If you’re looking for a Speechify alternative — especially a free alternative — there are plenty of free text-to-speech (TTS) tools on the market. Whether you want simple narration for articles, realistic voices for audio content, or fully self-hosted open-source software, here are some of the best options.
How to Choose the Right Speechify Alternative for You
Choosing the best Speechify alternative depends on what you value most: voice quality, platform compatibility, price, file format support, and your specific use case. Here’s a detailed breakdown to help you make the right decision.
1. Voice Quality
If you want ultra-realistic, human-like AI voices, tools like ElevenLabs, Murf, and Resemble AI offer some of the most advanced and expressive voice models available. These platforms are ideal for creators who need natural speech for videos, podcasts, or commercial projects.
If you prefer lightweight, resource-friendly voices, especially for older computers or basic reading tasks, solutions like eSpeak NG and Balabolka are excellent choices. They run smoothly on low-power devices and are completely free.
2. Platform & Accessibility
Your device also plays a key role in choosing a TTS tool. If you need a mobile-friendly option for iOS or Android, apps like ElevenReader or the ChatGPT mobile app provide a seamless reading experience across devices.
For users who prefer a desktop environment, especially Windows, tools like Balabolka or CoolSpeech provide flexible offline reading and broad file support.
If you prioritise privacy or self-hosting, consider a tool such as VOCODEX, which allows you to run text-to-speech locally without sending your text to external servers.
3. File Support
Different alternatives excel in different file types. If you often work with PDFs, images, or scanned documents, NaturalReader is one of the best choices thanks to its advanced OCR (Optical Character Recognition).
If you mainly read plain text or web pages, tools like ChatGPT, Balabolka, or eSpeak offer fast and simple text-to-speech conversion without needing heavy processing.
4. Cost
Budget is another important factor. If you need a completely free solution, eSpeak, Balabolka, and the free ChatGPT Read-Aloud function give you powerful features at no cost.
If you are willing to pay for superior voice quality, platforms like Murf, Resemble AI, and Narration Box offer premium voices, lifelike AI narration, and advanced editing features suitable for professional work.
5. Use Case
Your final choice should match the purpose of your TTS usage. For accessibility, everyday reading, or learning support, NaturalReader and ChatGPT offer simple interfaces and high clarity.
For content creators who produce YouTube videos, audiobooks, ads, or training materials, platforms such as Murf, Narration Box, and Resemble AI provide studio-quality voices and custom voice cloning options.
For developers building apps or automation tools, services like Amazon Polly or the NaturalReader API offer flexible integrations, scalable pricing, and support for dozens of languages.
Top Free Speechify Alternatives
Here are several free (or freemium) alternatives to Speechify, plus their strengths and trade-offs:
1. NaturalReader
- Official Website: NaturalReader
- Features: Reads PDF, Word, web pages, images; supports 50+ languages and 200+ voices.
- Free Plan: Includes basic voices.
- Premium Plan: Adds more natural voices, OCR, MP3 export.
- Platforms: Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
2. ElevenLabs / ElevenReader
- Official Website: ElevenLabs
- ElevenReader App: ElevenReader
- Features: Expressive AI voices, emotional tone, support for 32+ languages.
- Free Tier: Limited usage per month.
- Paid Plans: More voices, higher usage.
- Platforms: Web, iOS, Android.
3. Balabolka
- Official Website / Download: Balabolka
- Features: Reads DOCX, PDF, EPUB, HTML; adjust voice pitch and speed; export as MP3, WAV, OGG.
- Pricing: Completely free.
- Platform: Windows.
4. eSpeak NG
- Official Repository / Website: eSpeak NG GitHub
- Features: Lightweight, supports 100+ languages, synthesizes speech in WAV.
- Pricing: Open-source / free.
- Platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS, Android.
5. FreeTTS
- Official Website / Project Page: FreeTTS
- Features: Java-based speech engine, uses the Java Speech API, simple TTS for developers.
- Pricing: Free, open-source.
- Platforms: Any platform supporting Java.
More Advanced (Paid) Speechify Alternatives
If you don’t mind paying for more features, here are some excellent paid or freemium TTS tools:
- Murf — Murf AI Official Site
- Resemble AI — Resemble AI
- Narration Box — Narration Box
- iSpeech — iSpeech
- Amazon Polly — Amazon Polly