RiffFree voice over apps
The best free voice over app on iPhone is iMovie if you want to record your own narration: it is made by Apple, costs nothing and has no in-app purchases. If you want an AI voice to read your text instead, CapCut and VN both have text to speech inside a free video editor. Riff, which we make, gives three free clips read in your own cloned voice.
Disclosure. We make Riff. We've tried to rank it fairly. Riff is one of seven apps below, and only its first three clips are free. Facts about other apps come from their US App Store listings, websites and help pages, read in October 2026.
How we chose
"Voice over app" means two things, so we cover both. Some apps let you record your own voice over a video. Others generate narration from text. We kept iPhone apps that are free to download and documented one or both, on their listing or on their own help pages. We note what costs extra wherever the source shows it, and say so when we could not confirm what is free. We left out Canva, whose help pages we could not load, and Microsoft Clipchamp, which we could not find on the US App Store. Ratings and prices are from the US App Store in October 2026.
Compare at a glance
| App | Record your voice over video | Text to speech | What costs extra (as shown) | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iMovie | Yes | Not documented | No in-app purchases | 4.4 (317,632) |
| CapCut | Yes, per CapCut's guide | Yes | Standard and Pro subscriptions | 4.6 (1,124,515) |
| VN | Yes | Yes, uses credits | VN Pro; credit packs | 4.8 (321,120) |
| InShot | Voice-overs listed | Yes (AI Speech) | InShot Pro; ad removal | 4.8 (2,512,865) |
| Voice Memos | Audio only, no video | No | No in-app purchases | 4.8 (1,112,941) |
| ElevenLabs | No | Yes, 10,000 free credits a month | Plans and credit packs | 4.8 (22,842) |
| Riff | No | Your own cloned voice; three free clips | Riff Creator subscription | No ratings yet |
iMovie Best free recorder
iMovie is Apple's free video editor, and its App Store page shows no in-app purchases. Apple's guide says to open your project, tap Add Media, then Voiceover, then Record. You get a three-second countdown, then Retake, Review or Accept, and the narration appears as an audio clip under your video. Apple's pages don't mention text to speech. It is rated 4.4 from 317,632 ratings, and its last update was in December 2024. It fits you if you want to narrate in your own voice with no cost and no account. support.apple.com
CapCut
CapCut is a free editor from ByteDance with text to speech in several voices and languages. CapCut's help page says to add a text layer, tap it, choose Text-to-Speech, pick a voice and tap Generate. CapCut's guides also describe recording audio over an imported video. The app sells Standard and Pro subscriptions at $9.99 and $19.99 a month (October 2026), but the pages we read don't say which voices or features need them. It is rated 4.6 from 1,124,515 ratings and rated 12+. It fits you if you already edit short videos in CapCut. capcut.com
VN Video Editor
VN's listing calls it free with no watermark, and says you can record voice-overs in the app or generate them with text to speech. Its help page says generating speech uses credits: you tap the TTS button, enter text, pick a voice and speed, and tap Generate. In-app purchases include VN Pro at $7.99 and credit packs from $1 (October 2026); we could not confirm how many free credits come with the app. It is rated 4.8 from 321,120 ratings. It fits you if you want a no-watermark editor with both options. vlognow.me
InShot
InShot's listing includes voice-overs under its music and voice tools, and an AI Speech feature that turns text into speech. In-app purchases include InShot Pro at $4.99 a month, $19.99 a year or $49.99 lifetime, and a $3.99 ad removal (October 2026). We could not confirm which AI Speech voices are free. It is rated 4.8 from 2,512,865 ratings. It fits you if you want a simple editor for social clips. App Store listing
Voice Memos
Voice Memos is Apple's free recorder, with no in-app purchases. It records audio from the built-in microphone, a headset or an external mic, and lets you trim, replace part of a take or resume recording. It does not work with video, so you would record your narration here and add it in an editor. It is rated 4.8 from 1,112,941 ratings. It fits you if you want a clean take before you edit. support.apple.com
ElevenLabs
ElevenLabs makes AI voiceovers from text. Its free plan includes 10,000 credits a month, and on its multilingual models one credit covers one character. The pricing page lists a commercial license starting with the $6-a-month Starter plan, so check the terms before you post free-plan audio on a channel that earns money. Its iPhone app is rated 4.8 from 22,842 ratings and can save and share audio to other apps (October 2026). It fits you if you want stock AI voices in many languages. elevenlabs.io
Riff
Riff is our iPhone app. It doesn't record over video and it has no stock voices. Instead, you tick "This is my own voice", read a passage aloud for about 25 seconds, and Riff builds a clone of your voice. Then you paste or write a script of up to 1,000 characters, choose English or Spanish, listen, and share the audio file to your video editor.
The first three generated clips are free. After that, Riff Creator gives unlimited voiceovers; the US App Store lists it at $6.99 a week or $59.99 a year (October 2026). Riff has no ratings yet. It fits you if you want narration that sounds like you without recording every take. If you want a fully free option, record in iMovie instead. See the Riff page.
Riff: three free clips of narration in your own cloned voice. English or Spanish.
Tips for a clean voiceover
- Record in a small, soft room such as a closet, with the phone a hand's width from your mouth.
- Write the script first and read it aloud once before you record.
- Record in short sections so a mistake costs one line, not the whole take.
- If you use an AI voice, listen to every clip before posting and label AI-generated audio where the platform asks.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best free voice over app for iPhone?
- For recording your own narration, iMovie: it is free, made by Apple, and shows no in-app purchases. For a free AI voice reading your text, CapCut and VN both include text to speech in a free editor, though VN uses credits for it.
- How do I add a voiceover in iMovie on iPhone?
- Open your movie project, tap Add Media, tap Voiceover, then tap Record. After a three-second countdown, speak. When you finish, choose Retake, Review or Accept. The voiceover appears as an audio clip under your video.
- Can I make an AI voiceover for free?
- Yes, within limits. ElevenLabs' free plan gives 10,000 credits a month, CapCut includes text to speech in its free editor, and Riff gives three free clips in your own cloned voice, as of October 2026.
- Do free voice over apps add a watermark?
- It depends on the app. VN's listing says it has no watermark. iMovie shows no in-app purchases. For other apps, check the export screen before you post.