Click here

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

  • Best AI Tools For Automation

ElevenLabs Review: Pros, Cons, and My Honest Take

Facebook Instagram Youtube Linkedin Pinterest

Jump To

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

What is ElevenLabs used for?

 ElevenLabs is an AI voice generator that turns text into realistic speech. People use it for:

  1. Turning scripts into voiceovers for YouTube or short videos

  2. Narrating audiobooks and long-form content

  3. Recording podcast intros, ads, or full episodes

  4. Making eLearning audio for online courses

  5. Cloning voices for branded audio consistency

  6. Creating audio for accessibility (visually impaired, dyslexia)

  7. Dubbing content into other languages for a global audience

It works in 70+ languages, supports voice cloning, and even detects deepfake misuse. Many users call it the most human-sounding voice AI today.

AI voice isn’t the future; it’s already here, and it’s loud.

I’ve been playing around with ElevenLabs for a while now, and to be honest, it’s one of the very few tools that actually surprised me. Most voice AIs still sound flat or robotic. But this one? It talks like a real person.

If you’re making videos, podcasts, courses, or even blog posts that you want to turn into audio, this tool can save you hours. You don’t need a fancy mic or a quiet room. Just write your script, pick a voice, and boom, you’re done.

But I didn’t just use it blindly. I compared it with other top tools, checked what real users are saying, and tested where it works and where it struggles.

Here’s my full breakdown without any hypeand fluff fluff. Just my honest take on what ElevenLabs is good at, where it needs work, and how it can actually help you get more done with less effort.

You Don’t Need a Mic to Sound Like a Pro

Forget retakes, background noise, or awkward reads. One tool can bring your words to life in any voice you want.

Generate Voiceovers

What Is ElevenLabs and What Makes It Different?

ElevenLabs is an AI voice generator that turns your written words into realistic, human-sounding speech. It helps you create natural audio for videos, podcasts, audiobooks, and more without needing to record anything yourself.

elevenlabs logo

A Quick Backstory

ElevenLabs was founded in 2022 by two former engineers from Google and Palantir: Piotr Dabkowski and Mati Staniszewski. Their goal was to build a voice tool that actually understands the rhythm, emotion, and feel of human speech.

Here’s what ElevenLabs can do:

  1. Text to speech – Converts written text into spoken audio

  2. Voice cloning – Recreates a voice from a short sample

  3. AI dubbing – Translates your voice into another language while keeping the tone and emotion

What Make ElevenLabs Different

Things which make it diffrenet then other AI voice generation tools are:

ElevenLabs Music

You can now generate music using AI vocals. ElevenLabs has partnered with Merlin and Kobalt to protect artist rights, which is rare in this space.

Voice Library

This public library lets you use voices created by other users or share your own. You can even earn from it.

Speech Classifier

This tool can detect if a voice was generated by AI, helping prevent misuse. Most competitors don’t offer this kind of protection.

Emotion and Inflection Control

You can adjust pitch, speed, and mood. It’s not just about reading the text — the voice actually performs it.

70+ Languages and 50+ Accents

As the speech recognition market is expected to reach $56.1 billion by 2030, voice generators like ElevenLabs have become essential for producing natural-sounding voices in multiple languages.

It can switch languages easily. The voices still sound natural, which is great for global content, accessibility, or dubbing.

What ElevenLabs CEO Says

“We’re building cutting-edge technology to make content accessible across languages and voices to enable everyone to connect with information and stories that matter.”


Mati Staniszewski, Co-Founder and CEO

Key ElevenLabs Features You Should Know About

If you’re wondering what’s actually inside ElevenLabs, here’s a clear breakdown of the most useful features you’ll find on the platform.

1. Text to Speech (TTS)

Turn any written content into realistic voiceovers in seconds. Just paste your text, pick a voice, and hit generate. Perfect for videos, blog narration, or training content.

2. Voice Cloning

Upload a short voice sample (around 30 minutes) and ElevenLabs can clone it. You can then generate new content in your exact voice — useful for YouTubers, educators, or brands that want a consistent sound.

3. Voice Design

Instead of cloning, you can describe a custom voice using text prompts. For example: “young, confident British woman” or “warm elderly man with soft tone.” The AI creates it instantly.

4. AI Dubbing

Translate your voice into other languages while keeping the tone and emotion. Ideal for multilingual content without needing voice actors or re-recording.

5. Speech Classifier

This feature detects if a voice was generated using AI. It’s designed to prevent misuse and protect against deepfake content. Most tools don’t have this.

