Last Updated: July 2025 | 12-minute read
Looking for the most affordable text-to-speech API for your project? You’re in the right place. We’ve analyzed 7 major TTS providers and converted all pricing to Indian Rupees to help you make the best decision for your budget.
This comprehensive guide compares real costs, features, and value propositions of every major TTS API in the market.
Quick Recommendations
🏆 Best Overall Value: Google Cloud Text-to-Speech
- ₹15.44 per hour | 89 free hours monthly | 40+ languages
💰 Cheapest: Unreal Speech
- ₹6.39 per hour | Basic features | English-focused
🎭 Premium Quality: ElevenLabs
- ₹617+ per hour | Industry-leading voice quality | 70+ languages
⚡ Best for Developers: OpenAI TTS
- ₹57.84 per hour | Simple API | Good documentation
Why This Guide Matters
Text-to-speech costs can vary by 100x between providers. A project requiring 100 hours of audio monthly could cost anywhere from ₹639 to ₹61,700 depending on your choice.
Whether you’re building:
- Educational platforms
- E-commerce websites
- Mobile applications
- Accessibility tools
- Content creation systems
You need pricing transparency to make informed decisions.
Our Testing Methodology
We analyzed 7 major TTS providers across:
- Pricing per hour of audio (converted to INR at ₹85.65 per USD)
- Free tier offerings
- Voice quality and features
- Language support
- API ease of use
Audio Duration Formula: 750 characters = 1 minute of audio (standard speaking rate)
Complete Pricing Comparison (Per Hour of Audio)
🏆 Rankings by Cost
| Rank | Provider | Price/Hour (₹) | Price/Hour ($) | Free Tier | Languages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unreal Speech | ₹6.39 | $0.075 | ~5.5 hours | English-focused |
| 2 | Google Cloud (Standard) | ₹15.44 | $0.18 | ~89 hours/month | 40+ languages |
| 3 | Amazon Polly (Standard) | ₹15.44 | $0.18 | ~111 hours/month | 30+ languages |
| 4 | Speechify | ₹38.59 | $0.45 | Generous | 60+ languages |
| 5 | Microsoft Azure | ₹57.84 | $0.68 | ~11 hours/month | 100+ languages |
| 6 | OpenAI TTS | ₹57.84 | $0.68 | None | 50+ languages |
| 7 | Google Cloud (WaveNet) | ₹61.69 | $0.72 | ~22 hours/month | 40+ languages |
| 8 | Amazon Polly (Neural) | ₹61.69 | $0.72 | ~22 hours/month | 30+ languages |
| 9 | OpenAI TTS-HD | ₹115.69 | $1.35 | None | 50+ languages |
| 10 | Amazon Polly (Long-Form) | ₹385.46 | $4.50 | ~11 hours/month | 30+ languages |
| 11+ | ElevenLabs (All Plans) | ₹617-₹1,131 | $7.20-$13.20 | ~10 minutes/month | 70+ languages |
🆓 Best Free Tiers
| Provider | Free Monthly Allowance | Duration | Value in ₹ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Polly | ~111 hours | 12 months | ₹1,713/month |
| Google Cloud | ~89 hours | Ongoing | ₹1,374/month |
| Amazon Polly (Neural) | ~22 hours | 12 months | ₹1,357/month |
| Google Cloud (WaveNet) | ~22 hours | Ongoing | ₹1,357/month |
| Microsoft Azure | ~11 hours | Ongoing | ₹636/month |
| Unreal Speech | ~5.5 hours | Monthly | ₹35/month |
| ElevenLabs | ~10 minutes | Monthly | ₹10/month |
Detailed Provider Analysis
1. Unreal Speech – Best for Budget Projects ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pricing: ₹6.39/hour (Cheapest overall)
Plans:
- Free: ₹0 – 250K characters (~5.5 hours)
- Basic: ₹428/month – 3M characters (~67 hours)
- Plus: ₹42,744/month – 42M characters (~933 hours)
Pros: ✅ Unbeatable pricing
✅ Good for high-volume English content
✅ Simple API
Cons: ❌ Limited language support
❌ Basic voice quality
❌ Minimal free tier
Best For: English podcasts, audiobooks, bulk content conversion
