The Speechify Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Speechify in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Speechify
The Insider’s Guide
Text-to-speech reader for listening to documents and web pages
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI voice generators, read from Speechify’s own pages.
Made by Speechify Inc. · checked Oct 18, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Speechify’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Speechify’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 7 of the 9 other AI voice generators we grade
Speechify is mainly a reading app: it reads PDFs, documents, web pages and scanned pages aloud for your own listening, at up to 5x speed, on phones, computers and browser extensions. Premium adds natural voices, AI summaries and podcasts, voice typing and a voice assistant. Voiceovers, dubbing and voice cloning for publishing are sold as a separate product, Speechify Studio.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Speechify, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Open a PDF or a web page and press play.
- 1
Best for listening to anything you'd otherwise read
Speechify is a reading app first: it reads PDFs, web pages, emails and photographed pages aloud at up to 5x speed, on just about every device.
- 2
Paid plans start at $29 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $29 per month, billed monthly.
- 3
There is a free plan
Listen anywhere at up to 1.5x speed with 10 robotic-sounding voices, text to speech features only.
- 4
It runs on 5 platforms
Web, iOS, Android, macOS and Windows, with a browser extension too.
- 5
Listen to any text
Have PDFs, documents, emails and web pages read aloud in natural voices, at speeds up to 5x on Premium.
- 6
Scan & Listen
Photograph a printed page or book and listen to it. Scanning is a Premium feature.
- 7
AI summaries, chats and podcasts
Premium can summarize what you are reading, answer questions about it and turn it into a podcast-style episode.
- 8
A 2.8 GPA, above 7 of 9
That is against the other AI voice generators we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Speechify you would be making a voice model, which you can rent by the minute but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Speechify at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $29 per month, billed monthly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 3-day free trial of Premium in the app; the yearly plan is charged on day 3
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- Made by
- Speechify Inc.
- Category
- AI Voices & Text to Speech
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
- Store rating
- 4.7 on the App Store, 526,597 ratings
The report card
Best for listening to anything you'd otherwise read
Speechify is a reading app first: it reads PDFs, web pages, emails and photographed pages aloud at up to 5x speed, on just about every device. We graded it against other readers. It's polished and hugely popular, but the free voices sound robotic, Premium is $29 a month unless you pay yearly, and voiceovers you can publish need a separate Studio plan.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Premium is $139 a year or $29 a month, a little dearer than NaturalReader's Plus. For voiceovers you'd want Studio instead: $100 a year with commercial rights, which the listing says buys about 24 hours of voiceover. Fair either way, and pay yearly if you pay at all. |
| Free plan and trial | C | The free plan never ends, but it's 10 robotic-sounding voices at up to 1.5x. Natural voices, scanning and the AI tools are Premium, whose trial charges the yearly plan on day 3. Studio's free plan has no commercial rights, so it's no use for voiceovers. |
| Features | B | 1,000+ natural voices in 60+ languages, up to 5x speed, Scan & Listen, AI summaries, chats and podcasts, voice typing and a voice assistant. As a reader it covers the whole job. Voiceovers and cloning live in Studio and the API, sold separately. |
| Ease of use | B | 4.66 from 526,597 App Store ratings, just short of an A. Open a PDF or a web page and press play. Nobody needs a manual for that. |
| Platforms and integrations | A | iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, Windows and the web, Chrome and Edge extensions, imports from Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive, and an API. Wherever you read, it's there. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Speechify is for
- Great if you'd rather listen to articles and PDFs on your commute
- Handy when you want to snap a printed page and hear it read out
- Good for students who want a summary of a chapter before they listen
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $29 against $139 for a whole year
- Skip it if you want to publish voiceovers, which need Studio, a separate plan
- Not for you if robotic voices put you off and you won't pay
Good to know
Good for
- Students and professionals who would rather listen than read
- People with reading difficulties or eye strain
- Listening to long PDFs and articles on the move
Worth knowing
- The free plan is limited to 10 robotic-sounding voices at up to 1.5x speed; natural voices, scanning and the AI features need Premium.
- Voiceovers for publishing need Speechify Studio, a separate plan: free with 600 credits and no commercial rights, or $100 or $300 a year with commercial rights.
- Studio credits are spent per second: 1 for voiceover, 3 for dubbing and 30 for avatars, so $100 a year buys about 24 hours of voiceover.
- Cloned voices need the voice owner to pass Speechify's verification or a written business agreement; users must be 18, and politicians' and deceased people's voices are barred.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$29
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Speechify has a free plan. Paid plans start at $29 per month, billed monthly.
Fair either way, and pay yearly if you pay at all.
Free
$0
Listening at up to 1.5x speed with 10 robotic-sounding voices, and text to speech features only.
Premium
$29
per month, billed monthly
1,000+ natural voices in 60+ languages, 5x speed, Scan & Listen, AI summaries and chats, AI podcasts, voice typing and cloud drive imports. $139 a year billed yearly.
The free plan
Listen anywhere at up to 1.5x speed with 10 robotic-sounding voices, text to speech features only.
Trying it first
3-day free trial of Premium in the app; the yearly plan is charged on day 3
Read from speechify.com on Oct 18, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Premium for $139 a year
Yearly billing costs $139 against $29 a month on monthly billing; the pricing page says this saves 60%.
