Amazon Polly vs Cartesia: Which Is Better in 2026?
Cartesia edges out Amazon Polly on our overall rubric (8.2 vs 7.7), but the picture is more nuanced than the headline suggests. Cartesia leads on voice quality (9/10), while Amazon Polly delivers more for the money (9/10 on value).
Head-to-head
| Metric | Amazon Polly | Cartesia |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 7.7 | 8.2 |
| Voice quality | 7.0 | 9.0 |
| Value | 9.0 | 8.0 |
| UI | 6.0 | 8.0 |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | $4/mo | $4/mo |
| Most popular plan | $16/mo | $39/mo |
| Languages supported | 40 | 40 |
| Voices in catalog | 100 | 50 |
| Voice cloning | No | Yes |
| API available | Yes | Yes |
| Emotion control | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-speaker | Yes | Yes |
| Commercial use | Yes | Yes |
| Audio quality | studio-24kHz | studio-44.1kHz |
| Output formats | mp3, wav, ogg, pcm | mp3, wav, pcm, ulaw |
| Founded | 1994 · United States | 2023 · United States |
| Enterprise plan | Yes | Yes |
Pricing showdown
If budget is the deciding factor, Amazon Polly wins on entry pricing: $4 vs $4/mo.
When to choose Amazon Polly
- Budget is the dominant constraint and you need predictable per-minute economics.
When to choose Cartesia
- You're auditioning against human voice talent and need to sound studio-grade.
- You need consented voice cloning for a specific speaker.
Related comparisons
Frequently asked questions
Is Amazon Polly or Cartesia better for podcast voiceover?
Amazon Polly (7.7/10) and Cartesia (8.0/10) are effectively tied for podcast voiceover. Decide on language coverage and editor preference.
Which one is cheaper?
Both tools start at $4/month for the entry plan — pricing is effectively tied at the low end.
Which has more languages?
Amazon Polly supports 40 languages; Cartesia supports 40. They're effectively tied on multilingual coverage.
Do both offer voice cloning?
Cartesia supports voice cloning; Amazon Polly does not.
Which is better for ivr phone systems?
For ivr phone systems, Amazon Polly scores 8.8/10 versus Cartesia's 9.4/10 — see our use-case page for the full ranked list.