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ElevenLabs vs Descript: AI Voice or Transcript Editing?
ElevenLabs is an AI audio platform for text to speech, speech to text, voice cloning, dubbing, sound effects and music, offered through a web app and an API. Descript is an audio and video editor where you edit a recording by editing its transcript, helped by an AI co-editor called Underlord. One generates audio; the other edits media you have already recorded.
The short answer
Pick ElevenLabs if you need synthetic speech, voice cloning or dubbing, or want to add voice to an app through an API. Pick Descript if you record podcasts or videos and want to cut, clean up and caption them by editing text.
Side by sideElevenLabs vs Descript
| ElevenLabs | Descript | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | ElevenLabs | Descript |
| Pricing | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starts at | $6/month (Starter) | $16 per person / month (Hobbyist) |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | web, api, ios, android | web, windows, macos |
| Models used | Eleven v4, Eleven v3, Multilingual v2, Flash/Turbo v2.5 (ElevenLabs in-house models) | — |
| Best for | Creators and developers who need natural-sounding synthetic speech, voice cloning or dubbing in many languages. | Podcasters and video creators who prefer editing recordings through a text transcript. |
Facts in this table come from the verified profile of each product.
Key differences
Starter at $6/month; annual billing gives two months free (about $5/month).
Hobbyist is listed at $16 and $24 per person/month; the lower figure is most likely annual billing.
10,000 credits per month for text to speech, speech to text, sound effects, voice design and music, plus 3 Studio projects.
60 minutes of media per month, 100 one-time AI credits and 5GB storage; exports at 720p with a watermark.
Generating natural-sounding speech, cloning voices and dubbing content into many languages.
Editing podcasts and videos through the transcript, with captions and screen recording in the same app.
In-house models: Eleven v4, Eleven v3, Multilingual v2 and Flash/Turbo v2.5; 74 languages listed for text to speech.
Underlord AI co-editor for edits and clean-up; the underlying models are not named.
API access with several model tiers.
Built as an editing app with collaboration features; no API is listed.
Credit-based usage can be hard to predict; Professional Voice Cloning starts on the Creator plan.
AI features consume credits that vary by plan; free-plan exports are 720p with a watermark.
Choose ElevenLabs if…
- You need text to speech or a cloned voice for narration or videos.
- You want to dub your content into other languages.
- You are a developer adding voice to an app through an API.
- You want a low-cost paid plan; Starter costs $6/month.
Choose Descript if…
- You record podcasts or videos and want to edit them by editing text.
- You want an AI co-editor, Underlord, to handle edits and clean-up.
- You need captions, screen recording and collaboration in one app.
- You want to start free with 60 minutes of media per month.
Frequently asked questions
Is ElevenLabs or Descript cheaper?
ElevenLabs Starter costs $6/month, or about $5/month with annual billing. Descript Hobbyist is listed at $16 and $24 per person/month, and the lower figure is most likely the annual rate. Both have free plans, and both charge AI features against credits.
What is the main difference between ElevenLabs and Descript?
ElevenLabs generates audio: speech from text, cloned voices, dubbing, sound effects and music. Descript edits audio and video you have recorded by letting you change the transcript, with Underlord as an AI co-editor that handles edits and clean-up.
Which free plan is more useful, ElevenLabs or Descript?
ElevenLabs Free gives 10,000 credits each month across its audio tools and 3 Studio projects. Descript Free gives 60 minutes of media per month, 100 one-time AI credits and 5GB storage, with 720p watermarked exports. Choose based on whether you generate audio or edit recordings.
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