kitio.aiAmazon Polly vs Chatterbox
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Chatterbox is completely free, while Amazon Polly is freemium.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Neural and generative voices
- SSML support
- Custom lexicons
- Speech marks
- Long-form voices
- Zero-shot voice cloning
- Emotion exaggeration control
- Multilingual model
- Built-in audio watermark
- Local inference
| Feature | Amazon Polly | Chatterbox |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | AWS text-to-speech service for apps, IVR and content at scale | Open-source text-to-speech with zero-shot voice cloning |
| Category | Audio & voice | Audio & voice |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free |
| Starting price | See pricing page | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes, fully free |
| Made by | Amazon Web Services | Resemble AI |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Chatterbox is completely free, while Amazon Polly is freemium.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
5 plans
Free tier
Free
- Millions of free characters per month
- For new AWS accounts
Standard voices
$4 / 1M characters
- Pay-as-you-go
Neural voices
$16 / 1M characters
- More natural speech
Generative voices
$30 / 1M characters
- Most humanlike voices
Long-form voices
$100 / 1M characters
- For long-form content
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Amazon Polly
- Reliable at very high volume
- Fits existing AWS setups
- Low price for standard voices
- Less expressive than newer startups
- Requires an AWS account and setup
Chatterbox
- Free under the MIT license
- Good quality for an open model
- Runs fully offline
- Needs Python and a GPU
- No hosted editor in the repo
Which one should you choose?
Choose Amazon Polly if you want:
- Reliable at very high volume
- Fits existing AWS setups
- Low price for standard voices
Watch out: less expressive than newer startups.
Choose Chatterbox if you want:
- Free under the MIT license
- Good quality for an open model
- Runs fully offline
Watch out: needs python and a gpu.
Amazon Polly vs Chatterbox FAQ
What is the difference between Amazon Polly and Chatterbox?
Amazon Polly: AWS text-to-speech service for apps, IVR and content at scale. Chatterbox: Open-source text-to-speech with zero-shot voice cloning. Both are audio & voice tools.
Is Amazon Polly or Chatterbox cheaper?
Chatterbox is completely free, while Amazon Polly is freemium.
Do Amazon Polly and Chatterbox have free plans?
Amazon Polly: Yes. Chatterbox: Yes, fully free.
Who makes Amazon Polly?
Amazon Polly is made by Amazon Web Services, based in United States.
Who makes Chatterbox?
Chatterbox is made by Resemble AI, based in United States.
Which should I choose, Amazon Polly or Chatterbox?
Choose Amazon Polly if you value reliable at very high volume and fits existing aws setups. Choose Chatterbox if you value free under the mit license and good quality for an open model.