Text-to-speech · Head to head
Amazon Polly vs Murf AI: which is better?
Short answer
They are priced differently ($4 / 1M characters vs $0.01 / 1000 characters). Pick Amazon Polly for AWS-based pay-as-you-go speech API; pick Murf AI for voice API for agents and apps.
| Fact | Amazon Polly | Murf AI | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | AWS-based pay-as-you-go speech API | Voice API for agents and apps | — |
| Free plan | Yes, 5M Standard characters/mo | Yes, $10 free API credit | Tie |
| Entry plan | Standard voices: $4 / 1M characters | Pay as you go: $0.01 / 1000 characters | Murf AI |
| Mid plan | Neural voices: $16 / 1M characters | Pay as you go: $0.01 / 1000 characters | Murf AI |
| Top plan | Long-Form voices: $100 / 1M characters | Pay as you go: $0.01 / 1000 characters | Murf AI |
| 1st year | Usage-based | Usage-based | — |
| Platforms | API | API | Tie |
Edge = the better published number or limit; we do not test the tools hands-on.
Which has the better free plan, Amazon Polly or Murf AI?
Neither stands out: Amazon Polly: Yes, 5M Standard characters/mo; Murf AI: Yes, $10 free API credit.
Should you pick Amazon Polly or Murf AI?
Pick Amazon Polly if
- you want AWS-based pay-as-you-go speech API
- the free plan is enough (5M Standard characters/mo)
Pick Murf AI if
- you want voice API for agents and apps
- the free plan is enough ($10 free API credit)
Sources
| Vendor page | URL | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Polly pricing | aws.amazon.com/polly/pricing/ | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Murf AI pricing | murf.ai/pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
Prices in USD as published by each vendor, billed yearly where offered. How we compare