Descript vs Speechify
Edits recorded video and audio by editing its transcript -- delete a sentence in the text and it disappears from the recording. An editor, not a generator. A text-to-speech reader for consuming documents, articles and books aloud, rather than a tool for producing audio for an audience.
At a glance
| Descript | Speechify | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $16/mo | $29/mo |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Plans offered | 8 | 2 |
| Team pricing | $50/mo | Not published |
| Vendor | Descript | Speechify |
| Best for | Podcasts, interviews and talking-head video where the content is speech | Getting through a high volume of reading -- students, researchers, anyone with a large queue |
| Main trade-off | Media hours are the binding constraint and 10 a month on Hobbyist goes quickly with video | Free tier voices are noticeably robotic |
The short answer
Choose Descript if podcasts, interviews and talking-head video where the content is speech. Choose Speechify if getting through a high volume of reading -- students, researchers, anyone with a large queue. The rest of this page is the detail behind that.
Pricing
Descript
| Plan | Price | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | 60 minutes of media/month · 100 one-time AI credits · 720p watermark-free export · Text-based editing |
| Hobbyist (annual) | $16/mo | 10 hours media/month · 400 AI credits/month · 1080p export · Studio Sound · Voice clones |
| Hobbyist (monthly) | $24/mo | Same features, billed monthly |
| Creator (annual) | $24/mo | 30 hours media/month · 800 AI credits · 4K export · AI video generation · Unlimited stock media |
| Creator (monthly) | $35/mo | Same features, billed monthly |
| Business (annual) | $50/mo | 40 hours media/month · 1,500 AI credits · Brand Studio · 30+ language dubbing · Custom AI avatars |
| Business (monthly) | $65/mo | Same features, billed monthly |
| Enterprise | Custom | SOC 2 Type II · SSO/SCIM · Dedicated CSM |
Pricing verified
Speechify
| Plan | Price | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | 10 robotic voices · Up to 1.5x speed · Text to speech only |
| Premium | $29/mo | 1,000+ natural voices · 60+ languages · Up to 5x speed · Scan and listen · AI summaries · Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive integration |
Pricing verified
Descript
Strengths
- Text-based editing is the genuine innovation -- cutting a sentence from the transcript cuts it from the recording, which collapses the learning curve for anyone who is not a video editor
- Studio Sound repairs poor audio well enough to rescue recordings that would otherwise be unusable
- A real free tier at 60 minutes a month, not a trial
- Filler-word removal and overdub voice correction save genuine hours on spoken content
Trade-offs
- Media hours are the binding constraint and 10 a month on Hobbyist goes quickly with video
- Annual billing is required for every headline price -- monthly costs 30-50% more
- Timeline editing is weaker than a traditional NLE for anything visually complex
- AI credits are a second currency alongside media hours, so two limits can bite
Descript: who it suits
Buy it if
- Podcasts, interviews and talking-head video where the content is speech
- Teams without a dedicated video editor
- Repurposing long recordings into clips and transcripts
Skip it if
- Generating video from a script with no recording -- Synthesia and HeyGen do that; this edits footage you already have
- Complex visual editing, motion graphics or colour work, where a real NLE is the right tool
- High-volume video on the lower tiers, since media hours run out well before AI credits do
Visit Descriptfrom $16/mo · free tier available
Speechify
Strengths
- Built for reading speed -- 5x playback is the feature power users actually stay for
- Scan-and-listen handles physical pages and images, not just files
- Integrates with Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive where documents already live
- Free tier is usable for evaluating
Trade-offs
- Free tier voices are noticeably robotic
- Only two self-serve tiers, so no middle ground at $29
- Not intended for producing audio others will listen to
Speechify: who it suits
Buy it if
- Getting through a high volume of reading -- students, researchers, anyone with a large queue
- Accessibility, including dyslexia support
- Listening to documents while doing something else
Skip it if
- Producing narration or voiceover for an audience -- ElevenLabs is the tool for that
- Anyone satisfied with their operating system's built-in read-aloud, which is free
- Voice cloning, which is not what this does
Visit Speechifyfrom $29/mo · free tier available
Common questions
- Is Descript or Speechify cheaper?
- Descript starts at $16/mo and Speechify at $29/mo. Descript is cheaper at entry level, though the allowances differ.
- Who should not use Descript?
- Generating video from a script with no recording -- Synthesia and HeyGen do that; this edits footage you already have. Complex visual editing, motion graphics or colour work, where a real NLE is the right tool. High-volume video on the lower tiers, since media hours run out well before AI credits do.
- Who should not use Speechify?
- Producing narration or voiceover for an audience -- ElevenLabs is the tool for that. Anyone satisfied with their operating system's built-in read-aloud, which is free. Voice cloning, which is not what this does.
- Does Descript or Speechify have a free tier?
- Both offer a free tier, so you can evaluate each before paying.