There are numerous compelling reasons to explore the best text-to-speech technology. For instance, you can generate voiceovers for videos, podcasts, e-learning modules, and more. You can even use TTS to help boost your productivity. For example, you could convert written content into audio and create a podcast or a YouTube video. Alternatively, you could use TTS to help you study by reading your notes aloud. If you’ve ever tried TTS tools before, you may have been disappointed by the robotic-sounding voice that reads text like a robot. The latest free voice AI tools can now produce lifelike speech that sounds remarkably human.
In this article, we’ll explore the best free text-to-speech software on the market and show you how you can use Voice AI’s very own text-to-speech tool to help you achieve your goals.
Why Use a Free Text-to-Speech App?
Text-to-speech technology can help professionals across industries create more inclusive workplaces. With multilingual capabilities, TTS can convert written content into multiple languages, enabling communication with employees and customers worldwide. Using a natural language processing feature, the technology can create a more human-like experience for your clients.
Embracing Text-to-Speech Technology for Students
Students can easily access TTS technology in free apps, browser extensions, and software programs. Text-to-speech reading can address the traditional written format for students with reading difficulties and visual impairments. It enables students to listen to course materials and textbooks.
Transforming Teaching and Learning with Text-to-Speech Technology
Text-to-speech has tremendous potential to revolutionize teaching and learning. With the rise of digital educational tools, AI voice synthesis, and learning platforms, integrating text-to-speech with education can expand access to education globally.
Creating Content with Text-to-Speech Technology
TTS technology can help generate voiceovers and narrations in video creation. With various customization options, it transforms written text into spoken audio that can be used to explain concepts and provide content in videos. It can also generate video transcripts and closed captions, enhancing search engine optimization.
When you publish an audio version alongside the text version, your information becomes more accessible to people who face difficulty reading long-form content. Text-to-speech also makes the information accessible to people who wish to consume content while doing other tasks. More than a quarter of people in the US have a disability, and text-to-speech apps aim to bring content to all sorts of non-profit, public, and media sectors.
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18 Best Free Text-to-Speech Apps That Sound Human
1. Voice AI: The Gold Standard for Natural-Sounding Speech
Stop spending hours on clunky voiceovers or settling for robotic-sounding narration. Voice.ai delivers natural, human-like voices that capture genuine emotion and personality, so your message doesn’t just get heard, it connects. Whether you’re a content creator, developer, or educator, Voice.ai gives you the power to turn written text into studio-quality speech in seconds.
No actors, no mic setup, no editing required. Our cutting-edge voice models sound astonishingly real, expressive, nuanced, and never flat. Whether you’re narrating a video, building a voice bot, or reading a script aloud, Voice.ai delivers with clarity and emotion.
Fast & Effortless
Simply paste your script, choose a voice, and generate speech instantly. What used to take hours now takes minutes.
Multilingual and Multi-Accent Support
Generate speech in multiple languages and regional accents, opening doors to global audiences.
Wide Voice Library
Choose from a growing collection of AI voices, male and female, friendly or formal, energetic or calm, to match your tone and brand.
Perfect for Any Project
- Content creators: Add professional voiceovers to YouTube videos, podcasts, TikToks, or explainer videos.
- Developers: Integrate TTS into apps, games, or chatbots with our developer-friendly setup.
- Educators: Create engaging learning materials, narration for e-learning courses, or audio lessons that feel personal.
Real-Time Preview & Easy Editing
Make quick tweaks and preview results instantly, so you get exactly the tone you’re looking for.
Free to Try, Quality You Can Hear
Experience the full power of Voice.ai’s engine with our free plan, no credit card required. Hear the difference for yourself.
2. Speaktor: The Text-to-Speech AI with a Personal Touch
With Speaktor, you can convert text to speech with its AI text reader. It has a simple interface and state-of-the-art AI. It can convert text to speech in 50+ languages, including English, Hindi, Deutsch, Suomi, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, French, and more. It offers a wide range of realistic voices and customizable features.
Key features:
- Personal AI Lecturer: Using AI, Speaktor turns written content into audio content with professional quality, creating digital content for everyone.
- Accessibility: Speaktor text reader helps people with visual impairment and dyslexia by acting as a virtual speaker.
- Easy-to-use Interface: The simplified interface can help you save hours as you get started. Moreover, text-to-speech conversion becomes easy and fast with Speaktor’s user-friendly interface.
