What it does
Core capabilities at a glance
- Real-time CPU inference with no GPU required
- 100+ voices across 20+ languages
- VITS-based neural TTS
- Output as raw PCM or WAV
- Command-line and HTTP API
- Integrates with Home Assistant, Rhasspy, and Open WebUI
Deep dive
The full breakdown - performance, comparisons, and setup
Piper TTS
Piper TTS is the default choice for self-hosted text-to-speech because it runs on CPU, supports 100+ voices, and is fast enough for real-time use on a Raspberry Pi.
What it is
Piper is a VITS-based neural TTS system developed by the Rhasspy project (open-source voice assistant ecosystem). It produces natural-sounding speech from text using small, efficient models that run on CPU.
How it stacks up
| Piper TTS | Kokoro TTS | Sherpa Onnx | Coqui TTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU inference | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✗ (needs GPU) |
| Voice count | 100+ | 10+ | 10+ | Limited |
| Languages | 20+ | 2 | 10+ | 10+ |
| Speed | 2x real-time | 2x real-time | 1x real-time | Slow |
| Best for | Home Assistant | General TTS | Multi-task | Research |
Get started
echo "Hello world" | piper --model en_US-lessac-medium --output_file hello.wavWhen to use something else
- Higher quality voices: Kokoro for English and Japanese
- Speech-to-text also needed: Sherpa Onnx for all-in-one speech
- Multi-modal API: LocalAI bundles TTS with LLM and images
Frequently asked
Quick answers to common questions
What is Piper TTS?
Piper TTS is a tts-stt tool for local AI workloads. Fast, local neural text-to-speech that runs in real-time on CPU with 100+ voices across 20+ languages.
Is Piper TTS free and open source?
Yes, Piper TTS has 11,060 GitHub stars and is licensed under MIT. You can self-host it for free on linux, windows, macos, docker.
What platforms does Piper TTS support?
Piper TTS runs on linux, windows, macos, docker.
What hardware do I need for Piper TTS?
The hardware requirements depend on which models you run. Check our hardware directory for compatible GPUs and systems. Piper TTS has 11,060 GitHub stars and an active community.
Does Piper TTS support GPU acceleration?
Piper TTS supports GPU acceleration via CUDA, Metal, or Vulkan depending on your platform. For the best performance, pair it with an NVIDIA RTX 4090 or 5090.
What are the best alternatives to Piper TTS?
Popular alternatives include other tts-stt tools in our directory. Browse our full collection at /tool for comparisons, community reviews, and benchmark data to find the right fit for your workflow.
How much does Piper TTS cost?
Piper TTS is free-open-source. It is completely free and open source to self-host.
Pairs well with
Complementary tools, models, and hardware
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