Top PlayHT Alternatives in 2024

PlayHT is a well-known TTS platform, yet there are a variety of other strong services on the market. Our comparison sheds light on the top contenders in the TTS space that rival PlayHT. We’ll examine and compare the voice quality, clarity, and emotional delivery capabilities of each.

Overview of PlayHT and Alternatives

Feature	Speechify	ElevenLabs	Play_HT	Microsoft	Google	Amazon Polly	Open AI
Number of Voices	130	1200+	600+	400+	220+	60	6
Number of Languages	30	29	140+	140+	40+	29	57
API Availability	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️
Voice Cloning	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✖️	✖️	✖️
AI Dubbing	✔️	✔️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️
Free Trial	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✖️

Comparison Methodology

We used a direct, yet thorough approach to compare TTS offerings. Survey participants were presented with three separate audio clips from the TTS services under review and instructed to assign a score from 0 to 100 for each.

Ratings were based on factors such as voice clarity, resemblance to a human speaker, and effectiveness in expressing emotions. The intent is to offer an impartial and detailed assessment of the top alternatives to PlayHT.

Below are the audio samples from PlayHT and ElevenLabs for your review

Rating System Overview

After listening to each audio sample, the survey participants were asked the following: 

• 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 – PlayHT Alternatives

The chart shown below indicates the frequency with which each TTS Provider was awarded the highest score compared to all other providers in the survey.

Features Comparison – PlayHT Vs ElevenLabs

Language Support and Customization

• ElevenLabs: ElevenLabs provides voice generation in 29 languages, enabling the creation of speech that is rich in emotional nuance across multiple languages. Additionally, it facilitates voice cloning and the creation of new voices through its VoiceLab feature.
• PlayHT: Provides over 600 voices in more than 140 languages. There are options for different accents in various countries. The emotional range of voices is limited.

User Experience and Integration

• ElevenLabs: Engineered for contextually aware speech, it can be used in diverse areas such as podcasts, narration, and audiobooks. Its API seamlessly integrates with other apps and products, supported by full documentation and robust support.
• PlayHT: Accessible through web browsers. There is also a chrome extension available to integrate with Medium blogging platform​​​​. A PlayHT API can be used to integrate TTS with other products.

Ease of Use

• ElevenLabs has a simple and intuitive interface, making it easy for users to navigate through its features through a menu bar. One of ElevenLabs' standout aspects is its simplicity in speech synthesis and voice cloning. Users can effortlessly clone voices from audio snippets or create new synthetic voices using the VoiceLab tool. The Projects Tool is another highlight, offering straightforward functionalities for creating long-form spoken content. ElevenLabs also offers AI dubbing of videos. Integration into existing workflows is seamless, thanks to a well-documented and user-friendly API. Whether you're a seasoned tech professional or a newcomer to TTS technology, ElevenLabs ensures a hassle-free experience.
• PlayHT is easy to use and accessible. The service interface is simple, allowing users to convert text to speech without any technical know-how. The PlayHT API is straightforward to integrate with other apps and tools.

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

• ElevenLabs
  • Free Plan: Ideal for hobbyists, offering 10,000 characters per month, the creation of up to 3 custom voices, access to shared voices, and basic speech synthesis in 29 languages. Requires attribution to ElevenLabs.
  • Starter Plan ($5/month with discounts for the first month): Includes everything in the Free plan, plus 30,000 characters per month, up to 10 custom voices, and a commercial license.
  • Creator Plan ($22/month with discounts for the first month): Expands on the Starter plan with 100,000 characters per month, up to 30 custom voices, Professional Voice Cloning, and higher quality audio outputs.
  • Independent Publisher Plan ($99/month): Aimed at authors and publishers with 500,000 characters per month, up to 160 custom voices, and an analytics dashboard.
  • Growing Business Plan ($330/month): Designed for larger publishers and companies, offering 2,000,000 characters per month and up to 660 custom voices.
  • Enterprise Plan: Customizable plan for businesses with specific needs, including custom quotas, high-quality speech, and dedicated support.
• PlayHT
  • Free Plan: Offers TTS access to all standard voices, but a limit of 12,500 characters per month. You also get one instant voice clone. The free plan cannot be used commercially.
  • Creator Plan: Priced at $31.20 per month, this plan includes up to 3 million characters (~70 hours) annually, 10 instant voice clones, faster generation times, and commercial use rights. Multi-lingual support is in development.
  • Unlimited Plan: Priced at $29.00 per month, this plan features unlimited characters and voice clones per year, 1 high fidelity clone, and accelerated generation times. This plan also includes commercial use rights, with multi-lingual support anticipated.
  • Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing for tailored usage requirements, team access, unlimited regenerations and voice clones, advanced security features like SSO, priority support, and commercial/resell rights. It also promises high-fidelity voice clones and access to all voices and languages.

