text to speech software getintopc

5 Best Free Text to Speech Software for Windows 10 and 11

Are you still looking for a free Text to Speech software for your Windows 10 or 11 computer to read aloud your documents or convert them to audio files to listen to them anywhere anytime? Now you're in the right place. Here we've tested and collected the 5 best Text to Speech software. All these text to speech software are completely free and can be downloaded to Windows PC. Let's go through this list and see which ones you like the most.

1. Natural Reader

NaturalReader is a downloadable text-to-speech desktop software for personal use. This easy-to-use software with natural-sounding voices can read to you any text such as Microsoft Word files, webpages, PDF files, ePub ebooks. It offers a free version, and 3 paid versions which can export the texts into MP3 audios. Personally speaking, if you just need to use the basic function of text to speech, there is no need for payment of the paid version. And a piece of better news is that it even offers an online text to speech reader .

Price: free (the Personal edition costs $99.50).

Operation system: Windows 7/8/10, and Mac OS X 10.11 or later.

• Unlimited use with Free Voices.
• Miniboard to read text in other applications.
• Pronunciation Editor.
• Works with PDF, Docx, TXT and ePub.
• Beautiful design.

2. Microsoft Word

Several programs in Microsoft Office 2013 have built-in text-to-speech functionality designed to read the contents of your documents aloud. This feature is called Speak. Microsoft Word makes listening so easy by using the text-to-speech (TTS) ability of your device to play back written text as spoken words. There are mainly two tools for listening to your documents on MS office Word:

Read Aloud reads all or part of your document. It's under the Review tab. It's only available for Office 2019, Office 2021, and Microsoft 365.

Speak reads only the text you've selected. It's a built-in feature of Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and OneNoteSpeak, but available for Windows only. You can add the Speak command to your Quick Access Toolbar.

Price: free

Operating system: Windows, Mac.

• The Speak and Read Aloud are both built-in features.
• No need to install any third-party text to speech software.
• So easy and convenient to use the TTS feature.
• Choose among all the voices on your computer to read the text to you.

3. Balabolka

Balabolka is a totally free Text-To-Speech (TTS) program. It can save narrations as audio files in a range of formats including MP3 and WAV. For lengthy documents, you can create bookmarks to make it easy to jump back to a specific location. And you can customize the narrator by choosing among all computer voices installed on your computer. Besides, you can also split the text and convert it to multiple audio files.

Price: free.

Operating system: Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10/11.

• Totally free.
• Split and convert text into audios.
• All computer voices installed on your system are available to create an audio file.
• Convert files in batch.
• Save audio as wav, mp3, ogg, wma, mp4, m4a, m4b, opus, awb file.
• No internet connection is needed.

4. Panopreter Basic

Panopreter Basic is a text to speech and text to mp3 freeware program with the following features. It can not only read the text in the software, but also allow you to convert the text to mp3 audio files.

Ratings: Features:

• Read text aloud with natural sounding voices, convert the text to wav and mp3 audio files.
• Highlight the word or sentence being read.
• Support a wide variety of languages and voices.
• Support batch file conversion.
• Allow users to adjust voice speed and volume.

5. Zabaware Text-to-Speech Reader

The Zabaware Text-to-Speech Reader is an application that uses a speech synthesizer to read documents out loud. It is available for free with generic voices or sold with high-quality CereProc or AT&T Natural Voices at the lowest prices in the industry..

Price: free (offers in-app purchases).

Operating system: Windows 10.

• Read documents, emails, web pages, clipboard contents and Windows dialog boxes out loud in one of many high-quality voices.
• Quickly devour large amounts of reading material through speed reading. Simply set the speech speed high and read along as the program flashes on the screen the word it speaking.
• Text can be saved as an audio file for transfer to an audio CD or iPod/MP3 player.
• With the clipboard reading functionality you can highlight any text in any program with your mouse and then hit CTRL-C to read it out loud.

If you've tried using the above text to speech software to read aloud your DRM-protected ebooks such as Kindle, Kobo, Google Play, or Nook ebooks, you will probably fail to do that. What's the reason? Actually, all the above text to speech software doesn't support DRM-protected books. To read aloud those ebooks with TTS software, you must remove the DRM from your ebooks. Epubor Ultimate is the software that can help you.

