Key Features
- Text-to-speech reader (PDF, web, email, docs, ebooks)
- 1,000+ AI voices in 60+ languages (Premium)
- Up to 5x playback speed (Premium)
- OCR scanning (photograph a physical page, listen instantly)
- AI Summaries and Chat
- Voice Typing dictation
- AI Podcasts (turn any content into a podcast)
- Voice AI Assistant
- Offline listening and cloud sync
- Chrome and Edge browser extensions
- iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows apps
- Speechify Studio: AI Voiceover, Voice Cloning, Dubbing, Captions
What Is Speechify?
Cliff Weitzman built Speechify in 2017 to manage his own dyslexia. By 2026 it has grown to 50 million users in nearly 200 countries and sits at the top of the App Store charts in the News and Magazines category. Apple gave it the Design Award at WWDC 2025, citing it as "a critical resource that helps people live their lives."
The core function is simple. You import any written content: a PDF, a web page, a Google Doc, an email, an ebook, or a photo of a physical printed page. Speechify converts it to audio and reads it aloud. You control the voice, the language, and the speed. Everything syncs across iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Chrome, and Edge. Start listening on your phone, pick up where you stopped on your laptop.
Premium adds 1,000+ natural voices, 60+ languages, up to 5x playback speed, OCR scanning, AI Summaries, Voice Typing dictation, AI Podcasts, Voice AI Assistant, offline downloads, and unlimited storage. These are all included in one subscription at $11.58 per month on annual billing.
Speechify Studio is a separate product for content creators. It generates professional voiceovers from scripts, clones voices from short audio samples, dubs videos into 100+ languages, and transcribes audio and video files. Studio and Premium do not share a subscription.
Best for
Students with heavy reading loadsProfessionals who process long documents and reportsPeople with dyslexia, ADHD, or visual impairmentsCommuters who want to use travel time productivelyContent creators producing voiceovers and dubbed videosNon-native speakers learning through audio
Use cases
Listening to PDFs and research papers hands-freeReading emails and articles during commutesScanning physical documents and listening instantlyGenerating professional voiceovers for YouTube and coursesDubbing videos into other languages with StudioWriting faster using voice dictation
Key features explained
Text-to-Speech Reader
You import content in any format: PDF, EPUB, DOCX, web page URL, pasted text, or a photo of a printed page. The app reads it back using natural AI voices. Premium users access 1,000+ voices across 60+ languages, including regional accents and celebrity voices like Snoop Dogg and Gwyneth Paltrow. Speed runs from 0.5x to 5x. The Chrome and Edge extensions let you listen to any web page without leaving your browser. OCR scanning works in seconds: photograph a physical page and Speechify reads it aloud immediately.
Voice AI Assistant, AI Podcasts, Voice Typing
Three features added in 2025 push Speechify beyond basic TTS. Voice AI Assistant lets you ask questions about whatever you are listening to and get spoken answers without stopping playback. AI Podcasts converts any imported content into a podcast-style audio file with natural delivery. Voice Typing lets you write by speaking, at roughly 5x the speed of typing. All three are included in Premium at no extra cost.
Speechify Studio: Voiceover, Voice Cloning, Dubbing
Studio is the production side of Speechify. You write a script, choose a voice from 1,000+ options across 100+ languages, and generate a downloadable audio file. Voice Cloning creates a model of any voice from a short sample and generates speech from any script in that voice. AI Dubbing translates a video's audio track and re-voices it in another language while preserving the original speaker's tone. A 10-minute video dubbed into five languages takes minutes. Studio requires a separate subscription from Premium.
Accessibility Features
Speechify started as an accessibility tool and its original mission shows. OCR scanning reads physical documents instantly. Word highlighting tracks exactly which word is being read, which helps users with dyslexia follow along without losing their place. The platform supports UK Access to Work and DSA programs, meaning eligible users get institutional funding to cover the subscription. Enterprise and EDU plans serve schools and organizations with multiple users.
Pricing: Free, Premium, Studio, Audiobooks
Free gives you 10 basic voices, 1.5x speed, and a 5-file limit. Premium costs $139 per year ($11.58 per month) or $29 per month monthly. Studio Starter costs $19 per month for 7,200 credits (2 hours of voiceover). Studio Creator costs $49 per month for 28,800 credits (8 hours). Audiobooks is a third separate subscription at $9.99 per month. The 3-day trial covers Premium features and requires a credit card. Billing activates automatically on day 4 unless you cancel before then.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Voice quality on Premium is consistently rated the most natural in the text-to-speech category
- Runs on every platform (iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Chrome, Edge) with full sync
- OCR scanning works in seconds on any physical document or printed page
- Voice Typing, AI Podcasts, and Voice AI Assistant are all included in Premium
- Apple Design Award winner at WWDC 2025
Cons
- The 3-day trial auto-converts to a full $139 annual charge on day 4 with no warning email
- Premium, Studio, and Audiobooks are three separate subscriptions
- Studio credits do not roll over and expire on any script edit
- Free plan is very limited: 10 robotic voices, 1.5x speed max, 5-file library
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Speechify free?
The free plan works but shows you the limits fast. You get 10 robotic voices, a 1.5x speed ceiling, and a 5-file library. No offline mode, no OCR, no AI features. Premium at $11.58 per month (annual) removes every limit: 1,000+ natural voices, 60+ languages, up to 5x speed, OCR, AI Summaries, Voice Typing, AI Podcasts, offline downloads, and unlimited storage. The 3-day trial covers all Premium features. Your card is charged the full $139 annual amount on day 4 if you do not cancel first. Cancel through your account settings and take a screenshot.
Speechify vs ElevenLabs: which one should you use?
Speechify is a reading assistant. You feed it something you need to consume: a PDF, a long email, a web article. It reads it to you while you commute or work. ElevenLabs is a voice production tool. You write a script and produce audio other people will hear. If you want to listen to content faster and hands-free, Speechify is the right choice. If you need to produce voiceovers or audio content for an audience, ElevenLabs is the better tool. On price: Speechify Premium costs $11.58 per month annual. ElevenLabs starts at $5 per month.
Is the 5x reading speed actually useful?
Not for most people. Speechify markets 900 words per minute as a flagship feature but comprehension drops sharply above 400 to 500 WPM. Users report the same thing: "Above 500 it becomes noise." The real productivity range is 200 to 400 WPM, which is 1.5x to 2.5x normal reading speed. That is still a meaningful improvement for students covering hundreds of pages or professionals working through long reports. The speed ceiling is not the reason to subscribe. The voice quality and cross-device convenience are.
