AI rehearsal partner

The line learning app that runs lines with you

qbuddy is a script rehearsal web app for actors. Upload a PDF (including scans) or TXT script, pick your role, and qbuddy voices the other speakers and pauses for your lines. It runs in the browser on phone, tablet and computer, with an interface and voices in English, Italian, German and French. 15-day free Pro trial: 2 scripts, no payment card required.

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For eligible new users. Speech recognition depends on browser and language support.

How to run lines with qbuddy

  1. 1

    Upload a script

    PDF or TXT. Scanned PDFs go through text recognition; qbuddy separates the script into sections, speakers and lines.

  2. 2

    Pick your role

    Choose the speaker whose lines you want to rehearse.

  3. 3

    Assign voices

    Choose a voice for each of the other speakers, then generate their lines.

  4. 4

    Run lines

    Hear the other parts and speak yours. Turn on Cue and qbuddy listens, then plays the next line when you finish yours; the Play button works too.

Which line learning app fits your rehearsal?

Comparison as of September 2026. Checked on 27 and 29 September 2026 against the linked publisher pages and app-store listings. These are documented workflows, not a hands-on speed or accuracy test. The best-fit recommendations below are our judgement based on those features.

Choose around the voice you want to hear, how you want to give the next cue, and whether you need to record a self-tape. qbuddy is one option for generated voices in the browser; ScenePartner also offers web rehearsal, and the other apps in the table are installed apps, most of them for iPhone and iPad. Recorded readings can be a better choice when you want a particular performance from yourself or another actor.

Scroll the table sideways to compare the workflows and best fits.

App and sourcesWhere it runsHow you run linesWhen to choose it
qbuddyPlans and trialBrowser on phone, tablet and computer, Android included; nothing to installUpload PDF (scans included) or TXT; generated voices read the other speakers. With Cue on, it listens as you say your line, shows the words you got right and moves on when you finish.You want to rehearse an uploaded script in English, Italian, German or French on any device without recording the other parts.
CounterpartApple listingiPhone, iPad and MacImport a PDF, scanned pages included (up to 10 pages at a time). The reader is your recorded voice, a friend’s or text-to-speech; it listens for the cue word at the end of your line, then plays the next one.A better fit if you rehearse audition sides on an Apple device and want to choose, line by line, the word that cues the reader.
Script BuddyApple listingOfficial siteiPhone and iPad, with Apple Watch and CarPlay controlsOpen Final Draft, Highland, Fountain, Markdown, text or PDF files, or scan pages. Device voices read each character and it pauses until you say your line; speech recognition runs on the device.A better fit if your scripts come in Final Draft or Fountain, or you want to control rehearsal from an Apple Watch or CarPlay while on the move.
CueUpApple listingiPhone and iPadImport PDF, Fountain or text; AI voices read the other characters. Auto-Detect mode listens and continues when you finish, Tap mode waits for you. Hides lines progressively and records self-tapes with a teleprompter.A better fit if you want to rehearse and record the self-tape in the same iPhone app.
ScriptationApple listingiPad, iPhone and MacA script annotation app for film and TV: highlight your lines, rehearse with character voices and scene looping, and use Record Mode as a self-tape teleprompter.A better fit if you work from production drafts and want your notes carried over to every new revision.
LineLearnerApple listingGoogle Play listingiOS and AndroidRecord the parts, then leave gaps for your lines. Share recordings with other users.A better fit if you want to rehearse with your own or your cast’s recorded performances.
Rehearsal ProOfficial featuresiPhone and iPadImport PDF or Word scripts; record and loop readings, highlight lines and hide them with blackout mode.A better fit if you want to mark up script pages and rehearse recorded takes while the script scrolls.
coldReadApple listingiPhone and iPadRecord lines; on-device speech recognition triggers the next recorded line from your cue. Includes self-tape recording.A better fit if offline rehearsal with recorded voices and on-device speech recognition is your priority.
ScenePartnerOfficial featuresWeb and iOSUpload a PDF; use generated voices or invite friends to record lines. Listens for cues and records self-tapes.A better fit if you want rehearsal and self-tape recording in one app, or to invite friends to record the other parts.

Platform names reflect the linked listings. Features and availability can change; check the source for your device before choosing.

Looking for Rehearsal Assistant? The current Rehearsal Assistant from Database Apps is for music ensembles and handbell rehearsal planning, so it is outside this comparison of actors’ line learning apps.

Hear qbuddy’s voices before you upload

Two speakers, two voices

Beatrice and Benedick from Much Ado About Nothing, read by qbuddy.

Beatrice

Benedick

Units, cues and three speeds

The way UK drama schools work a script, and how to run each habit on your own.

Conservatoire training in the UK gets the lines in by working the text rather than drilling it. Three habits do most of the work, and each one maps onto something in qbuddy.

