Descript vs ElevenLabs
Free plans, cheapest paid tier, annual rates, API access and usage limits — side by side.
Which should I choose?
- All of them have a free plan, so you can test before paying.
- ElevenLabs is the cheapest way in at $6/mo; Descript starts at $24/mo.
- ElevenLabs is credit-metered, so the sticker price is not the whole cost.
- Annual billing is recorded for Descript and ElevenLabs.
Every line above is derived from the recorded plan data, not an opinion. Prices verified 17 Aug 2026.
| Feature | Descript | ElevenLabs |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Audio | Audio |
| Company | Descript | ElevenLabs |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Cheapest paid | $24/mo | $6/mo |
| Best annual rate | $16/mo | $18.33/mo |
| Top plan | $65/mo | $990/mo |
| Plans | 4 | 6 |
| Usage-based option | No | No |
| API | Not verified | Not verified |
| Open weights | Not verified | Not verified |
| Credit-metered | No | Yes |
| Pricing model | freemium | freemium |
| Last verified | 17 Aug 2026 | 17 Aug 2026 |
| Plan | Descript | ElevenLabs |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Free · Free | Free · Free |
| Tier 2 | Hobbyist · $24/mo $16/mo annual | Starter · $6/mo |
| Tier 3 | Creator · $35/mo $24/mo annual | Creator · $22/mo $18.33/mo annual |
| Tier 4 | Business · $65/mo $50/mo annual | Pro · $99/mo |
| Tier 5 | — | Scale · $299/mo |
| Tier 6 | — | Business · $990/mo |