Why Choose ElevenLabs?

From the results of our survey, ElevenLabs scored highest 37% of the time, while PlayHT only managed 11% of the time, a difference of 26%.

This suggests that the ElevenLabs voice used for this survey is considerably higher quality in terms of clarity and lifelike qualities than PlayHT. ElevenLabs also outperformed each of the five other TTS services used in the survey.

What Is PlayHT?

PlayHT is an advanced AI voice generator that transforms text into ultra-realistic speech performances. It caters to various users, from individuals to large teams, and is trusted for its ability to create human-like voice overs in any language or accent. PlayHT’s technology is especially beneficial for producing voice content for videos, storytelling, character voicing, and much more.

Key Capabilities of PlayHT

• AI Text to Speech: PlayHT offers realistic AI voice models for generating expressive speech. Users can explore an extensive collection of text-to-speech voices that are contextually aware, emotional, and expressive.
• AI Voice Cloning: With voice cloning, PlayHT encapsulates every accent and dialect, allowing for precise voice reproductions and multilingual capabilities.
• Voice Generation API: Their real-time voice cloning and generation API enables seamless integration with other applications.
• Use Cases: PlayHT enhances projects with ultra-realistic AI voices suitable for video voice overs, audio publishing, storytelling, e-learning, podcasts, gaming, IVR systems, translation, dubbing, and voice accessibility.
• Extensive Voice Library: The platform provides over 800 AI voices across 142 languages and accents, ensuring versatility and inclusivity.
• Voice Customization: Users can create custom AI voices, transfer speaking styles, and utilize them across various content types using PlayHT’s state-of-the-art Voice Cloning feature.
• Online Text-to-Voice Studio: PlayHT has a powerful online editor for converting text to audio, complete with speech styles, pronunciations, and SSML tags for enhanced audio production.
• Ethical AI Use: PlayHT is committed to the responsible and safe use of voice AI, with guidelines and policies in place to ensure ethical usage.
• Pricing and Trials: PlayHT offers various pricing plans, including a free version for starters and more advanced plans for professional and enterprise needs. They also provide specialized demos and the option to start creating for free, making it accessible for users to test the service before committing.

What Is ElevenLabs?

ElevenLabs stands out in the text-to-speech (TTS) technology sector, thanks to its AI-enhanced software. The software's primary strength lies in generating speech that closely mirrors human expression, incorporating a range of emotions and nuanced intonation.

Key Capabilities of ElevenLabs

• Diverse Voice and Language Options: The platform offers over 120 distinct voices, with recent expansions allowing for speech generation in 29 languages. This feature supports the creation of speech that is not only linguistically diverse but also emotionally nuanced.
• Voice Cloning and Custom Creation: ElevenLabs introduces VoiceLab, enabling users to clone voices from brief audio samples. Additionally, users can generate completely new synthetic voices. The platform's Voice Library further provides a selection of pre-designed voice profiles, tailored for various needs.
• AI Speech Classifier: This tool is aimed at recognizing whether an audio sample is generated by ElevenLabs' AI technology. It is part of a broader effort to establish a universal system for identifying AI-generated audio.
• Projects Tool: This tool is particularly useful for producing extended spoken content, such as audiobooks or dialogues, with an awareness of context in the synthetic or custom voices used.
• AI Dubbing Feature: ElevenLabs also boasts an AI Dubbing feature, enhancing the adaptability of the platform for different languages and dialects.
• Versatile Applications: The software is utilized across multiple sectors, including podcasting, audiobook narration, video dubbing in multiple languages, and more. Its ability to accurately replicate a wide range of accents and languages makes it a versatile tool for various content creators and publishers.
• Ethical Guidelines and Safeguards: ElevenLabs is committed to ethical use of its technology. It enforces strict guidelines to prevent misuse, such as unauthorized voice cloning, and has mechanisms in place to report and suspend accounts that violate these guidelines.

