Hume AI has been discontinued and is no longer available.
Hume is sunsetting its TTS (Octave) and EVI APIs; access ends Nov 13, 2026 per dev.hume.ai docs. hume.ai now sells only voice-AI evaluation (VoiceEQ); pricing page removed (checked 2026-10-08)
Hume AI
The world's most realistic and expressive voice AI with emotional intelligence
Alternatives to Hume AI
ElevenLabs
AI voice generator and voice agents platform
Descript
AI-powered video and podcast editor — edit media like a document
Murf AI
AI voice generator with 200+ realistic text-to-speech voices
TTSOpenAI
Advanced AI voice engine for natural text-to-speech
Synthflow
No-code AI voice agents for automated phone calls
Vida
AI Agent OS that calls, texts, emails, and chats at enterprise scale
About Hume AI
Hume AI builds emotionally intelligent voice AI powered by scientific research on human expression. Its flagship products — Octave for text-to-speech and EVI (Empathic Voice Interface) for real-time voice conversations — understand and respond to emotional nuances in speech, making AI interactions feel genuinely human.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Emotionally intelligent voice AI that understands and responds to tonal nuances — not just words
- Ultra-fast Octave 2 TTS generates audio in under 200ms, suitable for real-time applications
- Voice cloning from just seconds of audio with consistent identity across 100+ languages
- Generous free tier with 10K characters and 5 EVI minutes for prototyping
- Comprehensive developer SDKs for Python, TypeScript, Swift, React, and .NET
- Integrates with major LLMs (Claude, GPT, Gemini, Llama) as an expressive voice layer
Cons
- Complex integration requires developer expertise — not a plug-and-play solution
- Emotion recognition accuracy can vary across cultural contexts and demographics
- Real-time video emotion analysis is computationally demanding on system resources
- Commercial license only starts at Creator tier ($14/mo) — free plan is personal use only
- Limited to 11 languages currently (expanding to 20+), fewer than some competitors
Key Features
Empathic Voice Interface (EVI)
Real-time speech-to-speech AI that detects vocal emotions and responds with contextually appropriate tone and expression
Octave Text-to-Speech
Ultra-realistic TTS engine generating expressive audio in under 200ms with native pronunciation across 100+ languages
Voice Cloning
Create natural-sounding voice clones from just a few seconds of audio, maintaining consistent identity across languages
Expression Measurement API
Suite of models analyzing emotion from face, voice, and text — detecting nuanced states beyond basic sentiment
Multilingual Support
Same voice speaks English, Mandarin, Spanish, and more with native-level pronunciation across 100+ languages
LLM Integration
Works seamlessly with Claude, GPT, Gemini, Llama, and other foundation models as an expressive voice layer
Developer SDKs
Robust APIs and SDKs for Python, TypeScript, Swift, React, and .NET for broad platform integration
Real-time Emotion Detection
Analyzes vocal modulations in real-time to understand speaker emotions and adapt responses accordingly
Pricing
- 10,000 TTS characters (~10 min)
- 5 minutes EVI usage
- 15 RPM, 1 concurrent connection
- Voice cloning (create only)
- Personal use only
- 140,000 TTS characters (~140 min)
- 200 minutes EVI usage
- 75 RPM
- Commercial license
- Unlimited voice cloning (create & use)
- 1,000,000 TTS characters (~1,000 min)
- 1,200 minutes EVI usage
- 75 RPM, 10 concurrent connections
- 3,000 projects
- $0.06/min EVI overage
- 10,000,000 TTS characters (~10,000 min)
- 12,500 minutes EVI usage
- 225 RPM, 30 concurrent connections
- 5 team seats
- Priority support
Best For
Conversational AI Agents
Build voice-based AI assistants that detect caller emotions and respond with empathy for customer service, support, and sales
Audiobook & Podcast Production
Generate expressive, natural-sounding narration with emotional range from text using Octave TTS and voice cloning
Healthcare & Teletherapy
Analyze patient vocal patterns to detect emotional states, supporting mental health assessments and therapeutic interactions
Market Research & UX Testing
Measure genuine emotional reactions to products, ads, or content through facial and vocal expression analysis
Education & E-Learning
Detect student frustration or engagement in real-time to adapt learning content and pacing dynamically
Featured In
7 Best AI Voice Agents for Automated Phone Calls (2026)
Best for businesses that prioritize natural, emotionally aware conversations — ideal when caller experience directly impacts revenue or retention.
Hume AI vs ElevenLabs: Which Voice AI Platform Wins in 2026?
The right choice for teams building real-time voice agents, companions, or therapy tools where emotional intelligence is the feature — not a nice-to-have.
Best AI Voice Assistants for Mental Health Apps (2026)
Best overall for any mental health app where real-time empathic conversation is core to the product — especially anxiety companions, CBT coaches, and crisis support.
Best Voice AI for Empathetic Chatbots (2026)
Best overall for teams building empathetic voice chatbots where emotional awareness is a core requirement, not a nice-to-have.
Best Emotionally Intelligent Voice AI for Customer Support (2026)
Best overall for support teams that want genuinely empathic voice AI and have the engineering capacity to integrate it into their existing CRM and ticketing stack.