AI Tools 
ElevenLabs review
Lifelike AI voices for text to speech, voice cloning, dubbing, music, sound effects and conversational voice agents.
⚡ Quick verdict
ElevenLabs is the benchmark for realistic AI voices. Its text to speech, voice cloning and dubbing are used by creators and enterprises alike, and ElevenAgents extends it into customer-service voice bots. Starter at $6 a month adds a commercial license; Creator unlocks professional voice cloning. Heavy users should watch credit consumption closely.
Key takeaways
- Free plan: 10k credits per month; commercial use requires a paid plan.
- Plans: Starter $6, Creator $22, Pro $99, Scale $299 and Business $990 per month (first-month discounts often apply).
- Credits: 30k (Starter), 121k (Creator), 600k (Pro), 1.8M (Scale), 6M (Business) per month.
- Creator adds Professional Voice Cloning; Scale and Business add team seats.
- Two platforms: ElevenCreative for content and ElevenAgents for conversational voice agents.
At a glance
| Best for | Creators, audiobook and podcast producers, video teams, developers and businesses building voice agents |
|---|---|
| Pricing from (USD) | $6/mo (Starter); Creator $22 |
| Free plan | Yes — 10k credits per month, no commercial license |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, API |
| Company | ElevenLabs |
| Category | Audio, Voice & Music |
| Last checked | October 16, 2026 |
On this page
What ElevenLabs is
ElevenLabs is an AI audio research company that builds its own foundation models, starting with what it calls “the first human-like voice model.” Its newest model, Eleven v4, is billed as its most emotive yet. The company now runs two platforms on the same research: ElevenCreative, for generating speech, video, music and sound effects, and ElevenAgents, for building and monitoring conversational voice agents.
Users range from individual YouTubers and audiobook narrators to enterprises; ElevenLabs highlights projects such as Matthew McConaughey’s Lyrics of Livin’ and AI voice agents for a large European telecom.
Key features
Text to speech
Generate expressive speech in many voices and languages, from audiobook narration to short-form social content, with control over delivery.
Voice cloning
Instant voice cloning on lower tiers and Professional Voice Cloning from Creator up, for a high-fidelity digital version of your voice.
Dubbing Studio
Translate and dub videos into other languages while keeping speaker voices (Starter and up).
Music and sound effects
Compose music in any genre (commercial use on paid plans) and design sound effects from text prompts.
Studio
A long-form editor for podcasts, audiobooks and voiceovers.
ElevenAgents
Configure, deploy and monitor voice agents with call analytics and alerts.
Pricing breakdown
From elevenlabs.io/pricing, checked October 16, 2026 (monthly billing; prices exclude taxes). Starter and Creator showed first-month promotions at the time.
| Plan | Price | Credits/mo | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 10k | 3 Studio projects, sound effects |
| Starter | $6/mo | 30k | Commercial license, music commercial use, Dubbing Studio |
| Creator | $22/mo | 121k | Professional Voice Cloning, additional credits |
| Pro | $99/mo | 600k | 44.1kHz PCM via API, 192kbps audio |
| Scale | $299/mo | 1.8M | 3 seats, team collaboration, 3 professional clones |
| Business | $990/mo | 6M | 10 seats, 10 professional clones, low-latency TTS from 5¢/minute |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Volume discounts, priority support |
Yearly billing is also available.
Best use cases
- YouTube narration: a creator turns scripts into consistent voiceovers using a cloned voice.
- Audiobooks: an indie author produces a narrated edition in Studio.
- Localization: a course creator dubs lessons into Spanish and German.
- Support automation: a company deploys an ElevenAgents voice agent for after-hours calls.
How to get started
- Sign up free at elevenlabs.io.
- Paste a short script into text to speech and try several voices.
- Adjust settings for stability and expressiveness, then regenerate.
- Upgrade to Starter before using audio commercially.
- On Creator, record clean samples for Professional Voice Cloning.
- Track credit usage in your account before starting long projects.
Tips and tricks
- Write for the ear: short sentences and punctuation guide pacing.
- Test with a paragraph before generating a full chapter to save credits.
- Record cloning samples in a quiet room with consistent mic distance.
- Only clone voices you have permission to use.
Example script direction:
(Warm, conversational, slightly upbeat) Welcome back to the channel! Today we’re testing three budget espresso machines… and one of them surprised me.
Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Some of the most natural-sounding AI voices available
- Broad toolset: speech, cloning, dubbing, music and effects
- Free plan to test quality
- Strong API for developers
- Enterprise-grade voice agents platform
👎 Cons
- Credits can disappear quickly on long-form projects
- Free plan has no commercial license
- Professional cloning starts at the Creator tier
- Voice cloning raises consent and misuse considerations
Who should (and shouldn't) use ElevenLabs
✅ A good fit if you…
- Produce voiceovers, narration or audiobooks
- Need to dub videos into other languages
- Build voice agents for support or sales
⛔ Look elsewhere if you…
- Only need a reader for your own documents (consider Speechify)
- Need a full video editor (consider Descript)
- Want unlimited generation on a fixed small budget
ElevenLabs alternatives
- Murf AI — Studio-quality AI voiceovers, a fast text-to-speech API, dubbing and voice agents. (from API from $0.01 per 1,000 characters; Studio plans on pricing page)
- Speechify — Listen to anything with text to speech, type by talking, and ask a voice AI assistant. (from $29/mo billed monthly (Premium))
- Descript — Edit audio and video by editing the transcript, with an AI co-editor called Underlord. (from $16/person/mo billed annually (Hobbyist))
- Suno — Make full songs from a prompt, then edit them in a browser-based DAW. (from $8/mo billed yearly (Pro))
- Synthesia — Create training and business videos with AI avatars, dubbing, roleplays and surveys. (from $29/mo billed monthly (Starter))
FAQ
Is ElevenLabs free?
Yes. The free plan includes 10k credits per month, 3 Studio projects, sound effects and more. Commercial use requires a paid plan starting with Starter.
How much does ElevenLabs cost?
Monthly prices are Starter $6, Creator $22, Pro $99, Scale $299 and Business $990, with custom Enterprise pricing. ElevenLabs frequently offers first-month discounts, and prices exclude taxes.
What are ElevenLabs credits?
Credits are consumed when you generate audio. Plans include 10k (Free), 30k (Starter), 121k (Creator), 600k (Pro), 1.8M (Scale) and 6M (Business) credits per month. Creator and above can buy additional credits.
Which ElevenLabs plan includes voice cloning?
Professional Voice Cloning starts on Creator. Scale includes 3 professional voice clones and Business includes 10.
Can I use ElevenLabs voices commercially?
Yes, on paid plans. Starter and above include a commercial license, including commercial music use.
What is ElevenAgents?
ElevenAgents is ElevenLabs' platform to configure, deploy and monitor conversational voice agents for customer experience.
Sources
This is an editorial review based on research of official ElevenLabs pages and documentation, not hands-on benchmark testing. Prices are in USD and were checked on October 16, 2026; vendors change plans often, so confirm on the official pricing page before buying.
