LibreAI / Audio / sherpa
// audio · k2-fsa/sherpa

sherpa

A speech-to-text server framework built on next-generation Kaldi.

💎 Hidden gem★ 998 stars⑂ 151 forksApache-2.0updated 2026-10
▦ visual — this project's README ships no embeddable screenshot,
so here's a placeholder. The guide below is complete regardless.
// project facts

Project facts

sherpa is an open-source audio project by k2-fsa (k2-fsa/sherpa on GitHub). It has 998 GitHub stars and 151 forks, is released under the Apache-2.0 license, and was last updated on GitHub on 4 October 2026.

Repository
k2-fsa/sherpa
GitHub stars
998
Forks
151
License
Apache-2.0
Last updated on GitHub
4 October 2026
Category
Audio
Listing
Hidden gem — a shorter page for a lesser-known project
Official site
Official site
// how it works

How it works

  1. Choose a model

    Pick from the Kaldi-next-gen models the framework supports.

  2. Start the server

    Launch the speech-to-text server on your hardware.

  3. Stream or upload

    Send live audio or files for recognition.

  4. Build on the API

    Integrate transcripts into your own services.

// features

Why people love it

Next-gen Kaldi

Built on modern Kaldi with transducer and CTC models.

Server framework

Ready-made base for deploying STT as a service.

C++ core

High-performance recognition engine.

Python tooling

Scripting and integration support around the core.

End-to-end ASR

Modern neural recognition architectures included.

Apache-2.0 license

Commercial-friendly open-source terms.

Advertisement
// run it

Run it yourself

  1. Step 1 — Clone the repo

    Download the source and move into the project folder.

    git clone https://github.com/k2-fsa/sherpa.git
    cd sherpa
  2. Step 2 — Check the README

    Every project documents its own setup; start with install requirements.

    cat README.md | head -60
  3. Step 3 — Run it

    Follow the project's launch command — Docker, pip, npm, or a binary release.

    # see README for the exact launch command
// use cases

What you can build

Advertisement
// faq

Questions, answered

Who maintains sherpa?

It is an open-source project at k2-fsa/sherpa with 151 forks. Check the repo's contributors and recent commits to see how active maintenance is.

Is sherpa free for commercial use?

Apache 2.0 licensed — commercial use allowed with attribution.

Is this a finished app or a framework?

A framework — it gives you the server and models to build STT services with.

Which recognition models does it use?

Next-gen Kaldi architectures including transducer and CTC models.

Does it support Python?

Yes — Python bindings and PyTorch tooling sit alongside the C++ core.

// keep exploring

Similar tools

Audio

sherpa-onnx

Speech-to-text, text-to-speech, speaker diarization, speech enhancement, source separation, and VAD using next-gen Kaldi with onnxruntime without Internet co…

★ 15.1k starsApache-2.0
View guide →
Audio

espnet

End-to-End Speech Processing Toolkit

★ 10.0k starsApache-2.0
View guide →
Audio

speechbrain

A PyTorch-based Speech Toolkit

★ 11.9k starsApache-2.0
View guide →
Audio

Amphion

Open research toolkit for text-to-speech, voice conversion, singing voice and text-to-audio generation.

★ 10.3k starsMIT
View guide →
Audio

murmure

Private cross-platform speech-to-text with LLM cleanup built in.

★ 1.1k starsAGPL-3.0
View guide →
Audio

ChatTTS

A generative speech model built for daily dialogue — natural, conversational text-to-speech

★ 39.9k starsAGPL-3.0
View guide →
// alternatives

Alternatives in Audio

The most-starred other Audio projects in the LibreAI catalogue — the realistic shortlist if sherpa is not the right fit.

Get sherpa

Free and open — grab the source, star the repo, and start creating.