Baidu Text-to-Speech vs Typecast
Baidu Text-to-Speech
cloud.baidu.comTypecast
typecast.aiSide by side
| Figure | Baidu Text-to-Speech | Typecast |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $5/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 14 | 15 |
| Spec score · Text-to-Speech Software | 9.3 (#3) | 8.3 (#88) |
| Spec score · Text-to-speech tools | 9.3 (#5) | 9.0 (#18) |
| API access | Yes | Yes |
| Headquarters | Beijing, China | Seoul, South Korea |
| Languages | 2 | 35 |
| Use cases | Listed use cases include audiobook reading, news announcements, order announcements, and smart hardware. | The API page describes use for creator narration, audiobooks, podcasts, conversational agents, AI tutors, and AICC. |
| Voice cloning | Yes | Typecast offers instant and professional voice cloning, with cloned voices supporting multilingual speech and expressive delivery. |
Plans
Baidu Text-to-Speech
- Short-text Basic Voice LibraryPrice not published
- Short-text Premium Voice LibraryPrice not published
- Short-text Large-model and Premium Voice LibraryPrice not published
- Long-text Basic Voice LibraryPrice not published
- Long-text Premium Voice LibraryPrice not published
- Long-text Large-model and Premium Voice LibraryPrice not published
- Streaming Basic Voice LibraryPrice not published
- Streaming Premium Voice LibraryPrice not published
- Streaming Large-model and Premium Voice LibraryPrice not published
- 离线语音合成试用版Free
Typecast
- FreeFree
- Basic$5 a month
- Plus$19 a month
- Pro$29 a month
- Business$69 a month
- Free (API)Free
- Free (Studio)Free
- Basic$5 a month
- Lite (API)$15 a month
- Plus$19 a month
In their own words
Baidu Text-to-Speech
Baidu Text-to-Speech converts text into speech for applications and devices, with Chinese, English, mixed Chinese-English, and more than 70 voice styles available through its online service. Users can change speech rate, pitch, volume, and supported emotional effects; Chinese polyphonic characters can be annotated with pronunciation. Streaming synthesis can play audio nearly as text is entered, and long-text synthesis handles up to 100,000 Chinese characters in one request. Baidu provides HTTP and WebSocket APIs, online and offline SDKs, and Android and iOS SDKs for phones and smart devices. Offline synthesis is intended for settings with weak or no network access, including mobile apps, readers, robots, and smart hardware. Listed uses include audiobook reading, news and order announcements, and smart hardware. Short-text API requests must stay under 1,024 GBK bytes, with 120 bytes or less recommended. Export formats are MP3, PCM, and WAV. The service offers a free trial; offline trial and license plans are listed, while prices for other listed plans are not provided.
Typecast
Typecast is an AI text-to-speech service that turns text into expressive, context-aware speech. Its Studio advertises more than 700 voices, with controls for emotion, speed and dynamics. Voice generation and playback are unlimited on every Studio plan, but downloading audio uses credits. Typecast also offers an API for content automation, app services and conversational agents; stated streaming latency is 170–210 ms. Listed integrations include Python, JavaScript, Zapier, Google Sheets, n8n and Make. The service describes uses including creator narration, audiobooks, podcasts, conversational agents, AI tutors and AICC. It supports 35 languages and offers MP3 and WAV output; SSML is not supported. Web, iOS and Android are listed, and the mobile app supports device syncing. A free plan is available. Studio paid plans start at $5 a month, and Lite API costs $15 a month. The API free plan allows 15,000 credits monthly but is noncommercial and requires attribution.