Detailed Guide How to Remove DRM from Kindle/Kobo/Google Play/Nook Books.

Suggested Reading

• Best 8 Text to Speech Apps for Android
• Best 10 Text to Speech Apps for iPhone
• How to Listen to Kindle Books, Turn Kindle Book into Audiobook
• Top 3 eReaders with Text to Speech Feature

Michelle loves technology & reading very much. She seeks the methods to enjoy eBooks and audiobooks more freely and wants to share everything new she has got with you.

• HOT products
• Epubor Ultimate
• eBook Manager
• Telstory Converter
• Audible Converter
• Kindle Transfer
• Software Upgrade Policy
• Contact Technical Support
• Get Free License
• Uninstall Steps
• CONNECT WITH US

• About Epubor |
• Terms of Use |
• User Reviews |
• Affiliate |

16 Open-source and Free TTS (Text-To-Speech) Programs for Windows

Hazem Abbas

TTS apps, or Text-to-Speech apps, are software applications that use speech synthesis to convert written text into spoken words. This technology is particularly useful for people with visual impairments or reading difficulties, as well as for those who want to multitask while still consuming written content.

TTS technology has been around for a while, and it has undergone significant improvements over the years. The first TTS systems were developed in the 1950s, but they were highly limited in terms of their capabilities and quality of speech.

However, with the advent of more advanced computing power and natural language processing algorithms, TTS technology has become much more sophisticated and capable of producing more natural-sounding speech. In addition to mobile apps and web browsers, TTS technology is also being integrated into other devices, such as smart speakers and virtual assistants. As a result, TTS technology is becoming increasingly ubiquitous and is likely to continue to grow in popularity and usefulness in the coming years.

Benefits and Advantages of TTSS

Text-to-speech (TTS) apps have a plethora of benefits and advantages. Not only do they allow users to consume written content without having to read it, but they also offer a range of additional features that can enhance the overall experience. For instance, TTS apps can be used to read out articles, books, and other written materials while driving, exercising, or engaging in other activities that require visual attention.

Furthermore, TTS apps can be incredibly useful for those who are learning a new language or trying to improve their pronunciation. They can be customized to read out text in multiple languages, making it easier for language learners to practice their speaking skills. Additionally, users can adjust the speed, tone, and pronunciation of the TTS app to suit their individual needs.

Overall, TTS apps offer a convenient and versatile way to consume written content. They have revolutionized the way we interact with text and have made it possible for people to learn, work, and play in new and exciting ways.

Text-to-Speech Use-Cases

There are numerous use cases for TTS (Text-To-Speech) applications. One of the most apparent is for people with visual impairments or reading difficulties. TTS applications can significantly aid these individuals in reading and comprehending written content, leading to an improvement in their quality of life and increased independence.

Another use case is for language learners, who can use TTS applications to enhance their pronunciation and listening skills. Lastly, TTS applications can be used by anyone who wishes to consume written content while engaged in other activities, such as driving or exercising.

TTS Apps for Windows

There are a variety of TTS (Text-to-speech) apps available for Windows users. These apps utilize computer-generated speech to read aloud text from a computer screen. Some of the most popular TTS apps for Windows include NaturalReader, Balabolka, and ReadAloud. Additionally, there are many other TTS apps available, each with its own unique features and functions. When choosing a TTS app, it's important to consider factors such as voice quality, compatibility with different file types, and ease of use. By using a TTS app, users can improve their reading comprehension and productivity by listening to text rather than reading it on a screen.

In this list, we offer you many free and open-source text-to-speech (TTS) options. If you're looking for a TTS solution that won't break the bank, you're in the right place.

First on our list is XYZ TTS. This software offers a range of voices in multiple languages, making it a versatile option for users worldwide. Additionally, XYZ TTS includes a range of customization options, allowing you to tailor your TTS experience to your needs.

Another great option is ABC TTS. This software is particularly suited for users who need high-quality TTS for reading long documents or books. With its natural-sounding voices and intuitive interface, ABC TTS is a great choice for anyone looking to improve their TTS experience.

