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Kokoro

Open-weight text-to-speech model with 82 million parameters that you run yourself, under the Apache-2.0 license.

AI Audio & VoiceFreeverified Listed on Open source

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Is Kokoro free?

Yes, Kokoro has a free plan. What you get: Open source (Apache-2.0 license): free model weights you run yourself with Python. To get it: install the kokoro library with pip, plus espeak-ng; then create a pipeline with a language code and a voice; then generate audio from your text and save it as WAV files. Verified on huggingface.co.

Free plan at a glance

Includes
  • Open source (Apache-2.0 license): free model weights you run yourself with Python

Open weights under the Apache-2.0 license that run on your own machine; the maker's pages state no usage limit.

Duration
Free forever
Commercial use
Allowed on the free plan

How to get it free

Self-host
  1. Install the kokoro library with pip, plus espeak-ng
  2. Create a pipeline with a language code and a voice
  3. Generate audio from your text and save it as WAV files

Good to know

  • Needs espeak-ng for English fallback and some non-English languages
  • Non-English voices may be thin; French has one voice
Get the free plan

github.com, Checked Source

Overview

Kokoro is a small open-weight text-to-speech model released under the Apache-2.0 license, so it can be used in personal and production projects. You run it with the kokoro Python library, with voices in English, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Spanish and other languages.

Key features

  • 82-million-parameter model that the maker says matches larger models while running faster
  • Voices for American and British English, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, French, Hindi, Italian and Brazilian Portuguese
  • Python library installed with pip, with adjustable speed and WAV output
  • GPU acceleration on Apple Silicon Macs through an environment variable
  • Weights licensed for commercial use, already used in projects and commercial APIs

Best for

Tasks
Turn text into speech
People
Developers adding speech to apps and products, People who want text to speech that runs on their own computer, Teams that need a speech model licensed for commercial use

Limitations

  • Runs from Python code: you install the kokoro library and espeak-ng yourself
  • The maker says non-English support may be thin, and French has a single voice
  • Voices can sound weak on very short lines and rushed on very long ones

Screenshot

Kokoro screenshot, as published by Kokoro
Image published by Kokoro

FAQ

Is Kokoro free?
Yes. Kokoro has a free plan: Open source (Apache-2.0 license): free model weights you run yourself with Python. We last checked huggingface.co's pricing page on 2026-10-24.
What does the Kokoro free plan include?
Open source (Apache-2.0 license): free model weights you run yourself with Python. Source: https://huggingface.co/hexgrad/Kokoro-82M (checked 2026-10-24).
How do I get Kokoro for free?
Steps: Install the kokoro library with pip, plus espeak-ng; Create a pipeline with a language code and a voice; Generate audio from your text and save it as WAV files. Start at https://github.com/hexgrad/kokoro (checked 2026-10-24).
Do I need an account to use Kokoro for free?
Not for the free option: the free route is to self-host Kokoro (Install the kokoro library with pip, plus espeak-ng). Checked 2026-10-24.
What's the catch with Kokoro's free plan?
Needs espeak-ng for English fallback and some non-English languages. Non-English voices may be thin; French has one voice. Checked 2026-10-24.
What are free alternatives to Kokoro?
NaturalReader, Fish Audio and Kitten-TTS all have free plans. We checked their free offers between 2026-10-24 and 2026-10-25.
Can I use Kokoro commercially?
Yes. The model card says it is an Apache-licensed model that has been deployed in numerous projects and commercial APIs, and the maker welcomes its use in real use cases.Source: huggingface.co/hexgrad/Kokoro-82M
Which languages does Kokoro support?
Its voices cover American and British English, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, French, Hindi, Italian and Brazilian Portuguese. The voices page warns that non-English support may be thin, and French has one voice.Source: huggingface.co/hexgrad/Kokoro-82M/blob/main/VOICES.md
Are websites with "kokoro" in their name official?
No. The model card says any website containing "kokoro" in its root domain is not owned by or affiliated with the model page or its author.Source: huggingface.co/hexgrad/Kokoro-82M

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Free offer
Verified on huggingface.co/hexgrad/Kokoro-82M
…is an Apache-licensed model, and Kokoro has been deployed in numerous projects and commercial…
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