Hayz Labs · https://hayzlabs.com/reviews/rankings/voice/
reviews · best for a job · 0 scored · 8 not yet
Best for voice and audio
Speech to text, text to speech and voice chat. Ranked by score; on a tie, the cheaper one goes first. 100 is the best available today in this job.
Most voices have no score yet: Artificial Analysis measures them, and its terms do not let us publish numbers made from its data.
Picked one? Transcribe, then check shows how to get good results from it.
New to this? What the scores and labels mean
- 0 to 100
- Our score for one job, like writing or coding, compared with everything else out today. 100 is the best available today. For AI models we build it from public data, such as Arena's blind votes and Epoch AI's independent tests; apps and tools are scored on our own checklist. The same tool can score differently for different jobs, and where two likely ranges overlap, we call it a tie.
- Our verdict
- Use it: a top choice for most people. Worth trying: good, and worth a go. Depends: good for some people or one kind of job. Wait: too early to tell, or not out for everyone yet. Skip: something else does the job better.
- First look
- Just released. We say what it is and whether to bother, and give it a score once public results exist.
- No score yet
- None of the public sources we use covers it yet, or the only evidence is from a source whose numbers we can't use, so we describe it in words instead.
- Best buy
- Nothing cheaper scores as well for that job.
- Best free
- The best score for that job that costs nothing, through a free plan or by running on your own computer.
- Pay as you go
- No monthly plan: you pay for each use, usually through a developer account.
- Checked
- The day we last confirmed the score and the price against the sources. Prices change often, so check the date.
- AI model
- The engine underneath, like GPT or Claude. You use it through an app or, if you code, directly.
- Open source
- Free to download and run on your own computer, so nothing leaves your machine.
Everything we cover for this job, best score first. Scores whose ranges overlap are tied, so choose on price and fit.
- Eleven v4ElevenLabs
Top-rated expressive voice for audiobooks and characters. Eleven v4 Turbo ties it in blind tests at half the price.
Best for Audiobooks and dubbing with expressive character voicesYou give up Twice v4 Turbo's price for the same rank; trains on your content by default
Not scored yetFree - Eleven v4 TurboElevenLabs
Top-rated natural voice in blind tests at half Eleven v4's price, fast enough for live agents. Not the cheapest.
Best for Voice agents, apps and narration that need the most natural voice fastYou give up About twice the price of the 3rd and 5th ranked voices; trains on your content by default
Not scored yetFree - Gemini 3.8 Flash TTSGoogle
Near-top AI voices for less than half the price of ElevenLabs, with a free tier. Prices double on 1 Jan 2027.
Best for Narration or read-aloud in apps at volume, in over 130 languagesYou give up Ranks below both Eleven v4 models; free tier inputs are used to improve Google products
Not scored yetFree - Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTSGoogle
Top-ten text to speech for a third less than Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS, with a free tier; pick Eleven v4 for the best voices.
Best for Lots of natural speech, such as read-aloud or app voicesYou give up Prices double on 1 Jan 2027; Simba 3.2 ranks level for about 40% less
Not scored yetFree - Gemini 3.8 LiveGoogle
Among the best-liked voice agent models, free to start and the cheapest of the top group. Weak at hard support tasks.
Best for Voice agents and phone bots that need top quality at a low priceYou give up Finishes only about 30% of hard support tasks; free tier data improves Google products
Not scored yetFree - GPT-Live 1OpenAI
Top scores on hard voice agent tasks, but blind listeners prefer Gemini 3.8 Live, which also costs less.
Best for Customer service voice agents that must finish multi-step tasksYou give up Costs more than Gemini 3.8 Live, which blind listeners also prefer
Not scored yetPay as you go - MAI-Transcribe-2Microsoft
Among the most accurate transcription models at $0.10 an hour. Still a preview with no SLA, so not for production yet.
Best for Developers transcribing lots of recorded audio who can accept a previewYou give up Preview with no service guarantee; price after 2026 not announced
Not scored yetPay as you go - Scribe v2ElevenLabs
Very accurate transcription with speaker labels and a free plan. Heavy API users pay less with MAI-Transcribe-2.
Best for Podcasters and journalists who want speaker labels, with a free way to startYou give up Over twice MAI-Transcribe-2's hourly price; trains on your audio unless you opt out
Not scored yetFree
Score against cost
| # | Name | Score | Source | Cheapest plan | Our verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No score yetArtificial Analysis measures these; its terms do not let us publish a number made from its data. | ||||||
Eleven v4ElevenLabs · AI model | – | None we can publish | Free | Worth trying | Top-rated expressive voice for audiobooks and characters. Eleven v4 Turbo ties it in blind tests at half the price. | |
Eleven v4 TurboElevenLabs · AI model | – | None we can publish | Free | Use it | Top-rated natural voice in blind tests at half Eleven v4's price, fast enough for live agents. Not the cheapest. | |
Gemini 3.8 Flash TTSGoogle · AI model | – | None we can publish | Free | Use it | Near-top AI voices for less than half the price of ElevenLabs, with a free tier. Prices double on 1 Jan 2027. | |
Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTSGoogle · AI model | – | None we can publish | Free | Use it | Top-ten text to speech for a third less than Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS, with a free tier; pick Eleven v4 for the best voices. | |
Gemini 3.8 LiveGoogle · AI model | – | None we can publish | Free | Use it | Among the best-liked voice agent models, free to start and the cheapest of the top group. Weak at hard support tasks. | |
GPT-Live 1OpenAI · AI model | – | None we can publish | Pay as you go | Worth trying | Top scores on hard voice agent tasks, but blind listeners prefer Gemini 3.8 Live, which also costs less. | |
MAI-Transcribe-2Microsoft · AI model | – | None we can publish | Pay as you go | Worth trying | Among the most accurate transcription models at $0.10 an hour. Still a preview with no SLA, so not for production yet. | |
Scribe v2ElevenLabs · AI model | – | None we can publish | Free | Worth trying | Very accurate transcription with speaker labels and a free plan. Heavy API users pay less with MAI-Transcribe-2. | |
Nothing matches all of that. , or try everything.
What changed
New leaders and rating changes in voice; our working is under Details. All news
No changes yet. This ranking starts on 7 Oct; when a rating moves at a re-check or a new release takes #1, it shows here with the reason.