Finally, we have DEF TTS. This software is a reliable and straightforward option for users who need a basic TTS solution. While it may not offer the same range of features as other options on our list, DEF TTS is a solid choice for anyone looking for a no-frills TTS experience.

So there you have it - our top picks for free and open-source TTS software. Whether you're a student, a professional, or just someone who enjoys using TTS, these options are sure to meet your needs.

1- Balabolka

Balabolka is a free text-to-speech program that can read the clipboard content, view text from documents, customize font and background color, control reading from the system tray, and more.

2- TTS Voice Wizard/ (STTS)

Speech-to-Text-to-Speech (STTTS) sends text as OSC messages to VRChat for your avatar. You can use TTS Voice Wizard's accessibility features, and translate your speech to over 20 languages. Customize your voice with over 100 options. Display the current song, tracker and controller battery life with XSOverlay. Use HRtoVRChat_OSC to show your heart rate in VRChat's Chatbox.

STTS/ TTS Voice Wizard features:

• 🎙️ You can convert your Speech-to-Text and back to Speech through various Speech Recognition and Text-to-Speech methods
• 💬 You can send what you say as OSC messages to VRChat to be displayed on your avatar using KillFrenzyAvatarText or VRChats Chatbox
• 🌐 The app can translate your speech from one language to over 20 other support languages
• 🔊 There are 100+ different voices with various customization options so you can pick a voice that best suits you
• 🎵 Display the current song you are listening to on Spotify or via your browser
• 🔋 Display tracker and controller battery life in conjunction with XSOverlay
• ❤️ Use in conjuntion with HRtoVRChat_OSC to enable you to display your heartrate in VRChat's Chatbox
• 🗣️ Control VRChat avatar parameters with voice commands
• 🫵 Display customizable and interactive counters for amount of times a VRChat contact receiver has been touched

4- Capture2Text

Capture2Text enables users to perform OCR quickly on a portion of the screen using a keyboard shortcut. The resulting text is saved to the clipboard by default. It supports over 90 languages, including Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and Spanish. It is portable and does not require installation.

Capture2Text is highly customizable, offering options for keyboard shortcuts, output, and more. Additionally, it features Google Translate and text-to-speech support, and offers both GUI and CLI support. No installation is re

5- SimpleTTSReader

Simple TTS Reader is a small clipboard reader that reads aloud any copied text. It supports any installed speech engine, such as Microsoft Anna. This text-to-speech utility can also be minimized to the system tray. It requires .NET Framework 2.0 and supports WinXP's Sam and Vista's Anna engines. The utility is small and simple, and includes an installer.

Epos is a language independent rule-driven Text-to-Speech (TTS) system primarily designed to serve as a research tool. Epos is (or tries to be) independent of the language processed, linguistic description method, and computing environment.

wSpeech is a Windows application that lets you convert English text into voice output offline. You can use this app to improve your English pronunciation by listening to the voice output. It allows users to turn any text file into an audio file format. This software is built on Microsoft's Speech API.

FreeTTS is a highly sophisticated and versatile speech synthesis engine that is completely written in the Java programming language. This cutting-edge engine was created by the Sun Microsystems Laboratories Speech Team, which is known for its innovative and groundbreaking work in the field of speech technology. One of the key features of FreeTTS is that it is based on CMU's Flite engine, which is widely considered to be one of the most powerful and reliable speech synthesis engines on the market.

Another great advantage of FreeTTS is that it includes a partial JSAPI 1.0 implementation, which makes it even more versatile and useful for developers who are looking to build advanced speech applications. Overall, FreeTTS is a powerful and reliable tool that is ideal for anyone who needs to create high-quality speech synthesis applications quickly and easily.

eSpeak is a reliable speech synthesizer software that is open-source and available for both Linux and Windows. It uses "formant synthesis," which allows for many languages to be provided in a small size. Although the speech is clear and can be used at high speeds, the pronunciation is artificial and not as natural or smooth as larger synthesizers based on human speech recordings. eSpeak is available as a command-line program or shared library for Linux and a Windows SAPI5 version.

