Amazon Polly vs Speechify
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 Speechify starts at $29/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
- Read-aloud for PDFs and web pages
- Scan printed text
- Speed control up to 5x
- AI summaries
- Cloud drive integrations
| Feature | Amazon Polly | Speechify |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | AWS text-to-speech service for apps, IVR and content at scale | Text-to-speech reader for documents, web pages and books |
| Category | Audio & voice | Audio & voice |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | See pricing page | $29/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | Amazon Web Services | Speechify |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
|
Pricing compared
Amazon Polly starts at See pricing page and Speechify starts at $29/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
- Listen at up to 1.5x speed
- 10 basic voices
- Text to speech only
Premium
$29/mo
- 1,000+ natural voices
- 60+ languages, up to 5x speed
- Scan & Listen, AI summaries and chat
- Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive integrations
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
Speechify
- Works across phone, desktop and browser
- Good for accessibility and dyslexia
- Natural premium voices
- Monthly plan is expensive
- Trial converts to paid automatically
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 Speechify if you want:
- Works across phone, desktop and browser
- Good for accessibility and dyslexia
- Natural premium voices
Watch out: monthly plan is expensive.
Amazon Polly vs Speechify FAQ
What is the difference between Amazon Polly and Speechify?
Amazon Polly: AWS text-to-speech service for apps, IVR and content at scale. Speechify: Text-to-speech reader for documents, web pages and books. Both are audio & voice tools.
Is Amazon Polly or Speechify cheaper?
Amazon Polly starts at See pricing page and Speechify starts at $29/mo. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do Amazon Polly and Speechify have free plans?
Amazon Polly: Yes. Speechify: Yes.
Who makes Amazon Polly?
Amazon Polly is made by Amazon Web Services, based in United States.
Who makes Speechify?
Speechify is made by Speechify, based in United States.
Which should I choose, Amazon Polly or Speechify?
Choose Amazon Polly if you value reliable at very high volume and fits existing aws setups. Choose Speechify if you value works across phone, desktop and browser and good for accessibility and dyslexia.