Play ht vs ElevenLabs: The Best AI Voice Showdown in 2025!

by | Last updated May 5, 2025

Winner
Play ht logo
9.0
Runner Up
ElevenLabs
7.5
Play ht vs ElevenLabs

Choosing the right AI voice generator can be a game-changer for your projects, whether creating content or bringing your ideas to life. 

But with so many options popping up, how do you know which one is best for you?

In this showdown, we’re diving deep into two heavy hitters: Play.ht vs ElevenLabs.

Both offer incredible lifelike voices but have unique strengths and weaknesses.

Explore their features, pricing, and ease of use to choose the perfect AI voice companion confidently.

Play ht vs ElevenLabs Overview

To give you the most accurate comparison.

We’ve spent weeks testing both Play.ht and ElevenLabs, exploring their features, listening to their voices, and pushing their capabilities to the limit.

This hands-on experience allows us to provide real-world insights and help you make the best choice.

PlayHT

Ready to give Play.ht a try? Head over to their website and start creating stunning voiceovers today!

9out of 10

Pricing: It has a free plan. The premium plan starts at $39/month.

Key Features:

Elevenlabs

Ready to experience the magic of ElevenLabs’ hyper-realistic AI voices? unlock a new level of creativity.

7.5out of 10

Pricing: It has a free plan. paid plans start at $5/month.

Key Features:

What is Play ht?

Have you ever wished you could have Morgan Freeman narrate your latest blog post?

Or maybe David Attenborough voices your nature documentary?

Play.ht makes that dream a reality. This powerful AI voice generator offers an incredible library of lifelike voices, making it perfect for creators, educators, and businesses. 

You can use it to create voiceovers for videos, audiobooks, eLearning courses, and more. It’s like having a whole cast of voice actors at your fingertips!

Also, explore our favourite Play ht alternatives

PlayHT
9.0

Ready to give Play ht a try? Head over to their website and start creating stunning voiceovers today!

Key Benefits

  • Huge Voice Library: Access over 900+ expressive AI voices with diverse accents and languages.
  • Realistic Voices: Play.ht uses advanced AI to generate incredibly natural-sounding voices.
  • Podcast-Ready Audio: Create high-quality audio with podcast-specific features like intro/outro music and separate tracks for each speaker.

Pricing

Play.ht offers a free trial to test out the platform. Paid plans start at $31.20 per month. Here’s what you get:

  • Free Trial: $0/month
  • Creator: $39/month
  • Unlimited: $99/month
Play.ht

Pros

  • voices are incredibly realistic.
  • It offers a diverse voice library.
  • The interface is very user-friendly.
  • Voice cloning is a game-changer.
  • It integrates with other platforms.

Cons

  • Free trial is quite limited.
  • Higher-tier plans can get pricey.
  • Can be slow to process long audio files.
  • Customization options could be more extensive.

What is ElevenLabs?

Want to create a unique AI voice that truly represents your brand?

ElevenLabs has you covered. This innovative platform offers a collection of ready-made voices and lets you clone voices!

That’s right; you can create a digital twin of your voice or even recreate the voices of historical figures. Pretty cool, huh? 

ElevenLabs is a popular choice for game developers, filmmakers, and anyone needing a distinctive voice.

Also, explore our favourite ElevenLabs alternatives

Elevenlabs
ElevenLabs
7.5

Experience the most natural-sounding AI voices with ElevenLabs. Try their free plan today and transform your audio content with over 200 expressive voices in 30+ languages!

Key Benefits

  • Unmatched Voice Quality: ElevenLabs voices are known for their realism and expressiveness.
  • Diverse Voice Library: Choose from a wide range of pre-made voices or create your own.
  • Instant Voice Cloning: Clone a voice from just a few minutes of audio.
  • Long-form Speech Synthesis: Generate hours of high-quality audio with ease.
  • API Access: Integrate ElevenLabs directly into your applications.

Pricing

ElevenLabs has a free plan that gives you access to basic features and limited voice cloning credits.

If you need more, they offer three paid plans:

  • Free: Experiment with core features and 10,000 characters per month.
  • Starter ($5/month): Generate 30,000 characters per month, access to VoiceLab, and commercial use.
  • Creator ($22/month): Generate 100,000 characters per month, priority support.
  • Pro ($99/month): Generate 500,000 characters per month, early access to new features.
  • Scale ($330/month): 2,000,000 characters per month and all features unlocked.
Elevenlabs Pricing

Pros

  • Best voice quality I’ve heard.
  • Voice cloning is fantastic.
  • Very affordable pricing.
  • API access is super helpful.
  • Constantly adding new features.

Cons

  • The free plan is very restrictive.
  • It can be tricky to master.
  • Occasional glitches with cloning.

Play ht vs ElevenLabs Feature Comparison

Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty and see how these AI voice generators stack up against each other feature by feature.

This detailed comparison will help you understand their strengths and weaknesses, making your decision even easier.

Ease of Use

Both Play.ht and ElevenLabs boast user-friendly interfaces.

