kitio.aiElevenLabs vs Piper
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Piper is completely free, while ElevenLabs is freemium.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Instant and professional voice cloning
- Multilingual text to speech
- AI dubbing studio
- Sound effects generator
- Voice agents platform
- Streaming API
- Runs offline on CPU
- Dozens of languages
- Multiple voice quality sizes
- Python and CLI interfaces
- Custom voice training
| Feature | ElevenLabs | Piper |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Lifelike AI voices for narration, dubbing, cloning and sound effects | Fast local text-to-speech engine popular with Home Assistant users |
| Category | Audio & voice | Audio & voice |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free |
| Starting price | $6/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes, fully free |
| Made by | ElevenLabs | Open Home Foundation |
| Based in | United States | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
|
Pricing compared
Piper is completely free, while ElevenLabs is freemium.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
6 plans
Free
Free
- 10k credits per month
- Text to speech and speech to text
- 3 Studio projects
Starter
$6/mo
- 30k credits per month
- Commercial license
- Instant voice cloning
Creator
$22/mo
- 121k credits per month
- Professional voice cloning
- Additional credits
Pro
$99/mo
- 600k credits per month
- 44.1kHz PCM output via API
- 192kbps audio
Scale
$299/mo
- 1.8M credits per month
- 3 workspace seats
- 3 professional voice clones
Business
$990/mo
- 6M credits per month
- 10 workspace seats
- Low-latency TTS from 5c/min
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
ElevenLabs
- Very natural, expressive voices
- Voice cloning from short samples
- Covers TTS, dubbing, SFX and music
- Credits run out fast on long projects
- Professional cloning needs a higher plan
Piper
- Runs on a Raspberry Pi
- Private, fully offline speech
- Large set of free voices
- Less natural than cloud voices
- No voice cloning from short samples
Which one should you choose?
Choose ElevenLabs if you want:
- Very natural, expressive voices
- Voice cloning from short samples
- Covers TTS, dubbing, SFX and music
Watch out: credits run out fast on long projects.
Choose Piper if you want:
- Runs on a Raspberry Pi
- Private, fully offline speech
- Large set of free voices
Watch out: less natural than cloud voices.
ElevenLabs vs Piper FAQ
What is the difference between ElevenLabs and Piper?
ElevenLabs: Lifelike AI voices for narration, dubbing, cloning and sound effects. Piper: Fast local text-to-speech engine popular with Home Assistant users. Both are audio & voice tools.
Is ElevenLabs or Piper cheaper?
Piper is completely free, while ElevenLabs is freemium.
Do ElevenLabs and Piper have free plans?
ElevenLabs: Yes. Piper: Yes, fully free.
Who makes ElevenLabs?
ElevenLabs is made by ElevenLabs, based in United States.
Who makes Piper?
Piper is made by Open Home Foundation.
Which should I choose, ElevenLabs or Piper?
Choose ElevenLabs if you value very natural, expressive voices and voice cloning from short samples. Choose Piper if you value runs on a raspberry pi and private, fully offline speech.