10- MaryTTS

MaryTTS is a powerful and versatile tool for developers who need to create high-quality speech synthesis applications quickly and easily. It is an open-source platform, which means that developers can modify and customize it to suit their individual needs. Additionally, it supports many different languages and can be used in a variety of different contexts, making it a flexible and adaptable tool for a wide range of applications.

One of the key advantages of MaryTTS is its support for multiple languages. It supports over 30 different languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, and Mandarin Chinese, among others. This makes it an ideal choice for developers who are building applications that need to support multiple languages.

11- TortoiseTTS

TortoiseTTS is a powerful and versatile text-to-speech program that stands out for its exceptional multi-voice capabilities and its ability to deliver highly realistic prosody and intonation. With Tortoise, users can customize the voice, speed, tone, and pronunciation of the spoken text to suit their individual needs, making it an ideal choice for a wide range of applications. Whether you're a student, a professional, or just someone who enjoys consuming written content without having to read it, Tortoise is a reliable and feature-rich tool that can greatly enhance your experience.

12- eSpeak NG

eSpeak NG is an impressive open-source software text-to-speech synthesizer that is available for Linux, Windows, Android, and other operating systems. It is capable of supporting more than 100 languages and accents, making it an incredibly versatile option. The eSpeak engine created by Jonathan Duddington is the foundation for this synthesizer.

What sets eSpeak NG apart is the "formant synthesis" method that it employs. This approach allows for many languages to be included in a small size, making it an efficient and effective option. Although the speech may not be as natural or smooth as larger synthesizers based on human speech recordings, it is still incredibly clear and can be used at high speeds. Additionally, eSpeak NG is equipped with Klatt formant synthesis and the option to use MBROLA as a backend speech synthesizer, providing even more flexibility and customization options.

13- Text To Speech App

This project offers a free, offline text-to-speech application built on top of Windows Form. It provides an incredible user experience by utilizing the Windows installed Synthesis engine. The application enables you to choose from a variety of available voices, including male and female voices with different accents and pitches. Once you have selected your desired voice, you can make it read any text of your preference. The application also allows you to customize the speed and volume of the voice.

After your audio file has been generated, you can easily download it as a .wav file to your desktop. The audio file will be saved under the Audio Files folder, which is automatically created by the application for your convenience. With its user-friendly interface and straightforward functionality, this application is an essential tool for anyone who needs to listen to text in an offline setting.

14- Verbify-TTS

Verbify-TTS is a simple Text-to-Speech (TTS) engine that reads for you any text on your screen with high-quality voices powered by AI models. It is free and you can use it for unlimited time.  It enables developers to build desktop and web apps.

The main features of Verbify-TTS are:

• Compatible with any desktop Application : Verbify-TTS is compatible with any desktop application where you can select text with your mouse.
• High-quality voices powered by AI : The voices of Verbify-TTS are powered by AI and they learned on thousands of audio and text data.
• Free and unlimited usage : You can use the voices of Verbify-TTS for free and for unlimited time, all you need is to install Verbify-TTS on your system.
• Registration-free : You don't need to register to use Verbify-TTS, no subscription needed.
• Private data : the data the application reads stay only on your device. There is no tracking or monitoring whatsoever. Everything is under your full control.
• Customizable : convert each special or domain-specific word into another word combination. We have some example such as "e.g." pronounced as "for example". Modify the simple idioms.csv file and add yours.

15-  RHVoice

RHVoice uses statistical parametric synthesis . It relies on existing open-source speech technologies (mainly HTS and related software).

Voices are built from recordings of natural speech. They have small footprints, because only statistical models are stored on users' computers. And though the voices lack the naturalness of the synthesizers which generate speech by combining segments of the recordings themselves, they are still very intelligible and resemble the speakers who recorded the source material.

RHVoice supported languages:

Initially, RHVoice could speak only Russian. Now it also supports:

• American and Scottish English
• Brazilian Portuguese

16- Thorsten-Voice (German)

Thorsten-Voice is a free to use, offline working, high quality german TTS voice should be available for every project without any license struggling.

In conclusion, TTS apps offer numerous benefits and advantages, including the ability to consume written content without having to read it, the ability to read text in multiple languages, and the ability to customize the speed, tone, and pronunciation of the spoken text.

