Text-to-speech · Ranked 2 of 7 in Best text-to-speech tools
What is Cartesia?
Short answer
Cartesia is a text-to-speech tool from Cartesia, best for low-latency voice AI for developers. It has a free plan (20K credits per month); paid plans start at $5 / mo.
| Fact | Cartesia | Text-to-speech median (4 tools) |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, 20K credits per month | 7 of 7 have one |
| Entry price | $5 / mo | $7.50 / mo |
| Top plan | $299 / mo | $229.50 / mo |
| 1st year | $60 | $90 |
| Paid plans | 3 | 3 |
| Platforms | API, Web | — |
What does Cartesia do?
Cartesia covers these jobs, as listed on Cartesia's pricing and feature pages.
- Sonic text to speech
- Speech to text
- Voice agents
- Instant and pro voice cloning
- Credit rollover
How much does Cartesia cost?
Free, then $5 / mo to $299 / mo.
| Plan | Price | Billed monthly | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Free | 20K credits/mo, $1 prepaid agents |
| Pro | $5 / mo | $5 / mo | 100K credits/mo |
| Startup | $49 / mo | $49 / mo | 1.25M credits/mo |
| Scale | $299 / mo | $299 / mo | 8M credits/mo |
What are the best Cartesia alternatives?
Closest on first-year cost: ElevenLabs, WellSaid Labs, Speechify.
| Alternative | Free plan | From |
|---|---|---|
| ElevenLabs | Yes | $5 / mo |
| WellSaid Labs | Yes | $10 / mo |
| Speechify | Yes | $29 / mo |
Is Cartesia better than ElevenLabs?
Cartesia is best for low-latency voice AI for developers; ElevenLabs for realistic AI voices and voice cloning. First year: $60 vs $60.
Sources
| Vendor page | URL | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Cartesia pricing | cartesia.ai/pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
Prices in USD as published by each vendor, billed yearly where offered. How we compare