2. Google Cloud Text-to-Speech – Best Overall Value ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pricing:
- Standard: ₹15.44/hour
- WaveNet: ₹61.69/hour
- Neural2: ₹61.69/hour
Free Tier: 4M characters/month (Standard), 1M characters/month (WaveNet)
Pros: ✅ Excellent price-to-quality ratio
✅ Generous ongoing free tier
✅ 40+ languages and variants
✅ Multiple voice types
✅ Google’s reliable infrastructure
✅ Advanced SSML support
Cons: ❌ Requires Google Cloud setup
❌ Learning curve for advanced features
Best For: Most applications requiring quality and affordability
3. Amazon Polly – Competitive Alternative ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pricing:
- Standard: ₹15.44/hour
- Neural: ₹61.69/hour
- Long-Form: ₹385.46/hour
Free Tier: 5M characters/month (Standard) for 12 months
Pros: ✅ Competitive pricing
✅ Great free tier for first year
✅ 30+ languages
✅ AWS ecosystem integration
✅ Multiple voice engines
Cons: ❌ Free tier expires after 12 months
❌ Fewer language options than competitors
Best For: AWS-based projects, temporary high-volume needs
4. Speechify – Mid-Range Option ⭐⭐⭐
Pricing: ₹38.59/hour
Pros: ✅ Good voice quality
✅ 60+ languages
✅ User-friendly API
Cons: ❌ Higher pricing than top competitors
❌ Less documentation
Best For: Projects requiring quality but not concerned with cost optimization
5. Microsoft Azure Speech – Enterprise Choice ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pricing: ₹57.84/hour (Neural voices)
Free Tier: 0.5M characters/month ongoing
Pros: ✅ Enterprise-grade features
✅ 100+ languages
✅ Microsoft ecosystem integration
✅ Advanced customization
Cons: ❌ Higher pricing
❌ Complex setup
❌ Smaller free tier
Best For: Enterprise applications, Microsoft-integrated solutions
6. OpenAI TTS – Developer-Friendly ⭐⭐⭐
Pricing:
- Standard: ₹57.84/hour
- HD: ₹115.69/hour
Free Tier: None
Pros: ✅ Simple, clean API
✅ Good documentation
✅ High-quality voices
✅ 50+ languages
Cons: ❌ No free tier
❌ Higher pricing
❌ Limited customization
Best For: Developers wanting simplicity over cost optimization
7. ElevenLabs – Premium Quality ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pricing: ₹617-₹1,131/hour (varies by plan)
Plans:
- Starter: ₹857/hour (30 min for ₹428/month)
- Creator: ₹1,131/hour (100 min for ₹1,885/month)
- Business: ₹617/hour (11,000 min for ₹113,058/month)
Pros: ✅ Industry-leading voice quality
✅ Emotional expressiveness
✅ Voice cloning capabilities
✅ 70+ languages
✅ Advanced AI features
Cons: ❌ Very expensive (10-40x more than alternatives)
❌ Complex credit-based pricing
❌ Minimal free tier
Best For: Premium content, audiobooks, brand experiences where quality justifies cost
Real-World Cost Examples
For 1 Hour of Audio Monthly:
- Unreal Speech: ₹6.39
- Google Cloud: ₹15.44
- Amazon Polly: ₹15.44
- Speechify: ₹38.59
- Azure/OpenAI: ₹57.84
- ElevenLabs: ₹617-₹1,131
For 10 Hours of Audio Monthly:
- Unreal Speech: ₹63.90
- Google Cloud: ₹154.40
- Amazon Polly: ₹154.40
- Speechify: ₹385.90
- Azure/OpenAI: ₹578.40
- ElevenLabs: ₹6,170-₹11,310
For 100 Hours of Audio Monthly:
- Unreal Speech: ₹639
- Google Cloud: ₹1,544
- Amazon Polly: ₹1,544
- Speechify: ₹3,859
- Azure/OpenAI: ₹5,784
- ElevenLabs: ₹61,700-₹113,100
Decision Framework
Choose Unreal Speech If:
- Budget is your top priority
- Content is primarily English
- You need high-volume processing
- Voice quality requirements are basic
Choose Google Cloud If:
- You want the best value for money
- You need multiple languages
- You want a reliable free tier
- Quality matters but budget is important
