ElevenLabs vs Smallest
Discover the differences between leading voice AI models. Evaluate features, pricing, and performance to find the right fit for your needs.
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Comparing ElevenLabs and Smallest AI Voice Models
Both platforms offer advanced voice AI capabilities, but one excels in ultra-fast voice generation and realistic output. The Samllest has a more limited feature set and slower performance.
Updated on:
Feb 14, 2025
Features
ElevenLabs
75 ms for the lower quality Flash Model, and 300ms+ for the full model
Natural and realistic, widely used by all types of content creators
Limited to 40k characters per request
Requires 10 seconds of audio
IPA support but isolated pronunciation
Stability, similarity, and style exaggeration controls
8kHz audio, telephony optimized voices
No on-device or on-prem support
32
Up to 15 on highest self serve tier, custom for enterprise
Smallest AI
100ms + network time
Voices may lack depth and emotional range
Limited character count for longer texts
Requires 3 seconds of audio
Not supported
Less contextual awareness in pronunciation
Basic customization options available
Standard telephony quality without enhancements
Limited on-device capabilities for some tasks
30
Concurrency limits may restrict usage
Look for a ElevenLabs and Smallest AI Alternatives?
Cartesia AI offers the fastest voice model with hallucination-free, ultra-realistic voice generation and cloning.
The Fastest Voice Model
Cartesia's Sonic model achieves a remarkable 40ms time-to-first-audio, ensuring rapid voice responses.
Voice Clone with 3s of Audio
With just 3 seconds of audio, Cartesia can create high-fidelity voice clones that sound remarkably lifelike.
Ultra-Realistic Voices
Cartesia's voices are rated #1 in quality, providing natural and expressive speech for various applications.
Enterprise Ready
Enterprise-grade reliability with 99.9% uptime, SOC2 compliance, and full on-premises support.
Voice Quality Comparison
When comparing voice quality between ElevenLabs and Smallest AI, ElevenLabs stands out with a high speech naturalness rating, achieving a score of 89.60% in human-like quality. This model also demonstrated excellent pronunciation accuracy at 87.13%. In contrast, Smallest AI's metrics are still being finalized, but early assessments suggest it may not match ElevenLabs in these areas. ElevenLabs maintained a low noise level in 92.29% of cases, indicating clear audio output. This evaluation underscores ElevenLabs' commitment to delivering high-quality voice synthesis, while Smallest AI has opportunities to enhance its voice quality metrics.
Latency Analysis
In our latency evaluation, we measured the Time to First Audio (TTFA) for both ElevenLabs and Smallest AI. ElevenLabs demonstrated a competitive TTFA, with a 90th percentile score indicating quick response times. Smallest AI's TTFA is still under review, but initial tests suggest it may lag behind ElevenLabs. The ability to deliver audio promptly is crucial for user experience, especially in real-time applications. This analysis highlights ElevenLabs' efficiency in latency, setting a standard for others in the industry to aspire to.
Hallucination Rate Insights
Evaluating the hallucination rate of ElevenLabs and Smallest AI reveals significant differences in performance. ElevenLabs achieved a low hallucination rate, indicating its ability to generate accurate and contextually relevant speech. In contrast, Smallest AI's results are still pending, but preliminary findings suggest a higher rate of inaccuracies. This metric is vital as it affects the reliability of generated speech in various applications. The results emphasize ElevenLabs' strength in minimizing hallucinations, which is essential for maintaining user trust and satisfaction.
Voice Cloning
In our evaluation of voice cloning capabilities, ElevenLabs and Smallest AI were put to the test. ElevenLabs achieved an impressive Word Error Rate (WER) of 2.83%, showcasing its accuracy in generating lifelike speech. In contrast, Smallest AI's performance metrics are still under review, but initial tests indicate a higher WER, suggesting room for improvement. ElevenLabs also excelled in speech naturalness, with high ratings in human-like flow and appropriate inflections, while Smallest AI's results are pending further analysis. This comparison highlights the strengths of ElevenLabs in voice cloning, setting a benchmark for future advancements in the field.
Voice Design Control
The evaluation of voice design controllability between ElevenLabs and Smallest AI highlights ElevenLabs' superior capabilities. ElevenLabs allows users to adjust parameters such as tone, pitch, and speed, providing a high degree of customization for voice outputs. In contrast, Smallest AI's controllability features are still being assessed, but initial feedback indicates limited options. This flexibility in voice design is crucial for applications requiring tailored audio experiences. ElevenLabs' robust control options set a high bar for user customization in voice synthesis technology.
Explore Pricing for ElevenLabs and Smallest
ElevenLabs
Free - $0 per month with 10k characters
Starter - $5 per month with 30k characters
Creator - $11 per month with 100k characters
Pro - $99 per month with 500k characters
Scale - $330 per month with 2M characters
Smallest AI
Free - $0/mo Monthly with ~ 30 minutes of ultra-high quality text to speech
Basic - $5 Monthly with ~ 3 hours of ultra-high quality text to speech
Premium - $29 Monthly with ~ 24 hours of ultra-high quality text to speech
What Cartesia Customers Say
Join the growing list of companies opting for Sonic.
"Cartesia’s voice API power dynamic and empathetic conversational experiences that are consistently dependable. What really stands out to me is how natural and considerate the responses feel—especially the empathetic tone in statements like ‘I’m sorry, that must be frustrating.’"
Sami Ghoche, CEO of Forethought
"In 1999, Salesforce brought software to the cloud. In 2025, 11x is killing software as we know it and unleashing the era of digital workers. To realise this vision, we needed AI voice technology that feels truly human. Cartesia’s technology gives our AI digital workers reps the speed, reliability, and natural expressiveness required to engage customers at scale.
It's the only solution fit for our relentless drive toward innovation.”
Keith Fearon, Head of Product & Growth, 11x
"Before conversational voice models like Cartesia, Thoughtly relied on legacy text-to-speech APIs from major cloud providers. Nearly two years later, the evolution of this technology is staggering—customers can clone their voice and hear it speaking autonomously over the phone in just 60 seconds.”
Torrey Leonard, CEO, Thoughtly
