Description
ElevenLabs is a voice AI company built around three products: ElevenCreative for text-to-speech, voice design, and dubbing; ElevenAgents for real-time conversational AI calling; and ElevenAPI for developers integrating any of it directly. The free plan includes 10,000 characters a month and access to the same text-to-speech API used on paid tiers, though commercial use requires at least the Starter plan. Instant Voice Cloning creates a usable voice from about a minute of audio, while Professional Voice Cloning, available from the Creator plan upward, trains a higher-fidelity clone from longer samples. ElevenLabs also offers Speech to Text, sound effects, and music generation from the same credit pool.
Key Features
- Instant and Professional Voice Cloning — a usable clone from about a minute of audio, or a higher-fidelity clone from longer samples on Creator and above.
- ElevenAgents — real-time conversational AI calling, billed separately by the minute.
- ElevenAPI — a developer API for text-to-speech, speech-to-text, dubbing, sound effects, and music.
- 32+ languages — supported across the text-to-speech and dubbing models.
- Dubbing — translates video or audio into another language, with or without a visible watermark depending on plan.
- Credit rollover — unused credits on paid plans carry over for up to two months.
How It Works
A user types text into ElevenLabs’ editor, chooses a stock voice or a cloned one, and generates speech that draws from a shared monthly credit pool. The same credits cover Speech to Text, sound effect generation, and Eleven Music, so a single subscription spans several audio products rather than one. ElevenAgents runs separately for real-time calling, billed per minute rather than by credits. Developers can skip the web editor and call ElevenAPI directly, which uses lower per-character rates than the UI and gives programmatic access to the same voice models.
Technical Architecture & Overview
- Core Engine: ElevenLabs’ proprietary text-to-speech, voice cloning, and Eleven v3 models.
- Deployment: Browser-based web app at elevenlabs.io; iOS and Android apps; ElevenReader for the reading app.
- API Surface: ElevenAPI, billed separately by usage rather than the subscription’s credit pool, with its own free tier.
- Known Limits: Commercial usage rights require at least the Starter plan; Professional Voice Cloning requires Creator or above.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The free plan includes API access and 10,000 characters a month, more generous than many competitors’ free tiers. | The free plan has no commercial usage rights and requires ElevenLabs attribution. |
| Instant Voice Cloning needs only about a minute of sample audio to produce a usable voice. | Professional Voice Cloning is locked behind the Creator plan and above. |
| Credits are shared across text-to-speech, speech-to-text, sound effects, and music generation. | Heavier features like conversational AI calling are billed separately from the main credit pool. |
| Unused credits on paid plans roll over for up to two months instead of expiring immediately. | Pricing and included credits have changed more than once within 2026, according to third-party trackers. |
| ElevenAPI gives developers direct, lower-cost access to the same models used in the web editor. | The Business and Enterprise tiers needed for high-volume or compliance use cases run into four figures a month. |
Pricing
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Free | $0/month (10,000 credits, non-commercial) |
| Starter | $5/month billed annually (30,000 credits, commercial rights) |
| Pro | $82.50/month billed annually (600,000 credits) |
API access is available through ElevenAPI on every plan, including Free.
Platform Availability
Web | iOS | Android | API
Best For
Podcasters and creators needing realistic voice cloning from a short sample | Businesses building conversational AI phone agents via ElevenAgents | Developers integrating text-to-speech, dubbing, or sound generation via the API
Similar Tools in This Directory
Also worth comparing: LOVO AI, a text-to-speech and video platform built around the Genny studio | Murf AI, a studio-focused voice generator with Canva and PowerPoint integrations | Play.ht, a flat-rate text-to-speech platform with a large multilingual voice library | Voicemod, a real-time voice changer for gaming and streaming rather than pre-recorded voiceovers
Visit Official Website
Frequently Asked Questions
Does ElevenLabs have a free plan?
Yes. The free plan includes 10,000 characters a month and API access, though it’s limited to non-commercial use and requires attribution, according to ElevenLabs’ official site.
How much does ElevenLabs cost?
Paid plans start at $5/month billed annually on Starter and run up to $990/month on Business, with custom Enterprise pricing above that, according to ElevenLabs’ official pricing page.
Does ElevenLabs offer voice cloning?
Yes. Instant Voice Cloning works from about a minute of audio on Starter and above, while Professional Voice Cloning, a higher-fidelity option, requires Creator or above, according to ElevenLabs’ official site.
Does ElevenLabs have a developer API?
Yes. ElevenAPI gives developers direct access to ElevenLabs’ text-to-speech, dubbing, sound effects, and music models, billed separately from the subscription plans, according to ElevenLabs’ official pricing documentation.
What is ElevenAgents?
ElevenAgents is ElevenLabs’ real-time conversational AI calling product, billed per minute rather than through the standard credit pool, according to ElevenLabs’ official site.
