Speechify
Text-to-speech reader app.
why this verdict
Downgrade — pay for the workflow, not the AI
ElevenLabs and NaturalReader cover the headline feature free, so the $11/mo is now paying for the workflow around it.
- A named launch, not a vibe named, unlinked
- OpenAI TTS + OS read-aloud. OpenAI, June 6, 2024 — no announcement link recorded yet.
- How much of the job it covers headline only editorial call
- The headline feature, but not the workflow, data or integrations around it.
- Is there a free way to do it? yes
- 3 of 3 listed replacements have a usable free tier: ElevenLabs, NaturalReader and Microsoft Edge Read Aloud.
- What the call is worth $132/yr
- $11/mo at the entry paid tier — $132 a year per seat.
- Threatened by
- OpenAI
- Since
- June 6, 2024
- List price
- $11/mo
- Per year
- $132
The backstory
Speechify is a text-to-speech reader that turns articles, documents and books into natural-sounding audio, popular for accessibility and learning on the go. OpenAI's cheap, high-quality TTS and built-in operating-system read-aloud features undercut its core function. It is wounded because listening to text is now a free feature on most phones and browsers, and any developer can add lifelike voices via API. Speechify's polished app, voice selection and reading tools keep a base of users, but the underlying capability it charges for is available for little or nothing elsewhere.
Escape hatches
switching could free up $132/yrHigh-quality AI voices, free tier
elevenlabs.io open_in_newText-to-speech reader, free tier
naturalreaders.com open_in_newFree built-in browser read-aloud
microsoft.com open_in_new3 of 3 replacements have a usable free tier.