- Affordable: Starting from basic to advanced, most features are accessible to everyone at affordable prices. Additionally, there is free access, along with many premium options.
- Convenient: While working on the application, you can even edit your text files and make Speaktor read any web page.
3. Natural Reader: The TTS AI for Students and Educators
You can use the Natural Reader application for personal and commercial use for text-to-speech conversion and an AI voice generator. Personal use of the application is preferable for students, readers, and people with Dyslexia. On the other hand, commercial use is preferable for e-learning and YouTube.
Key features:
- Privacy for Personal Use: As a licensed individual, you can keep and use the audio for personal use.
- Provides License: Natural Reader provides group and site licenses for schools, colleges, and institutions.
- Multi-format Conversion: Converts PDFs, images, and documents into speech.
4. iSpeech: The Free TTS API for Developers
iSpeech is a free text-to-speech API and speech recognition API that offers various speed modes, including fast, regular, and slow. It generates TTS audio, receives IVR prompts, and utilizes speech SDKs.
Key features:
- Embedded TTS Service: Custom solutions for text-to-voice for any device.
- Multilingual: Enables speech recognition and natural text-to-speech conversion in 30+ languages.
- Multi-purpose: Generate and download files for audiobooks, training videos, and commercial distribution.
5. Voice Dream Reader: The Accessible Mobile App for TTS
Voice Dream is an AI text-to-speech reader that millions of users use to listen to PDFs, e-mails, articles, documents, and textbooks. The app is accessible on iOS and macOS.
Key features:
- Premium Voices: Over 200 natural-sounding voices are available, each with distinct dialects and accents.
- Read from Anywhere: Upload various formats such as articles, PDFs, and ebooks, and listen to audiobooks anytime, anywhere.
- Offline Feature: The app functions without an internet connection, reducing load times and data usage.
6. Murf AI: The TTS App for Professional Quality Voiceovers
Murf AI offers realistic AI voices in over 20 languages. As a user, you can also create your own voice on the application. You can choose from 120+ human-like AI voices, ideal for podcasts, presentations, videos, and more.
Key features:
- Custom Voice Creation: Based on a sample of your voice, you can create your custom voice.
- Multiple Voice Styles: You can choose from 120+ AI voices and 20+ languages.
- Integration: Enables integration with many video editing and presentation software programs.
7. Speechify: The TTS Tool for Readers
Speechify is another text-to-speech tool that uses AI to generate human-like voices. It can turn any text into an audiobook and improve reading comprehension. The app is available on iOS, Android, Chrome extension, and Mac.
Key features:
- Instant AI Summary: A summary of every reading is available, so you get the takeaways.
- Multiple Integration: Integrates with Google Drive, Canvas, Dropbox, and more.
- Speed Read: By using the speed-read feature, you can save up to 9 hrs a week.
8. Read Aloud: The Simple Browser TTS Tool
Read Aloud is a browser extension, website widget, and voice narration tool with TTS technology. It can read the content of any web page with a single click and embed a widget into your website.
Key features:
- Browser Extension: Read aloud the content of a web page with Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.
- Website Widget: You can embed a text-to-speech widget with Read Aloud on your website.
- Voice Narration: Text-to-speech conversion can also be used to create voice narration.
9. EaseUS VoiceOver: The Free Online Voiceover Tool
EaseUS VoiceOver is a user-friendly and free online voiceover generator that enables users to convert written text into lifelike speech effortlessly. It will allow users to set reading voice parameters for each part of their text, ensuring a personalized audio experience. Supporting an extensive range of 149 languages and offering 468 voices, EaseUS VoiceOver provides remarkable versatility.
Key features:
- Customizable parameters include emotional tone, pitch, and speed
- Users can input, arrange, edit, and delete text sections
- Supports various export formats
- No login is required
10. Lovo AI: The TTS Tool for Creative Projects
Lovo.ai is a versatile TTS tool that offers an efficient solution for creating natural-sounding voiceovers. It offers a free version that provides a 5-minute conversion every month. The free version doesn’t support downloads, so you must purchase a subscription for $29 per month.
With a diverse library of over 180 voices in 33 languages, users can select the perfect voice that matches their content’s tone and style. Its user-friendly interface and customization features enable users to fine-tune their Sam text-to-speech voiceovers easily.
Key features:
- Create voiceovers with multiple characters
- Multiple voices with emotions
- Voices similar to a human voice
- Free conversions for up to 5 minutes/month
11. Play.ht: The TTS App for Podcasts and Audiobooks
Play.ht is an advanced voice changer tool known for its remarkable SpongeBob text-to-speech features. It uses AI technology to convert written text into lifelike, high-quality audio. It offers a free version with 2,500 characters per month, available without requiring a download.
You can purchase its subscription for $31.20 per month to unlock all its features. With its customization options, users can enhance their audio projects by adjusting speech styles and pronunciations to suit their needs. With support for over 600 voices in 150+ languages and accents, Play.ht offers multiple options. You can export generated audio in various formats, including MP3 and WAV.
Key features:
- Natural-sounding voices
- Extensive voice options
- Voice cloning for personalized voices
12. ElevenLabs: The Advanced TTS Software
ElevenLabs.io is a powerful TTS software that incorporates lifelike voices and voice cloning. Its innovative VoiceLab feature enables users to create realistic text-to-speech with humanlike emotion. Offering multiple synthetic voices, users can customize gender, age, accent, and accent strength.
The free version offers 1,000 characters in three custom voices, while the premium version costs $1-$11 per month to unlock additional features. While English remains the primary language, ElevenLabs.io actively explores expanding its support to include additional languages.
Key features:
- High-quality humanlike voices
- Swift cloning
- You can also upload your voices
13. CAMB.AI Free TTS API: The TTS API with Voice Cloning
CAMB.AI is a leader in the TTS API space, offering advanced features powered by its MARS AI Model. This model enables vocal performance transfer using just 2-3 seconds of audio, replicating speaker identity, style, and nuance across over 140 languages.
Key features:
- With minimal audio input, you can create lifelike voice clones using the High-Quality Voice Cloning feature
- To reach a global audience, Extensive Language Support allows you to work with over 140 languages
- You can adjust pitch, speed, and emotional tone to suit your needs with the Customizable Voice Settings
- Integrating the best TTS API is straightforward because of the User-Friendly API and comprehensive documentation
14. Google Assistant: The Smart TTS Assistant
As one of the most popular free speech-to-text apps, Google Assistant offers a range of features that distinguish it from the rest. From sending messages hands-free to setting reminders, Google Assistant can do it all with just a simple voice command. So, if you’re ready to experience the convenience of an intelligent virtual assistant, let’s dive into the features that make Google Assistant the best speech-to-text app for free!
Key features:
- Accurate speech recognition
- Natural language processing capabilities
- Support for multiple languages
- Integration with other Google services and devices
- Ability to perform various tasks through voice commands
- Contextual understanding of conversations
- Personalization options
- Continuous learning and improvement
15. Panopreter Basic: The Best Simple Free TTS Software
Panopreter Basic is the best free text-to-speech software if you’re looking for something simple, streamlined, no-frills, and hassle-free. It accepts plain and rich text files, web pages, and Microsoft Word documents as input, and exports the resulting sound in both WAV and MP3 format (the two files are saved in the same location, with the exact name).
The default settings work well for quick tasks, but spend a little time exploring Panopreter Basic’s Settings menu, and you’ll find options to change the language, destination of saved audio files, and set custom interface colors. The software can even play a piece of music once it’s finished reading, a nice touch you won’t find in other free text-to-speech software.
Key features:
- Quick and simple to use
- Exports in WAV and MP3 formats
- Good range of input formats
16. Balabolka: The Free TTS Software with Extensive Options
There are several ways to utilize Balabolka, the top free text-to-speech software. You can either copy and paste text into the program or open a variety of supported file formats (including DOC, PDF, and HTML) directly within the program.
In terms of output, you can use SAPI 4 complete with eight different voices to choose from, SAPI 5 with two, or the Microsoft Speech Platform. Whichever route you prefer, you can adjust the speech, pitch, and volume of playback to create a custom voice.
Top Free Text-to-Speech with MP3 Support
In addition to reading words aloud, this free text-to-speech software can also save narrations as audio files in various formats, including MP3 and WAV. For lengthy documents, you can create bookmarks to make it easy to jump back to a specific location, and there are excellent tools on hand to help you customize the pronunciation of words to your liking.
