Walkie vs Speechify
Speechify is a listening app. Walkie is a voice app that also listens — it reads your text aloud and types what you say, from the same subscription.
The short answer
For most people Walkie is the better buy: one app for both directions of voice — dictation with a free, fully on-device On-Device Mode, and Read Aloud in 950+ natural voices — for $72/year against Speechify Premium's roughly $139. Choose Speechify if you want the biggest voice catalogue, celebrity narrators, audiobooks, or you mostly read on a phone or in the browser.
Speechify pricing: Free (10 basic voices); Premium $29/month, or roughly $139/year billed annually.
| Feature | Walkie | Speechify |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free; Pro $7.50/mo ($6/mo annually, $72/yr) | Free (10 voices); Premium $29/mo or about $139/yr |
| Free tier | 10 minutes a month of Read Aloud, plus unlimited on-device dictation | 10 basic voices, up to 1.5× speed |
| Voices | 950+ natural voices | 1,000+ voices, including celebrity narrators |
| Languages (voices) | 30+ | 60+ |
| Reads highlighted text in any app | Yes — one shortcut, no pasting | Via extension or by pasting into the app |
| Word-by-word highlighting | Yes | Yes |
| PDFs | Yes — drop a PDF in | Yes, plus scan-and-listen |
| Dictation (speech-to-text) | Yes — the core of the product, with a free offline mode | Voice typing on Premium |
| Meeting notes | Yes — 3-meeting trial free · Pro 10/mo (8 h) · Work 100/mo (40 h) · Team 150/mo (75 h) | No |
| Fully on-device option | Yes, for dictation (On-Device Mode) | No |
| Audiobooks & celebrity voices | No | Yes |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, iPhone; Linux experimental; Android coming soon | Web, iOS, Android, browser extension, macOS |
Speechify pricing and features verified from their pricing page. Walkie's own numbers are read live from our plan definitions.
Why choose Walkie over Speechify?
One subscription, both directions. Walkie reads text to you and types what you say. If you already dictate, Read Aloud is included rather than a second $139/year app stacked on top — and 2 hours a month on Pro is a lot of articles.
It reads where you already are. Highlight text in any app and press one shortcut — or right-click on macOS. Nothing to paste into a reader, no tab to switch to. The document you are already reading is the document it reads.
Roughly half the price. Walkie Pro is $72/year against Speechify Premium's ~$139/year, and Walkie's is not a listening-only subscription.
Follow along, word by word. While Walkie reads, an overlay highlights each word karaoke-style above the pill, so your eyes and ears stay in sync. It is as useful for proofreading your own writing as for listening to somebody else’s.
One shortcut, from wherever you are. Highlight text anywhere — a web page, an email, a code review — and press ⌥⌘L (Ctrl+Alt+L on Windows). On macOS it is in the right-click Services menu too. There is no reader app to switch to.
A free tier that does real work. Unlimited on-device dictation forever, plus 10 minutes a month of Read Aloud. Speechify's free tier is ten robotic voices at 1.5× — a demo of the paid one.
When Speechify is the better fit
The bigger catalogue. 1,000+ voices against 950+, 60+ languages against 30+, and celebrity narrators Walkie has nothing like. If the voice itself is the product for you, Speechify has more of it.
Audiobooks and scanning. An audiobook library, and scan-and-listen for physical pages. Walkie reads text you already have; it does not have a library or a camera mode.
Everywhere, including the browser. Web app, browser extension, iOS and Android. If most of your reading happens on a phone or inside Chrome on a machine you do not control, Speechify meets you there and Walkie does not.
The bottom line
If listening is all you want and you want the largest possible voice catalogue, Speechify earns its price. If you talk to your computer at all, Walkie covers both directions of voice for roughly half — and its free tier does more than demo itself.
Walkie vs Speechify — common questions
Is Walkie a good Speechify alternative?
If you want one desktop app that both reads text aloud and takes dictation, yes — Walkie Pro is $72/year against Speechify Premium's roughly $139/year, includes 950+ natural voices with word-by-word highlighting, and adds free on-device dictation. Speechify stays the better pick for a bigger voice catalogue, celebrity narrators or audiobooks.
How much cheaper is Walkie than Speechify?
Walkie Pro is $6/month billed annually ($72/year). Speechify Premium is $29/month, or about $139/year billed annually — roughly double, for listening only.
Does Walkie have as many voices as Speechify?
Nearly — 950+ against 1,000+ — but Speechify covers more languages (60+ against 30+) and has celebrity narrators. For everyday reading the catalogues are comparable; for breadth Speechify wins.