Speechify has rapidly become one of the most popular text-to-speech (TTS) apps, known for its high-quality, lifelike voices and multi-platform support. But what exactly powers Speechify’s AI voices? Is it building its own voice technology from scratch, or is it using third-party providers like ElevenLabs, Amazon Polly, or Google Cloud TTS behind the scenes?
What We Know from Public Records and User Reports
- Amazon Polly connections: A few years ago, the iOS App Privacy Report showed that Speechify was contacting Amazon Polly servers. This strongly suggests that Speechify was relying on Amazon Polly’s voice APIs at that point. While those specific connections no longer appear in recent reports, it’s worth noting that the best practice today is for apps to communicate with third-party services through their own backend servers—so the absence of direct calls doesn’t rule out usage.
- Social media claims: Several users on X (formerly Twitter) have pointed out similarities between Speechify voices and standard Amazon Polly voices, further supporting the theory of external TTS integration in the past.
- ElevenLabs incident: More recently, a hacker reported discovering a security vulnerability in Speechify’s app that exposed an ElevenLabs API key. According to the post, the issue was responsibly disclosed and subsequently patched, though the hacker noted they received no acknowledgment from the Speechify team.
Room for Speculation
None of this proves conclusively that Speechify still uses external services today—but it does open the door to informed speculation. Given how advanced third-party voice tech has become (particularly ElevenLabs), it’s entirely plausible that Speechify supplements its offerings with 3rd-party voices or builds upon their APIs.
At the same time, the platform may be developing proprietary models to maintain competitive advantage and reduce long-term costs. It wouldn’t be surprising if Speechify now uses a hybrid model—mixing in-house and external voice technologies depending on the use case or pricing tier.
Why It Matters
Understanding whether Speechify relies on external voice APIs is not just technical trivia—it matters for users concerned about privacy, data security, and voice quality. It also interests developers, educators, and enterprise clients evaluating the best TTS solution for their needs.
Final Thoughts
While Speechify doesn’t disclose detailed information about its backend infrastructure, available evidence suggests that it has used third-party TTS technology—particularly Amazon Polly and ElevenLabs—at least during key phases of its development.
As AI voice technology continues to evolve rapidly, expect more platforms to blend proprietary tech with industry-leading APIs. Until Speechify offers more transparency, the question of “who really speaks for Speechify” will remain a matter of informed guesswork.
Transparency Done Right: An Alternative Approach
Speech Central takes a much more honest approach in dealing with third-party services. It properly credits external providers and allows users to create accounts directly with those services (Microsoft Azure, OpenAI, Google Cloud)—often unlocking significantly more favorable terms. For example, some of those providers offer a generous free tier that is not accessible through closed platforms.
You can download Speech Central from: