Speechify is two products under one name. Most people know it as text to speech: it reads documents, web pages, PDFs and scanned pages aloud in natural-sounding voices. It now also offers Speechify Voice Typing, a dictation tool for Mac, Windows and iPhone. So "Speechify alternatives" means different things to different people, and the right answer depends on which half you used.
This guide keeps the two apart. The first section is for people who want text read to them. The second is for people who want to type by talking. Facts and prices come from each vendor's site, help pages and store listings, checked on October 20, 2026; we haven't used these apps ourselves, so nothing here is a hands-on test.
One disclosure up front: we make LumeVoice, a voice-typing app. LumeVoice doesn't read text aloud. It only appears in the voice-typing section.
Why look for a Speechify alternative?#
- Price. Premium lists at $29 a month on Speechify's pricing page; its US App Store listing shows a $139.99 Premium purchase (pricing, App Store). The free plan is limited to 10 robotic-sounding voices at up to 1.5x speed.
- You already own a reader. iPhone, Mac, Windows and Android all have read-aloud features built in, and they're free.
- You wanted the voice typing, not the reader. Speechify Voice Typing runs on Mac, Windows and iPhone, but Android isn't listed (Speechify Voice Typing).
- You use both directions. People with dyslexia or ADHD often want text read to them and a way to write without typing. Some prefer a specialist tool for each.
Speechify alternatives at a glance#
| App | What it does | Runs on | Free option | Paid price (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Read & Speak | Reads text aloud | iPhone, iPad, Mac | Built in | Free |
| Microsoft Edge Read Aloud | Reads web pages and PDFs aloud | Windows, Mac (in Edge) | Built in | Free |
| Android Select to Speak | Reads what you select aloud | Android | Built in | Free |
| ElevenReader | Reads your files aloud; audiobooks | iPhone, Android, web | 10 hours a month | Ultra $11/month or $99/year |
| NaturalReader | Reads text aloud | Web, Chrome, iPhone, Android | Free plan | See its site |
| LumeVoice | Voice typing (doesn't read aloud) | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android | 3,000 free words, no card required | $14.99/mo, $79.99/year or $249 once |
| Wispr Flow | Voice typing | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android | 2,000 words a week on desktop | $15/month or $144/year |
| Built-in dictation | Voice typing | Every platform | Built in | Free |
| Speechify, for reference | Reads aloud; voice typing | iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, web, Chrome, Edge | Free plan | Premium $29/month |
Swipe to see all columns
Prices as of October 2026; vendors change them, so check their sites.
Part 1: If you want text read aloud#
LumeVoice can't help here; it doesn't read anything aloud. These can.
1. Apple Read & Speak (Spoken Content)#
Apple Read & Speak
Verdict: Best Free Reader on iPhone and Mac
Every iPhone, iPad and Mac can read text aloud. You can have it speak a selection, read the whole screen, or give spoken feedback as you type (Apple's guide). The settings were called Spoken Content for years; from iOS 26 and macOS 26, Apple calls them Read & Speak. You'll find them in Accessibility settings.
- Pros: free, already installed, works across apps
- Cons: fewer voices and fewer study tools than a dedicated reader; no scanning of printed pages built into this feature
2. Microsoft Edge Read Aloud and Immersive Reader#
Microsoft Edge Read Aloud
Verdict: Best Free Reader for Web Pages and PDFs
Microsoft Edge reads web pages aloud. Press Ctrl + Shift + U on Windows (Command + Shift + U on a Mac), or pick Read aloud from the Settings and more menu (Edge keyboard shortcuts, Edge accessibility features). Edge's reading mode, formerly called Immersive Reader, strips the page down to the text and adds a play button and voice options (Use Reading mode).
- Pros: free, nothing to install if you already use Edge, good for long articles
- Cons: lives in the browser; it won't read other apps on its own
3. Android Select to Speak#
Android Select to Speak
Verdict: Best Free Reader on Android
On Android, Select to Speak reads aloud, or describes, whatever you select on screen. Turn it on in Settings, then Accessibility, then Select to Speak. If it's missing, Google says to install the latest Android Accessibility Suite from Google Play (Google's guide).
- Pros: works in any app; nothing to pay for
- Cons: built for quick reading, not for listening to a whole book or a long PDF
4. ElevenReader#
ElevenReader
Verdict: Best Dedicated Reader With a Generous Free Plan
ElevenReader, from ElevenLabs, reads your uploaded files aloud and includes an audiobook library (elevenreader.io). The free plan includes 10 hours of text to audio a month, 1,000-plus voices and playback up to 4x, and syncs between the web and mobile apps. Ultra removes the limit on your own imports and adds downloads and custom voices. It's on iPhone, Android and the web, with narration in 90-plus languages.
- Pricing: Free (10 hours a month) | Ultra $11 a month, or $99 a year ($8.25 a month), with a 3-day free trial
- Missing compared with Speechify: desktop apps and browser extensions
5. NaturalReader#
NaturalReader
Verdict: Long-Running Reader With a Free Plan
NaturalReader is a text-to-speech app you can use in any browser, with a Chrome extension that reads web pages from the toolbar and mobile apps for iPhone and Android (naturalreaders.com). It has a free plan with no card required.
