audio model comparison

Eleven v4 vs MAI-Voice-2.1

Eleven v4 and MAI-Voice-2.1 are both current audio models, from ElevenLabs and Microsoft AI. MAI-Voice-2.1 is 73% cheaper per character than Eleven v4, $0.000022 vs $0.00008.

Lower price per character: MAI-Voice-2.1$0.000022 against $0.00008
Newer release: MAI-Voice-2.1Oct 2026 against Sep 2026

Data verified October 29, 2026 · Dataset 2026-10-29

Eleven v4 and MAI-Voice-2.1, line by line

Prices in effect today, compared at the same tier wherever both list one. The better value in each row is highlighted.

Fact	Eleven v4	MAI-Voice-2.1
Price
Price per character	$0.00008	$0.000022 (better)
Independent benchmarks
Artificial Analysis Speech Arena	1326 Elo (#2 of 11)	Not measured
Specs
Provider	ElevenLabs	Microsoft AI
Release date	September 28, 2026	October 1, 2026
Access	API only	API only
Context window	Not reported	Not reported
Max output	Not reported	Not reported
Input	text	text
Output	audio	audio

No independent benchmark has scored both models yet. Each rank counts the current models scored on that benchmark.

Scores:Artificial Analysis · 2026-10-13

Charts

Against every current audio model

Where Eleven v4 and MAI-Voice-2.1 land among the current models of their task, on every independent benchmark, on price and on context.

Where each stands

Only Eleven v4 has a current Artificial Analysis Speech Arena score: #2 of 11. Each bar is the share of current models it beats.

Independent benchmarks

Artificial Analysis Speech Arena

Eleven v4:#2of 11

1,326 Elo · ahead of 90%

MAI-Voice-2.1: Not scored

Price and context

Price per character

Eleven v4:#8of 10

$0.00008 · cheaper than 0%

MAI-Voice-2.1:#4of 10

$0.000022 · cheaper than 67%

Scores fromArtificial Analysis · 2026-10-13

Cost

What each costs

Example workloads at each provider's listed rates, then every other rate either one lists. The cheaper figure in each row is highlighted.

The same work, priced

For 1M characters, Eleven v4 costs 3.6 times as much as MAI-Voice-2.1, at each provider's listed rates.

1M characters
Eleven v4 costs 3.6× as much
Eleven v4
$80
MAI-Voice-2.1
$22

Workload or rate	Eleven v4	MAI-Voice-2.1
Example workloads
1M characters	$80	$22 (better)

Verdict

When to choose each

Eleven v4

Where it leads

No measured lead over MAI-Voice-2.1 in this data.

Best for

Expressive narration and dialogue
Multilingual voice content

Watch out for

ElevenLabs' blind-test preference claims are its own; the independent rating is recorded below
For low latency ElevenLabs points to Eleven v4 Turbo

Full Eleven v4 profile

MAI-Voice-2.1

Where it leads

Lower price per character, $0.000022 vs $0.00008

Best for

Multilingual products that keep one voice across languages
Narration and dialogue with controlled delivery

Watch out for

Microsoft Foundry lists it as a preview, and voice cloning needs Microsoft approval
No independent benchmark score is recorded here yet

Full MAI-Voice-2.1 profile

From benchmark to production

Building on Eleven v4 or MAI-Voice-2.1?

Public scores rarely hold on your own data. We test both models on your real tasks, then build the agent or pipeline around the one that wins.

Book a consultation AI agent development

FAQ