  • Units and objectives. Split the scene wherever the subject changes and name what your character wants in each piece. Then rehearse one unit at a time: jump to the line the unit starts on and run only that, as often as it takes, before you put the units back together.
  • Learn the cue, not the line. The words you actually need are the last few of the other speaker’s line. qbuddy plays that line in a voice that is not yours, then it is your turn: with speech recognition on it follows your line before moving on, otherwise you move on with the controls. Nothing to record, nothing to mark up by hand.
  • Three speeds. Slowly for the meaning, flat and fast for the words you do not really have, once at performance pace, then stop. Every pass runs at your pace.

It does not learn the lines for you. It gives you the cue, voices the other parts and lets you repeat the exchange that keeps slipping. One upload covers the whole play, so you can run a scene tonight and the whole act before the next rehearsal.

For more practice ideas, read how actors learn lines. For audition recording, see the self-tape setup guide. To try a script from the library, browse duologues or monologues for auditions.

What is free, and what needs a paid plan?

15-day free Pro trial: 2 scripts, no payment card required. The trial is for eligible new users. A paid plan is needed to keep rehearsing after the trial ends.

  • Premium, €4.99 a month or €39.99 a year: 3 scripts per month (up to 200 pages each); Every voice.
  • Pro, €9.99 a month or €79.99 a year: 6 scripts per month (up to 200 pages each); Every voice.

Prices include VAT where it applies. Each plan includes a number of scripts a month. See prices in Swiss francs, US dollars or pounds and the billing options, or offers for schools and theatre companies.

Questions actors ask about line learning apps

What is the best app to learn lines for acting?
The best line learning app depends on how you rehearse. qbuddy suits actors who want generated voices from a PDF or TXT script in the browser, on any phone or computer, Android included. Counterpart, Script Buddy and CueUp also listen and move on when you finish a line, on iPhone and iPad; Script Buddy opens Final Draft and Fountain files. LineLearner suits recorded readings, Rehearsal Pro adds script markup and blackout practice, and coldRead offers offline rehearsal with recorded lines. ScenePartner and CueUp add self-tape recording, and Scriptation suits film and TV drafts that keep changing. Try the workflow with your own script before choosing.
Is there an app that reads the other character’s lines?
qbuddy reads the other speakers’ lines using generated voices. Upload a PDF or TXT script, choose your role and assign voices to the other speakers. qbuddy plays their lines and pauses for yours, so you can run lines without recording the other parts yourself.
Is there a line learning app for actors in the UK?
qbuddy runs in the browser, so there is nothing regional to install and no app store to wait for. Upload a playtext or the sides from a casting brief as a PDF or TXT, pick your role, and the other speakers are read in English, or in Italian, German or French if you work in those languages. Scan a paper script to a PDF first. qbuddy offers a 15-day free Pro trial: 2 scripts, no payment card required.
Can I run lines by myself with a scene partner app?
Yes. qbuddy acts as a rehearsal partner by voicing the other speakers in your script while you practise your own lines. Work through a section, jump back to a line and repeat it. A scene partner app supplies cues for solo practice; rehearsing with the cast still lets you respond to their performance choices.
Does qbuddy listen to my lines and move on by itself?
Yes, with Cue turned on. qbuddy listens while you say your line, shows which of your words matched the script and plays the next speaker’s line as soon as you finish, so you do not have to tap. Cue uses the browser’s speech recognition: allow microphone access, and try it on the device and language you plan to use, because support and accuracy vary. With Cue off, you move on with the Play button.
Can I upload a photo or a scanned script?
qbuddy accepts PDF and TXT files. For a paper script, scan or save the page photos as a PDF before uploading; standalone image files are not accepted by the upload form. Scanned PDFs go through text recognition. Check the extracted speakers and lines before generating voices, especially if the scan is unclear.
Is qbuddy free to use?
qbuddy offers a 15-day free Pro trial: 2 scripts, no payment card required. The trial is for eligible new users. A paid plan is needed to keep rehearsing after it ends. After it, Premium costs €4.99 a month or €39.99 a year with 3 scripts a month (up to 200 pages each), and Pro costs €9.99 a month or €79.99 a year with 6 (up to 200 pages each). The pricing page shows the same plans in Swiss francs, US dollars and pounds.
Does qbuddy work on Android, iPhone and a laptop?
qbuddy runs in a web browser on phones, tablets and computers, including Android phones and iPhones, without an app-store installation. Optional speech recognition depends on browser and language support; manual rehearsal controls are available too.
Which languages can I rehearse in with qbuddy?
qbuddy has an interface and voices in English, Italian, German and French. Choose voices in the language of your script. Optional speech recognition depends on the browser and language, so check it with a short section before relying on it for a full rehearsal.

Try qbuddy with your next script

15-day free Pro trial: 2 scripts, no payment card required

Start free trial

Upload PDF or TXT. Runs in your browser.