Speechify Review: Why It’s Worth It In 2024?

Last Updated on July 25, 2023 by John Cirelly

If you’re looking for a “to-the-point” Speechify review, you’re in the right place. I purchased Speechify to see how it compared to other text-to-speech for audiobooks. Spoiler alert: It’s one of the best TTS tools for audiobooks I’ve tested.

Speechify Review: What You Need To Know

At a high level, here are a few key takeaways I learned from reviewing Speechify:

• Speechify has a completely free version which is great for casual audiobook listeners.
• The platform is also excellent for people that have trouble reading.
• Speechify has over 130 voices to choose from. Many of them are very good.
• Speechify is best for people looking to “speed listen” to regular books as audiobooks.

Is Speechify Actually Good?

Yes, Speechify is a very good text-to-audio platform.

If you hate reading like me but love a good audiobook, Speechify can be a real lifesaver. For example, if you have a book that isn’t in audiobook form, you can easily have Speechify read it to you.

Is Speechify Really Free?

Yes, Speechify offers a generous free version perfect for casual audiobook listeners. Speechify offers a basic free plan and a premium plan at $11.58 per month.

The free plan is great for getting a feel of the platform, while the premium option offers more robust features. For instance, with the premium plan, you can take pictures of text and convert them into audio, as well as translate text into over 60 languages.

Not going to lie, having Snoop Dog read Animal Farm at 6x speed to me is well worth the price. 😂

Speechify Review Overview

Speechify’s origins struck a chord with me. The founder, Cliff Weitzman, is dyslexic, which made reading a daunting task for him. His personal struggle led him to create a tool that helps not just people with dyslexia, but anyone needing a hand with reading tasks.

Getting started with Speechify was simple. After signing up, uploading text or taking a picture of a book was all I needed to do to get my audio file ready. And the best part? You can test the waters with a free three-day trial before committing to the premium version.

I tested Speechify on my PC, as well as on my Android app. I’d imagine the experience on iOS is very similar.

What stood out for me was the Inbox Zero feature. I could listen to my emails while preparing for work, ensuring I never missed crucial details. The adjustable reading speed and optical character recognition features were also a hit for me. Plus, with instant translation, I could convert text into 60 languages – a feature that sets Speechify apart.

Who Can Benefit from Speechify?

Whether you’re a freelance writer or a student, have dyslexia or just lead a busy life, Speechify can be a game-changer. I found it particularly useful as a freelance writer. It read my work back to me, making it easy to spot and correct errors. I also really like that it can transform any physical or digital book into an audiobook.

For students and busy individuals, Speechify’s capacity to convert lengthy texts into audio can be a real time-saver. For instance, if you want to hit the gym but listen to your text book, you can scan it and then hit the treadmill while having complete control over your reader’s voice and speed.

Pros and Cons of Speechify

Overall, I think Speechify is a great product. However, I do have some cons I’ll list below. I feel Speechify really becomes great when you pay for it, and can be naggy when using the free version.

Pros

• User-friendly interface: Speechify is easy to use and intuitive, making it simple for people of all technological proficiencies to use.
  
• Text-to-speech functionality: Speechify can read out any text you want, which can be helpful for proofreading and detecting errors in writing.
  
• Optical Character Recognition: The software can convert physical books into audiobooks by taking a picture of the text.
  
• Inclusive Design: Speechify was created with the needs of dyslexic individuals in mind, making reading more accessible.
  
• Productivity Boost: Particularly for content creators, editors, and students, Speechify can increase productivity by allowing multitasking while listening to content.
  
• Language Translation: Speechify can translate and read text in over 60 languages, which can be helpful for language learners or multilingual individuals.
  
• Inbox Zero Feature: The software allows users to listen to their emails, which can be a timesaver and ensure no important details are missed.

Cons

• Word Limit: Speechify’s premium plan has a limit of 150,000 words per month, which can be limiting for heavy users.
  
• Aggressive Marketing: The marketing for the premium plan can be intrusive and disrupt the user experience.
  
• Accuracy: While generally good, the optical character recognition feature isn’t 100% accurate, so some errors may occur when converting physical text to audio. However, I only ran into this issue once.
  
• Robotic Voice: After the premium voice limit is reached, the software reverts to standard voices which can sound robotic and may not be as pleasant to listen to.
  
• Cost: While there is a free version, it’s fairly limited, and the premium plan might be beyond some users’ budgets.

Speechify Alternatives

Murf

Murf offers a higher quality text-to-speech in my opinion, however, it lacks some of the reader features found in Speechify.

If you’re looking for a Speechify alternative with higher-quality voices, Murf’s got you covered. It’s especially great if you want to have complete control over emphasis, tone, pitch, and pauses for an overall more immersive audiobook experience.

Like Speechify, you can try Murf for free. Paid plans start at $19/mo.

Natural Reader

Natural Reader allows you to convert PDFs and other files into audio formats for easy listening. When it comes to speech quality, I’d say it’s on par with Speechify but offers less speech controls than Murf.

Like Speechify, Natural Reader has an online app, mobile app, and Chrome Extension so you can listen anywhere. Unfortunately, Natural Reader’s best voices are paywalled behind their first paid plan that starts as a one-time payment of $99.50.

While you can use Natural Reader for free, their paid plans go all the way up to $199.50 for the best Optical Character Recognition (OCR) features.

Speechify Review Wrap Up

Speechify has carved a niche for itself in the world of text-to-speech tools. It’s a game-changer for those with learning disabilities, content creators, and anyone in need of a handy proofreading tool. The premium version offers excellent value with features like optical character recognition and multi-language support.

However, the 150,000-word limit and pestering on the free version is are reminders it’s not perfect. If you’re seeking an alternative voiceover solution, Murf might be a better fit.

I hope you enjoyed this in-depth Speechify review. In the end, your choice will depend on your needs. I recommend giving Speechify’s free version a try and seeing how it works for you. If you find it beneficial, upgrading to premium could be a worthy investment. Happy listening!