Unreal Speech: Low-Cost Text-to-Speech API
Voice & AudioFreemiumLow-cost text-to-speech API for developers generating large volumes of audio, offering around 48 voices across 8 languages at up to 11x less than premium competitors.
What Is Unreal Speech?
This service is a text-to-speech API built for developers who need to convert written content into synthetic audio at scale. The platform offers around 48 voices across 8 languages, including US and UK English, Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, French, and Italian. Its core pitch is aggressive pricing: the company positions itself as up to 11x cheaper than ElevenLabs on a per-character basis.
The API is designed to be integrated into applications, content pipelines, and automated workflows rather than used through a consumer-facing studio. Audio streams in roughly 300 milliseconds, supports requests up to 10 hours of generated audio, and includes per-word timestamps for synchronization. A free tier with 250,000 characters per month allows evaluation without a credit card.
Pricing & Plans
Free: 250K chars/mo; Basic $49/mo (3M chars); Plus $499/mo (42M); Pro $1,499/mo (150M); Enterprise $4,999/mo (625M); Custom 1B+ chars.
Free
250,000 characters per month with full API access for prototyping and small projects.
- 250,000 characters per month (~6 hours audio)
- Same voices and endpoints as paid plans
- No credit card required
- Attribution required for published audio
- Characters reset monthly, no rollover
Basic
3 million characters per month for growing applications, often discounted to $4.99 for the first six months.
- 3 million characters per month (~67 hours audio)
- Unused characters roll over monthly
- Full API access with streaming endpoints
- Commercial use without attribution
- Often $4.99/mo for first six months
Plus
42 million characters per month for high-volume content generation at roughly $12 per million characters.
- 42 million characters per month (~933 hours audio)
- Lower per-character rate than Basic
- Unused characters roll over monthly
- Full API access with all endpoints
- Commercial use without attribution
Enterprise
625 million characters per month at roughly $8 per million characters for large-scale production workloads.
- 625 million characters per month (~14,000 hours audio)
- Lowest publicly listed per-character rate
- Unused characters roll over monthly
- Priority API throughput
- Commercial use without attribution
Best For
Recommended use cases and scenarios where Unreal Speech shines.
Pros
- Free tier with 250,000 characters per month and no credit card required
- Marketed as up to 11x cheaper than ElevenLabs on a per-character basis
- Streaming latency around 300 milliseconds with requests up to 10 hours of audio
- Per-word timestamps included for synchronization and editing workflows
- Paid plans include unused character rollover month to month
Cons
- Smaller voice library and fewer expressive ranges than premium competitors
- Only 8 languages supported compared to broader coverage from larger providers
- Free plan requires attribution link when publishing generated audio
- Basic plan renewal price reverts from promotional $4.99 to $49 per month after six months
- No voice cloning or advanced style transfer features
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Unreal Speech, answered.
What is Unreal Speech?
It is a text-to-speech API that converts written text into synthetic audio. The platform is designed for developers who need to generate speech programmatically at scale, with around 48 voices across 8 languages.
Does Unreal Speech have a free plan?
Yes. The free plan provides 250,000 characters per month, roughly 6 hours of audio, with no credit card required. Free plan audio requires attribution when published. Paid plans remove the attribution requirement.
How much does Unreal Speech cost?
Paid plans start at $49 per month for 3 million characters (Basic), scaling to $499 for 42 million (Plus), $1,499 for 150 million (Pro), and $4,999 for 625 million (Enterprise). Per-character rates decrease at higher tiers, from roughly $16 per million on Basic to about $8 per million at Enterprise.
How does Unreal Speech compare to ElevenLabs?
This API is significantly cheaper per character and better for high-volume API usage, while ElevenLabs offers more lifelike voices, voice cloning, a larger voice library, and a no-code creator studio. Choose this service for cost-effective volume; choose ElevenLabs for premium voice quality.
What languages does Unreal Speech support?
The service supports approximately 8 languages: US English, UK English, Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, French, and Italian. The voice library includes around 48 voices across these languages.
Can I use the audio commercially?
Yes. Audio generated on paid plans can be used commercially without attribution. The free plan requires a link to the service in descriptions when publishing generated audio.
Does Unreal Speech support voice cloning?
No. The platform does not offer voice cloning or custom voice creation. The service provides a fixed library of around 48 pre-built voices across 8 languages.
How fast is the audio generation?
Audio streams in roughly 300 milliseconds, making it suitable for real-time applications like read-aloud features in browser extensions and mobile apps. The API also supports large batch requests that generate up to 10 hours of audio per call.
Reviews & Ratings
4.3
Based on 350 reviews
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Alex Chen
Game changer for my daily workflow. The quality of output consistently surprises me.
Sofia Rossi
I've tried most tools in this space and nothing comes close. Highly recommended.
Daniel Kim
The best investment I've made this year. Saves me hours every single week.
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