--- title: "sherpa-onnx vs RealtimeSTT" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/k2-fsa-sherpa-onnx-vs-koljab-realtimestt" tools: ["k2-fsa-sherpa-onnx", "koljab-realtimestt"] --- # sherpa-onnx vs RealtimeSTT *GraphCanon updated Jul 11, 2026* ## Verdict Pick sherpa-onnx when sherpa-onnx is primarily C++; RealtimeSTT is Python; pick RealtimeSTT when realtimeSTT is primarily Python; sherpa-onnx is C++. [sherpa-onnx](https://k2-fsa.github.io/sherpa/onnx/index.html) reports 13k GitHub stars, 1.5k forks, and 600 open issues, last pushed Jul 10, 2026. [RealtimeSTT](https://github.com/KoljaB/RealtimeSTT) has 10.0k stars, 850 forks, and 146 open issues, last pushed Jun 12, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [sherpa-onnx's repository](https://github.com/k2-fsa/sherpa-onnx) and [RealtimeSTT's repository](https://github.com/KoljaB/RealtimeSTT). | | [sherpa-onnx](/tools/k2-fsa-sherpa-onnx.md) | [RealtimeSTT](/tools/koljab-realtimestt.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Speech-to-text, text-to-speech, speaker diarization, speech enhancement, source separation, and VAD using next-gen Kaldi with onnxruntime without Internet connection. Support embedded systems, Android | A robust, efficient, low-latency speech-to-text library with advanced voice activity detection, wake word activation and instant transcription. | | Stars | 13,499 | 9,982 | | Forks | 1,545 | 850 | | Open issues | 600 | 146 | | Language | C++ | Python | | Adopt for | - | - | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Apache-2.0 | MIT | | Categories | Inference & Serving, Speech & Audio, Computer Vision | Speech & Audio, Computer Vision | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [sherpa-onnx](/tools/k2-fsa-sherpa-onnx.md) | [RealtimeSTT](/tools/koljab-realtimestt.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Active (82%) | | Days since push | 1d | 28d | | Open issues (now) | 600 | 146 | | Owner type | Organization | User | | Security scan | No lockfile | No criticals | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/k2-fsa-sherpa-onnx/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/koljab-realtimestt/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Python**: [sherpa-onnx](/tools/k2-fsa-sherpa-onnx.md) - Python runtime; [RealtimeSTT](/tools/koljab-realtimestt.md) - Python runtime ## Choose when ### Choose sherpa-onnx if… - sherpa-onnx is primarily C++; RealtimeSTT is Python. - License: sherpa-onnx is Apache-2.0, RealtimeSTT is MIT. - Tags unique to sherpa-onnx: dotnet, asr, android, arm32. - Also covers Inference & Serving. ### Choose RealtimeSTT if… - RealtimeSTT is primarily Python; sherpa-onnx is C++. - License: RealtimeSTT is MIT, sherpa-onnx is Apache-2.0. - Tags unique to RealtimeSTT: speech-to-text, python, realtime. - RealtimeSTT ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. ## When NOT to use sherpa-onnx - Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between sherpa-onnx and RealtimeSTT? sherpa-onnx: Speech-to-text, text-to-speech, speaker diarization, speech enhancement, source separation, and VAD using next-gen Kaldi with onnxruntime without Internet connection. Support embedded systems, Android. RealtimeSTT: A robust, efficient, low-latency speech-to-text library with advanced voice activity detection, wake word activation and instant transcription.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose sherpa-onnx over RealtimeSTT? Choose sherpa-onnx over RealtimeSTT when sherpa-onnx is primarily C++; RealtimeSTT is Python; License: sherpa-onnx is Apache-2.0, RealtimeSTT is MIT; Tags unique to sherpa-onnx: dotnet, asr, android, arm32; Also covers Inference & Serving. ### When should I choose RealtimeSTT over sherpa-onnx? Choose RealtimeSTT over sherpa-onnx when RealtimeSTT is primarily Python; sherpa-onnx is C++; License: RealtimeSTT is MIT, sherpa-onnx is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to RealtimeSTT: speech-to-text, python, realtime; RealtimeSTT ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. ### When should I avoid sherpa-onnx? Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic. ### Is sherpa-onnx or RealtimeSTT more popular on GitHub? sherpa-onnx has more GitHub stars (13,499 vs 9,982). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are sherpa-onnx and RealtimeSTT open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (sherpa-onnx: Apache-2.0, RealtimeSTT: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to sherpa-onnx or RealtimeSTT? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [sherpa-onnx alternatives](/tools/k2-fsa-sherpa-onnx/alternatives) and [RealtimeSTT alternatives](/tools/koljab-realtimestt/alternatives) ([sherpa-onnx markdown twin](/tools/k2-fsa-sherpa-onnx/alternatives.md), [RealtimeSTT markdown twin](/tools/koljab-realtimestt/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/k2-fsa-sherpa-onnx-vs-koljab-realtimestt.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, sherpa-onnx or RealtimeSTT? sherpa-onnx: Very active. RealtimeSTT: Active. 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 sherpa-onnx and RealtimeSTT? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [sherpa-onnx trust report](/tools/k2-fsa-sherpa-onnx/trust); [RealtimeSTT trust report](/tools/koljab-realtimestt/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=k2-fsa-sherpa-onnx`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=k2-fsa-sherpa-onnx) - 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/_