The Best ElevenLabs Alternative
ElevenLabs is a TTS platform - its transcription is secondary. CentClip captions video at 5¢/min, no subscription, credits never expire.
CentClip vs ElevenLabs: Pay 5¢/Min vs $6–$99/Month
| CentClip | ElevenLabs | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Pay-as-you-go | Subscription |
| Cost per minute | 5¢/min | ~$0.007/min STT at scale; varies by plan |
| Subscription required | No | Yes - Starter $6/mo, Creator $22/mo, Pro $99/mo |
| Credits expire | Never | Yes - on cancellation or downgrade |
| Free tier | 5 min · no watermark | 10k credits/mo, commercial use requires paid plan |
| Languages | 50+ | 90+ (STT); 32 (TTS) |
| Best for | Any creator, any volume | AI voice synthesis, voice cloning, and real-time voice agents |
ElevenLabs details as of June 2026 — verify before relying on them.
ElevenLabs is a voice synthesis platform built primarily for text-to-speech: 3,000+ AI voices, voice cloning, dubbing, and real-time voice agents across 32 languages. Speech-to-text via their Scribe v2 model was added later as a secondary feature, and the platform’s pricing reflects that priority. Plans run from $6/mo (Starter, 30k shared credits) to $99/mo (Pro, 600k shared credits), with those credits spread across every feature - not reserved for transcription alone. Credits expire on cancellation or downgrade, meaning a slow month costs the same as a busy one.
CentClip does one thing: captions. At 5¢/min with no subscription and no expiry, the math is straightforward. A creator captioning 60 minutes of video per month pays $3 with CentClip, versus a minimum $6/mo on ElevenLabs Starter - and that Starter allotment is shared with TTS, dubbing, and other tools. With CentClip, every cent goes toward transcription, credits roll forward indefinitely, and there is no plan to manage.
One price. $10 at a time.
$10 = 200 credits = 200 minutes. 1 credit = 1 minute = 5¢. Buy as many as you want — credits never expire.
How much will my video cost?
30 credits · covered by 1 × $10 recharge
First 5 minutes are free.
FAQ
Does ElevenLabs offer free transcription?
ElevenLabs includes speech-to-text in its free tier (10k credits/month shared across all features), but commercial use requires a paid plan starting at $6/mo.
How do ElevenLabs credits work for speech-to-text?
Credits are pooled across all ElevenLabs features - TTS, STT, dubbing, and sound effects. There is no dedicated transcription quota, and credits expire if you cancel or downgrade your plan.
Can I try CentClip for free?
Yes - CentClip gives you 5 free minutes of captioning with no credit card required, so you can test accuracy and output quality before adding any credits.
Is CentClip cheaper than ElevenLabs for video captioning?
For most video creators, yes. CentClip charges a flat 5¢/min with no monthly commitment, while ElevenLabs' cheapest paid plan is $6/mo and its credits are shared across TTS and other features, not reserved for transcription.
Do CentClip credits expire?
No - CentClip credits never expire. You can buy once and use your balance months later, which makes it ideal for seasonal workloads or irregular captioning schedules.