Best Free Text-to-Speech Tools in 2026, Compared
Last checked: July 31, 2026 — pricing pages change without notice; verify current figures on each provider's site before relying on them.
"Free" means something different at every one of these five tools. Three of the five (ElevenLabs, Murf, Speechify) explicitly exclude commercial use on their free tier. Two (HixCodeTTSv1 and, with a caveat, PlayHT) don't state that restriction. None of the five other than HixCodeTTSv1 offer a one-time purchase — every paid tier elsewhere is a recurring subscription.
Free tier comparison
| Tool | Free tier | Commercial use | Credit card required |
|---|---|---|---|
| HixCodeTTSv1 | 5 requests/day, every day | Not restricted | No |
| ElevenLabs | 10,000 credits/month | Not permitted | No |
| Murf AI | 10 minutes total | Not permitted | No |
| PlayHT | 12,500 characters/month, 1 voice clone | Not specified on free tier | No |
| Speechify | 10 voices, capped playback speed | Not permitted | Yes — trial auto-converts to paid after 3 days |
Entry paid pricing
| Tool | Entry price | Billing |
|---|---|---|
| HixCodeTTSv1 | $7 for 1,000,000 characters | One-time, never expires |
| ElevenLabs | $5/month | Recurring subscription |
| Murf AI | $19-29/month | Recurring subscription |
| PlayHT | $31.20-39/month | Recurring subscription |
| Speechify | $29/month or $139/year | Recurring subscription |
Which one fits which use case
High-volume API integrations across many languages: ElevenLabs or Murf. Voice-cloning-heavy workflows at scale: PlayHT's Unlimited tier, once the free 1-clone cap is a blocker. Reading text aloud on a phone or browser as an accessibility aid: Speechify's core use case, if the 3-day trial-to-paid conversion is acceptable. Occasional English-language narration without a recurring bill: HixCodeTTSv1's one-time packs.