ElevenLabs is an AI audio platform that turns text into lifelike speech in dozens of languages, clones voices, dubs videos and powers real-time voice agents. There is a free plan for testing, and paid plans with a commercial licence start at about $6 a month.
What is ElevenLabs?
The company was founded in 2022 by Piotr Dąbkowski and Mati Staniszewski, who wanted to fix poor movie dubbing. Its models read text with natural pacing, emotion and emphasis, which is why creators, publishers and app developers use it for narration and voice products.
Beyond text to speech, the platform now covers speech to text, sound effects, music, video dubbing and conversational agents for customer support. In September 2026 it released its Eleven v4 model family, including a Turbo version built for very low latency.
ElevenLabs key features
Text to speech
Natural, expressive voices with the Eleven v4 model family.
Voice cloning
Instant clones from a short sample, or professional clones on Creator and above.
Voice Library
Thousands of community and designer voices to choose from.
AI dubbing
Translate and dub video or audio while keeping the speaker’s voice.
Speech to text
Accurate transcription with speaker labels and timestamps.
Sound effects and music
Generate SFX and music tracks from a text prompt.
Studio
Edit long-form projects such as audiobooks and podcasts chapter by chapter.
ElevenAgents
Build real-time voice agents for support, sales and booking.
Developer API
Add voice to apps with SDKs and low-latency Turbo models.
ElevenLabs pricing plans (2026)
Plans are based on monthly credits. Roughly 1,000 credits equal about one minute of standard speech.
Free
About 10,000 credits per month for testing. No commercial licence.
Starter
About 30,000 credits and a commercial licence.
Creator
About 121,000 credits and professional voice cloning.
Pro
About 600,000 credits, higher-quality audio output and faster API models.
Scale
About 1.8M credits and 3 seats for small teams.
Business
About 6M credits and 10 seats. Enterprise is custom.
Prices checked in October 2026 (USD). Yearly billing gives about two months free. Confirm credits and prices on the official pricing page.
How to use ElevenLabs
- 1
Create a free account at elevenlabs.io.
- 2
Open Text to Speech, paste your script and pick a voice from the Voice Library.
- 3
Choose a model, then adjust stability, style and speed settings.
- 4
Generate, listen and regenerate any line that needs a different tone.
- 5
Download the audio, or move to Studio, Dubbing or Agents for bigger projects.
Who should use ElevenLabs?
YouTubers and creators
Produce voiceovers for videos, shorts and explainers.
Authors and publishers
Turn books and articles into audiobooks.
Businesses
Run voice agents for support calls and bookings.
Developers
Add speech, transcription and dubbing to apps via API.
Pros and cons
What we like
- Some of the most natural AI voices available
- Wide language and accent support
- Full audio suite in one platform
- Strong API and developer tools
Watch out for
- Credits can run out quickly on long projects
- Free plan has no commercial licence
- Professional cloning needs Creator or higher
- Voice cloning needs consent and responsible use
Best ElevenLabs alternatives
This is the top choice when voice quality matters. The free plan is perfect for testing voices, Starter covers small commercial projects, and Creator is the sweet spot for regular YouTube or audiobook work.
ElevenLabs FAQs
Is ElevenLabs free?
Yes. The free plan gives about 10,000 credits a month (around 10 minutes of speech) for testing. It does not include a commercial licence.
How much does ElevenLabs cost?
Paid plans start at about $6 a month for Starter, $22 for Creator and $99 for Pro. Scale, Business and Enterprise plans are available for teams.
Where is the company based?
It was founded in 2022 and is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with offices in New York, Warsaw and San Francisco.
Can I clone my own voice?
Yes. Instant voice cloning works from a short sample, and professional voice cloning is available on Creator and higher plans. Only clone voices you have permission to use.
Can I use the audio commercially?
Yes, on any paid plan. The free plan is for personal testing only and requires attribution.
What are the best alternatives?
Popular alternatives include Murf AI, Play.ht and Descript, depending on whether you need voiceovers, a voice library or audio editing.
