ElevenLabs is an AI voice tool for creators, podcasters and small businesses who want text to speech, voice design, dubbing and sound effects from one account. The catch, as of Oct 2026, is that the free plan's 10k credits a month come without a commercial licence, which starts at Starter, while Professional Voice Cloning waits until Creator.
ElevenLabs looks generous at first glance, with a free plan that covers text to speech, sound effects, music and voice design. I read ElevenLabs' own pricing page in its monthly view, and the thing to watch isn't just the credits. It's which plan lets you use what you make commercially, and which one lets you clone a voice.
ElevenLabs credit allowances and monthly prices
| Plan | Price | What's included | The limit that bites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 0 dollars a month | Text to speech, speech to text, sound effects, voice design, music, image, 3 projects in Studio | 10k credits a month and no commercial licence |
| Starter | A first-month offer of 1 dollar (83 percent off), then the listed 6 dollars a month | Commercial licence, Instant Voice Cloning, 20 projects in Studio, music for commercial use, Dubbing Studio, image and video | 30k credits a month; Professional Voice Cloning isn't included |
| Creator | 22 dollars a month, with the first month 50 percent off at 11 dollars | Everything in Starter, plus Professional Voice Cloning and additional credits | 121k credits a month |
| Pro | 99 dollars a month | Everything in Creator, plus 44.1 kHz PCM audio output via the API and 192kbps quality audio | 600k credits a month |
| Scale | 299 dollars a month | Everything in Pro, plus 3 workspace seats, team collaboration and 3 Professional Voice Clones | 1.8M credits a month |
| Business | 990 dollars a month | Everything in Scale, plus low-latency text to speech, 10 Professional Voice Clones and 10 workspace seats | 6M credits a month |
Prices as listed on ElevenLabs' pricing page, monthly view, as of Oct 2026, check the vendor's page before you buy. The page says prices exclude all taxes, levies and duties, and Enterprise is custom. The Starter line reads as a first-month offer followed by the listed price, so please can you check the page for the figure you'll pay from month two.
Licence first, cloning second: how ElevenLabs steps up
Here's what most people don't spot until they've made something they want to use. The free plan gives you 10k credits a month and a long list of tools, but the commercial licence isn't on it. That arrives at Starter, along with Instant Voice Cloning, Dubbing Studio and 30k credits a month. If you're making voiceovers for a business, a client or anything you'll sell, Starter is the real starting line.
Starter's price needs reading slowly. The line pairs a 6-dollar figure with an 83 percent first-month discount down to 1 dollar. I read that as a first-month offer of 1 dollar, then the listed price of 6 dollars a month. Offers like this change, so check the page before you rely on it.
The next jump is about the quality of the clone. Instant Voice Cloning comes with Starter, but Professional Voice Cloning starts at Creator, which is 22 dollars a month with the first month 50 percent off at 11 dollars, and it lifts you to 121k credits a month. Pro, at 99 dollars a month, adds 44.1 kHz PCM audio output via the API and 600k credits, which matters if you're plugging ElevenLabs into your own product.
Seats are the last step. Scale, at 299 dollars a month, is the first plan with workspace seats, 3 of them, plus 1.8M credits. Business, at 990 dollars a month, has 10 seats and 6M credits. So a team that needs more than one login is looking at Scale before anything else.
What you can make with ElevenLabs
At heart, ElevenLabs is built around AI voice. You type a script and get it read back in a natural voice, or go the other way and turn speech into text. You can design a new voice from a description, clone your own voice from a sample, and dub audio into other languages in Dubbing Studio from Starter upwards. The free plan also covers sound effects and music, and Studio projects let you build longer pieces such as an audiobook chapter or a podcast segment. Everything you make draws on your monthly credits, so longer scripts and more projects use more of them.
If you only need the odd voiceover, have a look at where to create AI voiceovers for free first, and there's a side-by-side of free AI voiceover tools if you'd like to see what else is out there without paying.
Who ElevenLabs suits, and who should hold off
It's a good fit for:
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- Creators and podcasters who want text to speech, voice design, dubbing and sound effects in one account.
- Small businesses that start on the free credits and move to Starter once they need a commercial licence.
- Developers who want higher-quality audio through the API, which starts at Pro.
It's a weaker fit for:
- Anyone who needs Professional Voice Cloning on the lowest paid plan, because it starts at Creator.
- People who want a fixed amount of audio each month without keeping an eye on credits.
- Teams that need several logins, since workspace seats start at Scale.
ElevenLabs advice in plain words
I'd use the free plan to find a voice you like and check the quality, and I wouldn't publish anything commercial from it. The moment you're using the audio for business, Starter is the plan I'd move to, because that's where the licence sits. If you want a clone that sounds like you rather than a quick copy, Creator is the step that matters. I'd only look at Pro or above if you're building with the API or you need seats for a team. Remember the prices exclude tax, and the first-month offers end after month one.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I use ElevenLabs free voices commercially?
The pricing page lists the commercial licence from Starter upwards. The free plan gives you 10k credits a month and tools such as text to speech and sound effects, but the licence isn't in its list.
Which ElevenLabs plan includes voice cloning?
Instant Voice Cloning starts at Starter. Professional Voice Cloning starts at Creator, which is 22 dollars a month as listed, with the first month 50 percent off.
Do ElevenLabs prices include tax?
No. The pricing page says prices exclude all taxes, levies and duties.
How many seats come with ElevenLabs Scale?
Scale lists 3 workspace seats and 1.8M credits a month at 299 dollars. Business lists 10 seats and 6M credits a month at 990 dollars.
