Amazon Polly vs ElevenReader
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Amazon Polly starts at See pricing page and ElevenReader starts at $11/mo. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
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
- Document and web page import
- 1,000+ voices
- Synced text highlighting
- Audiobook catalog
- Cross-device progress sync
| Feature | Amazon Polly | ElevenReader |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | AWS text-to-speech service for apps, IVR and content at scale | Listen to PDFs, articles and ebooks read aloud with ElevenLabs voices |
| Category | Audio & voice | Audio & voice |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | See pricing page | $11/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | Amazon Web Services | ElevenLabs |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Amazon Polly starts at See pricing page and ElevenReader starts at $11/mo. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
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
2 plans
Free
Free
- Read books, PDFs and articles aloud
- 1,000+ natural voices
Ultra
$11/mo
- Unlimited listening
- 20 hours of premium audiobooks monthly
- $99 per year option
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
ElevenReader
- High-quality voices on the free plan
- Handles PDFs, EPUBs and links
- Audiobooks in the same app
- Free plan has a monthly hour cap
- Premium audiobooks need Ultra
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 ElevenReader if you want:
- High-quality voices on the free plan
- Handles PDFs, EPUBs and links
- Audiobooks in the same app
Watch out: free plan has a monthly hour cap.
Amazon Polly vs ElevenReader FAQ
What is the difference between Amazon Polly and ElevenReader?
Amazon Polly: AWS text-to-speech service for apps, IVR and content at scale. ElevenReader: Listen to PDFs, articles and ebooks read aloud with ElevenLabs voices. Both are audio & voice tools.
Is Amazon Polly or ElevenReader cheaper?
Amazon Polly starts at See pricing page and ElevenReader starts at $11/mo. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do Amazon Polly and ElevenReader have free plans?
Amazon Polly: Yes. ElevenReader: Yes.
Who makes Amazon Polly?
Amazon Polly is made by Amazon Web Services, based in United States.
Who makes ElevenReader?
ElevenReader is made by ElevenLabs, based in United States.
Which should I choose, Amazon Polly or ElevenReader?
Choose Amazon Polly if you value reliable at very high volume and fits existing aws setups. Choose ElevenReader if you value high-quality voices on the free plan and handles pdfs, epubs and links.