6. Voice Library

Browse a public collection of AI voices created by other users. You can also share your own voices and earn from them. Great for variety and collaboration.

7. Reader App (Mobile)

Available on iOS and Android, the Reader app lets you convert PDFs, ePubs, or web articles into speech. Listen to content on the go.

8. Voice Isolator

Clean up noisy audio by removing background sounds. This is great if you’re using existing recordings and want to improve clarity.

9. Scribe (Speech to Text)

Transcribe audio into text with speaker labels and time stamps. Useful for interviews, subtitles, podcasts, or repurposing audio into blog content.

10. Eleven v3 Model

The newest model supports 70+ languages, multiple speakers, and even expressive tags like [laughs], [sighs], and [whispers] for more control and realism.

11. Conversational AI Platform

Develop voice-powered apps, bots, or assistants using ElevenLabs voices. This is a new feature for developers and advanced users.

12. API Access

Integrate ElevenLabs into your own apps or platforms. Many teams use this for automation, customer support, or learning systems.

13. Commercial Licensing

Paid plans include commercial usage rights, so you can safely use ElevenLabs voices in your business, client projects, or monetized content.

Quick Stats That Show Why ElevenLabs Is Gaining Attention

  • Over 1 million users globally had signed up as of mid‑2023, including creators, teachers, and businesses.research.contrary.com

  • Team members from 41% of Fortune 500 companies have used ElevenLabs in some way, whether via accounts, content creation, or testing features elevenlabs.io

  • Users have generated more than 100 years of audio content since launch, powered by the platform’s tools elevenlabs.io

Why I Like Using ElevenLabs Personally

I’ve tried a bunch of text to speech tools before, but ElevenLabs felt different right away. The voices sound more human. The emotions are clearer. And it just works without needing hours of editing.

Here’s what stood out to me personally:

1. Cloning My Own Voice Felt Unreal

You give it a short sample, and boom — it talks like you. It’s strange, but also kind of amazing. I’ve used it in a few videos, and no one noticed it wasn’t me recording.

 

2. Custom Voices Without Recording Anything

Sometimes I just write a voice prompt like “calm, young British woman with a soft accent” — and it creates it. I’ve used this when testing different brand tones for content.

 

3. Languages Sound Natural

I turned my English script into Urdu and French, and it didn’t sound robotic. That’s rare.

 

4. Built-in Protection Matters

Most tools ignore this, but ElevenLabs can detect if voices are being misused. For me, that adds a layer of trust.

 

5. Emotion Makes All the Difference

Instead of sounding flat, the voices can actually sound excited, calm, angry, or tired. This made my audio content feel way more alive.

Stop Letting Ideas Die in Drafts

Turn your scripts, blogs, and messages into powerful audio with just one click

Make Your Voice Heard

7 Real-World Ways to Use ElevenLabs

Want to know where ElevenLabs actually fits into real workflows?

These aren’t hypotheticals. I’ve personally used these  and seen others use them as well to save hours and make content sound more human, fast.

1. Voice Your TikToks, Reels, and Shorts

Typing your script is faster than recording it, right? With ElevenLabs, you can instantly turn that script into a clean, natural voiceover. This is a favorite for creators who don’t want to show their face or record every time.

Stat: 91% of marketers say video helps increase traffic. (HubSpot, 2024)

2. Record Podcast Intros and Ads Without a Mic

Need a fresh sponsor ad or intro fast? Just upload the script. ElevenLabs delivers smooth audio that sounds like it was recorded in-studio, without the equipment.

3. Convert Long Blogs into Audiobooks

Why let your blog collect dust when you can repurpose it into spoken content? I’ve used my cloned voice to turn written guides into audio versions. Works great for multitaskers who prefer to listen.

4. Help People Access Content Easily

Some readers struggle with reading due to dyslexia, vision issues, or even fatigue. I’ve added voice versions to websites, and users appreciate it because accessibility builds trust.

5. Localize Your Brand Without Hiring Voice Actors

Forget hiring someone for each language. Use ElevenLabs to create multilingual audio from a single script which is fast and accurate. You can go global without overthinking it.

6. Speed Up Course Creation with AI Voice

Recording every module for an online course? That’s hours gone. Now voice your lessons with ElevenLabs with immense clarity, more control. It’s useful for updates or changes.

7. Review Videos Faster with Temporary Voiceovers

This one’s underrated. When I edit explainer videos, I use ElevenLabs to create placeholder voiceovers. It lets clients review pacing and script flow before final recording. Huge time-saver.

You Know What?

One voiceover can power your full content funnel like short-form videos, blog narration, ads, podcast snippets, and more. Use it once, repurpose it five times.

