---
title: ElevenLabs Sound Effects API Alternative | ModelsLab
description: ElevenLabs sound effects API alternative: Stable Audio Open at $0.001/s, half the ElevenLabs rate, or unlimited on $149/mo. Migration guide and limits.
url: https://modelslab.com/elevenlabs-sound-effects-api-alternative
canonical: https://modelslab.com/elevenlabs-sound-effects-api-alternative
type: website
component: Seo/ElevenLabsSoundEffectsAlternative
generated_at: 2026-10-07T20:07:24.953939Z
---
AudioGen
ElevenLabs Sound Effects API Alternative
---
Last updated Oct 7, 2026 · By ModelsLab Engineering
ElevenLabs lists its Sound Effects API at $0.12 per minute of audio, or $0.002 a second. The ModelsLab sound effects API runs Stable Audio Open 1.0 at $0.001 a second — half that rate — with no per-effect charge on the $149/month plan. You give up clips longer than 15 seconds and the loop option, and you can still call ElevenLabs on the same key.
[Get API key](https://modelslab.com/register) [API Documentation](https://docs.modelslab.com)
- ElevenLabs: $0.002 / second
- ModelsLab: $0.001 / second
- $149/month with no per-effect charge
ElevenLabs vs ModelsLab for Sound Effects
---
The two APIs side by side, from each provider's own pages.
| | ElevenLabs Sound Effects | ModelsLab sound effects API |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Sound Effects v2 (eleven\_text\_to\_sound\_v2) | Stable Audio Open 1.0 |
| Price | $0.12 / minute of audio ($0.002 / s) | $0.001 / s, $0.0047 minimum |
| 10-second effect | $0.02 | $0.01 |
| Unlimited plan | No | $149/month, no per-effect charge |
| Clip length | 0.5 to 30 s | 3 to 15 s (whole seconds) |
| Output | MP3; WAV 48 kHz for non-looping effects; PCM, Opus | mp3, wav or flac, 44.1 kHz stereo |
| Loop option | Yes | No |
| Response | Audio bytes in the response body | File URL in output, fetch by id, or webhook |
| Other APIs on the same key | Speech, voice, music, dubbing | Image, video, speech, LLMs, and ElevenLabs SFX at $0.06 / generation |
Read on October 6, 2026. ElevenLabs lists Sound Effects at $0.12 per minute on its API pricing page; the same page's FAQ says sound effects are billed per generation, and its docs say 40 credits per second when a duration is set.
Should You Switch?
---
### Switch when cost or consolidation is the problem
At $0.001 a second, a 10-second effect costs $0.01 on ModelsLab against $0.02 on ElevenLabs. At volume the gap widens: on the $149/month Open Source Unlimited plan, effects carry no per-effect charge, which beats ElevenLabs’ per-minute price from about 7,450 ten-second effects a month. If your product already uses ModelsLab for image, video or speech, sound effects join the same key and the same bill.
### Stay on ElevenLabs when the model is the reason
ElevenLabs Sound Effects v2 allows clips up to 30 seconds and has a loop option, and a different model will not sound the same on your prompts. If those are why you chose it, compare Stable Audio Open on your own prompts before you move, or keep ElevenLabs. You can also keep calling it through ModelsLab with model\_id eleven\_sound\_effect at $0.06 per generation, but if ElevenLabs is the only model you use, its own API is cheaper.
For clip-by-clip prices across fourteen offers, see [sound effects API pricing](/sound-effects-api-pricing).
Switching takes one request change
---
The same sound effect on each API. Map text to prompt and duration\_seconds to duration.
### Before — ElevenLabs
bash
```
1curl -X POST 'https://api.elevenlabs.io/v1/sound-generation' \
2 -H 'xi-api-key: YOUR_ELEVENLABS_API_KEY' \
3 -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
4 -d '{
5 "text": "Heavy wooden door creaking open slowly in a stone hallway",
6 "duration_seconds": 5
7 }' \
8 --output door.mp3
```
### After — ModelsLab
bash
```
1curl -X POST 'https://modelslab.com/api/v6/voice/sfx' \
2 -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
3 -d '{
4 "key": "YOUR_MODELSLAB_API_KEY",
5 "prompt": "Heavy wooden door creaking open slowly in a stone hallway",
6 "duration": 5,
7 "output_format": "mp3"
8 }'
9# The response carries the file URL in "output".
```
Hear Stable Audio Open 1.0
---
Four unedited 5-second effects from the ModelsLab endpoint, generated on October 6, 2026. Run the same prompts on ElevenLabs and compare by ear before you move a production workload.
