---
title: "TTSReader alternatives for Mac in 2026: online and on-device readers"
description: "TTSReader is a free online text-to-speech reader with Premium at $10.99 a month or $99 a year. Alternatives for Mac: Speak selection, ElevenReader, NaturalReader, Speechify and SpeechBee, with prices and trade-offs."
url: "https://speechbee.app/compare/ttsreader-alternatives"
---

# TTSReader alternatives

TTSReader is a popular free reader in the browser: paste text, press play, export MP3. If you want a native Mac app, natural voices without character limits, or text that never leaves your computer, here are the alternatives.

By the SpeechBee team, who make SpeechBee. Prices checked on 12 October 2026.

> ### The short answer
>
> - **Free and built into your Mac:** Speak selection.
> - **Natural voices on a free plan:** ElevenReader, 10 hours a month.
> - **MP3 export and OCR:** NaturalReader.
> - **Books, scanning and a full app on every platform:** Speechify.
> - **Your own text in any Mac app, on device, plus dictation:** SpeechBee, which we make.

## What TTSReader offers

TTSReader reads pasted text, files, e-books and web pages in the browser, remembers your place, and exports MP3. It offers free voices alongside premium AI voices from providers including Google, OpenAI and Microsoft. It also has a Chrome extension and an iPhone app.

| Plan | Price | Premium AI voices |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0, personal and testing use only | 5,000 characters in total |
| Premium | $10.99/mo or $99/yr | 1 million characters a month |
| Pay as you go | From $10 for 200,000 characters | Credits-based |

Free voices are unlimited on every plan. Commercial use and publishing audio need a paid plan.

## Alternatives at a glance

| App | Price | How it runs on a Mac | Best at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speak selection | Free | Built into macOS | Quick listening, private |
| SpeechBee | $9/mo, $79/yr, or $99 once | Native app, any app | Your own text on device, plus dictation |
| ElevenReader | Free 10 hrs/mo; $11/mo or about $99/yr | Web and Chrome | Voices, audiobooks |
| NaturalReader | Free; $79 to $159/yr | Web and Chrome | MP3 export, OCR |
| Speechify | Free; $29/mo or about $139/yr | Mac app, web, Chrome | Books, PDFs, scanning |

## Speak selection

Built into macOS and free: turn it on in System Settings, Accessibility, Read & Speak, then select text in any app and press Option-Esc. No pasting into a website, no account, and nothing leaves your Mac.

## SpeechBee

Our app. Select text in any Mac app and press your reading key to hear it in a natural voice that runs on your Mac, with no character quota and nothing uploaded. It reads up to 5,000 characters per selection, and also does dictation. It doesn't export MP3s.

## ElevenReader, NaturalReader and Speechify

**ElevenReader** gives 10 free hours a month of AI voices, with Ultra adding audiobooks. **NaturalReader** gives 20,000 AI characters a day free and exports MP3 on paid plans. **Speechify** adds scanning, AI summaries and apps everywhere, at about $139 a year. Compared in [the best text to speech apps for Mac](https://speechbee.app/compare/best-text-to-speech-app-mac).

## When TTSReader is still the right pick

Stay with TTSReader if you want a free browser reader on any computer, MP3 export, or a mix of premium voices from several providers at a moderate price.

## Questions

### Is TTSReader free?

Yes, for personal use: free voices are unlimited, and premium AI voices are limited to 5,000 characters. Premium is $10.99 a month or $99 a year.

### Is there a TTSReader app for Mac?

TTSReader runs in the browser and as a Chrome extension. For a native Mac option, use Speak selection or a Mac app such as SpeechBee or Speechify.

### Is online text to speech private?

Online readers process your text on their servers. Speak selection and SpeechBee generate speech on your Mac. See [online text to speech vs a Mac app](https://speechbee.app/guides/online-text-to-speech-vs-app).

## Keep comparing

- [The best text to speech apps for Mac](https://speechbee.app/compare/best-text-to-speech-app-mac)
- [Free text to speech on a Mac](https://speechbee.app/guides/free-text-to-speech-mac)
- [NaturalReader alternatives](https://speechbee.app/compare/naturalreader-alternatives)

## Sources

All checked on 12 October 2026.

- [TTSReader](https://ttsreader.com/) and [TTSReader: Plans & Pricing](https://ttsreader.com/docs/support/pricing/)
- [ElevenReader pricing](https://elevenreader.io/pricing), [NaturalReader: Plans & Pricing](https://help.naturalreaders.com/en/articles/8854700-plans-pricing-personal-version), [Speechify pricing](https://speechify.com/pricing/)
- [Apple: Have your Mac speak text that's on the screen](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/have-your-mac-speak-text-thats-on-the-screen-mh27448/mac)
- SpeechBee facts from our [homepage](https://speechbee.app/) and [privacy policy](https://speechbee.app/privacy)