Other PlayHT Alternative TTS Services

• Speechify offers a user-friendly text-to-speech experience, designed to convert a wide range of text into spoken words using AI. It stands out for its simplicity and accessibility, catering to a diverse audience, including those with reading difficulties. 
• Microsoft's Text-to-Speech services, a component of Azure Cognitive Services, provide highly adaptable voice models. These services are renowned for their seamless integration with other Microsoft offerings, making them an ideal choice for enterprises already utilizing Microsoft's ecosystem.
• Google's Text-to-Speech technology produces voices that sound natural, supporting numerous languages. This technology is seamlessly integrated into various Google products and is a key component in applications such as Google Assistant and Google Translate.
• Amazon Polly is a cloud-based service that converts text into realistic speech, leveraging deep learning technology to produce natural-sounding voices. This service is frequently used in creating applications that require spoken output, including news reading and gaming applications.
• OpenAI's Text-to-Speech generates speech that closely resembles human voices. The specifics of OpenAI's TTS services may differ, but their focus is generally on producing natural and expressive speech, commonly used in various AI applications and research projects.

Can ElevenLabs and PlayHT be integrated into existing applications or workflows?

• ElevenLabs: Yes, ElevenLabs offers robust integration capabilities for various applications and workflows. Its API facilitates seamless integration with different platforms, making it a suitable choice for content creation, audiobooks, and other digital media projects.
• PlayHT: PlayHT also provides strong integration capabilities, accommodating a range of uses through its web-based platform and API. This flexibility makes it user-friendly and adaptable for both personal and professional settings, including e-learning and accessibility tools.

How do ElevenLabs and PlayHT handle different languages and accents?

• ElevenLabs: ElevenLabs is proficient in multiple languages and excels in producing emotionally rich, multilingual speech generation. Its voice cloning feature is particularly notable for capturing the nuances of various accents.
• PlayHT: PlayHT offers a broad selection of voices across numerous languages and dialects, providing options for different English accents and other languages. This diversity makes PlayHT a versatile choice for a global user base.

What are the pricing models for ElevenLabs and PlayHT? Are there free trials available?

• ElevenLabs: ElevenLabs presents a variety of pricing plans, starting from a free tier offering essential features to more advanced subscription options for extensive use. The free tier serves as an introductory experience, while the paid plans provide enhanced capabilities and larger usage limits.
• PlayHT: Similar to ElevenLabs, PlayHT offers a range of pricing options, including a free plan for basic usage. Their pricing tiers escalate to accommodate more advanced needs, with each level offering more features and capacity. 

How do ElevenLabs and PlayHT ensure the naturalness and emotional expressiveness of their voices?

• ElevenLabs: Leveraging sophisticated AI algorithms, ElevenLabs specializes in producing speech that is not only natural-sounding but also rich in emotional depth. Its technology is adept at contextual analysis, ensuring that the voice output appropriately matches the emotional tone of the text.
• PlayHT: PlayHT focuses on delivering high-quality, natural-sounding voices. It offers a wide range of voices and languages, ensuring clear and lifelike speech. While it may not specifically target emotional expressiveness to the extent of ElevenLabs, PlayHT’s voices are designed to sound authentic and engaging.

What types of applications or industries commonly use ElevenLabs and PlayHT?

• ElevenLabs: ElevenLabs is widely utilized in fields like content creation, digital media, and audiobook production, particularly in sectors that demand high-quality, emotionally expressive text-to-speech services. Its advanced features make it suitable for creating engaging audio content across various platforms.
• PlayHT: PlayHT is commonly used across a range of applications, including video production, e-learning, podcasting, and other digital content areas. It caters to professionals and creators who need reliable text-to-speech services for their projects, offering clear and natural voiceovers in multiple languages and accents.

Are there customization options available in ElevenLabs and PlayHT for voice characteristics?

• ElevenLabs: ElevenLabs provides extensive customization options, including voice cloning and the creation of unique voices. This allows users to tailor voice characteristics according to specific requirements, enhancing the versatility of the voices produced.
• PlayHT: PlayHT offers a degree of customization in terms of voice selection and modification. Users can choose from a wide range of voices and adjust certain parameters.

How do ElevenLabs and PlayHT handle user data and privacy concerns?

• Check out ElevenLabs privacy policy.

Can ElevenLabs and PlayHT voices be used for commercial purposes?

• ElevenLabs: Yes, ElevenLabs supports commercial usage, particularly through its higher-tier plans which are tailored for professional and commercial applications including voice cloning and advanced speech synthesis.
• PlayHT: PlayHT also accommodates commercial use, particularly under its premium plans, making it suitable for various professional voiceover and content creation purposes.

What kind of support and resources do ElevenLabs and PlayHT offer to their users?

• ElevenLabs: ElevenLabs provides user support through multiple channels including customer service, comprehensive FAQs, and community forums or knowledge bases, ensuring users have access to necessary information and assistance.
• PlayHT: PlayHT offers customer support along with various resources such as tutorials and user guides, helping users effectively utilize the service for their text-to-speech needs.