TTS apps are useful for people with visual impairments or reading difficulties, language learners, and anyone who wants to multitask while consuming written content.

Read More Articles in tts

Echocharm is a free versatile text-to-speech tts application, "audapolis": the revolutionary editor empowering spoken-word media editing, koodo reader: open-source ebook reader (free app), 16 open-source web-based text-to-speech apps and tts javascript libraries, best 10 free text to speech (tts) services, divestos: the ultimate privacy-focused android system if your value your privacy.

DivestOS is more than just another Android-based operating system—it's a tool built for those who prioritize security and privacy above all else. Whether you're a privacy advocate, a professional working with sensitive data, or someone who values control over their device, DivestOS offers a highly

Breaking Free: Why Freelancers and Startups Should Avoid Vendor Lock-In and Embrace Open-Source Solutions - 200+ Libre Apps

Freelancers, startups, as many professionals find themselves tethered to commercial apps and services. This reliance often leads to a phenomenon known as vendor lock-in, where users become dependent on a particular vendor's tools, making it challenging to switch to alternatives without incurring significant costs or disruptions. Understanding Vendor

Not Everything Needs to Be Smart: The Case Against Unnecessary Tech Gadgets

As, we’re witnessing the incoming of more and more devices infused with smart features. As both a doctor and a software developer, I appreciate the innovation behind these advancements, but I can’t help but feel that not every gadget needs to be “smart.” When we try to squeeze

Smart Electric Cars Aren’t for Me: They’re Just Glorified Phones on Wheels

As electric vehicles (EVs) become increasingly popular, it's easy to see why many people are excited about the prospect of driving an eco-friendly car. However, I can’t help but feel skeptical about these so-called “smart” electric cars. While they come packed with high-tech features, they often resemble

Development

Science - healthcare, open-source apps, medical apps, dev. resources.

Best free text-to-speech software of 2024

Find the best free text-to-speech software for free text to voice conversion

• Best overall
• Best custom voice
• Best for beginners
• Best Microsoft extension
• Best website reader
• How we test

The best free text-to-speech software makes it simple and easy to improve accessibility and productivity in your workflows.

1. Best overall 2. Best custom voice 3. Best for beginners 4. Best Microsoft extension 5. Best website reader 6. FAQs 7. How we test

In the digital era, the need for effective communication tools has led to a surge in the popularity of text-to-speech (TTS) software, and finding the best free text-to-speech software is essential for a variety of users, regardless of budget constraints. 

Text-to-speech software skillfully converts written text into spoken words using advanced technology, though often without grasping the context of the content. The best text-to-speech software not only accomplishes this task but also offers a selection of natural-sounding voices, catering to different preferences and project needs.

This technology is invaluable for creating accessible content, enhancing workplace productivity, adding voice-overs to videos, or simply assisting in proofreading by vocalizing written work. While many of today’s best free word processors , such as Google Docs, include basic TTS features that are accurate and continually improving, they may not meet all needs.

Stand-alone, app-based TTS tools, which should not be confused with the best speech-to-text apps , often have limitations compared to more comprehensive, free text-to-speech software. For instance, some might not allow the downloading of audio files, a feature crucial for creating content for platforms like YouTube and social media.

In our quest to identify the best free text-to-speech software, we have meticulously tested various options, assessing them based on user experience, performance, and output quality. Our guide aims to help you find the right text-to-speech tool, whatever your specific needs might be.

The best free text-to-speech software of 2024 in full:

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

The best free text-to-speech software overall

1. Natural Reader

Our expert review:

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid.

Natural Reader offers one of the best free text-to-speech software experiences, thanks to an easy-going interface and stellar results. It even features online and desktop versions. 

You'll find plenty of user options and customizations. The first is to load documents into its library and have them read aloud from there. This is a neat way to manage multiple files, and the number of supported file types is impressive, including eBook formats. There's also OCR, which enables you to load up a photo or scan of text, and have it spoken to you.

The second option takes the form of a floating toolbar. In this mode, you can highlight text in any application and use the toolbar controls to start and customize text-to-speech. This means you can very easily use the feature in your web browser, word processor and a range of other programs. There's also a browser extension to convert web content to speech more easily.

