WaveNet
Sep 2016
WaveNetCompare inonAA TTS provider voice
$4per 1M characters
918arena Elo
Sep 2016released
zh, arLanguages
Exact native tariff; see source for billing scope.Price covers
Ranking?
Full ranking →···
88Kugel 3926.189WaveNet91890XTTS v2914.2Strong at
Alternatives?
ModelScoreCostPriceWhat changes
KCheaperKokoro 82M v1.0Openwins 70%-75%$0.99Languages: loses zh, ar
OpenFish Audio Drama 3 Previewwins 87%+275%$15SCheaperStyleTTS 2Openwins 46%-30%$2.82Languages: not verifiedSBetterSimba 3.2wins 87%+65%$6.58Languages: loses zh, arSBetterSimba 3.0wins 76%+65%$6.58Languages: not verifiedModelScoreCostPriceWhat changes
KKokoro 82M v1.0Openwins 70%-75%$0.99Languages: loses zh, arSStyleTTS 2Openwins 46%-30%$2.82Languages: not verifiedModelScoreCostPriceWhat changes
KKokoro 82M v1.0Openwins 70%-75%$0.99Languages: loses zh, arSSimba 3.2wins 87%+65%$6.58Languages: loses zh, arSSimba 3.0wins 76%+65%$6.58Languages: not verifiedGemini 2.5 Flash Lite TTSwins 73%+129%$9.15Languages: not verifiedGemini 2.5 Flash TTS (Dec 2025)wins 70%+129%$9.15Languages: not verifiedModelScoreCostPriceWhat changes
Fish Audio Drama 3 PreviewOpenwins 87%+275%$15BBreeze TTS 2Openwins 86%+750%$34AMing 3.0 TTSOpenwins 83%——Fish Audio S2 ProOpenwins 75%+275%$15
Step Audio EditX (Mar 2026)Openwins 74%——Languages: not verifiedModelScoreCostPriceWhat changes
Gemini 3.8 Flash TTSwins 89%—*—Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTSwins 88%—*—Gemini 3.1 Flash TTSwins 85%——Languages: not verifiedGemini 2.5 Flash Lite TTSwins 73%+129%$9.15Languages: not verifiedJourneywins 71%+3,900%$160Languages: not verifiedStudiowins 71%+3,900%$160Languages: not verifiedGemini 2.5 Flash TTS (Dec 2025)wins 70%+129%$9.15Languages: not verifiedChirp 3: HDwins 70%+650%$30All Google models →Benchmarks
in Speech & VoiceAA TTS provider voice918#89
FAQ
How much does WaveNet cost?›
$4 per 1M characters.
Is WaveNet free to use?›
There is no free API; it costs $4 per 1M characters.
How good is WaveNet, and what is it best at?›
#87 of 96 in Text to speech.
Is WaveNet better than Kugel 3?›
On AA TTS provider voice, WaveNet scores 918 vs 926.1 — about the same.
When was WaveNet released? Is there a newer version?›
Released 2016-09-08. It is the current version in its line.
Is WaveNet open source?›
No, WaveNet is a closed model available through an API. The closest open-weights option here is Fish Audio Drama 3 Preview.
What is WaveNet?›
WaveNet is a closed speech & voice model from Google, released Sep 2016.
What are the best alternatives to WaveNet?›
Kokoro 82M v1.0 (cheaper), Fish Audio Drama 3 Preview (open weights).