at 2 a.m. What matters most is timing and volume: a reader that waits for you to finish and sits under your voice on the tape.

### Can I rehearse with Offbook on my phone?

You rehearse out loud with cues in a laptop or desktop browser, on Mac or Windows, with the full script on a big screen. On your phone you can upload sides and listen to your scenes, with your own lines spoken, skipped, or left as silent gaps, and playback keeps going with the screen locked. The iPhone app is coming soon.

## The Verdict

Our pick for most actors is Offbook. Realistic voices read every other role, any hour, with nobody to book and no lines to pre-record. It listens for you to finish your line and cues the next one, with Strict, Lenient, or Manual matching and custom pauses for the beats that need room. And its paid plans have no monthly cap on the number of scripts, so you can load every set of sides that comes in.

Between the two apps compared here, the choice comes down to who reads. Rafy reads with AI voices and records the tape in one app, priced by the scene. WeAudition puts a live person on video chat, priced by membership plus each reader's fee. For more readers judged the same way, see our guide to the [best AI reader for self-tapes](https://www.offbook.com/blog/best-ai-reader-for-self-tapes).

Offbook is made by the team behind this blog. Prices as of November 2026.