- Pricing: free plan; check NaturalReader's site for current paid plans, which weren't listed on its home page when we checked
- Good for: reading web pages and documents in the browser
Part 2: If you used Speechify for voice typing#
Speechify Voice Typing types into any app where you can type: hold fn (Globe) on a Mac or right Alt on Windows, and it strips filler words and fixes grammar in more than 50 languages. Speechify says it's free and doesn't need a subscription today, though its pricing page lists voice typing under Premium (Speechify Voice Typing). If it does what you need, there's no reason to switch. If you need Android, more languages or self-corrections handled, read on.
Voice Typing on All Four Platforms
LumeVoice types what you say into any app on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. It doesn't read text aloud, so pair it with a reader from Part 1 if you need both.
- Hold, talk, let go: fn on Mac, Ctrl + Win on Windows. The Lume keyboard on iPhone; a floating bubble on Android.
- Cleanup as you talk: fillers removed, self-corrections applied, spoken lists turned into lists, grammar and spelling fixed.
- 100 languages, detected automatically.
- 50% off for anyone who finds typing hard, including because of dyslexia or ADHD. No proof needed.
Every new account starts with 3,000 free words, no card required.
6. LumeVoice#
LumeVoice
Verdict: Best for Voice Typing on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android
LumeVoice works much like Speechify Voice Typing on a Mac: hold fn (Globe), talk, let go, and the text appears where your cursor is. On Windows you hold Ctrl + Win (or pick your own key); double-press the shortcut for hands-free. Unlike Speechify Voice Typing, it also runs on Android, as a floating bubble over the keyboard you already use, and on iPhone as the Lume keyboard.
It removes filler words and stutters, applies self-corrections ("Thursday, actually Friday" becomes "Friday"), adds punctuation, turns spoken lists into lists and fixes grammar and spelling, in 100 languages. A custom dictionary on Mac and Windows helps with names and jargon, and snippets type text you use often.
- Platforms: Mac (macOS 11.5+), Windows 10 and 11, iPhone (iOS 17+), Android. One plan covers all four.
- Privacy: audio isn't stored after processing, history stays on your device, nothing you say trains a model. It needs an internet connection.
- Pricing: 3,000 free words, no card required | $14.99/mo | $79.99/year | $249 once. Students get 50% off; anyone who finds typing hard gets 50% off, with no proof needed.
- Doesn't do: read text aloud
7. Wispr Flow#
Wispr Flow
Verdict: Voice Typing With a Weekly Free Plan
Wispr Flow is a cloud dictation app for Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, with a dictionary, snippets and 100-plus languages (Wispr Flow pricing). Its free plan gives 2,000 words a week on desktop and limited weekly use on mobile; Pro removes the limits.
- Pricing: Free | Pro $15 a month, or $144 a year. Students and educators get 50% off Pro.
- Doesn't do: read text aloud
8. The dictation built into your device#
Apple Dictation, Windows voice typing and Gboard
Verdict: Best Free Voice Typing
Apple Dictation is built into every Mac, iPhone and iPad; on a Mac, start it with the Dictation shortcut or Edit > Start Dictation (Apple's guide). Windows voice typing opens with Windows + H and needs an internet connection (Microsoft's guide). On Android, Gboard's microphone types into any app.
- Pros: free, nothing to set up
- Cons: less cleanup than AI dictation apps, so expect to fix fillers and false starts by hand
More options in the best talk-to-text apps of 2026.
If you have dyslexia or ADHD: you may want both#
Speechify built much of its following among people who find reading or writing hard, and that's often a two-way problem. Listening to text can make reading easier; speaking can make writing easier. One app rarely does both equally well, so a common setup is:
- A reader for documents, email and the web: the free one built into your device, or ElevenReader or NaturalReader for longer listening.
- A dictation app for writing: emails, assignments, messages. See speech to text for dyslexia and dictation for ADHD for practical setups.
LumeVoice gives 50% off Pro to anyone who finds typing hard because of a disability or health condition, dyslexia and ADHD included. There's no proof to send: email hello@lumevoice.com with a one-line request and we'll reply with a code to use on Mac or Windows. One plan then covers your phone too. Dictation can help reduce how much you type; it isn't a treatment. This isn't medical or educational advice.
When to stay with Speechify#
- You want one app that reads and writes. Speechify covers both, in one account.
- You listen across every platform. It has iPhone, Android, Mac and Windows apps, a web app, and Chrome and Edge extensions.
- You scan printed pages. Scan & Listen is in Premium.
- You like its voices. Premium lists more than 1,000 natural voices in 60-plus languages and playback up to 5x.
- Its voice typing is enough. If you dictate on Mac, Windows or iPhone and it's free for you, keep it.
Final verdict#
For reading aloud:
- Free on iPhone and Mac: Read & Speak
- Free for web pages: Edge Read Aloud
- Free on Android: Select to Speak
- Dedicated app with a generous free plan: ElevenReader
- Browser-based reader: NaturalReader
For voice typing:
- All four platforms, with cleanup: LumeVoice
- Weekly free plan: Wispr Flow
- Free and built in: Apple Dictation, Windows voice typing, Gboard