Play.ht’s dashboard is clean and intuitive, making it easy to navigate even for beginners.

ElevenLabs also offers a straightforward design, allowing you to access key features like voice selection and audio editing quickly.

play ht Realistic AI Voices

Voice Quality and Realism

When it comes to realistic AI voices, both platforms deliver impressive results.

Play.ht and ElevenLabs leverage advanced AI and machine learning algorithms for speech synthesis, producing natural-sounding voices with nuanced inflections.

However, ElevenLabs might have a slight edge in capturing emotional depth in its voices.

Languages and Accents

Play.ht offers a wide range of voice options in multiple languages, with over 800 voices covering 142 languages and accents.

ElevenLabs, while offering a smaller library, still provides a decent selection of voices in different languages.

Voice Cloning

This is where ElevenLabs truly shines. It allows users to clone your voice, creating a unique AI voice from any audio sample.

This feature is perfect for personalized branding or recreating specific voices. Play.ht, unfortunately, doesn’t offer voice cloning capabilities.

Customization Options

Play.ht offers various customization options, allowing you to fine-tune your AI speech by adjusting speed, pitch, and pauses. 

ElevenLabs also provides some customization features but focuses more on voice cloning and emotional expression.

Text-to-Speech Capabilities

Both platforms excel at text-to-speech (TTS) functionality.

They allow users to convert text to speech in real time, making generating voiceovers, audio content, and more easy. 

Play.ht, and ElevenLabs also handle pronunciation nuances effectively, ensuring accurate and natural-sounding speech.

ElevenLabs

Customer Support

Both Play.ht and ElevenLabs provide decent customer support.

Play.ht offers email support and a comprehensive knowledge base.

ElevenLabs also offers email support and a growing community forum where users can connect and share tips.

What to Look for When Choosing an AI Voice Generator?

  • Your Budget: Consider your budget and how many words you’ll need monthly.
  • Voice Cloning Needs: If you need to clone a voice, ElevenLabs is the clear winner.
  • Specific Use Case: Think about how you’ll be using the AI voices (e.g., podcasts, videos, audiobooks).
  • Language Requirements: Make sure the platform supports the languages you need.
  • Ease of Use: Choose a platform with a user-friendly interface that matches your technical skills.
  • Integration Needs: ElevenLabs is the better choice if you need API access.
  • Try Before You Buy: Use free trials to test the platforms and determine your preference.
  • Ethical Considerations: Be aware of the potential ethical implications of using AI voices, especially for voice cloning.
  • Output Formats: Check which audio formats are supported (e.g., MP3, WAV).
  • Voice Styles and Emotions: Consider whether you need a variety of voice styles (e.g., cheerful, severe) and emotional range.
  • Community and Support: Look for a platform with a strong community or good customer support in case you need help.

Final Verdict (Our Pick)

For most content creators, we recommend Play ht. It offers a massive library of high-quality voices and an incredibly easy-to-use interface.

Play.ht is a fantastic tool for creating voiceovers, audiobooks, and more. Its podcast-specific features are a massive bonus for podcasters!

However, if your specific needs include voice cloning or API access, ElevenLabs is the way to go.

It gives you more control over creating unique voices and integrating them into your projects.

Ultimately, the best choice depends on your individual needs and preferences.

We encourage you to try both platforms and see which fits you best. 

Both Play.ht and ElevenLabs offer free trials, so you can explore their features and make an informed decision. Happy creating!

More of Play ht

Here’s a brief comparison of Play ht against its alternatives, highlighting standout features:

  • Play ht vs Murf AI: Murf AI offers diverse, natural voices with strong customization for professional voiceovers, unlike Play ht’s focus on affordability and quality.
  • Play ht vs Speechify: Speechify excels in accessibility and speed reading with natural voices, differentiating from Play ht’s versatile voice cloning capabilities.
  • Play ht vs Lovo ai: Lovo ai provides emotionally expressive AI voices and extensive multilingual support, contrasting with Play ht’s focus on lifelike and accurate voices.
  • Play ht vs Descript: Descript uniquely edits audio/video through text and offers Overdub voice cloning, a different approach than Play ht’s text-to-speech emphasis.
  • Play ht vs Listnr: Listnr offers podcast hosting and AI voice cloning alongside natural voiceovers, while Play ht focuses on versatile and low-latency text-to-speech.
  • Play ht vs Podcastle: Podcastle provides AI-powered podcast recording and editing tools, a different niche compared to Play ht’s general text-to-speech applications.
  • Play ht vs Dupdub: Dupdub specializes in expressive talking avatars with strong multilingual features, a broader offering than Play ht’s voice generation focus.
  • Play ht vs WellSaid Labs: WellSaid Labs delivers consistently professional-grade AI voices with detailed customization, contrasting with Play ht’s accessible high-quality voices.
  • Play ht vs Revoicer: Revoicer offers advanced AI voice cloning and customization with SSML control, going beyond Play ht’s user-friendly voice generation.
  • Play ht vs ReadSpeaker: ReadSpeaker focuses on enterprise-level accessibility with natural text-to-speech across many languages, while Play ht offers versatile voice options.
  • Play ht vs NaturalReader: NaturalReader supports more languages and offers OCR functionality, distinguishing it from Play ht’s emphasis on lifelike voice quality.
  • Play ht vs Notevibes: Notevibes provides AI voice agents for customer service with low latency, a specific application different from Play ht’s wider text-to-speech use.
  • Play ht vs Altered: Altered offers innovative AI voice cloning and real-time voice changing, a unique feature set compared to Play ht’s natural voice generation.
  • Play ht vs Speechelo: Speechelo focuses on natural-sounding AI voices with punctuation awareness for marketing, unlike Play ht’s general high-quality text-to-speech.
  • Play ht vs TTSOpenAI: TTSOpenAI achieves high human-like voice clarity with customizable pronunciation, differing from Play ht’s balance of quality and affordability.
  • Play ht vs Hume AI: Hume AI specializes in analyzing emotion in voice, video, and text, a distinct capability from Play ht’s text-to-speech conversion.