Pros and Cons of ElevenLabs

ElevenLabs is popular for good reasons — but no tool is perfect. I’ve tested it extensively and read dozens of verified reviews. Here’s a full breakdown:

9 Things I Liked About ElevenLabs

Pros of using ElevenLabs are explained here:

1. High-Quality, Natural Voices

Almost every review highlights this: voices don’t sound robotic. They sound like real people, not just readouts.

2. Voice Cloning Feels Real

Upload a sample of your voice, and it can mimic your tone, pauses, and even emotion. It’s scary accurate — and a game changer for personal branding.

3. Multilingual Support

ElevenLabs supports content in 70+ languages. It’s especially useful for global brands and creators reaching international audiences.

4. Great for Beginners

No steep learning curve. Just paste your text, choose a voice, and hit generate. Even non-tech users can use it easily.

5. Emotion Control

This is where it shines. You can choose whether the voice should sound excited, sad, calm, or serious — a rare feature in most TTS tools.

6. Accessibility Benefits

Used by educators and nonprofits to make content more accessible to people with disabilities.

7. Affordable Starter Plan

Their free plan lets you try out a lot before spending a single dollar. It’s low-risk for beginners.

8. Simple and Intuitive Interface

The platform layout is clean and minimal. Navigating through tools, uploading files, and generating voice is straightforward even for first-time users.

9. Support Features that Actually Help

Live chat, ticket-based support, and a solid help center mean you’re not stuck when something breaks. Support replies are typically quick and solution-oriented.

5 Things That Might Frustrate You

Cons of using elevenlabs are explained here

1. Monthly Character Limits

Even on paid plans, there are limits on how much you can generate. Heavy users might find this restrictive.

2. Voice Cloning Ethical Risks

There’s always a concern someone could misuse voice cloning. ElevenLabs does have safeguards, but it’s worth noting.

3. No Mobile App (Yet)

While the browser version is easy to use, having an app would help creators work on the go.

4. Refund Complaints

Some users on Trustpilot and Reddit have mentioned confusion or dissatisfaction around refunds. Their support is responsive, but clarity here could improve.

5. Occasional Bugs or Glitches

Some users reported site slowdown or audio errors, especially when handling large projects.

Pros

  • Monthly Character Limits
  • Voice Cloning Ethical Risks
  • No Mobile App
  • Refund Complaints
  • Occasional Bugs or Glitches

Pros

  • High-Quality, Natural Voices
  • Voice Cloning Feels Real
  • Multilingual Support
  • Great for Beginners
  • Emotion Control
  • Accessibile to disable people
  • Affordable Starter Plan
  • Simple Interface
  • Quick Support

ElevenLabs Pricing Plans

Here’s a full breakdown of ElevenLabs pricing tiers and what you get at each level:

  • Starter – $5/month – Good for personal use

    • 10 minutes of ultra-high-quality text-to-speech per month

    • Generate speech in 32 languages using thousands of unique voices

    • Translate content with automatic dubbing

    • Create custom, synthetic voices

    • Generate sound effects

    • API access

  • Creator – $11/month – Best for content creators

    • 30 minutes of ultra-high-quality text-to-speech per month

    • Clone your voice with as little as 1 minute of audio

    • Access to the Dubbing Studio for more control over translation & timing

    • License to use ElevenLabs for commercial use

  • Pro – $99/month – Ideal for freelancers & small teams

  • Scale – $330/month – Built for agencies

  • Enterprise – $1320/month – Full-scale, custom enterprise use

ElevenLabs Is Now Generating AI Music Too

In August 2025, ElevenLabs introduced its newest product: an AI music generation model that’s cleared for commercial use. This launch signals a major shift for the platform from voice synthesis into full-spectrum audio creativity.

One music sample features a synthetic voice rapping about ambition and struggle, with lines like “came up through the cracks with ambition in my pocket.” While the realism is impressive, it also raises questions around cultural voice mimicry.

To avoid the legal grey zones faced by rivals like Suno and Udio (both sued by the RIAA), ElevenLabs has partnered with Kobalt Music Group and Merlin Network, two highly respected publishers.

Artists must opt-in to have their work included in training datasets, giving creators transparency and choice.

Source: TechCrunch – “ElevenLabs launches AI music generator”

With this expansion, ElevenLabs proves it’s not standing still. It’s evolving into a full-stack AI audio company.

You Know What?

Adding AI music means ElevenLabs is no longer just voicing your scripts. It’s now helping you build the entire soundtrack of your brand.

