Is ElevenLabs free? Free plan vs paid (2026)
Yes. ElevenLabs has a free plan with 10,000 credits a month for its AI voices, text to speech and sound effects. The free plan doesn't include a commercial license, so if you'll use the audio for business or monetized videos, the $6-a-month Starter plan is the cheapest option that does.
Prices checked Oct 2026.
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What ElevenLabs does
ElevenLabs turns text into realistic speech. You type or paste a script, pick a voice, and download the audio. People use it for video voiceovers, reading articles aloud, and narration for slides. It's on our short video and voice notes pages.
What's free
ElevenLabs' pricing page lists the Free plan at $0 a month with 10,000 credits a month, including text to speech, speech to text, sound effects, voice design and music, plus 3 projects in its Studio editor. Credits measure how much you generate, so longer scripts use more.
Paid plans
Starter, $6 a month (30,000 credits): adds a commercial license, instant voice cloning (a copy of your own voice from a short sample) and 20 Studio projects.
Creator, $22 a month (121,000 credits): adds professional voice cloning. ElevenLabs lists the first month at $11.
Pro, $99 a month (600,000 credits) and bigger business plans are for heavy use. Paying yearly gives you 2 months free.
Which should you pick?
Trying it for fun, or reading things aloud for yourself? Free. Making videos for a business, YouTube channel or client? Starter, because you need the commercial license. Only consider Creator if you want a very realistic clone of your own voice.
Only clone voices you have the right to use, meaning your own or someone's with their clear permission.
How to start
Sign up on ElevenLabs, open Text to Speech, paste a short script, choose a voice and click generate. Start with a couple of sentences so you don't use up credits while experimenting. Want a talking presenter on screen too? See Is Synthesia free?
The first thing to type
Welcome to our bakery! Every morning we bake fresh bread and pastries by hand. Stop by before 10 for warm croissants.Common questions
Is ElevenLabs free?
Yes. The free plan includes 10,000 credits a month.
Can I use ElevenLabs free for YouTube?
The free plan doesn't include a commercial license. Starter ($6 a month) adds it.
How much is ElevenLabs Starter?
$6 a month for 30,000 credits, with a commercial license and instant voice cloning.
Does ElevenLabs offer yearly discounts?
Yes. Yearly billing gives you 2 months free.
Sources (checked 2026-10-20): elevenlabs.io/pricing