Stated on speechify.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
6
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android and Browser extension
Text-to-speech reader for listening to documents and web pages. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, dictation, text to speech, voice cloning.
Voiceovers and cloning live in Studio and the API, sold separately.
- Listen to any text
- Have PDFs, documents, emails and web pages read aloud in natural voices, at speeds up to 5x on Premium.
- Scan & Listen
- Photograph a printed page or book and listen to it. Scanning is a Premium feature.
- AI summaries, chats and podcasts
- Premium can summarize what you are reading, answer questions about it and turn it into a podcast-style episode.
- Voice typing and voice assistant
- Dictate text in other apps with voice typing, and talk to the Voice AI Assistant about a website, book or anything else.
- Apps and cloud imports
- Apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac and Windows, extensions for Chrome and Edge, and imports from Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive.
- Studio and API
- Speechify Studio, sold separately, makes voiceovers and dubbed videos with commercial rights. The API lets developers add Speechify voices and voice cloning to their apps.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- iOS
- Android
- Browser extension
What it works with
- Google Drive
- Dropbox
- Microsoft OneDrive
- Google Chrome
- Microsoft Edge
Speechify is made by Speechify Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
7/9
Other AI voice generators it is graded above
Speechify's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 7 of the 9 other AI voice generators we grade, and level with 1.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (A, above 9 of 9) and worst on free plan and trial (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $29 a month, against a middle price of $14 for the category: 9 of the 9 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 10 AI voice generators we grade, cut by the letter each got. Speechify’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 1 of 9
- CFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 9
- BFeaturesAbove 4 of 9
- BEase of useAbove 7 of 9
- APlatforms and integrationsAbove 9 of 9
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 10 AI voice generators. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Speechify is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Speechify you would be making a voice model, which you can rent by the minute but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 7 of the 9 other AI voice generators we grade. It costs $348 a year.
What you could not
- A voice model, which you can rent by the minute but not make.
- Dictation that types into any app on your computer.
- A voice model trained on your recordings.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, Google Drive, Dropbox and Microsoft OneDrive among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Speechify’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
NaturalReader, ElevenLabs, Listnr and Murf
The 4 tools Speechify is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
NaturalReader
Free plan · from $9.92/mo
Text-to-speech reader for listening to documents, with a voiceover app.
- Speechify also covers dictation.
- 3.0GPA
ElevenLabs
Free plan · from $5/mo
AI voice platform for speech, voice cloning, dubbing and voice agents.
- Only Speechify lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Only Speechify lists a browser extension.
- Speechify also covers dictation.
- 2.2GPA
Listnr
Free trial · from $19/mo
AI voiceover studio with voice cloning and podcast hosting.
- Speechify has a free plan. Listnr does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Speechify lists iOS, Android, macOS and Windows apps.
- Only Speechify lists a browser extension.
- 2.2GPA
Murf
Free trial · from $19/mo
AI voiceover studio with dubbing, translation and a speech API.
- Speechify has a free plan. Murf does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Speechify lists iOS, Android, macOS and Windows apps.
- Only Speechify lists a browser extension.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Speechify free?
Speechify has a free plan. Listen anywhere at up to 1.5x speed with 10 robotic-sounding voices, text to speech features only.
How much does Speechify cost?
Speechify lists 2 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Speechify work on?
Speechify is available on Web, iOS, Android, macOS and Windows. It also has a browser extension.
Does Speechify offer any discounts?
Speechify publicly lists the following: Premium for $139 a year.
How is Speechify rated?
Speechify's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 out of 5 from 526,597 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
Does Speechify have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Speechify is listed for Web, iOS, Android, macOS and Windows.
Is Speechify open source?
Speechify is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
Does Speechify have an API?
Yes. Speechify offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Speechify integrate with?
Speechify's listing names Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.
Does Speechify have a free trial?
Yes. 3-day free trial of Premium in the app; the yearly plan is charged on day 3.
Who makes Speechify?
Speechify is made by Speechify Inc.
What are the alternatives to Speechify?
The closest alternatives to Speechify in our directory are NaturalReader, ElevenLabs, Listnr and Murf.
How does Speechify compare with other AI voice generators?
Speechify's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 7 of the 9 other AI voice generators we grade, and level with 1.
Is Speechify good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Speechify C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $29 a month, against a middle price of $14 for the category: 9 of the 9 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Speechify?
To replace Speechify you would be making a voice model, which you can rent by the minute but not make.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Speechify’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Speechify's own pages on 18 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Speechify Inc. Prices change, so check speechify.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,281
Tools graded, in 73 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
2,281
tools graded
73
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Speechify, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/speechify
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Speechify: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/speechify
Know someone choosing between AI voice generators?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/speechify/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI voice generators after Speechify, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Voices & Text to Speech Insider's GuideEvery one of the 10 AI voice generators we grade, compared
- ElevenLabs Insider's GuideAI voice platform for speech, voice cloning, dubbing and voice agents3.0 GPA
- NaturalReader Insider's GuideText-to-speech reader for listening to documents, with a voiceover app2.8 GPA
- Cartesia Insider's GuideLow-latency speech models and voice agents for developers2.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Speechify’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Speechify is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Speechify Inc. Prices and plans change: check speechify.com before you buy.