Kokoro
Foundation Models · Free
Lightweight, high-quality open TTS model
At a glance
- Open source
- Apache-2.0
What is Kokoro?
Kokoro is an open-weight text-to-speech (TTS) model with 82 million parameters. It is described as having a lightweight structure yet delivering quality comparable to larger models while being much faster and more cost-efficient. The weights are under the Apache license, so they can be deployed anywhere, from commercial environments to personal projects. v1.0 offers 8 languages and 54 voices, and it states that as of April 2025, the API market price is under $1 per 1 million input characters.
- Lightweight TTS with 82 million parameters
- Apache-licensed weights
- 8 languages and 54 voices as of v1.0
- Runs as a Python package (kokoro)
- Architecture based on StyleTTS 2 and ISTFTNet
- Trained only on permissively licensed and non-copyrighted audio
Who uses Kokoro and for what
- Speech synthesis deployment from commercial services to personal projects
Pricing
What you get for free — Open weights (Apache-2.0) — no official pricing plan; API market price is under $1 per 1 million characters (based on external providers)
Checked on the official pages on 2026-10-14. Prices and features can change, so check the official site again before paying.
AI tools similar to Kokoro (alternatives)
Kokoro vs. alternatives at a glance
| AI | Pricing | Combos on the map | Connected tools | Free | Cheapest monthly | Korean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kokoro | Free | 0 | 5 | No | — | — |
| AudioLDM 2 | Free | 0 | 5 | — | — | No |
| Bark | Free | 0 | 5 | No | — | — |
| MusicGen | Free | 0 | 5 | — | — | — |
| StyleTTS2 | Free | 0 | 5 | — | — | — |
0 of these 5 tools have a free plan.
Combo and connection counts are based on the relationships recorded on AI Galaxy Map (2026-10-26); they are not a quality ranking.
Kokoro on AI Galaxy Map
- One of 60 AI tools in the Foundation Models field.
- Connected to 5 other tools — #16 in its field.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Kokoro for free?
Open weights (Apache-2.0) — no official pricing plan; API market price is under $1 per 1 million characters (based on external providers). Prices can change, so check the official site before paying.
What AI can I use instead of Kokoro?
Tools that do the same job, such as AudioLDM 2, Bark, MusicGen, StyleTTS2, are connected to it on the map.
Sources (official pages)
Checked on the official pages on 2026-10-14. Prices and features can change, so check the official site again before paying.