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The best Speechify alternative depends on your job. To have text read to you, free tools like NaturalReader, ElevenReader and the readers built into iPhone, Android and Microsoft Edge cover most needs. To make voiceovers you can download and publish, a voice generator like Kveeky, ElevenLabs or Murf AI fits better than Speechify.
Last updated: October 6, 2026. Prices and free-plan limits were checked on each vendor's own page on that date.
Speechify is mainly a reading app. You give it a PDF, web page or email, and it reads it to you. Kveeky does a different job: you paste a script, pick a voice and download an audio file for a video or course. This guide is honest about that split, so you can pick the right kind of tool.
- Two jobs, two kinds of tool. Speechify reads text to you. Kveeky, ElevenLabs and Murf make audio files you publish.
- Free listening is easy to get. iPhone and iPad Read & Speak, Android Select to Speak, Edge Read aloud and the ElevenReader app are free.
- Speechify's free plan is limited. It has 10 voices and speeds up to 1.5x. Premium is $29/month (speechify.com/pricing, retrieved 2026-10-06).
- For voiceovers, check downloads and rights. Kveeky's free plan gives 500 credits a month, and every paid plan includes commercial rights. Murf's free plan has no downloads.
- PlayHT is no longer an option. The play.ht domain no longer resolves as of October 6, 2026.
Speechify vs Kveeky: reading to you or making audio?
Speechify and Kveeky both turn text into speech, but they solve different problems. Pick the column that sounds like you.
| Speechify (reading app) | Kveeky (voice generator) | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Reads documents, web pages and scans to you | Turns your script into a downloadable voiceover |
| Typical user | Students, busy professionals, people who prefer listening | YouTubers, course creators, marketers, small teams |
| Free plan | 10 voices, up to 1.5x speed | 500 credits/month (about 6.6 min), standard voices, no card |
| Paid from | Premium $29/month | $9/month, or $7.50/month billed yearly |
| Output | Listening in the app | MP3 and WAV files |
| Where it wins | Listening speed up to 5x on Premium, scanning, cloud integrations | 700+ voices, emotion tags, voice cloning, commercial rights on paid plans |
Speechify also sells a separate Studio product for voiceovers, priced on its own page. If you need to listen, Kveeky is the wrong tool. If you need a file to publish, a reading app is.
Real samples from the Kveeky voice library.
Speechify alternatives at a glance
All 15 tools, grouped by job. Prices were read on each vendor's page on October 6, 2026. A dash means the page we checked did not state it.
| # | Tool | Job | Free option | Paid from | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NaturalReader | Listen | Free plan, no card | Lite $79/year | Web, mobile app, Chrome extension |
| 2 | ElevenReader | Listen | Free app | — | iOS, Android |
| 3 | Apple Read & Speak | Listen | Built in, free | — | iPhone, iPad |
| 4 | Android Select to Speak | Listen | Built in, free | — | Android |
| 5 | Microsoft Edge Read aloud | Listen | Built in, free | — | Edge browser |
| 6 | Microsoft Word Read Aloud | Listen | Included with Microsoft 365, Office 2019 and 2021 | — | Windows, Mac, mobile; Immersive Reader on the web |
| 7 | Read Aloud extension | Listen | Free extension | Cloud voices may cost extra | Chrome |
| 8 | Balabolka | Listen and save audio | Freeware | — | Windows |
| 9 | Kveeky | Make voiceovers | 500 credits/month (about 6.6 min) | $9/month, or $7.50/month yearly | Web |
| 10 | ElevenLabs | Make voiceovers | 10,000 credits/month, no commercial license | $6/month Starter | Web |
| 11 | Murf AI | Make voiceovers | 10 min, no downloads | $19/month Creator | Web |
| 12 | Fish Audio | Make voiceovers | 8,000 credits/month, commercial use listed | $11/month billed yearly | Web |
| 13 | Voicemaker | Make voiceovers | 250 characters per conversion, personal use | $5/month | Web |
| 14 | Narakeet | Make voiceovers | 20 conversions, no commercial use | $6 for 30 min, one-time | Web |
| 15 | WellSaid | Make voiceovers | Trial, 3 download min/month | $10/month billed yearly | Web |
Best free Speechify alternatives for listening
These 8 tools do Speechify's main job: they read text to you. Most are free.
