Verdict
Is ElevenLabs a good fit for voiceovers if you want to start free and keep commercial options open?
ElevenLabs shares one credit pool across text to speech, speech to text, music, sound effects, voice changing and dubbing, with a free plan and tiers from $6 to $990 a month.
Who should consider it. Consider it if you need several audio features and an API under one subscription.
Start here: first steps with ElevenLabs
Editorial guidance based on the vendor details we recorded. We have not tested ElevenLabs, and we do not describe its screens or settings.
- Who should start with it
- Creators and developers who want many voice features on one credit pool.
- Before you create an account
- Pick one real job, for example "Generate voiceovers", and prepare invented or non-sensitive input for the first try.
- Read the vendor's data and privacy terms. Our privacy review checklist lists what to look for.
- Commercial use, as we recorded it: The pricing page lists a commercial licence starting on the Starter plan.
- Which plan to start with
- Start on the free plan. The limits we recorded: 10k credits per month; 3 Studio projects.
- A first small task
- Try a small version of a real case like this one: A solo creator testing voices on the free plan (10k credits a month).
- How to tell whether it helps
- Time the job by hand first. Then record minutes taken, minutes of editing and credits or usage used. Use the trial scorecard.
- Common first-week mistakes
- Spending credits or usage on experiments without noting how much one job used.
- Building a routine on a free limit that resets daily or never, without checking which.
- Putting private or customer data in before reading how the vendor handles it.
- When to consider another tool
- Free-plan users who need commercial rights: the page first lists a commercial licence on Starter.
- Anyone who prefers flat unlimited pricing: every product draws on a credit pool.
Alternatives: Murf, Descript. Reasons to switch.
What ElevenLabs actually does
- Turns text into spoken audio in many voices.
- Transcribes audio to text.
- Generates music and sound effects.
- Changes the voice in a recording and dubs video into other languages.
- Clones voices: instant cloning from Starter, professional cloning from Creator.
- Offers a REST API with Python and TypeScript SDKs.
Source: ElevenLabs pricing page (opens in a new tab), ElevenLabs developer docs (opens in a new tab).
Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere
Good fits
- A solo creator testing voices on the free plan (10k credits a month).
- A developer adding speech to an app through the API.
Scenarios are illustrative, based on plan limits and documented features.
Consider alternatives if
- Free-plan users who need commercial rights: the page first lists a commercial licence on Starter.
- Anyone who prefers flat unlimited pricing: every product draws on a credit pool.
Practical workflows
Illustrative: built from documented features, not from testing.
Voice a short narration
Outcome: An exported narration track for a video or podcast
- Write the script (text to speech uses about 1 credit per character).
- Choose a voice and generate the audio.
- Listen back and regenerate any lines you want to change (each regeneration uses credits).
- Export the audio. Use Starter or above if you need the commercial licence.
Strengths and limitations
Strengths Vendor-documented
- Credit costs per feature are published
- A free plan with no stated time limit
- Annual billing equals 10 months' price for 12 months
Limitations and cautions Documented limits and editorial guidance
- Credits are forfeited on downgrade or cancellation
- Rollover does not apply to the Free plan
Hands-on testing
Not tested by us yet, so this page describes what the vendor documents. How testing is recorded.
Pricing
Free
Free plan10k credits per month; 3 Studio projects
Free trial
Not statedNo free trial is mentioned.
Cheapest paid plan
StarterFrom $5/mo (currency not named), billed annually, or $6 (currency not named) month-to-month
Show all 7 plans and limits
| Plan | Price and billing | Limits and inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Free Free |
| 10k credits per month; 3 Studio projects |
| Starter |
| 30k credits; commercial licence; instant voice cloning; 20 Studio projects |
| Creator |
| 121k credits; professional voice cloning |
| Pro |
| 600k credits; 44.1kHz PCM audio via API |
| Scale |
| 1.8M credits; 3 seats; 3 professional voice clones |
| Business |
| 6M credits; 10 seats; 10 professional voice clones |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing (contact sales) | No limits listed |
How usage is counted
- Everything draws from one shared monthly credit pool.
- The vendor's estimates, not guarantees: about 1 credit per character of text to speech, 330 per minute of speech to text, 900 per minute of music and 200 per sound effect.
- Unused credits roll over for up to two months while subscribed, and are forfeited on downgrade or cancellation. Rollover does not apply to Free.
- Free: 10k credits and 3 Studio projects. Starter: 30k credits with a commercial licence.
- Pricing model
- Credits
- Currency
- Shown as "$"; the vendor's page does not name the currency
- Commercial use
- The pricing page lists a commercial licence starting on the Starter plan.
- API
- Yes · ElevenLabs documents a REST API with official Python and TypeScript SDKs.
- Pricing checked
- 20 Oct 2026 · Vendor pricing page (opens in a new tab)
- Prices exclude taxes, levies and duties.
- The vendor also lists approximate included minutes per plan; check its page for current figures.
Prices are shown as each vendor lists them. Where a vendor shows only a "$" sign, its page does not name the currency, and vendors may show a local currency or regional price. Confirm on the vendor's page before buying.
Alternatives
Murf
Reason to consider it: Studio plans list voice-generation hours and commercial rights from Creator at $19 a month billed annually.
- Paid prices are in different, unnamed or not comparable currencies, so they are not compared here.
Descript
Reason to consider it: An audio and video editor with stock AI voices, rather than a voice-first credit pool.
- Paid prices are in different, unnamed or not comparable currencies, so they are not compared here.
- Different category focus: Descript is also listed under ai-video.
- Commercial-use terms are recorded for ElevenLabs only.
Frequently asked questions
Does ElevenLabs have a free plan?
Yes. The free plan lists: 10k credits per month; 3 Studio projects.
How much does ElevenLabs cost?
The lowest-priced paid plan is Starter: from $5/mo (currency not named), billed annually, or $6 (currency not named) month-to-month. Larger plans are quoted by the vendor. Annual-billing prices are shown per month but are paid yearly. Pricing was checked 20 Oct 2026.
Does ElevenLabs have an API?
Yes. ElevenLabs documents a REST API with official Python and TypeScript SDKs.
Can I use ElevenLabs output commercially?
The pricing page lists a commercial licence starting on the Starter plan.
Keep comparing
Sources and update history
| Source | What it covered | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| ElevenLabs pricing page (opens in a new tab) | Plans, prices, credits, licence | 20 Oct 2026 |
| ElevenLabs developer docs (opens in a new tab) | Existence and scope of the API | 20 Oct 2026 |
Not yet verified
These are gaps in our research, not claims about the product.
- Whether a paid-plan trial exists
- Refund policy
- Approximate included minutes per plan
Research note
- Vendor-documented: prices, plan limits, features and terms are taken from the sources above on the dates shown.
- Editorial interpretation: the verdict, good fits, tradeoffs and workflows are our reading of those facts. None of it comes from testing the tool.
- Unverified: anything listed under "Not yet verified" is a gap in our research, not a claim about the product.
- Logo credit: ElevenLabs symbol, downloaded unmodified from the official brand page. ElevenLabs is a trademark of its owner. Brand terms (opens in a new tab) checked 21 Oct 2026. Downloaded from the vendor brand page, which sets rules for external parties: keep clear space, do not alter or recreate the logo. The page states no separate licence text. Used unaltered to identify the tool; no endorsement is implied.
Update history
- 20 Oct 2026 · Initial research from the vendor's official pages.
- 21 Oct 2026 · Added the vendor-provided logo after reading its brand terms.
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