kitio.aiAmazon Polly vs Soniox
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 Soniox starts at See pricing page. 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
- Real-time and async transcription
- 60+ languages
- Speaker diarization
- Mid-sentence language switching
- Agent echo cancellation
- Python and Node SDKs
| Feature | Amazon Polly | Soniox |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | AWS text-to-speech service for apps, IVR and content at scale | Multilingual speech-to-text API for voice agents and transcription |
| Category | Audio & voice | Audio & voice |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Paid |
| Starting price | See pricing page | See pricing page |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Made by | Amazon Web Services | Soniox |
| Based in | United States | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
|
Pricing compared
Amazon Polly starts at See pricing page and Soniox starts at See pricing page. 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
3 plans
Async speech-to-text
$0.10 / hour
- File transcription
- Token-based billing
Real-time speech-to-text
$0.12 / hour
- Streaming transcription
- Same model as async
Text-to-speech
$0.70 / hour
- Generated speech
- Token-based billing
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
Soniox
- Very low price per hour
- Strong multilingual support
- Features designed for voice agents
- Token-based billing takes some math
- Developer API, not a finished app
- Advanced features need integration work
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 Soniox if you want:
- Very low price per hour
- Strong multilingual support
- Features designed for voice agents
Watch out: token-based billing takes some math.
Amazon Polly vs Soniox FAQ
What is the difference between Amazon Polly and Soniox?
Amazon Polly: AWS text-to-speech service for apps, IVR and content at scale. Soniox: Multilingual speech-to-text API for voice agents and transcription. Both are audio & voice tools.
Is Amazon Polly or Soniox cheaper?
Amazon Polly starts at See pricing page and Soniox starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do Amazon Polly and Soniox have free plans?
Amazon Polly: Yes. Soniox: No.
Who makes Amazon Polly?
Amazon Polly is made by Amazon Web Services, based in United States.
Who makes Soniox?
Soniox is made by Soniox.
Which should I choose, Amazon Polly or Soniox?
Choose Amazon Polly if you value reliable at very high volume and fits existing aws setups. Choose Soniox if you value very low price per hour and strong multilingual support.