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Quick verdict: Use Eleven v4. In my ElevenLabs v4 vs v3 test, both models said every word of my English, Hindi and Urdu scripts correctly, and both cost the same 1 credit per character. On plain narration they were hard to tell apart. Where v4 pulled ahead was emotion: it actually laughed on the [laughs] tag, and it takes scripts twice as long in one go.
Best for: anyone generating new audio · Stay on v3 if: you have an older project you want to keep consistent · Price: same credits on every plan · My score: v4 4.8/5, v3 4.4/5
ElevenLabs released Eleven v4 at the end of September 2026 and now calls v3 its “previous generation” model. To see if the upgrade is worth switching for, I ran an ElevenLabs v4 vs v3 test on 25 October 2026: the same five scripts, the same voices and the same default settings on both models, on my paid Starter plan. You can listen to every take below and judge for yourself.
How I tested ElevenLabs v4 vs v3
- Test date
- 25 October 2026
- Plan
- Starter (paid, commercial license)
- Settings
- Reset to default, nothing changed between models
- Scripts
- English, emotion tags, Hindi (Devanagari), Roman Hindi, Urdu
- Voices
- Arthur (English), Pari M (Hindi), Saira (Urdu): the same voice on both models
- Accuracy check
- All 10 takes run back through ElevenLabs Speech to Text
Each time you press Generate, ElevenLabs makes two takes. I used the first take of each for the samples below.
What changed in Eleven v4
From the ElevenLabs models documentation and app, checked on 25 October 2026.
| Feature | Eleven v4 | Eleven v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Languages | 90+ | 70+ |
| Urdu and Hindi | Yes | Yes |
| Characters per generation | 10,000 | 5,000 |
| Audio tags ([whispers], [laughs]…) | Yes | Yes |
| Credit cost in my test | 1 per character | 1 per character |
| ElevenLabs’ own label | “Fastest and most emotive” | “Previous generation” |
There is also Eleven v4 Turbo, with about 100 ms latency. It is built for live voice agents, not for voiceovers, so I left it out of this test. If you need Urdu, note that the older Multilingual v2 model doesn’t support it; only v3 and v4 do.
Listen: ElevenLabs v4 vs v3 on the same scripts
Each box shows the exact prompt, then the v4 and v3 takes side by side. The notes under each player come from my speech-to-text accuracy check.
Welcome to AI Tool Wise. Today we are testing how natural this voice sounds. Can it handle numbers like 2026 and $19.99? Let’s find out together.
Every word correct. “$19.99” read as “19 dollars and 99 cents”.
Every word correct, same reading of the numbers.
What I heard: on plain English narration the two were very hard to tell apart.
[excited] We just hit 10,000 subscribers! [whispers] But don’t tell anyone yet… [laughs] Okay, I’m kidding. [serious] Now let’s get back to work.
Tag words not read aloud. Speech to Text picked up an audible laugh in this take.
Tag words not read aloud, text correct. No laugh was detected in this take.
What I found: this was the clearest difference in the whole test. v4 performed the [laughs] tag; v3 did not do so audibly.
नमस्ते! एआई टूल वाइज़ में आपका स्वागत है। आज हम देखेंगे कि यह आवाज़ कितनी नेचुरल लगती है।
Every word correct, a slightly slower pace.
Every word correct, a little faster.
What I found: no pronunciation difference. Speech to Text even labelled the v3 take as a different speaker, so the same voice sounds slightly different on each model.
Namaste! AI Tool Wise mein aapka swagat hai. Aaj hum dekhenge ki yeh awaaz kitni natural lagti hai.
Read as proper Hindi, not with an English accent.
Also read as proper Hindi.
What I found: both transcripts came back identical to the Devanagari script, so both models understood Roman Hindi as Hindi.
السلام علیکم! اے آئی ٹول وائز میں خوش آمدید۔ آج ہم دیکھیں گے کہ یہ آواز کتنی قدرتی لگتی ہے۔ یہ پروگرام 15 نومبر 2026 کو صبح 10:30 بجے شروع ہوگا، اور اس کی فیس 2,500 روپے ہے۔ کل کی meeting میں ہم website launch اور YouTube channel کے بارے میں بات کریں گے۔ خودی کو کر بلند اتنا کہ ہر تقدیر سے پہلے، خدا بندے سے خود پوچھے بتا تیری رضا کیا ہے۔
All words, English words and numbers correct. “10:30” read as “10 bajkar 30 minute baje”.
