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lightweight

KittenTTS

Apache-2.0

15M params, under 25MB, runs anywhere — even your phone

KittenTTS is an ultra-lightweight English TTS model — around 15 million parameters, small enough to run without a GPU entirely. It trades some expressiveness for extreme efficiency, with a handful of clean preset voices. Via the API it's effectively instant.

Hear KittenTTS

KittenTTS · Default · Same three scripts across the directory.

Run it yourself

Best for: 15M params, under 25MB, runs anywhere — even your phone

Permissive model license: This review covers the original 15M developer-preview checkpoint used by this entry. Later Nano 0.8 weights are a separate checkpoint and are not represented by the older audio.

Code: Apache-2.0. Weights: Apache-2.0 (kitten-tts-nano-0.1). License sources checked 2026-09-20. Source 1Source 2Source 3

Before you choose: Compare the samples with your own use case. Check the linked documentation for code, weight, and voice license terms.

Details awaiting a fresh review. Hardware figures are estimates unless a benchmark is linked.

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Voices

1 voice
Neutral
Defaultdefault
—

The scripts

Neutral
“The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog near the riverbank.”
Emotional
“I can't believe you actually did it. This is incredible!”
Numbers & Dates
“On March 14th, 2025, the team raised $4.2 million at a 38% margin.”

Run KittenTTS

pip install kittentts

Sources & setup details

KittenTTS FAQ

Do I need a GPU to run KittenTTS?

KittenTTS supports CPU inference. Speed depends on your processor, runtime, and text.

Can KittenTTS clone voices?

No — KittenTTS uses preset voices. Browse the voice-cloning category for models that clone from reference audio.

What license is KittenTTS released under?

KittenTTS is released under the Apache-2.0 license. Always check the repository for the exact terms — some models license code and weights separately.

What languages does KittenTTS support?

KittenTTS supports English.

Is there a hosted KittenTTS API?

OpenSpeech Cloud is accepting production-access interest for KittenTTS, but this model is not currently hosted in Cloud. Use the official repository for current deployment options.