### Door creak
Prompt: “Heavy wooden door creaking open slowly in a stone hallway”
[Door creak sample](/audios/sfx/stable-audio-open/door-creak.mp3)[Download the mp3](/audios/sfx/stable-audio-open/door-creak.mp3)
### Thunderstorm
Prompt: “Thunderstorm with heavy rain and a close lightning strike”
[Thunderstorm sample](/audios/sfx/stable-audio-open/thunderstorm.mp3)[Download the mp3](/audios/sfx/stable-audio-open/thunderstorm.mp3)
### Laser shots
Prompt: “Sci-fi laser gun firing three quick shots”
[Laser shots sample](/audios/sfx/stable-audio-open/laser-shots.mp3)[Download the mp3](/audios/sfx/stable-audio-open/laser-shots.mp3)
### Glass shatter
Prompt: “Glass bottle shattering on a concrete floor”
[Glass shatter sample](/audios/sfx/stable-audio-open/glass-shatter.mp3)[Download the mp3](/audios/sfx/stable-audio-open/glass-shatter.mp3)
Other ElevenLabs Sound Effects Alternatives
---
Every text-to-sound-effects offer we priced, sorted by the cost of one 10-second effect.
| Provider | Model | Listed price | 10-second effect | Max length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pika (dev.pika.art) | Pika SFX | $0.0002 / second + $10/month membership | $0.002 | 20 s |
| Replicate | MMAudio (zsxkib/mmaudio) | ≈ $0.0049 / run (L40S GPU time) | ≈ $0.0049 | Not published |
| ModelsLab | Stable Audio Open 1.0 | $0.001 / second, $0.0047 minimum; none on the $149 plan | $0.01 | 15 s |
| fal | MMAudio V2 | $0.001 / second | $0.01 | 30 s |
| fal | Sonilo v1.1 | $0.0018 / second | $0.018 | 180 s |
| ElevenLabs | Sound Effects v2 (eleven\_text\_to\_sound\_v2) | $0.12 / minute of audio | $0.02 | 30 s |
| fal | ElevenLabs Sound Effects V2 | $0.002 / second | $0.02 | 22 s |
| fal | Stable Audio 3 Small SFX | $0.0206 / audio | $0.0206 | 120 s |
| WaveSpeed | Kling text-to-audio | $0.035 / run | $0.035 (max 10 s) | 10 s |
| Segmind | ElevenLabs sound generation | $0.05 / generation | $0.05 | Not published |
| ModelsLab | ElevenLabs Sound Effects (eleven\_sound\_effect) | $0.06 / generation | $0.06 | Not published |
| WaveSpeed | Mirelo SFX 1.6 | $0.01 / second | $0.10 | 60 s |
| Stability AI | Stable Audio 2.5 | 20 credits ($0.20) / generation | $0.20 | 190 s |
| fal | Stable Audio 2.5 | $0.20 / audio | $0.20 | 190 s |
Every price read on the provider's own page on October 6, 2026, in the unit the provider publishes. ElevenLabs lists Sound Effects at $0.12 per minute on its API pricing page, while its FAQ says sound effects are billed per generation and its docs say 40 credits per second when a duration is set. Replicate bills GPU time, so its cost per run varies. Pika's $10/month membership is charged on top of usage.
Sources
---
Every price and limit on this page, with the page we read it on and the date.
- [ElevenLabs API pricing](https://elevenlabs.io/pricing/api) — Sound Effects $0.12 per minute; FAQ "billed per generation", read 2026-10-06
- [ElevenLabs sound effects docs](https://elevenlabs.io/docs/overview/capabilities/sound-effects) — 40 credits per second with a duration, formats, read 2026-10-06
- [ElevenLabs sound effects API reference](https://elevenlabs.io/docs/api-reference/text-to-sound-effects/convert) — duration 0.5–30 s, eleven\_text\_to\_sound\_v2, read 2026-10-06
- [Pika SFX pricing](https://dev.pika.art/models/pika/pika-audio/pika-sfx/pricing) — $0.0002 per second, read 2026-10-06
- [Pika API pricing](https://dev.pika.art/pricing) — $10/month membership fee, read 2026-10-06
- [fal MMAudio V2 text-to-audio](https://fal.ai/models/fal-ai/mmaudio-v2/text-to-audio) — $0.001 per second, read 2026-10-06
- [fal ElevenLabs Sound Effects V2](https://fal.ai/models/fal-ai/elevenlabs/sound-effects/v2) — $0.002 per second, read 2026-10-06
- [fal Sonilo v1.1 text-to-sound-effects](https://fal.ai/models/sonilo/v1.1/text-to-sound-effects) — $0.0018 per second, read 2026-10-06
- [fal Stable Audio 3 Small SFX](https://fal.ai/models/fal-ai/stable-audio-3/small/sfx/text-to-audio) — $0.0206 per audio, read 2026-10-06
- [fal Stable Audio 2.5](https://fal.ai/models/fal-ai/stable-audio-25/text-to-audio) — $0.20 per audio, read 2026-10-06
- [WaveSpeed Mirelo SFX 1.6](https://wavespeed.ai/models/mirelo-ai/sfx-1.6/text-to-audio) — $0.01 per generated second, read 2026-10-06
- [WaveSpeed Kling text-to-audio](https://wavespeed.ai/models/kwaivgi/kling-text-to-audio) — $0.035 per run, read 2026-10-06
- [Stability AI pricing](https://platform.stability.ai/pricing) — Stable Audio 2.5 = 20 credits, 1 credit = $0.01, read 2026-10-06
- [Replicate MMAudio](https://replicate.com/zsxkib/mmaudio) — about $0.0049 per run on L40S, read 2026-10-06
- [Segmind sound generation pricing](https://segmind.com/models/sound-generation/pricing) — $0.05 per generation, read 2026-10-06
- [Stable Audio Open 1.0 model card](https://huggingface.co/stabilityai/stable-audio-open-1.0) — Stability AI Community License
Sound effects API guides
---
[### Sound Effects API
The ModelsLab endpoint: price, limits, samples, curl and Python.](/text-to-sfx) [### Sound effects API pricing
Price per second and per 10-second effect across 14 offers.](/sound-effects-api-pricing) [### Best sound effects API 2026
ElevenLabs, Pika, MMAudio, Stable Audio and ModelsLab compared.](/best-sound-effects-api-2026) [### API status
Request errors logged per endpoint, last seven days.](/status)
Related Sound Effects APIs
---
- [Sound Effects API](/text-to-sfx)Stable Audio Open 1.0 at $0.001 per second.