More of ElevenLabs

Here’s a brief comparison of ElevenLabs against the alternatives, highlighting standout features:

  • ElevenLabs vs Murf AI: Murf AI offers diverse voices with customization for professional use, while ElevenLabs excels in highly realistic, expressive voice generation.
  • ElevenLabs vs Speechify: Speechify focuses on accessibility and speed for text-to-speech, unlike ElevenLabs’ emphasis on natural, emotionally rich voice synthesis.
  • ElevenLabs vs Descript: Descript integrates audio/video editing with voice cloning, a broader scope than ElevenLabs’ specialization in lifelike voice generation.
  • ElevenLabs vs Lovo ai: Lovo ai offers emotionally expressive AI voices with versatile multilingual support, but ElevenLabs is known for its superior realism and voice control.
  • ElevenLabs vs Listnr: Listnr includes podcast hosting with AI voiceovers, a different focus than ElevenLabs’ emphasis on advanced, natural-sounding voice generation.
  • ElevenLabs vs Podcastle: Podcastle provides AI-powered podcast recording and editing tools, while ElevenLabs specializes in generating highly realistic and expressive AI voices.
  • ElevenLabs vs Dupdub: Dupdub features AI avatars and video creation tools, a broader offering than ElevenLabs’ focus on generating lifelike and nuanced voice performances.
  • ElevenLabs vs WellSaid Labs: WellSaid Labs delivers consistently professional-grade AI voice generation, but ElevenLabs emphasizes more on emotional range and creative control.
  • ElevenLabs vs Revoicer: Revoicer offers realistic AI voices with emotion and speed control, while ElevenLabs focuses on achieving the highest possible realism and expressiveness.
  • ElevenLabs vs ReadSpeaker: ReadSpeaker specializes in text-to-speech solutions for accessibility and enterprise, a different focus than ElevenLabs’ natural, expressive voice generation.
  • ElevenLabs vs NaturalReader: NaturalReader provides versatile text-to-speech with customizable settings, whereas ElevenLabs excels in creating highly realistic and nuanced AI voices.
  • ElevenLabs vs Notevibes: Notevibes offers AI voice agents for customer service applications, a specific use case compared to ElevenLabs’ broader applications in content creation.
  • ElevenLabs vs Altered: Altered provides real-time voice changing and voice morphing, a unique feature set compared to ElevenLabs’ focus on high-fidelity voice generation.
  • ElevenLabs vs Speechelo: Speechelo generates natural-sounding AI voices for marketing and video creation, while ElevenLabs specializes in highly realistic and expressive voices.
  • ElevenLabs vs TTSOpenAI: TTSOpenAI offers strong text-to-speech capabilities, but ElevenLabs is distinguished by its emphasis on emotional depth and nuanced voice control.
  • ElevenLabs vs Hume AI: Hume AI specializes in understanding and analyzing human emotions in voice and other modalities, unlike ElevenLabs’ focus on generating expressive speech.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Play.ht or ElevenLabs voices for commercial projects?

Yes, both platforms offer commercial rights with their paid plans. This means you can use the AI voices in videos, audiobooks, podcasts, and other content you plan to sell or monetize.

Which platform offers better value for money, Play.ht or ElevenLabs?

It depends on your needs. Play offers more voices and features, but ElevenLabs is more affordable. Consider your budget and how many words you’ll need each month to decide which platform provides better value.

Can I create a voiceover using these tools?

Yes, with ElevenLabs, you can clone your voice to create a unique AI version. Play.ht, however, doesn’t currently offer this feature.

What kind of content can I create with Play.ht?

Play is ideal for various content, including YouTube videos, eLearning courses, marketing materials, and audiobooks. Play.ht offers specialized tools for podcast creation, making it an excellent choice for podcasters.

Do these platforms offer realistic AI voices?

Absolutely! Play.ht, and ElevenLabs use advanced technology to create incredibly realistic and natural-sounding AI voices. You can fine-tune speed, pitch, and pauses to achieve the perfect voiceover.