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Crikk vs Speechify

Two fact sheets from our own research, side by side — pricing, platforms, API access and status re-checked by us rather than quoted from the vendors.

The short answer

Cheaper paid plan
Crikk — $14/mo vs $29/mo for Speechify
Free plan
Both have one
Public API
Both have one
Best fit
Crikk: Students converting readings and lecture PDFs to audio · Speechify: Students and professionals working through long PDFs and articles by ear
Platforms
Crikk: Web, iOS, Android · Speechify: iOS, Android, Chrome extension, Web, macOS

From our own records as of each tool's last check. Anything we have not confirmed is left out rather than guessed. How we verify

CrikkReads PDFs, images, and text aloud in natural voices, with highlighting synced to playback.SpeechifyReads PDFs, web pages and email out loud

Side by side

FactCrikkSpeechify
CategoryText-to-SpeechText-to-Speech
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starts at$14/mo$29/mo
Public APIYesYes
Trust score91 / 10094 / 100
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, APIiOS, Android, Chrome extension, Web, macOS, API
CompanyCrikk Inc.Speechify Inc.
Launched—2017
Last verifiedOct 15, 2026Oct 15, 2026

What our research says

Crikk

Crikk is a straightforward pick for anyone who wants to listen to PDFs, articles, or photographed pages rather than read them, and the synced word-highlighting genuinely helps with following along. The free tier is real but capped tightly enough at 10,000 characters that regular readers will hit the paywall fast.

Pros

  • Reads PDFs and camera-captured images, not just pasted text
  • Word-level highlighting syncs to audio playback for follow-along reading
  • Playback speed goes up to 4x for fast review
  • 317 standard voices across 91 languages, usable without signing up
  • Monthly Pro includes API access with 2 million characters a month

Cons

  • Free tier's 10,000-character monthly cap is easy to exhaust
  • Prices differ between the homepage, the pricing page and the app stores
  • Three different company names appear across the terms, contact page and App Store

Speechify

The most complete listen-to-anything reader on a phone, but the $29 monthly sticker is a trap — the same thing is $139 a year, and the free tier is deliberately unpleasant.

Pros

  • Handles almost any input, including scanned pages captured through the camera
  • Voices stay intelligible all the way up to 5x playback
  • One library syncs between phone, browser extension and Mac

Cons

  • Monthly billing costs about 2.5x the annual rate for the same features
  • Free tier is held to 10 robotic voices and 1.5x speed
  • Studio and the developer API are separate products on a separate domain with their own bills

Which one fits

Choose Crikk if you need

  • Students converting readings and lecture PDFs to audio
  • Commuters who want to listen to saved articles
  • Anyone who benefits from following highlighted text while listening

Choose Speechify if you need

  • Students and professionals working through long PDFs and articles by ear
  • Readers with dyslexia or low vision who need OCR capture plus playback
  • Developers who want the Simba voices without building a reader app

Crikk vs Speechify: the questions people ask

Is Crikk cheaper than Speechify?

On published entry prices, Crikk starts lower — $14/mo against $29/mo for Speechify. Entry price is the lowest paid plan as we last verified it; what each plan includes differs.

Does Crikk or Speechify have a free tier?

Both: Crikk has a free tier, and Speechify has a free tier.

Which has a public API, Crikk or Speechify?

Both ship a public API, so either can be built on; the fact table above shows the platforms each one runs on.

More comparisons

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