# Top 15 Best Speechify Alternatives in 2026: The Complete Guide Published: December 31, 2025 · Author: Ankit Agarwal 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](https://kveeky.com/), 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.

Key Takeaways

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.

Hear Kveeky voices

Real samples from the Kveeky voice library.

Tara US English

“You've got this! With clear, concise narration, your message will surely land.”

Judith UK English

“The path ahead may be challenging, but our team is ready.”

David UK English, phone greeting

“Welcome! It's a pleasure to have you here.”

Try these voices free →

## 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.

Best for: the closest all-round match to Speechify for listening.

PROS

A free forever plan with no credit card
Reads documents, web pages and scanned text
Web app, mobile app and Chrome extension on every plan

CONS

Audio from personal plans is for personal use only
Publishing the audio needs the separate Commercial version, from $29/month

Best alternative: ElevenReader, a free app for PDFs, ePubs, articles and pasted text.

### 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.

Best for: free listening to PDFs and ePubs on your phone.

PROS

Free to download and use on iOS and Android
Reads PDFs, ePubs, articles and pasted text
Listening doesn't use credits from an ElevenLabs web plan

CONS

A premium version is planned, so free terms may change

Best alternative: NaturalReader, which lists a free forever plan with no credit card.

### 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](https://kveeky.com/blog/ios-text-to-speech-complete-guide-iphone-ipad-2025) has every step.

Best for: free listening on iPhone and iPad.

PROS

Built in and free
You can change the voice, speaking rate and pronunciations

CONS

It reads what's on screen, so there's no library or cross-device sync like Speechify

Best alternative: ElevenReader, if you want an app that reads PDFs and ePubs.

### 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.

Best for: quick, free reads on Android.

PROS

Built in and free
Tap any text or drag across it to hear it

CONS

Built for short reads, not long documents with bookmarks
Might not work with every mobile browser

Best alternative: ElevenReader, for long PDFs and ePubs on Android.

### 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.

Best for: free listening to web pages on a computer.

PROS

Built in and free
You can change the voice and speed
A good free answer to Speechify's browser extension

CONS

It works on supported web pages, so some sites won't open in Reading mode

Best alternative: the Read Aloud extension, which also reads PDFs, Google Docs and Kindle books in Chrome.

### 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](https://kveeky.com/blog/microsoft-word-text-to-speech-integration-tutorial) for shortcuts.

Best for: listening to Word documents if you already have Office.

PROS

Reads the whole document from your cursor
You can change voice and speed

CONS

It only reads Word documents, not web pages or PDFs
Needs Microsoft 365, Office 2019 or Office 2021

Best alternative: Microsoft Edge Read aloud, for free listening to web pages.

### 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.

Best for: free, open-source listening in Chrome.

PROS

Reads web pages, PDFs, Google Docs and Kindle books
Supports 40+ languages, according to its store listing
Free and open source

CONS

The best cloud voices need an in-app purchase or your own API key

Best alternative: Microsoft Edge Read aloud, a free built-in reader for web pages.

### 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 for: free listening on Windows, with the option to save audio.

PROS

Freeware for Windows
Reads PDF, DOCX, EPUB and MOBI files
Can save text as an audio file

CONS

It uses the voices installed on your computer, so quality depends on your system

Best alternative: NaturalReader, for a free plan with a web app, mobile app and Chrome extension.

## 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 `` and `[laughter]`.

The Kveeky homepage voice demo with three numbered areas: the voice list, the script box and the language and play controls. — 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](https://kveeky.com/pricing/).

Best for: creators who need downloadable voiceovers.

PROS

700+ AI voices in 40+ languages
500 free credits a month (about 6.6 minutes), no credit card
MP3 or WAV export, with commercial usage rights on every paid plan

CONS

It doesn't read your PDFs or web pages back to you
Not a Speechify replacement for listening

Best alternative: NaturalReader, if you mainly want text read to you.

### 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.

Best for: cloning your own voice.

