Text-to-speech tools have become increasingly popular recently. And, why shouldn’t they? They are really useful.
Even if it’s just for listening to something in the background while you’re working or having online classes, tools that convert #text to #speech sure do make things a whole lot more fun.
Each of these tools will also pair well with an expert voice over, particularly if you are using them for marketing purposes.
Regardless if you need them to learn, work or create a podcast, here are our recommendations for the best text-to-speech tools on the market.
1. Voicely
Voicely is an AI-powered text-to-speech tool, ready to turn any text you have into a voice recording. Everything Voicely creates sounds natural, and unlike the voice-over generators of the past, it doesn’t sound eerie and unnerving. That’s why this tool is perfect for creating educational, marketing, or animated content.
If you set it up the right way, even audiobooks aren’t out of the question.
In case you’re worried about needing certain skills to use this tool, worry no more. The entire process can be done within as little as four simple steps:
- Type in or paste the text you desire to have converted
- Pick one of the voices offered by the tool
- Generate your voice-over (you can also customize it during this step)
- Export
There are over 500 different voices to choose from, and the tool supports over 60 languages. If you like what you’ve just read and think Voicely is right for you, it’s also worth mentioning that it’s currently sold on AppSumo for only $49.
2. Naturaltts
This tool could be a great option for someone looking for a simple tool that’s cheap and easy to navigate. Naturaltts supports over 25 languages and has a database of 68 different voices for you to choose from.
If you want to customize your voice-over as much as possible, this converter allows you to use the SSML tags editor to control aspects like punctuation and volume. However, you cannot change the pitch.
Another noteworthy thing is that this converter does not support PDF files, so if you want to convert a PDF to speech, you’ll have to convert it into another format first.
Despite its shortcomings, Naturaltts is one of the highest-rated tools on the market due to its simplicity and price point. The personal version of this tool is completely free. However, for business or commercial purposes, you’ll be looking at a price tag of anywhere between $9.99/mo and $79.99/mo.
3. Voicepods
Voicepods is an extremely versatile text-to-speech tool. However, it is slightly more difficult to use when compared to the other tools on this list. A truly neat feature of this particular tool is its ability to create a custom voice. No other tool on this list has custom voice creation as an option.
This tool supports nine languages: Dutch, French, German, Italian, Korean, Japanese, Turkish, Spanish, and Hindi.
The most impressive part of Voicepods is its Expressive Content Editor, which allows the user to add expression to their use. With controls like breaks, pitch, emphasis, spell, and rate, it truly does allow for more freedom in the editing process. Plus, this tool is available in either standalone or API form.
Much like the tool before it, Voicepods does have a free version, but it’s really limited. The Premium version costs $20/mo, while the price for the Enterprise version is negotiable.
4. NaturalReader
NaturalReader is a tool most beginners will find super easy to navigate. The basic idea behind it is simple. Upload your DOC or PDF file and convert it into an MP3 one so that you can listen to it anytime you want.
Its biggest stand-out feature is the OCR technology. This allows the user to read scanned images and documents, making it super easy to create a voice recording.
NaturalReader also has multiple language support, as well as the ability to play any of your audio materials in any of the ten different voice speeds. All that makes this tool perfect for creating translations and use by foreign language students.
If you do not read the manual and have no prior experience with tools like this one, you might find it a bit tough to get going, but once you get the hang of it, it does get easier. The personal version of this tool is free, but if you need it for commercial use, you’ll be looking at a subscription of either $49 or $79 per month.
5. MWS Reader
MWS Reader is perhaps one of the lesser-known tools on our list today. But that doesn’t make it any less useful.
This tool functions in two ways. Firstly, you can type in whatever you’d like and have MWS Reader convert it to speech in no time. Or you can just use it when you don’t particularly feel like reading a document or a piece of text that’s overly long.
When it comes to exporting files, this tool gives the option of MP3 and WAV if you need maximum audio quality.
This tool is very friendly to those whose vision is impaired as it has a scalable interface. It also features a stop-and-play button, so you can see how far you made it into the reading process.
The Basic version of this tool is free, the Standard costs 29,95 €, and the Educational version’s pricing is up for negotiation. While some might say that this tool is a bit outdated in comparison to other similar tools, if you want to have a text-to-speech tool along with something that can read your documents for you, MWS Reader is great.
6. Murf.ai
Murf.ai is a realistic voice generator that works well for all types of content creators and businesses for their text to speech requirements. It’s simple to use and offers features to sync the voice overs with the presentation or video with exact timing.
The tool offers 19 languages across 120+ voices. You can also create dialogues using multiple voices. One stand-out feature offered by Murf.ai online tool is the AI voice changer, which helps to convert any home recording to AI voices, sounding more professional.
Murf.ai offers 10 minutes of free audio generation. The pricing starts at $9 for one time plan, then there are monthly and yearly subscriptions depending on your audio generation requirements and voices used.
Final Thoughts
We hope this article was of some help to you and that you were able to find the perfect text-to-speech tool. But, before we leave you, lets us give our final recommendation.
If you’re looking for a truly comprehensive, versatile tool, we will cast our vote for Voicely.
It has everything you could need, and at its current discounted price, it’s cheaper than most other tools mentioned.