Top ElevenLabs Alternatives in 2024

There’s little doubt that ElevenLabs is one of the top text-to-speech (TTS) providers out there at the moment. The ElevenLabs AI model is known for its highly realistic and emotionally nuanced voice overs, accurate voice cloning, and AI dubbing services.

But it isn’t the only option available and there are several worthy ElevenLabs alternatives you can try for various TTS use cases. In this guide, we’re going to explore some of the top ElevenLabs alternatives in 2024, comparing various features and capabilities to help you choose the right one for your needs.

Overview of ElevenLabs and Alternatives

Voice Quality Comparison – ElevenLabs Alternatives

When it comes to choosing a TTS provider, the most important consideration for most people is the quality of the voices and languages. The last thing you want is to use a service that is poor in terms of pronunciation, intonation, and emotional nuance.

For that reason, we carried out a survey to compare the quality of various TTS providers, including ElevenLabs. 

Comparison Methodology

We designed the quality comparison survey to be as fair and impartial as possible. The survey participants were given a set of audio samples to listen to, three samples for each TTS provider in the survey, and were asked to rate them on a scale of 0 to 100 in terms of quality.

The rating was based on the naturalness of the voice, human likeness, clarity, and the emotional delivery. Below you can find one audio sample used in the survey for each TTS provider to compare for yourself. Please note that in the actual survey, the audio samples were unlabeled to keep them anonymous and unbiased.

Rating System Overview

For each audio sample, participants were asked to rate them using the following instructions: 

• Take a moment to listen to the AI-generated text-to-speech audio clip. Is the voice clear? Does it sound like a real person? Does it express emotions well?
• Rate the clip between 0 (poor) and 100 (excellent). 0 means the voice isn't clear, sounds fake, and doesn't show much emotion. 100 means the voice is super clear, sounds just like a real person, and is full of feeling.

Quality Comparison Survey Results for ElevenLabs Alternatives

Below you’ll find the graph showing how many times each TTS provider was rated higher than all the others in the survey. In other words, it shows how many times it was ranked number one. 

As you can see, ElevenLabs performed very well in the survey and was rated higher than the others 37 times, compared to the closest competitors which were picked 19 times – Google and OpenAI.

Features Comparison – ElevenLabs Alternatives

Language Support and Customization

• ElevenLabs: ElevenLabs has the highest number of available voices of any TTS providers, with an impressive 1200+ voices in 29 languages. This makes it ideal for a wide variety of use cases including voice overs, narration, and podcasting. The voices are customizable, allowing users to control the pitch and intonation. For voice cloning, you can use the VoiceLab tool that allows you to replicate real voices and create new ones. AI dubbing enables video creators to automatically dub voice overs onto existing video footage.
• ElevenLabs Alternatives: PlayHT, Microsoft, and Google TTS are the closest competitors in terms of the number of voices and languages, with PlayHT offering more than 600. The rest don’t offer a comparable range of voices. Additionally, the AI model used by ElevenLabs is capable of adding much deeper emotional nuance to TTS outputs and is highly customizable compared to the alternatives.

User Experience and Integration

• ElevenLabs: ElevenLabs can be used instantly by any level of user. When you visit their website, you can enter text straight into a text box hosted on a web app. The platform is simple to use and the extra features such as Projects and VoiceLab enable you to convert large amounts of text to speech in one go. ElevenLabs also offers a full-featured API to make it easy to integrate their service into your app or project. The only downside of ElevenLabs is that it doesn’t have a native solution for Android or Chrome, but these are likely to be added soon.
• ElevenLabs Alternatives: Most of the other platforms require you to sign up before you can use the text-to-speech service. Some are quite awkward to use and integrate, such as Amazon and Microsoft which both require you to register for the cloud services before you can access TTS features. 

Ease of Use

• ElevenLabs: You can start generating speech from text right away with ElevenLabs, whether you are a beginner or more advanced user. The cloning function is also simple to use, yet delivers powerful results. 
• ElevenLabs Alternatives: The other TTS services are slightly more complicated to use as they require signing up to their respective platforms first. 

Pricing and Licensing (at the time of writing - February 2024)