1. NaturalReader: closest all-round match
NaturalReader reads documents, web pages and scanned text, much like Speechify. Its homepage lists a free forever plan with no credit card. Personal plans start at $13.90/month or $79/year, and every plan includes the web app, mobile app and Chrome extension. Audio from personal plans is for personal use only.
2. ElevenReader: best free app for PDFs and ePubs
ElevenLabs' reader app runs on iOS and Android. Its page says it's free to download and use, and it reads PDFs, ePubs, articles and pasted text. Listening in the app does not use credits from an ElevenLabs web plan.
3. Apple Read & Speak: free on every iPhone and iPad
Turn on Speak Selection or Speak Screen in Settings, then Accessibility, then Read & Speak. Swipe down with 2 fingers from the top to hear the whole screen. You can change the voice, speaking rate and pronunciations. Our iPhone and iPad text to speech guide has every step.
4. Android Select to Speak: free on Android
Open Settings, tap Accessibility, then Select to Speak, and turn on the shortcut. Then tap any text or drag across it to hear it. Google notes it might not work with every mobile browser.
5. Microsoft Edge Read aloud: free for web pages
Open Reading mode from the address bar or press F9, then select Read aloud. You can change the voice and speed. It's a good free answer to Speechify's browser extension.
6. Microsoft Word Read Aloud: free if you already have Office
In Word, go to the Review tab and select Read Aloud. It reads the whole document from your cursor and lets you change voice and speed. Read Aloud needs Microsoft 365, Office 2019 or Office 2021. See our Microsoft Word text to speech tutorial for shortcuts.
7. Read Aloud browser extension: free and open source
The Read Aloud extension for Chrome reads web pages, PDFs, Google Docs and Kindle books. Its store listing says it supports 40+ languages and is open source.
8. Balabolka: free Windows reader that saves audio
Balabolka is freeware for Windows. It reads many file types, including PDF, DOCX, EPUB and MOBI, and can save text as an audio file.
Best Speechify alternatives for making voiceovers
These 7 tools create audio files you can publish. They're the better fit if you searched for Speechify because you need narration for videos, courses or ads.
9. Kveeky: best for creators who need downloadable voiceovers
Kveeky is built for one job: paste a script, pick a voice, download the audio. You get 700+ AI voices in 40+ languages, tone, pitch and speed control, and emotion tags such as <emotion value="excited"/> and [laughter].
- 1Pick a voice. Voices are tagged Free or Premium.
- 2Type up to 400 characters. Emotion tags such as [laughter] are optional.
- 3Choose the language and press play to hear it.
Try it yourself in the free voice demo on Kveeky, no sign-up needed. For longer scripts and downloads, use the free plan.
- Free: 500 credits a month (about 6.6 minutes), standard voices, 5 voice clones, no credit card.
- Basic: $9/month, or $7.50/month billed yearly, 100 minutes a month and all 700+ voices.
- Pro: $19.99/month, or $12.50/month billed yearly, 133 minutes, 10 clones.
Every paid plan includes commercial usage rights, and you export MP3 or WAV. Full details are on the Kveeky pricing page.
10. ElevenLabs: best for cloning your own voice
ElevenLabs' free plan gives 10,000 credits a month with no commercial license. Starter is $6/month with Instant Voice Cloning and a commercial license, and its pricing page lists 74 languages.
11. Murf AI: best for business presentations
Murf AI has a studio editor for presentations and training. The free plan gives 10 minutes of generation but no downloads. Creator starts at $19/month with downloads and commercial rights.
12. Fish Audio: best free tier for commercial use
Fish Audio's free tier lists commercial use and voice cloning, with up to about 7 minutes a month. Plus is $11/month billed yearly ($132/year).
13. Voicemaker: best for many languages at a low price
Voicemaker lists more than 500 voices and 120 languages on its free plan, but only 250 characters per conversion and personal use. Starter is $5/month with commercial use.
