Free alternatives
Free alternatives to Speechify
The best free, open-source alternatives to Speechify are Piper and Kokoro. Piper and Kokoro run entirely on your own computer, with no subscription.
Speechify is a paid service. Reads documents, web pages, and books aloud in natural voices. If you'd like to do the same kind of work without a subscription, these are the open-source tools to try first. Checked November 2026.
| Tool | What it does | Runs | Real cost | Score |
|---|
| Piper | Fast, natural text-to-speech that runs on small devices, even a Raspberry Pi. | On your computer | Free | 3.3 |
|---|
| Kokoro | A very small text-to-speech model that sounds far better than its size suggests. | On your computer | Free | 3.6 |
|---|
The top picks
Archived
Fast, natural text-to-speech that runs on small devices, even a Raspberry Pi.
- Some setup
- Windows · Mac · Linux
- Code
- Open source, MIT
- Models
- Open weights
- Runs
- On your computer
- Real cost
- Free
A very small text-to-speech model that sounds far better than its size suggests.
- Some setup
- Windows · Mac · Linux
- Code
- Open source, Apache-2.0
- Models
- Open weights
- Runs
- On your computer
- Real cost
- Free
More free tools worth a look
Turns speech into text. Transcribes and translates recordings, interviews, and video audio.
- Some setup
- Windows · Mac · Linux
- Code
- Open source, MIT
- Models
- Open weights
- Runs
- On your computer
- Real cost
- Free
A lightweight version of Whisper that transcribes quickly on ordinary laptops with no graphics card.
- Some setup
- Windows · Mac · Linux
- Code
- Open source, MIT
- Models
- Open weights
- Runs
- On your computer
- Real cost
- Free
Converts one voice into another, for dubbing and singing voice work.
- Some setup
- Windows · Linux
- Code
- Open source, MIT
- Models
- Open weights
- Runs
- On your computer
- Real cost
- Free
A rebuilt Whisper engine that transcribes several times faster using less memory.
- Some setup
- Windows · Mac · Linux
- Code
- Open source, MIT
- Models
- Open weights
- Runs
- On your computer
- Real cost
- Free
Clones a voice from a short sample and speaks in it across several languages.
- For tinkerers
- Windows · Mac · Linux
- Code
- Open source, MIT
- Models
- Open weights
- Runs
- On your computer
- Real cost
- Free
A text-to-speech toolkit with many voices and languages, including voice cloning models.
- Some setup
- Windows · Mac · Linux
- Code
- Open source, MPL-2.0
- Models
- Mixed, some non-commercial
- Runs
- On your computer
- Real cost
- Free
Common questions
Is there a free version of Speechify?
Speechify's own free plan: yes, limited. For unlimited free use, the open-source alternatives are Piper and Kokoro.
Are the free alternatives to Speechify as good?
It depends on the job. Speechify is best for listening to your reading, and paid services are usually easier to start with. Open-source tools cost nothing and give you more control, but most need some setup and a capable computer.
What do I need to run them?
Each tool's page lists the memory and graphics card it needs. Enter your computer's specs once on our Can I Run It page and every tool shows whether it fits.
Want the paid service anyway? See our Speechify page for price and free-plan details.
whisper.cpp
faster-whisper
