Kokoro 82M
Hexgrad · Text to speech · 82M · Released 9 January 2025
Kokoro is proof that good text-to-speech no longer needs a large model. At 82 million parameters it is tiny, runs comfortably on a laptop CPU, and produces natural 24kHz speech that has scored surprisingly well in blind listening tests against much larger systems. It ships a set of fixed voices rather than cloning a target speaker, which suits narration, notifications, and accessibility, where a consistent, pleasant voice matters more than mimicry. Apache 2.0 licensed, it is an easy, dependency-light way to add speech output to a local pipeline. For voice cloning, look at a model like Chatterbox instead.
Strengths
- Very small and fast, runs comfortably on CPU
- Natural-sounding output for the size, with a range of built-in voices
- Apache 2.0, so safe to use commercially without caveats
Weaknesses
- Fixed built-in voices, not zero-shot voice cloning
- Fewer languages than some larger TTS models
- Less expressive control than heavier models built for emotion and style
Hardware requirements
| Quantisation | Approx. VRAM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| FP16 | ~0.3GB | Full precision, trivial to run on CPU or any GPU |
Also runs on CPU (slower). Optimised builds available for Apple Silicon.
What you'd need to run this
Roughly what a machine to run this would need, at up to three levels of quality. Memory is the deciding factor.
Minimum to run it
FP16 · ~0.3GB needed
One 12GB GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GBor a Mac or mini-PC with unified memory, if you prefer no discrete GPU, Mac mini M5 Pro .
At least 32GB of system RAM alongside the card.
around £700–£1,100
What else 12GB runs →Licence
Apache 2.0 — read the licence
Kokoro 82M: common questions
- What hardware do I need to run Kokoro 82M?
- At its most compressed (FP16) it needs roughly 0.3GB of VRAM, and about 0.3GB for good quality. VRAM figures are approximate and depend on context length and settings.
- Is Kokoro 82M free for commercial use?
- Yes. Kokoro 82M is licensed under Apache 2.0, which permits commercial use with no meaningful conditions.
- Can I run Kokoro 82M on Apple Silicon?
- Yes. Kokoro 82M has builds optimised for Apple Silicon, through MLX or GGUF on a Mac.
- Does Kokoro 82M run on CPU?
- Yes, Kokoro 82M can run on the CPU, though generation is slower than on a GPU.
Availability
Recommended for
- Fast, clean narration on modest hardware
- Adding local text-to-speech to an app without a big model
- Commercial use where a permissive licence matters
Run it with
Related guides
Glossary
Catalogue entry last verified 30 July 2026. Specifications change; verify anything you are about to spend money on.