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IBM Watson vs. Microsoft Azure AI Speech

The best way to compare IBM Watson vs. Microsoft Azure AI Speech: audio samples, features, plans, pricing, and more.

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Live Demo

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Non-Fiction
Fiction
News
Blog
Conversation
0/250
Voice
Format
Normal
Speed
Filesize
0 kb
Text to speech API - IBM Watson

IBM Watson

Convert text into natural-sounding speech in a variety of languages and voices.
Text to speech API - Microsoft Azure AI Speech

Microsoft Azure AI Speech

Enables your applications, tools, or devices to convert text into human-like synthesized speech.

Voice Quality

IBM Watson Samples

Mean Opinion Score
Fiction
N/A
Non-Fiction
N/A
Conversation
N/A

Microsoft Azure AI Speech Samples

Mean Opinion Score
Fiction
3.69
Non-Fiction
3.13
Conversation
3.18
Mean Opinion Score (MOS) is a numerical measure that represents the perceived quality of audio samples, commonly used in evaluating text-to-speech systems. The score ranges from 1 to 5, with 1 indicating poor quality and 5 signifying excellent quality. These scores are derived from comprehensive, professionally-conducted evaluations, and are anonymized to ensure unbiased results.

Features

IBM Watson Features

Voice Cloning
Multi-lingual
Per-word Timestamps
Pitch Control
Speed Control
Phone Formats (e.g. pcm_mulaw)

Microsoft Azure AI Speech Features

Voice Cloning
Multi-lingual
Per-word Timestamps
Pitch Control
Speed Control
Phone Formats (e.g. pcm_mulaw)

Features - Conclusion

  • Both IBM Watson and Microsoft Azure AI Speech offer a comprehensive set of features for text-to-speech conversion, including voice cloning, multi-lingual support, per-word timestamps, pitch and speed control, and compatibility with phone formats.
  • This similarity in features indicates a competitive edge in the market, focusing on versatility and customization to meet diverse user needs.
  • The choice between the two may ultimately come down to specific preferences for voice quality, pricing, or brand loyalty, as their feature sets do not significantly differentiate them.

Pricing & Plans

IBM Watson Pricing

Free
$0/mo
10,000 characters
Standard
$20per
1M characters

Microsoft Azure AI Speech Pricing

Free
$0/mo
5 hours of audio (~225K chars)
Pay As You Go
$15per
1M characters

Pricing & Plans - Conclusion

  • In a direct comparison of pricing for text-to-speech services, Microsoft Azure AI Speech emerges as the more economical choice, offering a rate of $15 per million characters on its pay-as-you-go plan.
  • In contrast, IBM Watson's standard plan is priced at $20 for the same amount of characters.
  • This makes Microsoft Azure AI Speech a preferable option for users seeking a cost-effective solution for converting large volumes of text into speech.

Customer Reviews

IBM Watson Reviews

4.1 out of 5
Average of 44 ratings from leading review sites.
Customers appreciate IBM Watson Text to Speech for its ease of integration, speed, and support for multiple languages, making it versatile for various applications like education, customer service, and accessibility for the disabled. The ability to customize voice and tone is highly valued. However, some users note issues with pronunciation accuracy, limited language options, and occasional software glitches. The pricing is also considered high for small businesses or individual users.
Ease of integration
Speed
Language support
Customization
Pronunciation accuracy
Software reliability
Pricing
Language diversity

Microsoft Azure AI Speech Reviews

4.2 out of 5
Average of 88 ratings from leading review sites.
Customers appreciate Azure Text to Speech API for its ease of use, high-quality audio output, and seamless integration with other services. They find it particularly beneficial for accessibility and enhancing user experience across various applications. However, concerns about the cost and limited customization options are frequently mentioned. The API's multilingual support and continuous updates are praised, but some users desire improvements in voice naturalness and additional language options.
Ease of use
Integration
Accessibility
Audio quality
Multilingual support
Naturalness of voice
Cost
Customization

Compare Alternatives

IBM Watson Alternatives

IBM Watson vs. Unreal Speech
IBM Watson vs. Amazon Polly
IBM Watson vs. ElevenLabs
IBM Watson vs. Play.ht
IBM Watson vs. Google Cloud Text-to-Speech
IBM Watson vs. OpenAI Text-to-Speech
IBM Watson vs. Murf API
IBM Watson vs. Neets.ai
IBM Watson vs. Resemble.AI
IBM Watson vs. LOVO AI
IBM Watson vs. Deepgram Aura

Microsoft Azure AI Speech Alternatives

Microsoft Azure AI Speech vs. Unreal Speech
Microsoft Azure AI Speech vs. Amazon Polly
Microsoft Azure AI Speech vs. ElevenLabs
Microsoft Azure AI Speech vs. Play.ht
Microsoft Azure AI Speech vs. Google Cloud Text-to-Speech
Microsoft Azure AI Speech vs. OpenAI Text-to-Speech
Microsoft Azure AI Speech vs. Murf API
Microsoft Azure AI Speech vs. Neets.ai
Microsoft Azure AI Speech vs. Resemble.AI
Microsoft Azure AI Speech vs. LOVO AI
Microsoft Azure AI Speech vs. Deepgram Aura

Summary

  • Both IBM Watson and Microsoft Azure AI Speech offer robust text-to-speech services with a wide range of features including voice cloning, multi-lingual support, and pitch and speed control, catering to diverse user needs with high customization potential.
  • While voice quality assessments are available for Microsoft Azure AI Speech, indicating a satisfactory performance, IBM Watson's voice quality data is not provided, leaving a gap in direct comparison.
  • From a pricing perspective, Microsoft Azure AI Speech presents a more cost-effective option with its pay-as-you-go plan at $15 per million characters, compared to IBM Watson's $20 for the same amount, making it a potentially more attractive choice for users prioritizing budget alongside feature richness.

Looking for a better alternative to IBM Watson & Microsoft Azure AI Speech?

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