# AudioPod vs Play.ht: Where to Go Now

Play.ht is no longer a live option: after Meta acquired PlayAI in 2025, press reports say the service closed at the end of 2025, and play.ht did not resolve when we checked. AudioPod replaces its text to speech, voice cloning and TTS API; re-clone voices from your original recordings.

Canonical URL: https://audiopod.ai/compare/audiopod-vs-playht
Last updated: 2026-10-14

## Summary

There is no live Play.ht to compare against. If you were a Play.ht user, the question is which platform replaces it; AudioPod covers its core jobs.

Play.ht (later PlayAI) was acquired by Meta in 2025 and reported shut down; its domain did not resolve when we checked on 2026-10-14. What to move to, and how.

## AudioPod

AudioPod: text to speech with 500+ voices in 200+ languages, voice cloning from a 5-second sample, multi-speaker dialogue, and a documented API with Python and Node SDKs. Credits per character.

## Play.ht

Play.ht (renamed PlayAI) offered text to speech, voice cloning and a TTS API. Press coverage reports Meta acquired the company in July 2025, the API went offline soon after, and the platform closed on 31 December 2025.

## Who each suits

- AudioPod: Former Play.ht users who need TTS, cloned voices and an API in production again.
- Play.ht: No one — the service is no longer available.

## Side-by-side

| Category | AudioPod | Play.ht | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Service available today | Yes | No — domain did not resolve (2026-10-14) | AudioPod |
| Voice cloning | Yes | Discontinued | AudioPod |
| TTS API | Yes, every plan | Discontinued | AudioPod |
| Languages | 200+ | Discontinued | AudioPod |

## Recommendation

Re-create your voices from your original recordings, port your API calls, and test a long script before you commit.

## Switching from Play.ht

1. Gather any audio and scripts you exported from Play.ht; clones did not survive the shutdown.
2. Re-clone each voice in AudioPod from an original recording you have rights to (5 seconds minimum).
3. Swap your TTS calls to the AudioPod API using the Python or Node SDK.
4. Re-generate a long-form sample and check pronunciation before switching production traffic.

## FAQ

**Is Play.ht still working?**
No, by every account we found. Press coverage reports the service closed on 31 December 2025, and play.ht did not resolve when we checked on 2026-10-14.

**What is the cheapest replacement for Play.ht's API?**
AudioPod's API is on every plan, the free one included, and is funded by credits: about 15,000 characters of speech per $1 of pay-as-you-go credit.

## Sources

- [Cognitive Future — PlayHT is gone (2026)](https://cognitivefuture.ai/elevenlabs-vs-playht-alternatives/) (checked 2026-10-14)
- [AudioPod pricing](https://audiopod.ai/pricing) (checked 2026-10-14)

## Related

- [Try Text to Speech Free](https://audiopod.ai/features/text-to-speech)
- [Play.ht alternative](https://audiopod.ai/alternatives/playht-alternative)
- [All comparisons](https://audiopod.ai/compare)
- [Pricing](https://audiopod.ai/pricing)