ElevenLabs pricing explained (2026): credits, minutes per plan, and the cheapest way to use it
Every plan, side by side
| Free | Starter | Creator | Pro | Scale | Business | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price / month | $0 | $6 | $22 (first month $11) | $99 | $299 | $990 |
| Credits / month | 10k | 30k | 121k | 600k | 1.8M | 6M |
| ≈ minutes (standard model) | ~10 | ~30 | ~121 | ~600 | ~1,800 | ~6,000 |
| Cost per minute | — | $0.20 | $0.18 | $0.17 | $0.17 | $0.17 |
| Commercial license | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Voice cloning | None | Instant (2 slots) | Professional (3 slots) | Professional (5 slots) | Professional (3 slots) | Professional (10 slots) |
| API | Limited | Limited | Yes | Full (44.1kHz PCM, 192kbps) | Full | Full + low-latency TTS |
| Dubbing | No | Dubbing Studio | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Workspace seats | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
How credits work (and why "minutes" is approximate)
- One credit ≈ one character on the standard Multilingual v2 model. ElevenLabs' own rule of thumb is ~1,000 characters per minute of finished speech, which is where the minute figures above come from.
- Faster models cost less. Flash and Turbo models are metered at roughly half a credit per character, so the same plan yields about twice the minutes at slightly lower quality — useful for drafts, IVR and high-volume narration.
- Newer expressive models can cost more. Eleven v3's rate has changed during its rollout; check the model card in the app before batch-rendering an audiobook with it.
- Overage is usage-based on Creator and above: published breakdowns in August 2026 put it around $0.05 per 1,000 characters on Flash/Turbo and $0.10 on Multilingual — i.e., $0.05–0.10 per extra minute. The rule of thumb: when overage reaches 30–50% of the next tier's price, upgrade.
- Annual billing is about two months free (~17%): Creator ≈ $18.33/month billed yearly.
Which plan for which job
| Use case | Monthly need | Plan | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Testing quality before deciding | <10 min | Free | No card; non-commercial only |
| Explainers, product demos, occasional social | 10–30 min | Starter $6 | Commercial license and instant cloning for $6 |
| Faceless YouTube, course narration, podcasts | 30–120 min | Creator $22 | Professional cloning, API, dubbing; $0.18/min |
| Audiobooks, long-form e-learning, agencies | 120–600 min | Pro $99 | 5 clone slots, full-quality API output |
| Teams / apps with steady volume | 600+ min or multiple seats | Scale / Business | Seats, low-latency TTS, higher limits |
ElevenLabs vs the alternatives on price
Murf's Creator plan is $29 for 2 hours ($0.24/min) with no cloning; ElevenLabs Creator is $22 for ~2 hours ($0.18/min) with professional cloning. On price alone ElevenLabs wins at every comparable tier. Murf's case is its studio editor, Canva integration and flat, predictable hours — see ElevenLabs vs Murf. Compared with AI video tools, voice is an order of magnitude cheaper per minute (Synthesia Starter is $2.42/min), so if your project never needs a face on screen, don't pay for one.
FAQ
Is ElevenLabs free?
There's a free plan with 10,000 credits a month (about 10 minutes on the standard model) for non-commercial use. Commercial use starts at $6/month.
How many minutes do I get on the $22 plan?
Creator includes 121,000 credits — about 121 minutes on Multilingual v2, or roughly double on Flash/Turbo models.
Do unused credits roll over?
Monthly credits reset each billing cycle; check current terms for any rollover on annual plans.
What does the first-month discount cover?
Creator is 50% off the first month ($11), then $22.
Method: pricing page verified on the date shown; model credit rates and overage figures cross-checked against ElevenLabs documentation and August 2026 third-party breakdowns and labelled accordingly. Related: ElevenLabs vs Murf.
Planning corrections? Our measured voiceover revision-cost test shows the credits spent across an original and rewritten request.