- [Sound effects API pricing](/sound-effects-api-pricing)Price per second across 14 offers.
- [Best sound effects API](/best-sound-effects-api-2026)ElevenLabs, Pika, MMAudio and ModelsLab compared.
- [Cheapest AI API](/cheapest-ai-api)Image, video and speech prices side by side.
- [Unlimited AI API](/unlimited)Every self-hosted open-source model for $149/mo.
Get Expert Support in Seconds
We're Here to Help.
---
Want to know more? You can email us anytime at
Chat with support[View Docs](https://docs.modelslab.com)
It depends on why you are switching. To pay less per second: Pika SFX ($0.0002/s), or MMAudio V2 on fal and Stable Audio Open on ModelsLab ($0.001/s). For a flat monthly price: ModelsLab’s $149/month Open Source Unlimited plan. For clips longer than 30 seconds: Stable Audio 2.5. For foley synced to video: MMAudio or Mirelo SFX.
ElevenLabs lists Sound Effects at $0.12 per minute of audio, which is $0.002 per second. ModelsLab’s Stable Audio Open endpoint costs $0.001 per second with a $0.0047 minimum per effect — half the per-second rate — and nothing per effect on the $149/month plan. The trade-offs are a 15-second limit against ElevenLabs’ 30 seconds, and a different model.
Yes. POST /api/v7/voice/sound-generation with model_id eleven_sound_effect runs ElevenLabs Sound Effects on your ModelsLab key at $0.06 per generation. If ElevenLabs is the only model you use, its own API is cheaper; the ModelsLab route makes sense when you already use ModelsLab for other models and want one key and one bill.
Send `text` as `prompt` and `duration_seconds` as `duration` (whole seconds, 3 to 15), put your ModelsLab `key` in the JSON body, and read the file URL from `output` instead of reading audio bytes from the response. Re-tune your prompts on a test batch: Stable Audio Open and ElevenLabs respond differently to the same wording.
Not as a parameter. ElevenLabs offers a loop option; the ModelsLab Stable Audio Open endpoint does not. To make a loop, generate a clip and crossfade its end into its start in your audio pipeline.
## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is the best ElevenLabs sound effects API alternative?
It depends on why you are switching. To pay less per second: Pika SFX ($0.0002/s), or MMAudio V2 on fal and Stable Audio Open on ModelsLab ($0.001/s). For a flat monthly price: ModelsLab’s $149/month Open Source Unlimited plan. For clips longer than 30 seconds: Stable Audio 2.5. For foley synced to video: MMAudio or Mirelo SFX.
### How much cheaper is ModelsLab than ElevenLabs for sound effects?
ElevenLabs lists Sound Effects at $0.12 per minute of audio, which is $0.002 per second. ModelsLab’s Stable Audio Open endpoint costs $0.001 per second with a $0.0047 minimum per effect — half the per-second rate — and nothing per effect on the $149/month plan. The trade-offs are a 15-second limit against ElevenLabs’ 30 seconds, and a different model.
### Can I keep using ElevenLabs sound effects through ModelsLab?
Yes. POST /api/v7/voice/sound-generation with model_id eleven_sound_effect runs ElevenLabs Sound Effects on your ModelsLab key at $0.06 per generation. If ElevenLabs is the only model you use, its own API is cheaper; the ModelsLab route makes sense when you already use ModelsLab for other models and want one key and one bill.
### How do I switch from the ElevenLabs sound effects API?
Send `text` as `prompt` and `duration_seconds` as `duration` (whole seconds, 3 to 15), put your ModelsLab `key` in the JSON body, and read the file URL from `output` instead of reading audio bytes from the response. Re-tune your prompts on a test batch: Stable Audio Open and ElevenLabs respond differently to the same wording.
### Does ModelsLab support looping sound effects like ElevenLabs?
Not as a parameter. ElevenLabs offers a loop option; the ModelsLab Stable Audio Open endpoint does not. To make a loop, generate a clip and crossfade its end into its start in your audio pipeline.
---
*This markdown version is optimized for AI agents and LLMs.*
**Links:**
- [Website](https://modelslab.com)
- [API Documentation](https://docs.modelslab.com)
- [Blog](https://modelslab.com/blog)
---
*Generated by ModelsLab - 2026-10-08*