Shortlist by what you need
Start here if you know why you are leaving iListen.
Want the closest match?
AudioreadMost similar to iListen in what it does, its category and its price.
Visit (opens Audioread in a new tab)Need a free plan?
SpeechifyHas a free plan, rated 4.6 out of 5. iListen has none.
Visit (opens Speechify in a new tab)Want the lowest price?
VoiceraFrom $9/mo, the lowest starting price here.
Visit (opens Voicera in a new tab)Want the best rated?
TranskriptorRated 4.0 out of 5 in our review, against 3.5 for iListen.
Visit (opens Transkriptor in a new tab)
At a glance
Green means better than iListen, red means worse. Prices are starting prices per month.
| Tool | Our rating | Starts at | Free plan | Best for | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 iListenBaseline | 3.5 | Not listed | No | Turns any article or webpage into a listenable podcast - a Chrome extension for "no time to read" days. | |
| Audioread | 4.0+0.5 | Not listed | No | Turns articles, PDFs and emails into audio you can play in an ordinary podcast app. | vs iListen |
 My Queue | 3.1−0.4 | Free | YesiListen has none | Paste any article, get it read back to you in 48 languages - daily picks from the New York Times, BBC, and Guardian, built for commuting, exercising, or just giving your eyes a break. | vs iListen |
| Speechify | 4.6+1.1 | $11/mo | YesiListen has none | Built by a dyslexic founder to make any text audible | vs iListen |
| Voicera | 3.5Same | $9/mo | YesiListen has none | AI text-to-speech tool from TETHICS TECHNOLOGIES that turns articles and blogs into embeddable audio in 200+ languages, from a free plan. | vs iListen |
 BlogAudio | 3.1−0.4 | Not listed | No | Turn any blog post into a podcast-quality voiceover in seconds - 158 AI voices across 43 languages, trained by Google, no coding required. | vs iListen |
 Speaktor | 3.9+0.4 | Not listed | No | Text and documents read aloud in 50-plus languages, with 15 emotional tones to pick from. | vs iListen |
| Transkriptor | 4.0+0.5 | $9.99/mo | No | AI transcription that converts audio and video into text across more than 100 languages | vs iListen |
 SpeechEasy | 3.3−0.2 | Free | YesiListen has none | Paste text or a web link and AI reads it back in studio-grade audio across nearly a dozen voices - free tier includes every voice, no restrictions. | vs iListen |
The alternatives in detail
In order of how closely each one matches iListen.
Audioread
4.0Not listed
vs iListen+0.5
Turns articles, PDFs and emails into audio you can play in an ordinary podcast app.
- Articles, PDFs and emails converted to speech
- Natural-sounding synthetic voices
- Syncs to Apple Podcasts and Spotify
Plays through podcast apps people already use
How well it reads depends on the source formatting
My Queue
3.1Free
vs iListen−0.4Free plan
Paste any article, get it read back to you in 48 languages - daily picks from the New York Times, BBC, and Guardian, built for commuting, exercising, or just giving your eyes a break.
- Automatic text-to-speech across 48 languages
- Daily curated articles from major publications
- Chrome extension for one-click article addition
Named, real content partnerships rather than generic scraped articles
Free tier is quite limited - 5 stories, 15 minutes max each
Speechify
4.6$11/mo
vs iListen+1.1Free plan
Built by a dyslexic founder to make any text audible.
- Reads any text, PDF, or webpage aloud
- Browser extension and mobile apps
- Adjustable playback speed up to several times normal
Genuine accessibility focus, not a repurposed content tool
Less suited to producing publishable content than consumption
Voicera
3.5$9/mo
vs iListenSameFree plan
AI text-to-speech tool from TETHICS TECHNOLOGIES that turns articles and blogs into embeddable audio in 200+ languages, from a free plan.
- Converts articles and blog posts into embeddable spoken audio
- 200+ languages and dialects, including an enterprise-scale rollout
- A Chrome extension that reads any web page aloud
A genuinely free-for-life starter tier, not only a time-limited trial
Plan article counts assume 1,000 words per piece, so real usage may vary
BlogAudio
3.1Not listed
vs iListen−0.4
Turn any blog post into a podcast-quality voiceover in seconds - 158 AI voices across 43 languages, trained by Google, no coding required.
- 158 premium AI voices across 43 languages, trained by Google
- Fast text-to-audio conversion in seconds
- Embeddable, customizable audio player
Very broad language coverage (43 languages) for a single platform
Specific pricing tiers aren't detailed on the homepage
Speaktor
3.9Not listed
vs iListen+0.4
Text and documents read aloud in 50-plus languages, with 15 emotional tones to pick from.
- Text and document to speech in 50-plus languages
- Named AI voices with 15-plus emotional tones
- Document upload as well as pasted text
Tone selection makes long documents actually listenable
No pricing figures published anywhere
Transkriptor
4.0$9.99/mo
vs iListen+0.5
AI transcription that converts audio and video into text across more than 100 languages.
- AI transcription across 100+ languages with speaker identification
- Direct integration with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet for meeting capture
- AI-generated meeting summaries and extracted action items
Wide platform coverage means recordings can be captured from almost any device or meeting tool
No perpetual free plan, only a limited trial before the paid tier is required
SpeechEasy
3.3Free
vs iListen−0.2Free plan
Paste text or a web link and AI reads it back in studio-grade audio across nearly a dozen voices - free tier includes every voice, no restrictions.
- Text and web-link-to-speech conversion
- Nearly a dozen high-quality synthetic voices
- Studio-grade audio output
Free tier includes every voice, not a limited subset
Marketer tier is not yet available ('coming soon')
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is iListen free?
iListen does not list a free plan. Check its pricing page for current plans.
What is the best free alternative to iListen?
Speechify is the highest-rated alternative here with a free plan (4.6 out of 5). Other free options: Voicera, SpeechEasy, My Queue.
What is the cheapest alternative to iListen?
Among paid plans, Voicera has the lowest starting price (from $9/mo). If you need it free, start with Speechify.
How did you pick these alternatives?
We match tools on what they do, their category and their price, using the details in our directory. Ratings come from our reviews and reader reviews.