By the end of this guide you will have turned a block of written text into an audio file with a natural-sounding AI voice, ready for a video, a course, a podcast intro or your own listening. A text-to-speech tool does the work: you paste or upload the text, pick a voice, adjust the delivery and download the result.
If you want to convert text to speech with AI, the first decision is whether you need to listen to documents or produce a voiceover for publishing. This guide walks through the steps and compares six tools from our Audio and voice category, including ElevenLabs and Speechify.
Key takeaways
- Prepare a clean script, choose a voice, adjust pronunciation and pacing, generate a short test, then export the full audio.
- The main decision is the use: listening to documents (Speechify), studio-style voiceovers (WellSaid Labs, Murf AI, ElevenLabs), a quick pay-as-you-go converter (Audify AI) or an API for apps (Rime).
- Free allowances are small, and WellSaid Labs' free plan has no commercial rights, so check the licence before you publish.
- Listen to the whole result. Names, numbers and abbreviations are where synthetic voices slip.
What you need before you start
- Your text. A script, article or document. Plain text works everywhere; PDFs and web pages are handled by reading apps such as Speechify.
- A way to start. Audify AI offers three free conversions or free use with your own OpenAI key, Murf AI gives new API accounts $10 of free credit, and Rime gives new accounts free credit.
- A rough idea of length. Many plans meter by characters, minutes or credits, so know how long your script is.
- Time. Under an hour for a short script, including a test and a second pass.
- Difficulty. Easy in the web tools, moderate through an API.
- Rights. If the audio will be published or sold, check that your plan includes commercial use.
Which kind of AI tool fits this job
Pick by what the audio is for.
A reading app for listening. Speechify reads PDFs, web pages, documents and emails aloud. Its free plan gives 10 basic voices with playback up to 1.5x, and Premium adds more than 1,000 natural voices in over 60 languages. It lists iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, a Chrome extension and the web, so it fits people who want to listen on a phone or while commuting.
A voiceover studio for published audio. WellSaid Labs uses voices modeled on licensed voice actors and lets you adjust pronunciation, pacing, emphasis, pitch and emotional delivery before downloading. Murf AI offers a voice API plus Studio and Dub products, with 150+ voices in 35+ languages and styles. ElevenLabs generates speech in 90+ languages and sits inside a wider audio platform with cloning, dubbing and music.
A simple pay-as-you-go converter. Audify AI turns pasted text into audio built on OpenAI speech models, shows an estimated cost before you generate, and downloads as MP3 or WAV. It converts one block of text at a time, with no project or team editor.
An API for apps and voice agents. Rime supplies text-to-speech through HTTP and WebSocket APIs, with Mist voices tuned for latency and Coda voices tuned for natural expression. It suits developers building products rather than one-off voiceovers.
Step 1: Prepare the script
Clean input gives better speech, because the voice reads exactly what you give it.
- Cut the text to what should be spoken. Remove footnotes, URLs and formatting noise.
- Spell out abbreviations, symbols and unusual numbers the way you want them said.
- Break very long sentences into shorter ones.
- Mark any names or terms that need a custom pronunciation.
Check it worked by reading the script aloud once and noting every place you stumble.
Step 2: Choose a tool for the use
You end this step with a tool and a plan that match your use and your budget.
- Decide whether the audio is for your own listening or for publication.
- Check the free allowance against your script length. WellSaid Labs' free plan allows 3 download minutes per month, Audify AI offers 3 free conversions, and ElevenLabs' Free plan includes 10,000 credits.
- Check for commercial rights on the plan you pick.
- Use the comparison table below for pricing and stated limits.
Check it worked by confirming your script fits inside the free allowance or the paid plan you chose.
Step 3: Paste the text and pick a voice
The goal is a voice whose tone suits the audience.
- Open the tool and paste your script, or upload a document where the tool supports it.
- Browse the voices. WellSaid Labs lets you choose by tone, accent or style, and Audify AI lets you choose a model and a voice.
- Choose the language. Speechify Premium lists over 60 languages, while WellSaid Labs lists languages beyond English as part of Enterprise.
- Preview two or three voices on the same paragraph and pick one for the whole project.
Check it worked by hearing your opening paragraph in the voice you plan to keep.
Step 4: Adjust pacing, emphasis and pronunciation
Small controls turn flat reading into natural delivery.
- Set the reading speed. Audify AI offers speeds from 0.25x to 4x, and Speechify Premium goes up to 4.5x for listening.
- Add pauses with punctuation, such as commas, full stops and paragraph breaks.
- Use pronunciation settings for names and jargon. WellSaid Labs has a shared pronunciation library for teams, and Rime offers pronunciation control with a custom lexicon.
- For expressive reads, use style controls if they exist. WellSaid Labs lists tone, pitch and emotional delivery, and Audify AI lets you type a voice instruction on its newest model.
Check it worked by regenerating the tricky sentences and hearing the change.
