PlayHT was an AI voice generator and voice cloning API popular with developers, but it was bought by Meta in July 2025 and its services were reported to shut down on December 31, 2025. Even though its website is still online, we do not recommend signing up today; ElevenLabs or Murf are safer choices for new voice projects.
What PlayHT is
PlayHT, later branded PlayAI, is a text to speech platform. Its site promises multi speaker AI voices that sound human, with a studio editor, voice cloning and a voice generation API for chatbots, live streams and games PlayHT ↗.
The studio lets you set speech styles, mix several voices in one file, save custom pronunciations, adjust rate, pitch, emphasis and pauses, and use SSML tags PlayHT ↗. The site also promotes conversational podcasts with what it calls dialog enabled text to speech, and cross language cloning that keeps a speaker's accent while dubbing PlayHT ↗.
The most important fact is its status. Meta acquired the company in July 2025 for about $45 million, according to EveryDev, which cites Bloomberg EveryDev ↗. Public API services began winding down on July 26, 2025, and EveryDev lists December 31, 2025 as the date the platform shut down completely EveryDev ↗. Murf, a rival, also reports the December 31, 2025 shutdown and says the API went offline weeks before that date Murf blog ↗.
What it did well
PlayHT was built for developers. The Neuron describes developer docs for text to speech, voice generation and cloning APIs, and instant cloning from a 30 second sample The Neuron ↗. EveryDev lists cloning from a 10 second sample, real time low latency speech and support for more than 30 languages EveryDev ↗.
Its studio had useful controls for narration. Multi voice files, saved pronunciations and fine control over pauses and emphasis made it good for podcasts and long scripts PlayHT ↗.
It also offered a 20 percent discount for students, educators and non profits, and team features on its Growth plan PlayHT pricing ↗.
Where it falls short
It is no longer a safe choice. With the service reported shut down since December 31, 2025, you risk paying for a product that does not work or losing access to voices and audio you created EveryDev ↗ Murf blog ↗. The PlayHT website we checked still shows a signup button and does not mention the acquisition or shutdown, which could confuse buyers PlayHT ↗ PlayHT pricing ↗.
Pricing was always hard to pin down. The Neuron could not verify PlayHT's official pricing and noted that product updates were hard to confirm The Neuron ↗. The current pricing page shows plan names but no prices or character limits PlayHT pricing ↗.
The refund policy was strict. Requests had to be made within 24 hours of purchase, and only if you had used fewer than 5,000 characters PlayHT pricing ↗.
It was never aimed at non technical users. The Neuron says non technical teams may prefer other tools, and that API use needs strong consent and quality controls The Neuron ↗. We have not tested PlayHT, and we will not be adding it to hands on testing given its status.
Pricing and plans
The PlayHT pricing page lists Growth, Premium, Team and Enterprise plans but shows no prices PlayHT pricing ↗. Growth included standard and premium voices and a team feature for up to 2 members, while ultra realistic voices required Premium, Team or Enterprise PlayHT pricing ↗. Enterprise added priority support and an SLA PlayHT pricing ↗.
EveryDev lists the monthly prices before the shutdown as Free, Personal at $14.25, Professional at $29.25, Growth at $74.25 and Business at $149.25 EveryDev ↗. We could not confirm these on PlayHT's own site.
The page mentions a free trial without giving its length or limits PlayHT pricing ↗. Because the service has been reported shut down, treat all of these prices as historical EveryDev ↗ Murf blog ↗.
If you were a PlayHT customer, Murf offers a free 6 month Murf subscription matching your old plan if you send proof of a current or recent PlayHT subscription Murf blog ↗.
Who should (and shouldn't) use it
- Good fit: nobody starting a new project today, given the reported shutdown EveryDev ↗ Murf blog ↗.
- Good fit: former PlayHT customers who need a migration path; Murf has an API migration guide and a 6 month offer Murf blog ↗.
- Skip it if: you need a voice generator you can rely on for client work or a product EveryDev ↗.
- Skip it if: you are a non technical user who wants a simple voiceover studio The Neuron ↗.
Alternatives worth a look
- ElevenLabs: The Neuron's top overall pick, with API, cloning and a $6 a month Starter plan that includes a commercial license The Neuron ↗ ElevenLabs pricing ↗.
- Murf: a studio style tool for business narration that offers a migration guide for PlayHT users Murf blog ↗ The Neuron ↗.
- WellSaid: enterprise focused narration with voices from licensed voice actors, from $10 a month billed yearly The Neuron ↗.
- Speechify Studio: a browser workspace for voiceovers and dubbing with a free plan The Neuron ↗.
Where it appears
ComparedThe Best AI Voice GeneratorWhat’s good
- Built for API use
- Voice cloning
- Recommended by The Neuron for API projects
What to know
- Pricing not confirmed by us
- Less suited to non technical users
Key features
- Voice generation API
- Voice cloning
Works with
Questions people ask
Is PlayHT shutting down?
Reports say yes. Meta bought PlayAI, PlayHT's parent, in July 2025, and the platform was listed as shut down on December 31, 2025 EveryDev ↗ Murf blog ↗.
How much does PlayHT cost?
PlayHT's pricing page shows no prices PlayHT pricing ↗. EveryDev lists past monthly plans from $14.25 to $149.25, but the service has been reported shut down EveryDev ↗.
What is the best PlayHT alternative?
ElevenLabs is the most common replacement for API and cloning work, and Murf offers former PlayHT customers a free 6 month plan Murf blog ↗ The Neuron ↗.
Did PlayHT have voice cloning?
Yes. It offered instant voice cloning from a short sample and cross language cloning PlayHT ↗ The Neuron ↗.
Where this comes from
Checked Oct 9, 2026. Vendor pages describe their own products; independent sources add outside views. Hands on testing is in progress.
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