Choose Amazon Polly If:
- You’re already using AWS
- You need the free tier for 12 months
- You want competitive pricing with good quality
Choose Microsoft Azure If:
- You’re in an enterprise environment
- You need Microsoft ecosystem integration
- Advanced features justify higher cost
Choose OpenAI If:
- You prioritize simple API design
- You’re building AI-integrated applications
- Budget is not a primary concern
Choose ElevenLabs If:
- Voice quality is paramount
- Budget is not a constraint
- You need emotional/expressive voices
- You’re creating premium content
Getting Started Guide
Step 1: Calculate Your Needs
Monthly Characters = Average words × 5 characters × Frequency
Monthly Hours = Monthly Characters ÷ 45,000
Monthly Cost = Monthly Hours × Provider Rate
Step 2: Test Free Tiers
- Start with Google Cloud (89 free hours)
- Try Amazon Polly (111 free hours for 12 months)
- Test voice quality with your content
Step 3: Implementation
# Google Cloud Example
from google.cloud import texttospeech
client = texttospeech.TextToSpeechClient()
synthesis_input = texttospeech.SynthesisInput(text="Your text here")
voice = texttospeech.VoiceSelectionParams(
language_code="en-US",
ssml_gender=texttospeech.SsmlVoiceGender.NEUTRAL
)
audio_config = texttospeech.AudioConfig(
audio_encoding=texttospeech.AudioEncoding.MP3
)
response = client.synthesize_speech(
input=synthesis_input, voice=voice, audio_config=audio_config
)
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Which is the absolute cheapest TTS API?
A: Unreal Speech at ₹6.39/hour, but with limited language support and basic quality.
Q: What’s the best free option?
A: Google Cloud offers 89 hours free monthly ongoing, while Amazon Polly gives 111 hours free for the first year.
Q: Which provider offers the best value?
A: Google Cloud Text-to-Speech balances cost (₹15.44/hour), quality, language support, and generous free tier.
Q: Is ElevenLabs worth the premium price?
A: Only if voice quality is critical and budget isn’t a constraint. It costs 10-40x more than alternatives.
Q: Can I switch providers later?
A: Yes, all providers offer API-based access, making migration possible though requiring code changes.
2025 Trends and Predictions
Pricing Trends:
- Expect continued price competition between Google and Amazon
- ElevenLabs may introduce more affordable tiers
- Microsoft likely to stay enterprise-focused
Technology Trends:
- Real-time streaming becoming standard
- Voice cloning becoming more accessible
- Quality improvements across all providers
Market Developments:
- More regional language support
- Better SSML standardization
- Improved developer tools
Final Recommendations
🏆 For Most Projects: Google Cloud Text-to-Speech
- Best balance of price, quality, and features
- Generous free tier for testing
- Reliable and scalable
💰 For Budget Projects: Unreal Speech
- Unbeatable pricing for English content
- Good for high-volume, simple use cases
🎭 For Premium Projects: ElevenLabs
- Industry-leading quality
- Worth the cost for high-end applications
🏢 For Enterprise: Microsoft Azure
- Advanced features and compliance
- Strong ecosystem integration
Start with Google Cloud’s free tier to test your requirements, then scale based on your specific needs and budget constraints.
This guide is updated quarterly with the latest pricing and features. Bookmark for future reference and subscribe to our newsletter for TTS market updates.
Tags: Text-to-Speech API, TTS Pricing, Google Cloud, Amazon Polly, ElevenLabs, Voice Synthesis, API Comparison, Indian Rupees, Speech Technology
