Text-to-speech · Head to head
ElevenLabs vs Amazon Polly: which is better?
Short answer
They are priced differently ($5 / mo vs $4 / 1M characters). Pick ElevenLabs for realistic AI voices and voice cloning; pick Amazon Polly for AWS-based pay-as-you-go speech API.
| Fact | ElevenLabs | Amazon Polly | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Realistic AI voices and voice cloning | AWS-based pay-as-you-go speech API | — |
| Free plan | Yes, 10,000 credits per month | Yes, 5M Standard characters/mo | Tie |
| Entry plan | Starter: $5 / mo | Standard voices: $4 / 1M characters | — |
| Mid plan | Creator: $18.33 / mo | Neural voices: $16 / 1M characters | — |
| Top plan | Business: $825 / mo | Long-Form voices: $100 / 1M characters | — |
| 1st year | $60 | Usage-based | — |
| Platforms | Web, API, iOS, Android | API | ElevenLabs |
Edge = the better published number or limit; we do not test the tools hands-on.
Which has the better free plan, ElevenLabs or Amazon Polly?
Neither stands out: ElevenLabs: Yes, 10,000 credits per month; Amazon Polly: Yes, 5M Standard characters/mo.
Should you pick ElevenLabs or Amazon Polly?
Pick ElevenLabs if
- you want realistic AI voices and voice cloning
- the free plan is enough (10,000 credits per month)
Pick Amazon Polly if
- you want AWS-based pay-as-you-go speech API
- the free plan is enough (5M Standard characters/mo)
Sources
| Vendor page | URL | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| ElevenLabs pricing | elevenlabs.io/pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Amazon Polly pricing | aws.amazon.com/polly/pricing/ | 27 Oct 2026 |
Prices in USD as published by each vendor, billed yearly where offered. How we compare