Quick Answer
Last verified:

Play.ht pricing varies by team size and features, ranging from $0 to $99 per user/month in 2026. Your actual cost depends on the tier you choose, contract length, and negotiated discounts.

Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.

  • Free tier: No free tier available
  • Billing: Monthly and annual (save 15-20%)
  • Hidden costs: Add ~35% for implementation, support, and training
Last verified: January 2026 | Sources: 8 pricing pages and reviews
+40-60% above list price

Hidden Costs Breakdown

1

Character counting includes punctuation - Every punctuation mark counts as a character, increasing your usage faster than expected

2

Regeneration costs full characters - If you regenerate audio due to quality issues, you're charged the full character count again, even for the same text

3

No character rollover - Unused monthly/annual character allowances don't carry over to the next period, wasting prepaid credits

4

Hidden fair use limit on 'Unlimited' plan - Premium plan advertises unlimited usage but has an undisclosed 2.5 million monthly fair use cap with potential overage charges

5

High-fidelity voice clones cost extra - Premium plan includes only 3 high-fidelity clones; additional HQ clones require separate payment (amount unspecified)

6

Strict refund policy - Only 24-hour refund window with less than 5,000 character usage requirement; many users report difficulty obtaining refunds even within these constraints

7

Auto-renewal charges - Users report being charged $950+ for unintended annual renewals with no prorated refunds under any circumstances

8

Service reliability issues - Platform reportedly down at least 5 times per week according to user feedback, leading to wasted credits on regenerations

9

Quality inconsistency wastes credits - Voice synthesis can sound robotic or unnatural, requiring multiple regenerations that consume your character allowance

10

Annual vs monthly price gap - Monthly plans cost 20-25% more than annual billing, creating significant cost difference without clear disclosure upfront

11

No audio post-processing - Platform lacks noise reduction or equalization features, potentially requiring separate software purchases

12

API access restrictions - API limited to paid plans only, with enterprise requiring custom pricing for advanced API features

13

Enterprise pricing opacity - Custom Enterprise pricing typically marks up 2-5x standard plans but requires sales contact with no published rates

14

Limited free tier languages - Free plan only supports English despite claims of 'all languages' access

15

Commercial use requires paid plan - Free tier cannot be used for any commercial projects, requiring immediate upgrade for business use

Example: True Cost for 25 Users

License (25 × $39 × 12) $11,700/yr
Implementation (one-time) +$15,000–$50,000
Premium Support (20%) +$2,340/yr
Training (25 × $500) +$12,500
Admin (part-time) +$15,000–$25,000/yr
Year 1 Total $42,550–$78,720
That's 1.8–2.5× the advertised license price.

Frequently Asked Questions

01 What hidden costs should I budget for with Play.ht?

Beyond the license fee, budget for implementation ($5K-$100K+), training ($500-$2K per user), premium support (15-20% of license), and admin costs. Most companies see 40-60% higher total cost than the listed price.

02 Does Play.ht charge for implementation?

Play.ht doesn't include implementation in the license cost. Implementation is typically done by partners and costs range from $5,000 for basic setup to $100,000+ for enterprise deployments with customization.

03 How much does Play.ht support cost?

Basic support is included, but premium support (faster response times, 24/7 availability) typically adds 15-20% to your annual contract. This can be thousands of dollars per year for larger deployments.

04 Are there storage costs with Play.ht?

Most Play.ht plans include limited storage. Once you exceed the included amount, you'll pay overage fees which can range from $50-$500+ per month depending on data volume.

05 What add-ons cost extra with Play.ht?

Many features marketed as part of Play.ht are actually add-ons: advanced reporting, API access, integrations, and specialized modules. Each can add $10-$100+ per user per month.

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