It doesn't run on Linux or Intel Macs, it has no phone app and no voice replies, and it costs $30 where several of the tools above are free. It's for people on Windows or an Apple silicon Mac who want natural voices, their own voice, and the exact permission request read out, without sending anything to a cloud service. Details for each agent: Claude Code, Codex and Hermes Agent. For the free, no-voice options, see notifications when Claude Code or Codex is done.
VoicedByMe / Use cases / Agent voice notifications
Roundup · Claude Code · Codex · Updated 24 October 2026
Hear your coding agents. Pick the tool for your setup.
On a Mac, Earpiece (free, open source) and Heard speak when Claude Code or Codex finishes or needs you. On Windows, VoicedByMe ($30 once) and codex-notify do. anotifier and agent-notify send desktop and phone alerts on every system. They differ in which agents they hook, whether they read out the actual permission request, and whether the voice is the system's, a cloud AI voice or one that runs on your computer. We make VoicedByMe; the table says where the others do more.
Samples made offline with ready-made voices. All of them are AI-generated.
At a glance
Seven ways to hear your agents.
| Systems | Agents | What it tells you | Voice | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VoicedByMe | Windows 10 and 11, Apple silicon Macs | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Hermes Agent, Claude app; any MCP agent | Finished replies, permission requests with the command, questions; speaks on request | Natural AI voices on your computer, or your own | $30 once |
| Earpiece | macOS; Linux CLI; Windows untested | Claude Code, Codex CLI, Claude Desktop; anything via its CLI | Done, needs you, questions and permission prompts; a voice per agent | System voice free; AI voices with Pro or your own API key | Free (MIT); Pro $10 a month or $179 once |
| Heard | macOS 14+ | Claude Code, Codex, compatible CLI agents | Short spoken updates on progress, blockers and decisions; answer by voice | Its own voices | Free to start; paid Power plan |
| anotifier | macOS, Windows, Linux, phones | Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, Gemini CLI, VS Code | Done and needs input, as desktop or phone alerts, webhooks or a bell | None | Free (AGPL-3.0) |
| agent-notify | macOS, Linux, Windows via WSL or Git Bash | Codex CLI, Claude Code, Gemini CLI | Done, approval needed and errors, with sounds and optional speech | System voice | Free (AGPL-3.0) |
| codex-notify | Windows | Claude Code, Codex CLI, OpenClaw | A beep and a spoken message when done or waiting | Windows' built-in voice | Free (MIT) |
| Your own hooks | Any | Claude Code, Codex | Whatever you script | System voice | Free |
From each project's own site and README, 24 October 2026. Features change quickly; check before you choose.
What to look for
Six things that make the difference.
Hooks or instructions
Hooks run every time, whatever the model decides. Tools that ask the agent to speak through instructions (like codex-notify's CLAUDE.md lines and skills) depend on the model remembering to.
The actual request
"Claude Code needs you" makes you walk back to the screen. "Claude Code wants to run npm install. Allow it?" lets you decide from where you are.
Where the voice runs
System voices and VoicedByMe run on your computer. Cloud AI voices and AI summaries send the agent's text to that service, which matters for client code.
A voice per agent
With two or three agents going, a different voice for each tells you who finished without looking.
Quiet when it should be
Quiet hours, and silence while you're already looking at the terminal, keep it from becoming noise.
Talking back
Heard lets you answer by voice. Claude Code's /voice and Codex's dictation let you speak prompts. Most notifiers only talk.
Picks
By setup.
Mac, free
Earpiece. Open source, hooks Claude Code and Codex in one click, and its free tier uses the system voice.
Mac, talk back too
Heard, if you want a spoken conversation with your agents rather than alerts.
Windows, natural voices
VoicedByMe. One click per agent, reads the reply, the command waiting for approval and the question, in a natural voice or yours, offline.
Windows, free
codex-notify, or your own Stop hook calling Windows' speech engine.
On your phone
anotifier, or a hook that sends a push through ntfy. Good for long runs when you leave the desk.
Many machines over SSH
agent-notify or anotifier, with webhooks to Slack, Discord or Telegram.
Be honest
Where VoicedByMe falls short.
Questions
How do I get Claude Code to speak when it's done?
Add a Stop hook that runs a speech command, or use a tool that sets up the hooks for you: Earpiece or Heard on a Mac, VoicedByMe on Windows or an Apple silicon Mac.
Is there a free tool that reads Claude Code's replies aloud?
Yes: Earpiece (macOS, MIT) with the system voice, agent-notify with the system voice, and codex-notify on Windows. Or write your own Stop hook.
Which ones work on Windows?
VoicedByMe and codex-notify run natively; anotifier supports Windows; agent-notify works through WSL or Git Bash. Earpiece and Heard are Mac apps.
Do these tools send my code to the cloud?
System voices and VoicedByMe don't. Tools using cloud AI voices or AI summaries send the text they speak to that provider; check the settings if your code is confidential.
Can it read Codex's permission requests?
VoicedByMe and Earpiece speak Codex permission prompts. Codex's notify program alone only fires when a turn ends, so it can't.
Can I answer my agent by voice?
Heard lets you reply by voice. Claude Code's /voice and Codex's dictation turn speech into prompts. VoicedByMe only speaks.
How much does it cost?
$30 once for the first 50 customers, then $50. No subscription. The full app is free for one day so you can try it first. A license is for one computer.
For Windows 10 and 11, and Macs with Apple silicon
Your agents, out loud.
$30once. Launch price for the first 50 customers, then $50.
One computer. No subscription.
Download for Windows
Download for Mac
Also for Windows 10 and 11
Also for Macs with Apple silicon
The full app, free for 24 hours. Purchases aren't refundable, so please try it first.