$19.50per 1M characters
1,168arena Elo
Jul 2026released
Exact native tariff; see source for billing scope.Price covers
Ranking?
Full ranking →···
24Speech 2.8 HD1,17425Lightning V3.1 Pro (Jul 2026)1,16826Speech 2.8 Turbo1,155Strong at
Alternatives?
ModelScoreCostPriceWhat changes
CheaperFish Audio Drama 3 PreviewOpenwins 61%-23%$15SBetterSimba 3.2wins 61%-66%$6.60
CheaperVoxtral 3 TTSwins 57%-33%$13ICheaperRealtime TTS-2 Flashwins 57%-47%$10.40VCheaperLuna TTSwins 56%-23%$15ModelScoreCostPriceWhat changes
Fish Audio Drama 3 PreviewOpenwins 61%-23%$15SSimba 3.2wins 61%-66%$6.60Voxtral 3 TTSwins 57%-33%$13IRealtime TTS-2 Flashwins 57%-47%$10.40VLuna TTSwins 56%-23%$15ModelScoreCostPriceWhat changes
SSimba 3.2wins 61%-66%$6.60IRealtime TTS-2 Flashwins 57%-47%$10.40Voxtral 3 TTSwins 57%-33%$13Fish Audio Drama 3 PreviewOpenwins 61%-23%$15VLuna TTSwins 56%-23%$15
Benchmarks
in Speech & VoiceAA TTS provider voice1,168#25
FAQ
How much does Lightning V3.1 Pro (Jul 2026) cost?›
$19.50 per 1M characters.
Is Lightning V3.1 Pro (Jul 2026) free to use?›
There is no free API; it costs $19.50 per 1M characters.
How good is Lightning V3.1 Pro (Jul 2026), and what is it best at?›
#25 of 96 in Text to speech.
Is Lightning V3.1 Pro (Jul 2026) better than Speech 2.8 HD?›
On AA TTS provider voice, Lightning V3.1 Pro (Jul 2026) scores 1,168 vs 1,174 — about the same. It is 81% cheaper.
When was Lightning V3.1 Pro (Jul 2026) released? Is there a newer version?›
Released 2026-07-13. It is the current version in its line.
Is Lightning V3.1 Pro (Jul 2026) open source?›
No, Lightning V3.1 Pro (Jul 2026) is a closed model available through an API. The closest open-weights option here is Fish Audio Drama 3 Preview.
What is Lightning V3.1 Pro (Jul 2026)?›
Lightning V3.1 Pro (Jul 2026) is a closed speech & voice model from Smallest.ai, released Jul 2026.
What are the best alternatives to Lightning V3.1 Pro (Jul 2026)?›
Fish Audio Drama 3 Preview (cheaper), Simba 3.2 (better).