C++ / Python

Piper

Fast, local neural text-to-speech
by rhasspy · MIT
Speech (STT / TTS)Text-to-speechMITRuns locallyC++ / PythonIntermediate
🛡 Published security advisories
A high count usually means the project is heavily examined. A low count usually means it is little examined — not that it is safe.
No public activity signals for this tool — it has no open repository we can measure.
Olud Pulse ⓘ ★★★★★★★★★★ /100 signals tracked
🐳 Docker pulls 📦 PyPI downloads / month 📦 npm downloads / month 🚀 Latest release ·
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What is Piper?

Piper is a fast, local neural text-to-speech engine that runs well even on low-power devices like the Raspberry Pi, with many voices.

Why people choose Piper

Piper at a glance

CategorySpeech (STT / TTS)
TypeText-to-speech
LicenseMIT
Runs locallyYes
Built withC++ / Python
Skill levelIntermediate
Best forlocal, low-latency voice output

Open-source alternatives to Piper

Other open-source speech (stt / tts) tools worth comparing:

WhisperOpenAI's open speech-to-text baselinefaster-whisperWhisper, much faster and lighterWhisperXWhisper plus word timestamps and diarizationCoqui TTSDeep-learning TTS with voice cloningBarkText-to-audio with voices and effectsF5-TTSZero-shot voice cloning that actually convincesKokoroTiny 82M TTS with astonishing qualityVozoDub video in the speaker's own cloned voicewhisper.cppWhisper in pure C/C++, runs anywhereOpenVoiceClone a voice and control its emotionStyleTTS 2Human-level speech synthesispyannote.audioKnow who spoke whenSilero VADDetect speech in audio, instantlyNeumeTurns a text prompt into a sung, mixed song with lyricsunWarpRecords calls and voice memos into searchable notes.YapHold a key, speak, and the text is typed at your cursor.

Piper head-to-head

Piper vs WhisperPiper vs faster-whisperPiper vs WhisperXPiper vs Coqui TTSPiper vs BarkPiper vs F5-TTSPiper vs KokoroPiper vs VozoPiper vs whisper.cppPiper vs OpenVoicePiper vs StyleTTS 2Piper vs pyannote.audioPiper vs Silero VADPiper vs NeumePiper vs unWarpPiper vs Yap

FAQ

Is Piper free?

Piper is free and open-source (MIT license), so you can use, self-host and modify it at no cost.

Can I run Piper locally?

Yes. Piper is designed to run on your own machine or server, keeping your data private.

What is the best alternative to Piper?

Popular open-source alternatives include Whisper, faster-whisper, WhisperX. See the comparisons above to choose.

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