Real User Reviews From Trusted Sites

G2 Review

“The emotional depth of ElevenLabs voices is unlike any other AI tool I’ve used. It genuinely sounds human.”
— G2 Reviewer (Link to source)

💬 Trustpilot Review

“Great experience! The interface is easy, and the results are incredible. I cloned my voice in minutes.”
— Trustpilot Reviewer (Link to source)

💬 Capterra Review

“We used it for dubbing internal training videos. Very happy with the clarity and tone — even in translated versions.”
— Capterra Reviewer (Link to source)

💬 Reddit Comment

“Honestly? ElevenLabs is unmatched when it comes to cloning quality. It’s scary how close it sounds.”
— Reddit User in r/AudioEngineering

💬 Product Hunt Comment

“Tried ElevenLabs for audiobook narration. It’s hands-down the most human-like TTS I’ve heard.”
— Product Hunt User

ElevenLabs Review: Is This AI Voice Generator Still Worth It in 2025?

If you’re creating content and need voices that don’t sound robotic or flat, ElevenLabs is worth serious consideration. It combines emotional realism, flexibility, and multilingual output in one clean interface.

From cloning your voice to generating dubbing for global content and even creating AI-generated music, it’s more than just an audio tool. It’s a creative engine for content workflows.

  1. Powerful enough for enterprise.
  2. Affordable enough for freelancers.
  3. Easy enough for first-timers.

Who is it not for? If you’re only generating occasional audio or want more granular dialect control, there may be lighter tools for you.

Why I recommend it: After testing dozens of AI voice tools, ElevenLabs is one of the few that truly gets it right. For creators, marketers, educators, or agencies, this tool deserves a place in your toolkit.

Speak to Millions Without Saying a Word

Your content deserves more than text. Let ElevenLabs deliver it in 70+ languages — fast.

Try ElevenLabs Today

FAQs

Is ElevenLabs free?

Yes, ElevenLabs offers a free plan with limited voice generation minutes. Great for trying out the platform before upgrading.

What is ElevenLabs used for?

It’s used for voice generation, dubbing, podcast narration, audiobooks, video content, and accessibility audio — in over 70 languages.

How many languages does it support?

ElevenLabs currently supports 70+ languages and accents with human-like delivery.

Is ElevenLabs safe for commercial use?

Yes, paid plans include commercial licensing, making it safe for public and business use.

Does ElevenLabs detect deepfakes?

Yes. ElevenLabs includes a Speech Classifier that can detect synthetic misuse and flag suspicious content.

What are some ethical concerns with AI voice?

Concerns include deepfake misuse, voice impersonation without consent, and training models on copyrighted material. ElevenLabs uses opt-in partnerships and detection tools to reduce risks.

Can I clone my voice using ElevenLabs?

Yes, ElevenLabs allows you to clone your voice using as little as 1 minute of audio. For better accuracy, 30 minutes is recommended.

Is ElevenLabs good for YouTube or podcast content?

Absolutely. Many creators use it to generate intros, narrate videos, or dub content in multiple languages.

Can ElevenLabs voices sound emotional or human?

Yes. That’s one of its biggest strengths. You can control tone, pitch, and emotional delivery while maintaining a natural sound.

Does ElevenLabs have built-in translation?

Yes, you can upload a script and have it automatically translated and dubbed into another language.

Is ElevenLabs compliant with content safety standards?

Yes, ElevenLabs includes content moderation and deepfake detection features to ensure ethical use.

Does ElevenLabs offer a mobile app?

Currently, ElevenLabs is web-based, but mobile access is possible through your browser.

What’s the best ElevenLabs plan for small businesses?

The Creator or Pro plan is ideal depending on your output needs — both offer commercial use rights and voice cloning features.

Where can I see real reviews of ElevenLabs?

You can check platforms like G2, Trustpilot, and Capterra for hundreds of verified user reviews.

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Picture of Ermus

Ermus

Ermus is Botvistaa’s go-to expert on SEO tools, with years of hands-on experience in testing and reviewing solutions. She specializes in helping freelancers and digital marketing agencies choose smarter tools and breaks down complex strategies into simple, actionable guides anyone can follow.

Top Tools

Leave a Reply

  • Best AI Tools For Automation
Our Recent
Blogs

Shaping the digital future

Quick Links

Home

Blog Category

AI Tools Hub

AI Tools

Free Tools

Email Marketing

Website Builder

Support

About Us

Contact Us

Privacy Policy

Instagram

Facebook

Youtube

LinkedIn

Pinterest

Tiktok

© Copyright botvistaa 2025

Back To Top