- What the ElevenLabs free plan includes
- Free plan vs Starter
- The attribution rule you can't skip
- How credits reset on the free plan
- How to get started for free
- Free help for nonprofits and people with speech loss
- Who the free plan suits
- How fast 10,000 credits go
- Checking your remaining credits
- Frequently asked questions
Yes, ElevenLabs is free to start. Everyone who signs up is put on the free plan, which includes 10,000 credits a month, but the free plan has no commercial licence, and if you publish anything made on it you must credit ElevenLabs in the title.
ElevenLabs is one of the most popular AI voice tools, and the free plan is a good way to hear what it can do. The rule that trips people up isn't the credits. It's what you're allowed to do with the audio once you've made it.
What the ElevenLabs free plan includes
ElevenLabs' plans page lists these on the Free plan:
- 10,000 credits a month, shared across every product.
- Text to Speech and Speech to Text.
- Sound Effects, Voice Design and Music.
- 3 projects in Studio, its long-form audio editor.
Credits are one pool. ElevenLabs says all products draw from the same monthly credit balance, so using one leaves fewer for the others. Each text character you generate uses credits, and the exact amount depends on the model.
Free plan vs Starter
| Feature | Free | Starter |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly credits | 10,000 | 30,000 |
| Studio projects | 3 | 20 |
| Commercial licence | No | Yes |
| Instant Voice Cloning | No | Yes |
| Dubbing Studio | No | Yes |
| Unused credits roll over | No | Yes, on an active plan |
The attribution rule you can't skip
This is the bit people miss. ElevenLabs' help centre says the free plan doesn't include a commercial licence and can't be used for any commercial purpose. If you publish content made on the free plan, or without being signed in, you must credit ElevenLabs by including "elevenlabs.io" or "11.ai" in the title. For music made with Eleven Music on the free plan, you reference "Eleven Music" instead.
So a voiceover for a client ad, a promo video or a course you run for clients isn't something the free plan covers. And because the credit has to go in the title, it's very visible.
There's another rule worth knowing. ElevenLabs says that when a plan ends you keep the commercial licence for anything you made during it, but audio generated outside a plan always needs attribution.
How credits reset on the free plan
ElevenLabs says unused credits can roll over for up to two months on an active plan, but rollover doesn't apply to the Free plan. So on Free, whatever you don't use this month is gone when the new allowance arrives.
How to get started for free
- Sign up at elevenlabs.io. You're placed on the free plan automatically.
- Open Text to Speech and pick a voice from the library.
- Paste a short script and generate a test clip.
- Check your remaining credits on your profile's plan page.
- If you publish the clip, add elevenlabs.io or 11.ai to the title.
Free help for nonprofits and people with speech loss
ElevenLabs' help centre says nonprofits and education institutions can apply through its Impact Program. It also says people with permanent speech loss from conditions such as ALS, head and neck cancer, cerebral palsy or PSP can apply for a free plan through its Impact Program partners. If that's you, it's worth applying before using the standard free plan.
Who the free plan suits
It suits anyone testing AI voices for the first time, making personal projects or drafting a voiceover script to hear how it sounds. It's also handy for checking whether a voice fits your brand before you commit.
It doesn't suit client work or anything commercial, because of the licence rule. If you're comparing tools for business voiceovers, my guide to the best AI voice cloning tools covers the options, and my list of AI voice changers helps if you want to change your own voice instead.
How fast 10,000 credits go
ElevenLabs says each text character you generate uses credits, and the exact amount depends on the model you choose. So the same script can use a different number of credits depending on which voice model you pick. Short test clips are the best use of the free allowance: a few sentences to compare voices, rather than a full chapter of an audiobook.
It's also worth knowing that credits are used per generation request, not per download. ElevenLabs says a limited number of free regenerations may be available if the content and certain settings don't change, and it shows you whether a regeneration is free before you generate. Check that before you hit the button again.
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ElevenLabs also says there's a maximum number of credits you can use in a single request, and that limit depends on whether you're on the Free tier or a higher plan. If a long script won't generate in one go on Free, split it into shorter sections.
Checking your remaining credits
ElevenLabs says you can see how many credits you have left by logging in and opening your plan page from the profile menu. Check it before a longer job so you don't run out halfway through a script. On Free, a new monthly allowance arrives when your cycle renews, and anything unused from the month before doesn't carry over.
My verdict: ElevenLabs is free to try and the free plan is great for testing. Just treat it as a sandbox, credit ElevenLabs in the title if you publish anything, and don't use free plan audio for commercial work.
Frequently asked questions
Is ElevenLabs free to use?
Yes. ElevenLabs has a free plan that anyone can use, and you're placed on it automatically when you sign up. It includes 10,000 credits a month.
Can I use ElevenLabs free audio commercially?
No. ElevenLabs says the free plan doesn't include a commercial licence and can't be used for any commercial purpose.
Must I credit ElevenLabs on the free plan?
Yes. If you publish content made on the free plan, you must include elevenlabs.io or 11.ai in the title, or Eleven Music for music made with Eleven Music.
Do free ElevenLabs credits roll over?
No. ElevenLabs says credit rollover doesn't apply to the Free plan.
Does the free plan include voice cloning?
No. Instant Voice Cloning starts on the Starter plan, along with the commercial licence.
How are ElevenLabs credits used?
Each text character you generate uses credits, and the exact amount depends on the model. All products draw from one shared monthly credit pool.
What happens to my audio if I stop a plan?
ElevenLabs says you keep the commercial licence for anything made during the plan, but audio generated outside a plan always needs attribution.
