# ElevenLabs: what it does, who it is for and alternatives > ElevenLabs: Realistic AI voices, voice cloning and voice agents that answer calls. Narrate videos or build an AI receptionist. Source: https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/ai-tools/tool/elevenlabs · Updated 2026-10-20 · Free from Stepthrough (https://learn.ynteractive.com) Updated October 20, 2026 · By [Robert Breen](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/about) Realistic AI voices, voice cloning and voice agents that answer calls. Narrate videos or build an AI receptionist. [Voice & audio](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/ai-tools/voice-audio) · Free plan · Free lesson Official site: [elevenlabs.io](https://try.elevenlabs.io/atcuo8sx45ir) (affiliate link — I may earn a commission, at no cost to you) ## What ElevenLabs does Type or paste a script and pick from a large voice library, design a voice from a text prompt, or clone your own. Beyond narration, ElevenLabs dubs videos into other languages, transcribes recordings with its Scribe speech-to-text model, and builds agents that handle phone, chat, email and WhatsApp conversations. ## Who ElevenLabs is for - Marketers - Trainers and L&D teams - Support teams - Content creators ## Key features - Text to speech in 90+ languages - Voice cloning, voice design from a prompt and a library of 17,500+ voices - Dubbing that carries the original speaker's emotion across languages - Scribe speech to text with speaker labels and timestamps - ElevenAgents for phone, chat, email and WhatsApp - Music and sound effects generation ## Privacy and data ElevenLabs says it is SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 and PCI DSS Level 1 certified with HIPAA and GDPR attestations, and offers regional data residency and an optional Zero Retention Mode. Source: [ElevenLabs’s own page](https://elevenlabs.io/agents/ai-trust-and-reliability). Before you put client data in, check your company’s AI rules and the plan’s data settings. ## Learn ElevenLabs free on Stepthrough - Free lesson: [Your First Voice Agent in ElevenLabs: An After-Hours Receptionist](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/elevenlabs-voice-agent-tutorial-after-hours-receptionist) (9 min) - Comparison: [ElevenLabs vs Vapi vs Retell AI for phone voice agents](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/compare/elevenlabs-vs-vapi-vs-retell-for-voice-agents) - Guide: [How to Test and Improve a Voice AI Agent's Script](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/how-to-test-a-voice-ai-agent) - Guide: [After-Hours AI Receptionist FAQ: ElevenLabs for Offices](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/elevenlabs-after-hours-receptionist-faq) - Guide: [ElevenLabs Knowledge Base FAQ: Files, Text, RAG, Prompts](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/elevenlabs-knowledge-base-faq) - Guide: [ElevenLabs Knowledge Base: 8 Mistakes That Cause Bad Answers](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/elevenlabs-knowledge-base-mistakes) - Guide: [ElevenLabs First Voice Agent FAQ: Prompt, Voice, Preview](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/elevenlabs-first-agent-faq) - Guide: [First ElevenLabs Voice Agent: 8 Setup Mistakes to Avoid](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/elevenlabs-first-agent-mistakes) ## Alternatives to ElevenLabs Other AI voice and audio tools in the directory. - [**Vapi**](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/ai-tools/tool/vapi) Free trial A developer platform for AI voice agents that make and take phone calls. - [**Auphonic**](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/ai-tools/tool/auphonic) Free plan Automatic audio leveling, noise reduction and loudness for podcasts and recordings. - [**Wispr Flow**](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/ai-tools/tool/wispr-flow) Free plan Voice dictation that types clean, formatted text in any app as you speak. - [**Retell AI**](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/ai-tools/voice-audio#tool-retell-ai) Free trial Build AI phone agents for scheduling, support and sales calls, with low-latency voices. - [**Bland AI**](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/ai-tools/voice-audio#tool-bland-ai) Free trial Enterprise AI phone agents that handle inbound and outbound calls at scale. - [**Synthflow**](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/ai-tools/voice-audio#tool-synthflow) Free trial No-code AI voice agents for appointment booking, lead qualification and support. [All 27 AI voice and audio tools](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/ai-tools/voice-audio) ## Frequently asked questions **What is ElevenLabs?** Realistic AI voices, voice cloning and voice agents that answer calls. Narrate videos or build an AI receptionist. Type or paste a script and pick from a large voice library, design a voice from a text prompt, or clone your own. Beyond narration, ElevenLabs dubs videos into other languages, transcribes recordings with its Scribe speech-to-text model, and builds agents that handle phone, chat, email and WhatsApp conversations. **Who is ElevenLabs for?** ElevenLabs fits marketers, trainers and L&D teams, support teams and content creators, and other office teams with the same job to do. **Is ElevenLabs free?** ElevenLabs has a free plan; paid plans add more usage or features. Plans change often, so check the official pricing page before you commit. **What are some alternatives to ElevenLabs?** Other AI voice and audio tools include Vapi, Auphonic, Wispr Flow, Retell AI and Bland AI. **Is ElevenLabs safe for work data?** ElevenLabs says it is SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 and PCI DSS Level 1 certified with HIPAA and GDPR attestations, and offers regional data residency and an optional Zero Retention Mode. Check your own company’s rules, and use a business plan with training turned off for client data. ## “Listed on Stepthrough” badge Add this badge to the ElevenLabs website, press page or docs. It links to this page, so your visitors can see the listing. Copy the HTML ```text Listed on Stepthrough ``` Checked against ElevenLabs’s official site on October 20, 2026: [source 1](https://elevenlabs.io), [source 2](https://elevenlabs.io/agents/ai-trust-and-reliability). Spotted something out of date? Email [rbreen@ynteractive.com](mailto:rbreen@ynteractive.com). Listings are free; [submit your AI tool](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/ai-tools/submit). [The full AI tools directory](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/ai-tools) · [Voice & audio](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/ai-tools/voice-audio) · [Tool comparisons](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/compare)