ElevenLabs vs OpenAI: Pricing Comparison 2026
Side-by-side pricing comparison of ElevenLabs and OpenAI. See all plans, features, and costs at a glance.
Bottom line: OpenAI starts at $0.2/mo, making it $5/mo cheaper than ElevenLabs ($5/mo). ElevenLabs offers a free plan.
Last updated: March 16, 2026
ElevenLabs vs OpenAI: Quick Pricing Facts
| Feature | ElevenLabs | OpenAI |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $5/mo | $0.2/mo |
| Number of Plans | 8 | 14 |
| Free Tier | Yes | No |
| Pricing Model | freemium | usage-based |
| Annual Discount | N/A | N/A |
OpenAI is the more affordable option, starting at $0.2/mo compared to ElevenLabs' $5/mo. Both are AI & ML tools with 22 combined pricing plans and 29 features compared.
ElevenLabs stands out with a free plan for getting started. ElevenLabs uses freemium pricing while OpenAI uses usage-based pricing, which may affect your total cost at scale.
Review the detailed tier-by-tier comparison above to see exactly which features are included at each price point and find the best fit for your AI & ML needs.
| Pricing Plans |  ElevenLabs Try it free |  OpenAI Try it free |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | FreePopular $0/monthCheapest Includes
| GPT-5.4 $3/month |
| Tier 2 | StarterPopular $5/month Includes
| GPT-5 mini $0/monthCheapest |
| Tier 3 | CreatorPopular $11/month Includes
| GPT-4.1 $3/monthCheapest |
| Tier 4 | GPT-4.1 mini $1/monthCheapest | |
| Tier 5 | BusinessesPopular Custom pricing | GPT-4.1 nano $0/monthCheapest |
| Tier 6 | o4-mini $4/monthCheapest | |
| Tier 7 | BusinessPopular $1320/month Includes
| Realtime API $2/monthCheapest |
| Tier 8 | EnterprisePopular Custom pricing Includes
| Sora Video API Custom pricing |
| Tier 9 | — | Image Generation API $2/monthCheapest |
| Tier 10 | — | Responses API Custom pricing |
| Tier 11 | — | Chat Completions API Custom pricing |
| Tier 12 | — | Assistants API Custom pricing |
| Tier 13 | — | Built-in tools Custom pricing |
| Tier 14 | — | AgentKit Custom pricing |
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What Reviewers Say
ElevenLabs
ElevenLabs offers a free plan.
Based on pricing data only. Review the full comparison below for your specific needs.
Best value: ElevenLabs
Try ElevenLabs freeWhich Should You Choose?
Choose ElevenLabs if:
- •You need a free plan with Text to Speech, Speech to Text—ElevenLabs offers no-cost access with no credit card required
- •You want more features built-in—ElevenLabs offers 29 additional features across its plans
- •You prioritize ElevenLabs's user experience and interface over price (both tools are similarly priced)
Choose OpenAI if:
- •You want lower per-user costs—OpenAI starts at $0.2/mo, saving $4.8/mo compared to ElevenLabs at $5/mo
- •You need 14 pricing tiers for flexible team sizing—more options mean less overpaying for features you don't need
- •You prioritize OpenAI's user experience and interface over price (both tools are similarly priced)
ElevenLabs offers a free plan [1], eliminating the cost barrier for evaluation, while OpenAI requires paid subscription from the start. This gives ElevenLabs a significant advantage for teams with budget constraints or extended trial periods. Once you outgrow ElevenLabs's free tier, upgrading to a paid plan at approximately Free provides substantial additional functionality. Compare this pricing path against OpenAI's tiering starting at $0.2/mo to assess total cost of ownership over 12 months. ElevenLabs's 8 tiers provide flexibility at different budgets, while OpenAI's 14 tiers structure may force you into higher-cost plans than necessary for your use case. If evaluation cost matters to your decision, ElevenLabs is the obvious starting point with zero financial commitment. Use the free tier to validate core functionality before committing to paid plans from either tool.
Frequently Asked Questions: ElevenLabs vs OpenAI
Which is cheaper, ElevenLabs or OpenAI?
How many pricing plans does ElevenLabs have vs OpenAI?
Does ElevenLabs or OpenAI offer a free plan?
What is the most popular ElevenLabs plan?
Does ElevenLabs or OpenAI offer custom enterprise pricing?
What pricing models do ElevenLabs and OpenAI use?
How do ElevenLabs and OpenAI compare for AI & ML?
Sources
- ElevenLabs Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page
- OpenAI Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page
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