The TTS tool is available free, with three additional upgrades with more advanced features for power-users and professionals.

Read our full Natural Reader review .

• ^ Back to the top

The best free custom-voice text-to-speech software

2. Balabolka

There are a couple of ways to use Balabolka's top free text-to-speech software. You can either copy and paste text into the program, or you can open a number of supported file formats (including DOC, PDF, and HTML) in the program directly. 

In terms of output, you can use SAPI 4 complete with eight different voices to choose from, SAPI 5 with two, or the Microsoft Speech Platform. Whichever route you choose, you can adjust the speech, pitch and volume of playback to create a custom voice.

In addition to reading words aloud, this free text-to-speech software can also save narrations as audio files in a range of formats including MP3 and WAV. For lengthy documents, you can create bookmarks to make it easy to jump back to a specific location and there are excellent tools on hand to help you to customize the pronunciation of words to your liking.

With all these features to make life easier when reading text on a screen isn't an option, Balabolka is the best free text-to-speech software around.

For more help using Balabolka, see out guide on how to convert text to speech using this free software.

The best free text-to-speech software for beginners

3. Panopreter Basic

Panopreter Basic is the best free text-to-speech software if you’re looking for something simple, streamlined, no-frills, and hassle-free. 

It accepts plain and rich text files, web pages and Microsoft Word documents as input, and exports the resulting sound in both WAV and MP3 format (the two files are saved in the same location, with the same name).

The default settings work well for quick tasks, but spend a little time exploring Panopreter Basic's Settings menu and you'll find options to change the language, destination of saved audio files, and set custom interface colors. The software can even play a piece of music once it's finished reading – a nice touch you won't find in other free text-to-speech software.

If you need something more advanced, a premium version of Panopreter is available. This edition offers several additional features including toolbars for Microsoft Word and Internet Explorer , the ability to highlight the section of text currently being read, and extra voices.

The best free text-to-speech extension of Microsoft Word

4. WordTalk

Developed by the University of Edinburgh, WordTalk is a toolbar add-on for Word that brings customizable text-to-speech to Microsoft Word. It works with all editions of Word and is accessible via the toolbar or ribbon, depending on which version you're using.

The toolbar itself is certainly not the most attractive you'll ever see, appearing to have been designed by a child. Nor are all of the buttons' functions very clear, but thankfully there's a help file on hand to help.

There's no getting away from the fact that WordTalk is fairly basic, but it does support SAPI 4 and SAPI 5 voices, and these can be tweaked to your liking. The ability to just read aloud individual words, sentences or paragraphs is a particularly nice touch. You also have the option of saving narrations, and there are a number of keyboard shortcuts that allow for quick and easy access to frequently used options.

The best free text-to-speech software for websites

5. Zabaware Text-to-Speech Reader

Despite its basic looks, Zabaware Text-to-Speech Reader has more to offer than you might first think. You can open numerous file formats directly in the program, or just copy and paste text.

Alternatively, as long as you have the program running and the relevant option enables, Zabaware Text-to-Speech Reader can read aloud any text you copy to the clipboard – great if you want to convert words from websites to speech – as well as dialog boxes that pop up. One of the best free text-to-speech software right now, this can also convert text files to WAV format.

Unfortunately the selection of voices is limited, and the only settings you can customize are volume and speed unless you burrow deep into settings to fiddle with pronunciations. Additional voices are available for an additional fee which seems rather steep, holding it back from a higher place in our list.

The best free text-to-speech software: FAQs

What are the limitations of free tts software.

As you might expect, some free versions of TTS software do come with certain limitations. These include the amount of choices you get for the different amount of voices in some case. For instance, Zabaware gives you two for free, but you have to pay if you want more. 

However, the best free software on this list come with all the bells and whistles that will be more than enough for the average user.

What is SAPI?

SAPI stands for Speech Application Programming Interface. It was developed by Microsoft to generate synthetic speech to allow computer programs to read aloud text. First used in its own applications such as Office, it is also employed by third party TTS software such as those featured in this list. 

In the context of TTS software, there are more SAPI 4 voices to choose from, whereas SAPI 5 voices are generally of a higher quality. 

Should I output files to MP3 or WAV?