With all these features to make life easier when reading text on a screen isn’t an option, Balabolka is the best free text-to-speech software around.
Key features:
- Excellent file format support
- Lots of voices to choose from
- Can create audio files
- Bookmarking tools
17. Zabaware Text-to-Speech Reader: The Basic Free TTS Software
Despite its basic looks, Zabaware Text-to-Speech Reader has more to offer than you might first think. You can open numerous file formats directly in the program, or just copy and paste text.
Alternatively, as long as you have the program running and the relevant option enabled, Zabaware Text-to-Speech Reader can read aloud any text you copy to the clipboard. This is great if you want to convert words from websites to speech, as well as dialog boxes that pop up. One of the best free text-to-speech software programs currently available, it can also convert text files to WAV format.
Unfortunately, the selection of voices is limited, and the only settings you can customize are volume and speed, unless you delve deep into the settings to adjust pronunciations. Additional voices are available for an extra fee, which seems rather steep, holding it back from a higher place in our list.
Key features:
- Converts text from the clipboard
- Good file format support
18. WordTalk: The Free TTS Tool for Microsoft Word
Developed by the University of Edinburgh, WordTalk is a toolbar add-on for Microsoft Word that brings customizable text-to-speech capabilities to the application.
Although the version of Word included in Microsoft 365 does have a built-in test-to-speech reader, older editions won’t – which is where this tool becomes useful, because it works with all editions of Word, and is accessible via the toolbar or ribbon, depending on which version you’re using.
Simple TTS Add-In for Microsoft Word
There’s no getting around the fact that WordTalk is basic, but it does support SAPI 4 and SAPI 5 voices, which can be customized to your liking. The ability to just read aloud individual words, sentences, or paragraphs is a particularly nice touch.
You also have the option to save narrations, and several keyboard shortcuts provide quick and easy access to frequently used options.
Key features:
- Integrates with Microsoft Word
- Customizable voices
- Speaking dictionary
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How to Choose the Best Text-to-Speech App for Your Needs
The best text-to-speech apps should provide a natural-sounding and comfortable voice that is understandable even at different speed modes or volumes. Quality requirements vary, and they can even be subjective, as in some use cases, voice cloning with higher quality is required.
Cost: Free Isn’t Always Best
Some TTS applications are free, some charge per character, and some have a different pricing structure with subscription plans. The free ones also provide basic and some advanced features for free, while charging for extra support and features.
Ease of Use: Don’t Make Me Think
A text-to-speech app should understand how many developer resources you should allocate to integrate it into your application. This checks the user-friendliness of the TTS apps with regular maintenance and precise documentation.
Latency: Slow Is Not an Option
A text-to-speech app with a slow latency can minimize the delay between text and spoken output. Latency and speed vary from one TTS application to another. Speed might not be crucial while recording podcasts, but it is essential for interactive TTS apps.
Real-Time Processing: Make It Snappy
TTS should be capable of continuous text processing in a real-time interactive application. This is significant for maintaining a natural flow of conversation, especially in LLM models, where responses are regenerated quickly.
Common Limitations of Free Text-to-Speech Apps: Look Before You Leap
Text-to-speech apps are a convenient and affordable way of adding functionality to your tasks. While there are many benefits of these applications, here are some common limitations of free text-to-speech apps:
Limited Accuracy
The idea of text-to-speech is not always accurate, and some people have issues with it. Once an inaccuracy occurs, correcting it will take a considerable amount of time.
Quality and Speed Vary
The quality of every tool varies by manufacturer, and even the best ones do not have an exact human voice. The sound is usually robotic, monotone, and mechanical, and most users find it unprofessional or impersonal.
Limited Vocabulary
Since many apps have a limited vocabulary, they might not be ideal for text-to-speech proofreading. A typical human being knows around 300,000 words, so a TTS application has around 40,000 words in its lexicon.
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Try our Text-to-Speech Tool for Free Today
Voice AI gives you high-quality voiceovers for free. You can try out our text-to-speech tool without spending a dime. Simply create an account, and you can begin choosing from our library of over 100 realistic AI voices to generate speech for your project.
There are no limits on the amount of audio you can create with our free plan. So, whether you need voiceovers for a YouTube video, educational project, or game, you can get started with voice.ai today and transform your project with natural-sounding narration.
Try our text-to-speech tool for free today and hear the difference quality makes.
