ElevenLabs vs Speechify (2026)
A head-to-head on price, free access, and staying power. Both live and price-verified as of Jul 21, 2026.
The verdict, first
ElevenLabs
- if it starts cheaper, at $6/mo against $29/mo.
- if you lean toward the more recent build, from 2022.
Speechify
- if a longer track record matters to you; it has run since 2016.
- if it is built for solo & SMB teams.
What each one is
ElevenLabs
What sets it apart Two-mode voice cloning within one platform: instant cloning from a one-to-five-minute sample, and professional cloning trained on roughly two to three hours of audio.
ElevenLabs runs a credit-metered audio platform built around speech: text-to-speech, voice cloning, dubbing, speech-to-text, and conversational voice agents that deploy over phone, chat, and messaging. Voice cloning comes in two forms, a quick clone built from one to five minutes of audio and a professional clone the company recommends building from two to three hours of recordings. Pricing combines subscription tiers with usage credits; the free tier includes 10,000 monthly credits but no commercial rights, while paid plans start at $6 per month and add a commercial license. The platform is aimed at creators producing audiobooks or video, developers integrating audio through the API, and enterprises localizing content.
Sources ElevenLabs Pricing (official) · ElevenLabs homepage (official) · ElevenLabs Voice Cloning docs (official)
Speechify
What sets it apart Built-in optical character recognition that converts printed pages and photographed text into spoken audio, extending its reader beyond on-screen web and document text.
Speechify is a text-to-speech reader that turns articles, PDFs, and documents into spoken audio, running as a Chrome extension and as mobile and desktop apps. Alongside on-screen reading, it uses optical character recognition to convert printed pages and photographed text into audio. The product dates to 2016, built by a dyslexic Brown University student, and it targets people with reading difficulties as well as readers who would rather listen than read. A free tier provides a limited set of voices and slower playback, while a premium plan advertised from about $29 per month adds faster speeds and additional AI voices.
Sources Speechify - Pricing · Speechify - Wikipedia · Cliff Weitzman - Wikipedia · Cliff Weitzman's '16 Text-to-Speech App Garners National Acclaim - Brown University Engineering
Side by side
| Metric | ElevenLabs | Speechify |
|---|---|---|
| From $/mo | $6 | $29 |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Founded | 2022 | 2016 |
| Best for | solo & SMB & enterprise | solo & SMB |
| Status | Live | Live |
ALL FIGURES = LOWEST PAID MONTHLY PLAN · STATUS & PRICE VERIFIED JUL 21, 2026
Where they differ
Price
ElevenLabs is the cheaper entry at $6/mo, versus $29/mo for Speechify. Both prices are the lowest paid monthly plan, verified Jul 21, 2026.
Free access
Both ElevenLabs and Speechify offer a permanent free tier - you can trial either at no cost. A permanent free tier lowers the risk of committing before you have validated the fit.
Track record
Speechify has been operating since 2016; ElevenLabs since 2022. For a tool you build a business process on, a longer survival record matters.
Questions of record
ElevenLabs or Speechify - which is better in 2026?
Is ElevenLabs cheaper than Speechify?
Does ElevenLabs or Speechify have a free tier?
Are ElevenLabs and Speechify still maintained?
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