ElevenLabs Alternatives EU: Synthesia vs ReadSpeaker for AI Voice (2026)
ElevenLabs was Polish. Now it's American. Here's what happened to your 'European' AI voice tool—and the alternatives that actually stayed.
ElevenLabs revolutionized AI voice synthesis, but many European businesses need GDPR-compliant alternatives that keep data within EU jurisdiction.
Here’s the reality: ElevenLabs was founded in Poland but is now US-registered. For strict compliance requirements, that matters. We tested the leading European alternatives to find what actually works.
The EU AI Voice Landscape
The European market offers two distinct approaches to AI voice technology:
- AI Video + Voice (Synthesia) - Text-to-video with AI avatars and voices
- Enterprise TTS (ReadSpeaker) - Pure text-to-speech for websites, apps, e-learning
Both serve different use cases. Let’s break them down.
Synthesia - AI Video Creation (UK)
Best for: Marketing videos, training content, corporate communications
Synthesia turns text into professional videos with AI avatars—no cameras, no studios, no actors.
What Makes It Special
- 140+ languages with native-sounding voices
- 200+ AI avatars including custom avatar creation
- Text-to-video in minutes, not weeks
- Used by 55,000+ companies including BBC, Nike, Google
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $29/mo | 10 minutes video/month |
| Creator | $89/mo | 30 minutes, custom avatars |
| Enterprise | Custom | Unlimited, API access |
GDPR & Compliance
- Location: London, UK
- Data centers: EU
- Certifications: SOC 2 Type II, GDPR compliant
- Data processing: EU-only option available
The Verdict
Synthesia isn’t a direct ElevenLabs replacement—it’s broader. If you need AI voices FOR video content, it’s unmatched. For pure TTS or voice cloning, look elsewhere.
Synthesia scores: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for AI video, ⭐⭐⭐ for pure TTS
ReadSpeaker - Enterprise Text-to-Speech (Netherlands)
Best for: Website accessibility, e-learning, IVR systems, enterprise applications
ReadSpeaker has been doing TTS since 1999—before “AI” was a buzzword. They’re the quiet enterprise choice that governments and Fortune 500 companies trust.
What Makes It Special
- 50+ languages, 250+ voices - Massive selection
- 25+ years in production - Battle-tested reliability
- On-premise deployment - Keep data in your infrastructure
- Custom voice creation - Build your brand voice
Use Cases
| Application | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Website accessibility | Read any page aloud for visually impaired users |
| E-learning | Voice-over for courses without recording studios |
| IVR/Phone systems | Natural-sounding automated phone menus |
| Document reading | Convert PDFs, Word docs to audio |
Pricing
ReadSpeaker doesn’t publish prices—it’s enterprise sales. Expect:
- SaaS: Based on usage/characters
- On-premise: License fee + support
- Custom voices: Significant investment
GDPR & Compliance
- Location: Amersfoort, Netherlands
- Data centers: Netherlands/EU
- Certifications: ISO 27001, GDPR compliant
- Deployment: Cloud or fully on-premise
The Verdict
ReadSpeaker is the “boring but reliable” choice. No flashy AI voice cloning, but rock-solid TTS that’s been running in production for decades. Perfect for enterprises who need compliance guarantees and support contracts.
ReadSpeaker scores: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for enterprise TTS, ⭐⭐ for creative/AI features
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Feature | Synthesia | ReadSpeaker | ElevenLabs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HQ Location | UK | Netherlands | US (Polish founders) |
| Primary Use | AI Video | Enterprise TTS | Voice synthesis |
| Languages | 140+ | 50+ | 29 |
| Voice Cloning | Limited | Custom voices | Advanced |
| On-Premise | No | Yes | No |
| Free Tier | No | No | Yes (limited) |
| Starting Price | $29/mo | Contact sales | $5/mo |
| SOC 2 | ✓ | Via ISO 27001 | ✓ |
| GDPR | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Synthesia if:
- You need AI-generated videos with talking avatars
- Marketing, training, or corporate communications
- You want text-to-video, not just text-to-speech
- Budget: $29-500/month
Choose ReadSpeaker if:
- You’re an enterprise with strict compliance needs
- Website accessibility or e-learning is your focus
- You need on-premise deployment
- Long-term stability matters more than cutting-edge features
Stick with ElevenLabs if:
- Voice cloning quality is your top priority
- You need the most realistic AI voices
- GDPR compliance (with EU data residency) is sufficient
- You want the latest voice AI innovations
The Gap in the EU Market
Honest assessment: There’s no perfect EU alternative to ElevenLabs for pure voice synthesis.
ElevenLabs’ voice cloning and quality are still industry-leading. The European alternatives serve different niches:
- Synthesia = Video-first
- ReadSpeaker = Enterprise TTS
For startups and creators wanting ElevenLabs-style voice generation with EU data residency, the options are limited. This is a gap waiting to be filled.
Conclusion
The European AI voice market is strong in video (Synthesia) and enterprise TTS (ReadSpeaker), but lags in consumer-focused voice synthesis.
Our recommendation:
- For video content: Synthesia (clear winner)
- For enterprise TTS: ReadSpeaker (decades of trust)
- For voice cloning/synthesis: ElevenLabs with EU data settings (pragmatic choice)
The good news: Both EU options are genuinely excellent at what they do—and fully GDPR compliant by design, not as an afterthought.
Related:
- EU AI Transcription Tools – Audio-to-text alternatives
- All AI Voice & Video Tools
- Why EU Software Matters