Free alternative to Speechify
Home › Guides · Last checked 2026-10-27 · Facts verified from each project's docs unless marked tested
The closest free alternative to Speechify for listening to web pages is Read Aloud, an open-source (MIT) text-to-speech browser extension for Chrome, Firefox and Edge. Click its button or right-click selected text and it reads the page aloud, with your choice of voice, speed and pitch plus optional text highlighting. It uses the voices built into your browser at no cost and can also use cloud voices such as Google WaveNet or Amazon Polly with your own API key. The catch: it lives in your browser, has none of Speechify's AI summaries or photo scanning, and the most natural cloud voices cost money through that provider or an in-app purchase.
| Speechify | Read Aloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free; Premium $29/mo billed monthly (Speechify pricing page) | Free (MIT); optional paid cloud voices |
| Free voices | 10, called robotic sounding by Speechify | Every voice built into your browser and system |
| Speed | Up to 1.5x free; up to 5x on Premium | Adjustable in settings |
| Where it works | iPhone, Android, Chrome, Edge, web, Mac and Windows apps | Chrome, Firefox and Edge extensions |
| AI extras | Scan & Listen, AI summaries and chat, voice typing, AI podcasts (Premium) | None; it reads the page |
| License | Commercial service | MIT |
Start listening in 4 steps
- Install Read Aloud from the Chrome Web Store, Firefox Add-ons or the Edge add-ons store (links on readaloud.app).
- Open an article and click the Read Aloud button, or select text and pick Read Aloud from the right-click menu.
- Stop playback, click the gear icon and set your voice, speed, pitch and text highlighting.
- Use Alt + P to pause and Alt + period to skip ahead while you work.
Tips
- Try every voice in the list before paying for anything; the built-in voices vary a lot between Windows, macOS, ChromeOS and browsers.
- If you want more natural speech, follow the premium voices guide to add a Google Cloud or AWS key, and check that provider's pricing first.
- Students: listening while reading along with highlighting is the core Speechify use case, and Read Aloud covers it on any web page or online course material.
The catches
- Browser only: no phone app is listed, so it's a desk tool.
- Voice quality varies: free voices are whatever your browser and system offer; the most natural ones are paid cloud voices.
- No AI extras: no photo scanning, summaries, chat or podcasts.
- Release tags are old: the last tagged GitHub release (v1.54.1) is from March 2022, though GitHub shows the repo still getting commits in October 2026.
When Speechify is still worth paying for
If you listen on your phone, scan printed pages, want many lifelike voices at high speeds or use the AI summaries and voice typing, Speechify Premium does all of that in one app. Read Aloud wins when you mostly listen to articles and course pages on a computer and want it free.
Sources: Read Aloud README and GitHub license (MIT), Read Aloud premium voices guide, readaloud.app, Speechify pricing page (all checked 2026-10-27). We have no affiliate link with either. See all free voice tools or read free Murf AI alternatives.
FAQ
How much does Speechify cost?
Speechify's pricing page (checked 2026-10-27) lists a Free plan with listening up to 1.5x speed and 10 voices it calls robotic sounding, text to speech only. Premium is $29 a month billed monthly and adds 1,000+ voices, 60+ languages, up to 5x speed, Scan & Listen, AI summaries and chat, voice typing and AI podcasts. The page says yearly billing saves 60%; it didn't show the yearly price in our fetch, so we don't quote it.
Is Read Aloud really free?
The extension is. Its GitHub repo is MIT-licensed, and it reads with your browser's built-in voices at no cost. The README says some cloud voices may need an extra in-app purchase, and if you connect your own Google Cloud or AWS key, those providers bill you for usage.
Which voices can it use?
Voices built into the browser, plus cloud text-to-speech from Google WaveNet, Amazon Polly, IBM Watson and Microsoft, per the README. Its premium voices guide shows how to pick Enable Custom Voices in the voice menu and paste a Google Cloud or AWS API key.
Are there keyboard shortcuts?
Yes. The README lists Alt (Option on a Mac) + P to play or pause, Alt + O to stop, Alt + comma to rewind and Alt + period to skip forward.
Does it work on my phone?
It's built as a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox and Edge. Its README and website don't list a phone app, so for listening on the go Speechify's iPhone and Android apps are the stronger fit.
Can I make an audio file instead of listening live?
Read Aloud plays in the browser. Its makers also run ttstool.com for creating voice narrations, and for free offline audio files our Murf AI alternatives guide covers local text-to-speech models.