ElevenLabs
Cappy’s Quick Take
| At a glance | Details |
|---|---|
| What it is | An AI voice platform for lifelike text to speech, voice cloning, dubbing and voice agents |
| Pricing | Freemium · Starter $5/month · Creator $18.33/month · Pro $82.50/month (annual billing) |
| Free plan | Yes, 10,000 credits a month (about 10 minutes of speech), non-commercial |
| Works with | Web and mobile apps, plus a widely used API |
| Best for | Anyone who needs the most natural-sounding AI voices |
| Cappy Score | 4.7/5 |
What is ElevenLabs?
ElevenLabs is an AI voice platform known for some of the most natural-sounding AI voices available. You type or paste a script, pick a voice, and it generates speech that sounds close to a real person.
Beyond text to speech, it offers voice cloning, dubbing into other languages, speech to text, sound effects and tools for building voice agents. Developers use its API to add voices to apps.
It runs on credits. Roughly 1,000 credits equal about a minute of speech, and every plan, including the free one, refills each month.
Key features
- Text to speech: lifelike voices in many languages and styles.
- Voice cloning: instant cloning from Starter, professional cloning from Creator.
- Dubbing: translate and re-voice audio and video.
- Voice library: choose from a large library of voices.
- Voice agents: build conversational voice agents for calls and apps.
- API: add ElevenLabs voices to your own products.
Pricing plans
| Plan | Price | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Testing, with 10,000 credits a month |
| Starter | $5/month billed annually, or $6 billed monthly | First commercial projects, with 30,000 credits and instant cloning |
| Creator | $18.33/month billed annually, or $22 billed monthly | Regular creators, with 121,000 credits and professional cloning |
| Pro | $82.50/month billed annually, or $99 billed monthly | Heavy users, with 600,000 credits |
| Scale and Business | From $249.17/month billed annually ($299 monthly) | Teams, with more credits and seats |
Which plan should you pick? Use Free to test voices. Anything you publish or sell needs at least Starter. Creator suits most YouTubers and podcasters, with about two hours of speech a month.
ElevenLabs free plan: what you get
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Credits | 10,000 a month (about 10 minutes of speech) |
| Commercial use | No, and published content must credit ElevenLabs |
| Voice cloning | Paid plans only |
| Rollover | No |
The catch: Free audio can’t be used commercially, and you must credit ElevenLabs if you publish it. For a YouTube channel or client work, budget for Starter at least.
Who is ElevenLabs for?
- Content creators: voice YouTube videos and social clips.
- Podcasters and authors: produce narration and audiobooks.
- Businesses: dub videos into other languages.
- Developers: add natural voices to apps through the API.
Consider something else if you need lots of audio for free, or a simple voiceover tool built around slides and videos.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Very natural, expressive voices
- Generous low-cost Starter plan
- Voice cloning and dubbing in one platform
- Strong API for developers
Cons
- Free plan is non-commercial and needs attribution
- Credits can run out quickly on long projects
- Many features can feel complex at first
- Unused credits don’t roll over on Free
ElevenLabs alternatives
| Tool | Why consider it |
|---|---|
| Murf AI | Voiceovers built around slides, videos and Canva |
| Speechify Studio | Voiceovers, dubbing and a huge voice library |
| WellSaid | Consistent, professional voices for business training |
| LOVO | Voiceovers with a built-in video editor |
How to get started with ElevenLabs
- Sign up free at elevenlabs.io.
- Open Text to Speech, paste your script and pick a voice.
- Adjust the settings and generate your audio.
- Download it, or upgrade to Starter for commercial use.
Tip: Choose annual billing if you upgrade: you pay for 10 months and get 12.
Frequently asked questions
Is ElevenLabs free?
Yes. The free plan gives 10,000 credits a month, about 10 minutes of speech. It doesn’t include commercial use, and you must credit ElevenLabs when publishing.
How much does ElevenLabs cost?
Starter costs $6, Creator $22 and Pro $99 a month. Billed annually, they cost $5, $18.33 and $82.50 a month.
Can I use ElevenLabs commercially?
Yes, from the Starter plan upward. The free plan is for non-commercial use only.
Does ElevenLabs offer voice cloning?
Yes. Instant voice cloning starts on Starter, and professional voice cloning starts on Creator.