--- title: "stt vs gTTS" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/jianchang512-stt-vs-pndurette-gtts" tools: ["jianchang512-stt", "pndurette-gtts"] --- # stt vs gTTS *GraphCanon updated Jul 30, 2026* ## Verdict Pick stt if stt is a Python-based local offline speech-to-text tool that uses fast-whipser for converting audio from video and audio files into text, including JSON, SRT subtitles, or plain text formats; pick gTTS if gTTS is a Python library and CLI tool that interfaces with Google Translate's text-to-speech API to convert text into speech and save it as an. [stt](https://pyvideotrans.com) reports 4.7k GitHub stars, 493 forks, and 100 open issues, last pushed Jan 22, 2026. [gTTS](http://gtts.readthedocs.org/) has 2.6k stars, 386 forks, and 22 open issues, last pushed Apr 6, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [stt's repository](https://github.com/jianchang512/stt) and [gTTS's repository](https://github.com/pndurette/gTTS). | | [stt](/tools/jianchang512-stt.md) | [gTTS](/tools/pndurette-gtts.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | A local offline speech-to-text tool for video and audio files. | Python library and CLI tool to interface with Google Translate's text-to-speech API | | Stars | 4,712 | 2,624 | | Forks | 493 | 386 | | Open issues | 100 | 22 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | stt is a Python-based local offline speech-to-text tool that uses fast-whipser for converting audio from video and audio files into text, including JSON, SRT subtitles, or plain text formats. | gTTS is a Python library and CLI tool that interfaces with Google Translate's text-to-speech API to convert text into speech and save it as an MP3 file. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | GPL-3.0 | The MIT License (MIT), a permissive free software license originating from the X11 project. | | Categories | Speech & Audio | Speech & Audio | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [stt](/tools/jianchang512-stt.md) | [gTTS](/tools/pndurette-gtts.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Days since push | 189d | 114d | | Open issues (now) | 100 | 22 | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/jianchang512-stt/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/pndurette-gtts/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Python**: [stt](/tools/jianchang512-stt.md) - Python runtime; [gTTS](/tools/pndurette-gtts.md) - Python runtime ## Decision facts: stt - **Adopt for:** stt is a Python-based local offline speech-to-text tool that uses fast-whipser for converting audio from video and audio files into text, including JSON, SRT subtitles, or plain text formats. ## Decision facts: gTTS - **Pricing:** freemium - Free to use, no direct cost for using gTTS; any costs are passed on by Google in relation to usage of their API. - **Adopt for:** gTTS is a Python library and CLI tool that interfaces with Google Translate's text-to-speech API to convert text into speech and save it as an MP3 file. - **License detail:** The MIT License (MIT), a permissive free software license originating from the X11 project. ## Choose when ### Choose stt if… - License: stt is GPL-3.0, gTTS is MIT. - Tags unique to stt: audio-processing, fast-whisper, local-processing, offline. - Use stt if you require an offline, locally-run solution where internet dependence is not acceptable. ### Choose gTTS if… - License: gTTS is MIT, stt is GPL-3.0. - Pricing: Free to use, no direct cost for using gTTS; any costs are passed on by Google in relation to usage of their API.. - Tags unique to gTTS: cli, gtts, pypi, python library. - You need to generate short audio clips from text dynamically within your applications without the overhead of setting up an official cloud service. ## When NOT to use stt - Avoid using stt if your application relies on continuous updates and service improvements that are only available via web services. - Do not use stt in environments where CUDA acceleration cannot be supported, as it will limit processing speed without the GPU acceleration advantage. ## When NOT to use gTTS - You require advanced customization options for voice parameters such as pitch, speed, or gender which are more granular than what gTTS can provide. - Your application has legal constraints that prevent the use of unofficial APIs, or you need features backed by official support and service-level agreements from Google Cloud Text-to-Speech. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between stt and gTTS? stt: A local offline speech-to-text tool for video and audio files.. gTTS: Python library and CLI tool to interface with Google Translate's text-to-speech API. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose stt over gTTS? Choose stt over gTTS when License: stt is GPL-3.0, gTTS is MIT; Tags unique to stt: audio-processing, fast-whisper, local-processing, offline; Use stt if you require an offline, locally-run solution where internet dependence is not acceptable. ### When should I choose gTTS over stt? Choose gTTS over stt when License: gTTS is MIT, stt is GPL-3.0; Pricing: Free to use, no direct cost for using gTTS; any costs are passed on by Google in relation to usage of their API.; Tags unique to gTTS: cli, gtts, pypi, python library; You need to generate short audio clips from text dynamically within your applications without the overhead of setting up an official cloud service. ### When should I avoid stt? Avoid using stt if your application relies on continuous updates and service improvements that are only available via web services. Do not use stt in environments where CUDA acceleration cannot be supported, as it will limit processing speed without the GPU acceleration advantage. ### When should I avoid gTTS? You require advanced customization options for voice parameters such as pitch, speed, or gender which are more granular than what gTTS can provide. Your application has legal constraints that prevent the use of unofficial APIs, or you need features backed by official support and service-level agreements from Google Cloud Text-to-Speech. ### Is stt or gTTS more popular on GitHub? stt has more GitHub stars (4,712 vs 2,624). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are stt and gTTS open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (stt: GPL-3.0, gTTS: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to stt or gTTS? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [stt alternatives](/tools/jianchang512-stt/alternatives) and [gTTS alternatives](/tools/pndurette-gtts/alternatives) ([stt markdown twin](/tools/jianchang512-stt/alternatives.md), [gTTS markdown twin](/tools/pndurette-gtts/alternatives.md)), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes. ### Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison? Yes. The markdown twin at [this comparison](/compare/jianchang512-stt-vs-pndurette-gtts.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, stt or gTTS? stt: Slowing. gTTS: Slowing. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance. ### Where are the full trust reports for stt and gTTS? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [stt trust report](/tools/jianchang512-stt/trust); [gTTS trust report](/tools/pndurette-gtts/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=jianchang512-stt`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=jianchang512-stt) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_