This article will cover the seven best free text-to-speech apps, including tools like Speaktor, that offer advanced AI voiceover features for premium results.
Why Use a Free Text-to-Speech App?
Text-to-speech (TTS) technology has experienced a resurgence in recent years as technological evolution has raced. Modern TTS technology has been around for a while as it has developed the ability to mimic human speech, tone, emotion, and even expression. Text-to-speech holds significance for professionals, educators, and creators in various businesses.
- Text-to-Speech for Professionals: With multilingual capabilities, text-to-speech technology can convert written content into multiple languages and can communicate with employees and customers worldwide. Using a natural language processing feature, the technology can create a more human-like experience for your clients.
- Text-to-Speech for Students: TTS technology plays a significant role in promoting inclusivity. For example, 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.
- Text-to-Speech for Educators: TTS also 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.
- Text-to-Speech for Creators: 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 (SEO).
When you publish an audio version alongside the text version, your information can be made 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.
7 Best Free Text-to-Speech Apps in 2024
There is a huge list of top free text-to-speech apps available in 2024 to improve productivity and accessibility in workflow. Some standout options include Speaktor and other free apps, such as Natural Reader, iSpeech, Voice Dream Reader, Murf AI, Speechify, and Read Aloud. Here is the list of seven best text-to-speech apps in 2024:
Speaktor – Best Free Text to Speech App for Versatility
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 while getting 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. Also, there is free access with many premium options.
- Convenient: While working on the application, you can even edit your text files and make Speaktor read any web page.
Pros
- It is an excellent application for AI voiceover apps.
- Provides collaboration with the team.
- Has multiple natural-sounding virtual speakers.
- Convert text-to-speech within minutes.
- Scans text from web pages and books.
Cons
- Some advanced features are available only in paid plans.
Natural Reader – Great for Reading Aloud in Multiple Languages
You can use the Natural Reader application for personal and commercial use for text-to-speech conversion and 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 with Personal Use: As an individual license holder, you can keep and use the audio for private 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.
Pros
- Enhanced privacy for personal users.
- Multilingual voices.
- Supports 20+ formats.
Cons
- The sharing feature is not available for personal use.
- No customization is available.
- Limits personalization.
iSpeech – A Flexible Text to Voice Converter App
iSpeech is a free text-to-speech API and speech recognition API that is available in different speed modes, such as fast, regular, and slow. It creates TTS audio, gets IVR prompts, and 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.
Pros
- Improves accessibility for people with disabilities.
- Reading assistance
- A helpful tool for language learning.
Cons
- Quality of speech varies.
- The interface is a bit technical.
- Emphasizes only upon developers.
Voice Dream Reader – A Powerful Tool for Accessibility
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 Mac.
Key Features
- Premium Voices: Over 200+ natural-sounding voices are available with different 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 works without an internet connection, saving load times and data.
Pros
- Can read various documents such as ePubs, web pages, etc.
- Offline features allow you to use the app anywhere without an internet connection.
- Provides integration with iCloud and Dropbox.
Cons
- Additional features are expensive.
- Limited voice options.
- Cannot play DRM-protected content from sources like iBooks.
Murf AI – A Premium-Quality AI Voiceover App
Murf AI offers realistic AI voices in over 20 languages. As a user, you can also create your 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.
Pros
- Cost-effective option for generating voiceovers.
- Easy-to-use interface for people with no prior experience.
- Variety of ways to customize voices, including tone, pitch, and emphasis.
Cons
- Limited free plan.
- Potential privacy and security concerns with voice cloning.
- Unable to convey emotions.
Speechify
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.
Pros
- A helpful tool for language learning.
- Accessible for people with dyslexia.
- Saves hours with the speed-read feature.
Cons
- Limited accuracy while capturing regional dialects.
- Difficulties with certain pronunciations.
- Advanced features come at a premium.
Read Aloud
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 create voice narration.
Pros
- Easy to start with good customization.
- Firefox extension present.
Cons
- The default voice is annoying and hard to understand.
- Complicated to work with PDFs.
- The pitch and speed of the voice can be adjusted.
How to Choose the Best Text-to-Speech App for Your Needs
Choosing the right TTS application is crucial as it can help enhance the user experience and accessibility from learning to content creation. It is important to consider factors like quality, language support, and compatibility to make an informed decision. Here are some more factors to consider while choosing the best text-to-speech app:
Quality
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
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
A text-to-speech app should understand how much developer resources you should allocate to integrate into your application. This checks the user-friendliness of the TTS apps with regular maintenance and clear documentation.
Latency
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 crucial for interactive TTS apps.
Real-time Processing
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 the response is regenerated quickly.
How Speaktor Stands Out as the Best Free Text-to-Speech App
From researchers to travelers, Speaktor has made converting text to voice easier for users. As there are multiple benefits of the app, it can be a great source for businesses operating at a faster pace. Talking about the benefits, Speaktor automatically converts text to speech within minutes with the natural reader.
With the Speaktor text reader, you can read any PDF or book, listen to lessons, scan a book, and let Speaktor read it aloud. It also has a built-in screen reader; you can enjoy stories and articles with Speaktor reading them aloud. Users like the applications' design, structure, wide language base, and speed modes.
Common Limitations of Free Text-to-Speech Apps
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 there is an inaccuracy, correcting it will take a lot 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, those 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.
The emerging demand for productivity and accessibility has led to a rise in the use of text-to-speech apps. Choosing the best text-to-speech app depends upon the opinions available. Apps like Speaktor stand out for their customizable AI and multilingual support, making it a leading choice for educators, professionals, and content creators.