PROS

Starter at $6/month with Instant Voice Cloning and a commercial license
74 languages listed on its pricing page

CONS

No commercial license on the free plan
Credits run out fast if you regenerate lines often

Best alternative: Fish Audio, whose free tier lists commercial use and voice cloning.

### 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.

Best for: business presentations and training.

PROS

A studio editor for presentations and training
Downloads and commercial rights from Creator at $19/month

CONS

No downloads on the free plan, so you can't finish a real project

Best alternative: WellSaid, for English narration, with 3 download minutes a month on its trial.

### 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).

Best for: a free tier you can use commercially.

PROS

The free tier lists commercial use and voice cloning
Up to about 7 minutes a month free
Plus is $11/month billed yearly ($132/year)

CONS

Free generations are capped at 500 characters each

Best alternative: Kveeky, for 700+ voices, with commercial usage rights on every paid plan.

### 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.

Best for: many languages at a low price.

PROS

More than 500 voices and 120 languages on the free plan
Starter at $5/month with commercial use

CONS

Only 250 characters per conversion, so the free plan is too short for real projects
Free use is personal only

Best alternative: Narakeet, for pay-as-you-go packs from $6 for 30 minutes.

### 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.

Best for: pay-as-you-go.

PROS

One-time minute packs from $6 for 30 minutes
Credits don't expire

CONS

Prices for larger packs weren't shown on the page we checked
No commercial use on the free tier

Best alternative: Voicemaker, for a low monthly plan: Starter is $5/month with 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.

Best for: English corporate narration.

PROS

The trial needs no card and gives 3 download minutes a month
Full commercial rights from Starter at $10/month billed yearly

CONS

Paid plans cover English voices only
No commercial rights on the trial

Best alternative: Kveeky, for voiceovers in 40+ languages.

## 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](https://kveeky.com/voice-providers/speechify/alternatives). ## How to choose the right Speechify alternative 1. **Decide if you want to listen or publish.** Listening means a reader app. Publishing means a voice generator that exports files. 2. **Try the free built-in reader first.** iPhone, iPad, Android, Edge and Word already read text aloud at no cost. 3. **Check speed limits.** Speechify's free plan stops at 1.5x. Built-in readers let you set the rate yourself. 4. **For voiceovers, check downloads and commercial rights.** Monetized videos and client work need commercial use. 5. **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](https://kveeky.com/blog/ai-text-to-speech-reader-exporter-tools) covers tools that do both. For a wider list of voiceover tools, see the [10 best free AI voiceover generators](https://kveeky.com/blog/10-best-free-ai-voice-generatorover-tools).

Want to hear your own script in an AI voice? Kveeky's free plan needs no credit card, and every paid plan includes commercial rights.

Try Kveeky free

## 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](https://speechify.com/pricing/), [Kveeky](https://kveeky.com/pricing/), [ElevenLabs](https://elevenlabs.io/pricing), [Murf AI](https://murf.ai/pricing), [Fish Audio](https://fish.audio/plan/), [Voicemaker](https://voicemaker.in/pricing), [Narakeet](https://www.narakeet.com/docs/pricing/), [WellSaid](https://www.wellsaid.io/ai-voice-pricing), [Resemble AI](https://www.resemble.ai/pricing/), [NaturalReader](https://help.naturalreaders.com/en/articles/8854700-plans-pricing-personal-version). - Reader features, retrieved October 6, 2026: [ElevenReader](https://elevenlabs.io/text-reader), [Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/hear-whats-on-the-screen-or-typed-iph96b214f0/ios), [Android Accessibility Help](https://support.google.com/accessibility/android/answer/7349565), [Microsoft Edge](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/use-immersive-reader-in-microsoft-edge), [Microsoft Word](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/listen-to-your-word-documents), [Read Aloud extension](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/read-aloud-a-text-to-spee/hdhinadidafjejdhmfkjgnolgimiaplp), [Balabolka](https://www.cross-plus-a.com/balabolka.htm). - 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](https://kveeky.com/voiceover/audiobooks/).