14. Narakeet: best for pay-as-you-go
Narakeet sells one-time minute packs, from $6 for 30 minutes, and credits don't expire. The free tier gives 20 conversions without commercial use.
15. WellSaid: best for English corporate narration
WellSaid's trial needs no card and gives 3 download minutes a month without commercial rights. Starter is $10/month billed yearly ($120/year) with all English voices and full commercial rights.
ElevenLabs vs Speechify vs Murf vs Resemble AI
Many searchers compare these tools in one go. Here's the short version, checked October 6, 2026.
| Tool | Main job | Free plan | Entry paid price | Voice cloning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speechify | Reading to you | 10 voices, up to 1.5x | $29/month Premium | Not listed on the reader pricing page |
| ElevenLabs | Voiceovers and cloning | 10,000 credits/month | $6/month Starter | Instant from Starter, Professional from Creator |
| Murf AI | Business voiceovers | 10 min, no downloads | $19/month Creator | — |
| Resemble AI | Now centred on deepfake detection | Pay-as-you-go Flex plan | $350/month Team | Not on the pricing page we checked |
| Kveeky | Voiceovers | 500 credits/month | $9/month, or $7.50 billed yearly | 5 clones on Free, up to 20 on Business |
| PlayHT | Removed: play.ht no longer resolves as of October 6, 2026 | |||
For a deeper profile, see our Speechify review and alternatives page.
How to choose the right Speechify alternative
- Decide if you want to listen or publish. Listening means a reader app. Publishing means a voice generator that exports files.
- Try the free built-in reader first. iPhone, iPad, Android, Edge and Word already read text aloud at no cost.
- Check speed limits. Speechify's free plan stops at 1.5x. Built-in readers let you set the rate yourself.
- For voiceovers, check downloads and commercial rights. Monetized videos and client work need commercial use.
- Test with your own text. Names, numbers and technical words show quality gaps fastest.
If you need both, reading and exporting, our guide to AI text to speech reader and exporter tools covers tools that do both. For a wider list of voiceover tools, see the 10 best free AI voiceover generators.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to Speechify?
Yes. Apple Read & Speak, Android Select to Speak, Microsoft Edge Read aloud and the ElevenReader app are all free. NaturalReader also has a free plan. They cover most of what people use Speechify for: listening to documents and web pages.
What apps are like Speechify but free?
For phones, use the built-in readers on iPhone, iPad and Android, or the free ElevenReader app. On a computer, try Edge Read aloud, the Read Aloud extension for Chrome or Balabolka on Windows.
Is there anything better than Speechify?
It depends on the job. For listening, NaturalReader is the closest all-round match. For making downloadable voiceovers, a voice generator like Kveeky, ElevenLabs or Murf AI does a job Speechify's reader app isn't built for.
Is Kveeky a Speechify alternative?
Only if you want to create audio. Kveeky turns a script into an MP3 or WAV voiceover with 700+ voices. It doesn't read your PDFs or web pages back to you the way Speechify does.
What happened to PlayHT 3.0?
As of October 6, 2026, the play.ht domain no longer resolves, so we could not check PlayHT's models, plans or prices. We removed PlayHT from this guide. ElevenLabs, Fish Audio and Kveeky are the closest voice generators we could verify.
How we checked this guide
This guide is written by Ankit Agarwal for the Kveeky team. Disclosure: Kveeky makes an AI voice generator. We compared tools on their own published plans and help pages, not on marketing claims.
- Prices and plan limits, retrieved October 6, 2026: Speechify, Kveeky, ElevenLabs, Murf AI, Fish Audio, Voicemaker, Narakeet, WellSaid, Resemble AI, NaturalReader.
- Reader features, retrieved October 6, 2026: ElevenReader, Apple Support, Android Accessibility Help, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Word, Read Aloud extension, Balabolka.
- No Kveeky usage data is used in this guide. Prices change, so confirm on the vendor's page before you buy.
Need narration rather than a reader? Turn a chapter or long script into audio with Kveeky's guide to AI voiceovers for audiobooks.
Turn your script into a voiceover
Paste your text, pick a voice and download the audio. Free to start, no credit card.