Step 5: Generate a short test, then the full audio
Test a small piece first, because credits and minutes are limited.
- Generate the first minute or one paragraph and listen on headphones.
- Fix any odd pauses, misread words or clipped endings.
- Generate the full script. Murf AI charges per character on its API, so long scripts need a usage estimate first.
- Listen to the whole result at normal speed.
Check it worked by playing the finished audio from start to finish without a distracting error.
Step 6: Export, check the licence and label the audio
Finish by saving the file and confirming you may use it as planned.
- Download the audio. Audify AI lists MP3, WAV and other formats, and WellSaid Labs lists caption file export on paid plans.
- Keep the script and the audio together so you can regenerate later.
- Confirm commercial rights: WellSaid Labs lists full commercial rights on paid plans and none on its free plan. For other tools, read the vendor's terms.
- Tell listeners the narration is synthetic where it could matter, such as news, education or testimonials.
Check it worked by opening the exported file in the app where it will be used.
Tools for this job compared
| Tool | Good fit for | Pricing | Stated limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| ElevenLabs | Creator platform with 90+ languages (web, API) | Freemium, paid from $6/mo (checked 24 Oct 2026) | Free plan: 10,000 credits per month, no rollover; creative products share one credit pool |
| Murf AI | Voiceovers and localization via Studio, Dub and API (web, API) | Freemium, paid from $0.01, usage-based (checked 24 Oct 2026) | Trial gives $10 of API credit; trial limited to 5 concurrent requests; speech-to-text is beta |
| Speechify | Listening to PDFs, pages and documents (iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Chrome, web, API) | Freemium, paid from $139/yr (checked 24 Oct 2026) | Free plan: 10 basic voices and a 1.5x speed cap; app store prices can differ from speechify.com |
| WellSaid Labs | Studio voiceovers with licensed voice actors (web, API) | Freemium, paid from $10/mo (checked 24 Oct 2026) | Free plan: 3 download minutes per month, no commercial rights; Starter and Pro are for one person only |
| Audify AI | Quick pay-as-you-go conversion in the browser (web) | Freemium, paid from $0.01, usage-based (checked 24 Oct 2026) | No project or team editor; built on third-party models, so downtime can occur |
| Rime | Developers building voice agents and phone systems (API, CLI, web, self-hosted) | Free trial, paid from $0.03, usage-based (checked 24 Oct 2026) | Pay as you go has concurrency limits; custom voices and HIPAA BAA are on Enterprise |
Prices and plan limits change, so confirm the current terms on each vendor's site before you subscribe.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Skipping the licence check. Some plans exclude commercial use (WellSaid Labs' free plan has no commercial rights), and that only shows up after you publish. Fix it by reading the plan's rights before you generate anything for a client or channel.
- Pasting raw text. Footnotes, URLs and symbols get read aloud badly. Fix it by cleaning the script and spelling out numbers and abbreviations.
- Generating the whole script first. A wrong voice or pronunciation wastes credits. Fix it by testing one paragraph before the full run.
- Ignoring metering. Murf AI bills per character on its API and ElevenLabs uses a monthly credit pool, so long scripts can use up an allowance. Fix it by estimating length first.
- Hiding that the voice is synthetic. Listeners may assume a real narrator. Fix it with a short disclosure where it matters.
How we put this together
This is an evidence-based guide built from each tool's listing in our directory, which is compiled from the vendor's own site and pricing page. It is not a review based on using the tools. We don't rank tools, and nobody paid to be included. Some outbound links may be affiliate links; see our disclosure.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free way to convert text to speech with AI?
Yes, within limits. Speechify's free plan has 10 basic voices, WellSaid Labs' free plan allows 3 download minutes per month, Audify AI offers three free conversions and a free mode with your own OpenAI key, and ElevenLabs' Free plan includes 10,000 credits. Check commercial rights before publishing free output.
Which text-to-speech tool is good for listening on a phone?
Speechify lists iOS and Android apps, plus a Chrome extension, macOS, Windows and a web app on one account. It reads PDFs, web pages and emails aloud. The others here are mainly browser or API tools, so check each vendor's site for mobile support.
Can AI text to speech sound natural?
Often, but results vary by voice, language and script. WellSaid Labs offers controls for pacing, emphasis and pronunciation and builds its voices from licensed voice actors, and Rime offers pronunciation control with a custom lexicon. Always listen to the full file, and have a person check anything that carries legal, medical or financial meaning.
Can I use the audio commercially?
Only if your plan allows it. WellSaid Labs lists full commercial rights on paid plans and none on its free plan. For other tools, read the vendor's terms before using audio in ads, courses or products you sell.
How long does it take?
The vendors here do not publish standard processing times. Generate one test paragraph to see how fast your chosen tool is, and leave room for a second pass to fix pronunciation and pacing.
Compare more options in our Audio and voice category, or see how to create an audiobook with AI for long-form narration.