• ElevenLabs
• • Free Plan: Perfect for text-to-speech (TTS) beginners or light users, this option grants users 10,000 characters per month. It supports the creation of up to three unique voices, access to shared voices, and enables basic TTS functionality in 29 languages. Credit must be given to ElevenLabs for commercial  use.
  • Starter Plan ($5/month, initial discount available): This plan builds upon the Free Plan by boosting the character allowance to 30,000 per month and enabling the creation of as many as 10 custom voices. A commercial license is included, fitting for smaller projects or individuals.
  • Creator Plan ($22/month, first month discounted): Designed for those with higher TTS demands, this package provides 100,000 characters each month, allowing for the creation of up to 30 personalized voices, includes advanced voice cloning capabilities, and ensures superior audio quality for more complex TTS needs.
  • Independent Publisher Plan ($99/month): Catering mostly to high-volume authors and publishers, this level offers 500,000 characters monthly, the ability to create up to 160 unique voices, and an analytics dashboard to monitor usage.
  • Growing Business Plan ($330/month): Targeted at expanding companies, this plan delivers 2 million characters monthly and the capacity to generate up to 660 custom voices, meeting the extensive TTS requirements of growing businesses.
  • Enterprise Plan: Offers tailored solutions for specific organizational needs, including flexible character allocation, access to premium voices, and dedicated support aimed at enterprise-scale operations.
• ElevenLabs Alternatives
• • Pricing varies from provider to provider, but most offer a free trial or some free credits to get started, depending on their pricing model. Some offer professional packages that are slightly cheaper than ElevenLabs, but the voice quality isn’t as good.

What Is ElevenLabs?

ElevenLabs is a cutting-edge TTS provider that generates speech from text that closely mimics the nuances of human speech. When you listen to an ElevenLabs voice, it is often difficult to tell it apart from that of a real human voice. This makes it ideal for narration and other voice over tasks.

Key Capabilities of ElevenLabs

• Wide Range of Languages and Voices: With a library of 1200 voices across 29 languages, ElevenLabs enables the creation of speech rich in emotional depth, catering to audiences worldwide.
• VoiceLab for Custom Voice Creation: Through its groundbreaking VoiceLab feature, users can either replicate an existing voice or design new ones from scratch, offering a tailored experience for any project.
• AI-Generated Speech Detection: ElevenLabs is dedicated to ethical AI, offering tools to differentiate between AI-generated and natural human speech, ensuring authenticity and transparency.
• Expertise in Long-Form Content: Specializing in long narratives, whether audiobooks or dialogue-heavy pieces, ElevenLabs delivers smooth and context-aware narration.
• Language Dubbing Capabilities: The platform allows for the dubbing of voices across various languages, making content universally accessible without sacrificing quality.
• Flexibility for Creative Endeavors: Perfectly suited for a multitude of creative projects, from podcasts to video dubbing, enhancing each with dynamic and versatile voice solutions.
• Commitment to Ethical AI Practices: Adhering to strict ethical guidelines, ElevenLabs takes a stand against misuse, including unauthorized voice cloning, ensuring responsible use of AI technology.

TTS Alternatives to ElevenLabs

• Speechify: Offers an intuitive interface and AI-powered voice generation capabilities.
• PlayHT: Large selection of voices and language capabilities for diverse project needs.
• Microsoft Azure TTS: Seamlessly integrates with the broader Azure ecosystem.
• Google TTS: Delivers smooth integration within Google's extensive suite of services.
• OpenAI TTS: Equips AI-driven applications with realistic speech synthesis.
• Amazon Polly: An AWS solution offering realistic text-to-speech output.

Conclusion

ElevenLabs generates the most realistic and realistic speech possible from text using advanced AI algorithms. The natural and lifelike speech produced by ElevenLabs is rich with emotional nuance and intonation. 

While there are alternatives to ElevenLabs out there, they don’t come close in terms of the quality of voices and features.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Can ElevenLabs voices be integrated into my existing workflow or application?

Yes, ElevenLabs offers an API that enables seamless integration into various applications and workflows, making it highly versatile for content creation, audiobooks, and digital media projects.

How does ElevenLabs compare to alternatives in terms of language and accent support?

ElevenLabs offers a selection of over 1200 voices across 29 languages, known for their emotional depth and nuance. The closest alternative in terms of numbers of voices is PlayHT with 600+ voices and 140+ languages.

What are the pricing options for ElevenLabs and is there a free trial?

ElevenLabs provides a free tier with limited usage and several paid plans catering to different user needs, including a free trial to professional plans.

How does ElevenLabs  ensure the naturalness and expressiveness of their voices?

ElevenLabs uses advanced AI to produce natural, emotionally rich speech, focusing on the naturalness of voice and human likeness. The team has focused their collective efforts on making ElevenLabs the most emotionally expressive TTS engine available.

What applications or industries most commonly use ElevenLabs?

ElevenLabs is widely used in entertainment, e-learning, and audiobook publishing for its emotionally rich speech. 

Are there customization options available in ElevenLabs for voice characteristics?

Yes, ElevenLabs offers extensive customization through its VoiceLab, allowing voice cloning and modifications. 

How does ElevenLabs address user data and privacy concerns?

See ElevenLabs privacy policy.

Is ElevenLabs suitable for commercial projects?

Yes, ElevenLabs is designed to cater to commercial projects, providing various plans that include the necessary commercial rights for professional use.

What support services does ElevenLabs offer?

ElevenLabs offers a wide-ranging support system that includes FAQs, customer service, and a comprehensive knowledge base to assist users with any inquiries or issues.