Identical transcript to v4, including the same reading of “10:30”.
What I found: both handled the poetry line, the date, the price and the English words. The only awkward spot, the time, was the same on both.
Speech-to-text accuracy check
Because the takes sounded so close, I ran all ten through ElevenLabs Speech to Text and compared the transcripts with my scripts. This shows what each model actually said, word by word.
| Script | Eleven v4 | Eleven v3 |
|---|---|---|
| English + numbers | All correct | All correct |
| Emotion tags | Correct, laugh detected | Correct, no laugh detected |
| Hindi (Devanagari) | All correct | All correct |
| Roman Hindi | Read as Hindi | Read as Hindi |
| Urdu | All correct (awkward “10:30”) | All correct (awkward “10:30”) |
Tip: both models read “10:30 بجے” as “10 bajkar 30 minute baje”, which sounds unnatural in Urdu. Try writing the time out in words (“ساڑھے دس بجے”) instead.
Does ElevenLabs v4 cost more credits than v3?
No. I had 11,453 credits before the test and 9,815 after. That is 1,638 credits, exactly the number of characters I generated across both models (each script once on v4 and once on v3). Both models cost 1 credit per character, and you get two takes per click for that price.
So on the $6 Starter plan, with its 30,000 monthly credits, you can use v4 at no extra cost. Full plan details are in my ElevenLabs pricing guide.
Which ElevenLabs model should you use?
- New voiceovers, YouTube, audiobooks: Eleven v4. Same price, better emotion, longer scripts per generation.
- Scripts with emotion tags: Eleven v4. It was the only one that performed the laugh in my test.
- Urdu or Hindi content: either works. Accuracy was identical, so pick v4 for the extra expression.
- An older project made on v3: keep v3 for the remaining parts, because the same voice sounds slightly different on v4.
- Live voice agents: look at v4 Turbo instead.
New to ElevenLabs? Start with my full ElevenLabs review, or see my ElevenLabs Urdu guide for Urdu voice tips. If the price is the problem, I’ve tested several ElevenLabs alternatives.
ElevenLabs v4 vs v3 FAQ
Is ElevenLabs v4 better than v3?
Yes, slightly. In my test both were equally accurate, but v4 handled emotion tags better and accepts 10,000 characters per generation instead of 5,000. I scored v4 4.8/5 and v3 4.4/5.
Does Eleven v4 cost more credits?
No. In my test both models used exactly 1 credit per character.
Does ElevenLabs v4 support Urdu?
Yes. Urdu is listed for v4, v4 Turbo and v3, and my Urdu test was fully accurate on v4.
Is Eleven v4 available on the free plan?
I tested on the paid Starter plan, so I can’t confirm it from my own account on free. Either way, free-plan audio can’t be used commercially, so you need at least Starter ($6/month) for YouTube or client work.
Is this ElevenLabs v4 vs v3 test sponsored?
No. I paid for my own Starter plan and ran the test myself. Some links may become affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. See the affiliate disclosure.
Final verdict: ElevenLabs v4 vs v3
To sum up this ElevenLabs v4 vs v3 test: switch to v4. You pay the same, accuracy is identical in English, Hindi and Urdu, and v4 adds better emotion and longer scripts. Don’t expect a night-and-day jump on plain narration, though. The two models are close, and the upgrade shows most in expressive, tagged scripts.
Sources checked for this ElevenLabs v4 vs v3 test (5)
Facts below were checked on 25 October 2026. Models and limits change, so confirm on the official pages.
- ElevenLabs models documentation: languages, character limits, Urdu support
- ElevenLabs audio tags guide: tags on v4, v4 Turbo and v3
- ElevenLabs pricing: Starter credits, Speech to Text cost
- TechCrunch: ElevenLabs launches v4 (28 September 2026)
- My own hands-on test on the Starter plan and Speech to Text check, 25 October 2026
