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ElevenLabs vs Hume AI

Compare ElevenLabs with Hume Octave for expressive speech, cloning and streaming. Review model-specific controls and TTS versus EVI pricing.

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ElevenLabs vs Hume AI at a glance

ElevenLabs offers separate models for fast responses, narration and expressive delivery. Hume's Octave models combine voice design with speech generation, but their language and control support differ by version. Compare Octave with a TTS model; evaluate Hume's EVI separately if you need a complete conversational interface.

ElevenLabsHume AI

  1. Model selection

    ElevenLabs
    Flash v2.5 for low latency, Multilingual v2 for narration, and Eleven v3 or v3 Conversational for expressive speech.
    Hume AI
    Octave 1 and Octave 2 preview have different capabilities. Select the version before testing.

  2. Language coverage

    ElevenLabs
    Flash v2.5 lists 32 languages; Multilingual v2 lists 29. Coverage varies by model.
    Hume AI
    Octave 1 supports English and Spanish; Octave 2 preview lists 11 languages.

  3. Delivery controls

    ElevenLabs
    Tune the controls supported by your chosen model; expressive and low-latency models behave differently.
    Hume AI
    Acting descriptions currently work with Octave 1. Speed and trailing silence are supported across Octave models.

  4. Voice cloning

    ElevenLabs
    Instant and Professional cloning have different recording and plan requirements.
    Hume AI
    Record or upload a sample to create a clone. Confirm API entitlement separately from playground use.

  5. Streaming

    ElevenLabs
    Measure first playable audio with the chosen model and your own player.
    Hume AI
    HTTP output streaming and bidirectional WebSocket streaming support different integration needs.

  6. Product scope

    ElevenLabs
    A TTS model generates speech from text. Evaluate an agent platform separately when replacing conversation handling.
    Hume AI
    Octave is TTS. EVI is a speech-to-speech interface with conversation and interruption handling.

  7. Usage and pricing

    ElevenLabs
    ElevenAPI meters TTS by characters; compare the rate for the model you select.
    Hume AI
    Plans distinguish Octave character allowances from EVI minutes. Check cloning access and request limits too.

Why teams choose Cartesia

Rated first by listeners

Sonic 3.6 ranks first on the Artificial Analysis Provider Voice Arena, a blind listening test.

First audio in under 90ms

Sonic streams speech fast enough for a live phone call, on the public API.

44 languages, one model

Native accents in every language, with no model to switch when a caller does.

Enterprise ready

SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA-eligible, on-prem and air-gapped deployment, and a 99.9% uptime SLA.

How they stack up

Test expression without losing clarity

  • Write the intended tone before anyone listens. Score delivery and pronunciation separately on the same passages.
  • Use a neutral reading as well as an expressive one, especially for names and numbers.
  • Check the acting instructions guide before selecting Octave 2 preview. Its controls do not yet match Octave 1.

Choose speech output or a complete interface

  • For a TTS comparison, keep response text and playback settings fixed while changing the speech model.
  • For Hume EVI, also test turn detection, interruptions and tool behavior.
  • Measure when your listener hears the first audio. Model latency and generation throughput do not measure the whole conversation.
  • Test your selected language and voice together rather than relying on a provider-wide language count.

Check the plan against your workflow

  • Compare ElevenAPI pricing with Octave character usage. Treat EVI minutes as a separate product cost.
  • Confirm whether the plan permits the cloned voice to be used through the API, not only in a playground.
  • Review the ElevenLabs cloning guide before preparing recordings for an Instant or Professional clone.
  • Include expected request volume and commercial usage requirements in the estimate.

Trusted by leading enterprises. Speaking from experience.

Discover success stories
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“Cartesia’s state-space models bring enterprise-grade speed and quality to our AI Voice Agents… making it possible for businesses to deploy secure, scalable voice agents that can understand, act, and adapt in real time.”

Ravi Krishnamurthy

VP Product

“With Cartesia's Sonic model, users can interact with a wide range of high-quality, human-like voices in multiple languages, enhancing their experience on our platform.”

Spencer Chan

Head of Poe Product

“Cartesia is leading the charge of building efficient, multimodal models from first principles, starting with their Sonic TTS model.”

Vipul Ved Prakash

CEO

“We didn’t switch to Sonic because it was incrementally better, we switched because nothing else came close… we’ve seen a 2.9% lift in our conversion and a 12.2% increase in customer engagement.”

Akshay Ramaswamy

Staff Product Manager

“Sonic represents a significant evolution over previous TTS models, delivering refined prosodic rhythm, natural intonation, superior pacing and wider emotional range for more “human” sounding voices.”

Tyler Brown

Voice Expert

“Cartesia Sonic is the best voice model today for real-time multimodal use cases.”

Kwindla Hultman

CEO

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