ElevenLabs starts cheap at $6/mo, but credits burn fast at scale and plans climb to $299/mo for Scale and $990/mo for Business. Most people looking for an alternative actually need a tool built for one job: listening, editing, video or music.
Pick by task. Speechify ($29/mo) is better for having text read to you. Descript is better for editing podcasts with a cloned voice. HeyGen pairs voice cloning with avatar video, and Suno ($8/mo) is the stronger music generator.
| App | Free tier | Paid from | Top plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ElevenLabs | Yes | $6/mo | $990/mo | Developers and studios needing voice cloning, dubbing and TTS, with music as a bonus feature |
| Speechify | Yes | $29/mo | $29/mo | Readers, students, and professionals who want articles, books, and documents read aloud in natural voices |
| Descript | Yes | $24/mo | $65/mo | Podcast and video editing, transcript-based cutting, voice cloning for solo creators |
| HeyGen | Yes | $29/mo | $149/mo | Marketers and solo creators who need talking-avatar videos and multilingual dubbing without a camera crew |
| Suno | Yes | $8/mo | $24/mo | Hobbyists, songwriters and content creators who want full original songs fast |
Monthly prices in US dollars before tax, from each vendor's official pricing (US list price; weekly-billed plans converted to a monthly figure). Updated October 7, 2026
Speechify is built for listening: 1,000+ natural voices in 60+ languages at up to 5× speed, plus Scan & Listen and AI podcasts, on one flat Premium plan rather than credits.
Pick it if: you want articles, books and documents read to you, not audio files for production.
Full Speechify pricing →Descript edits audio and video by editing the transcript, with voice cloning and an AI co-editor built in. You get the voice tools and the editor in one app.
Pick it if: you produce podcasts or talking-head videos and want cloned-voice fixes inside your editor.
Full Descript pricing →HeyGen's Creator plan ($29/mo) includes voice cloning in 175+ languages alongside talking avatars, so the voice and the presenter come from one tool.
Pick it if: your voiceovers end up in marketing or explainer videos.
Full HeyGen pricing →Music is a side feature at ElevenLabs; Suno generates full songs with vocals and lyrics, and Pro ($8/mo) includes commercial use.
Pick it if: you mainly used ElevenLabs for music or want full songs, not voice.
Full Suno pricing →For developers and studios who need voice cloning, dubbing and TTS through an API, ElevenLabs is the specialist, and Starter at $6/mo already includes a commercial licence and instant voice cloning. Switch only if you need a different job done.
Rarely: ElevenLabs Starter ($6/mo) is already one of the cheapest commercial voice plans. Alternatives are worth it for a different job, such as listening (Speechify) or editing (Descript).
Suno: it generates full songs with vocals, and its Pro plan includes commercial use.
How we choose: prices come from each vendor's official pricing page and are re-checked every week. We take no affiliate fees, so rankings aren't for sale.