Many free TTS programs give you the option to download an audio file of the speech to save and transfer to different devices.

MP3 is the most common audio format, and compatible with pretty much any modern device capable of playing back audio. The WAV format is also highly compatible too.

The main difference between the two is quality. WAV files are uncompressed, meaning fidelity is preserved as best as possible, at the cost of being considerably larger in size than MP3 files, which do compress.

Ultimately, however, MP3 files with a bit rate of 256 kbps and above should more than suffice, and you'll struggle to tell the difference when it comes to speech audio between them and WAV files.

How to choose the best free text-to-speech software

When selecting the best free text-to-speech software is best for you depends on a range of factors (not to mention personal preference).

Despite how simple the concept of text-to-speech is, there are many different features and aspects to such apps to take into consideration. These include how many voice options and customizations are present, how and where they operate in your setup, what formats they are able to read aloud from and what formats the audio can be saved as.

With free versions, naturally you'll want to take into account how many advanced features you get without paying, and whether any sacrifices are made to performance or usability. 

Always try to keep in mind what is fair and reasonable for free services - and as we've shown with our number one choice, you can get plenty of features for free, so if other options seem bare in comparison, then you'll know you can do better.

How we test the best free text-to-speech software

Our testing process for the best free text-to-speech software is thorough, examining all of their respective features and trying to throw every conceivable syllable at them to see how they perform.

We also want to test the accessibility features of these tools to see how they work for every kind of user out there. We have highlighted, for instance, whether certain software offer dyslexic-friendly fonts, such as the number two on our list, Natural Reader.

We also bear in mind that these are free versions, so where possible we compare and contrast their feature sets with paid-for rivals.

Finally, we look at how well TTS tools meet the needs of their intended users - whether it's designed for personal use or professional deployment. 

Get in touch

• Want to find out about commercial or marketing opportunities? Click here
• Out of date info, errors, complaints or broken links? Give us a nudge
• Got a suggestion for a product or service provider? Message us directly
• You've reached the end of the page. Jump back up to the top ^

Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!

Daryl had been freelancing for 3 years before joining TechRadar, now reporting on everything software-related. In his spare time, he's written a book, ' The Making of Tomb Raider '. His second book, ' 50 Years of Boss Fights ', came out in 2024, with a third book coming in 2025. He also has a newsletter called ' Springboard '. He's usually found playing games old and new on his Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, and MacBook Pro. If you have a story about an updated app, one that's about to launch, or just anything Software-related, drop him a line.

• John Loeffler Components Editor
• Steve Clark B2B Editor - Creative & Hardware
• Lewis Maddison Reviews Writer

UrBackup review

Uranium Backup review

Amazon Prime Day starts now: LG's C3 OLED TV is on sale for its lowest price ever

Most Popular

• 2 Apple's smart AR glasses are rumored to be arriving in 2026 – with microLED tech
• 3 Early Prime Day laptop deals are live: shop the 11 best deals I'd buy from just $179
• 4 I took the iPhone 16 Pro to a soccer game and its nightography powers blew me away
• 5 Vultr has invested in "thousands" of AMD Instinct MI300X AI accelerators

Text to Speech

Generate speech from text. choose a voice to read your text aloud. you can use it to narrate your videos, create voice-overs, convert your documents into audio, and more..

Please sign up or login with your details

Generation Overview

AI Generator calls

AI Video Generator calls

AI Chat messages

Genius Mode messages

Genius Mode images

AD-free experience

Private images

• Includes 500 AI Image generations, 1750 AI Chat Messages, 30 AI Video generations, 60 Genius Mode Messages and 60 Genius Mode Images per month. If you go over any of these limits, you will be charged an extra $5 for that group.
• For example: if you go over 500 AI images, but stay within the limits for AI Chat and Genius Mode, you'll be charged $5 per additional 500 AI Image generations.
• Includes 100 AI Image generations and 300 AI Chat Messages. If you go over any of these limits, you will have to pay as you go.
• For example: if you go over 100 AI images, but stay within the limits for AI Chat, you'll have to reload on credits to generate more images. Choose from $5 - $1000. You'll only pay for what you use.

Out of credits

Refill your membership to continue using DeepAI

Share your generations with friends