Compare FakeYou, ElevenLabs, Cartesia, RVC, and Dasha for character TTS, original voices, live voice conversion, application speech, and interactive voice agents.
As of August 5, 2026, the 15.ai domain redirects to a Wikipedia article rather than a working voice generator. If you need a replacement now, choose it by workflow. FakeYou is the closest option for selecting a public voice model and generating a line. ElevenLabs is a better fit for designing an original character voice or carrying a recorded performance into a different voice. Cartesia provides a developer-facing text-to-speech layer, while RVC converts live or recorded speech. Dasha fits a different requirement: a two-way voice agent that listens, decides what to say, and takes actions.
No option reproduces every part of 15.ai. The first question is whether you need text-to-speech (TTS), voice conversion, or a complete conversational agent.
15.ai alternatives at a glance
| Alternative | Best fit | Input and output | Main tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dasha | Interactive voice characters and agents | Spoken input to a generated, spoken response | A conversation platform, not a one-line character TTS site |
| FakeYou | Quick experiments with public voice models | Text to generated audio | Model provenance and output quality need case-by-case review |
| ElevenLabs | Original character voices and directed performances | Text or recorded speech to generated audio | Commercial use depends on the plan and your rights to the inputs |
| Cartesia | TTS inside an application | Text to streamed or generated audio | Supplies the speech layer rather than character behavior |
| RVC | Local or live voice conversion | Recorded or live speech to converted speech | You operate the software and source the conversion model |
The list is deliberately short. These tools cover the distinct jobs that tend to sit behind a search for a 15.ai alternative without treating every general-purpose AI audio product as an equivalent.
Dasha: for interactive voice characters
Dasha is relevant when the character must hold a conversation, not when you only need an audio file. A Dasha agent combines a system prompt, a large language model (LLM), a speech voice, and optional tools. The prompt defines the character's role and boundaries. The model produces a response, the selected TTS provider speaks it, and tools can connect the conversation to an external API or application state.
Our agent documentation describes those components directly. Dasha can be configured with speech providers including ElevenLabs, Cartesia, Inworld, and LMNT, so the runtime and the voice model are separate decisions. That matters if you need to change the voice provider without rebuilding the rest of the conversation.
Dasha fits a web experience where the user talks and the character replies in real time. The agent can run through an embedded web voice interface or a phone connection, but it is not a catalog of familiar character voices and it is not designed as a type-text-and-download tool. You still need an appropriate voice and permission to use it.
Choose Dasha when: conversation state, interruptions, tool calls, testing, and deployment matter more than producing isolated lines.
Look elsewhere when: you want a single clip and do not need a live application around it.
FakeYou: for public voice models and one-off lines
FakeYou is the closest match to the simple 15.ai workflow. Its interface presents text-to-speech and voice-conversion tools, and its official API documentation exposes a list of public voices plus a queued TTS endpoint. You choose a model, submit text, poll the job, and retrieve the resulting audio.
The same documentation shows why the catalog needs careful review. Voice titles are supplied by model creators, more than one model can represent the same speaker, and the API returns creator information with each entry. Treat each model as its own artifact. Listen to samples, check who uploaded it, and confirm that your intended use is allowed before publishing or shipping it.
The API is documented as freely available with IP-based rate limits. It also uses asynchronous jobs, so it is better suited to clip generation and experimentation than to a response-time-sensitive application.
Choose FakeYou when: you want to browse public models and render short lines with minimal setup.
Look elsewhere when: you need controlled voice provenance, a stable production speech API, or two-way interaction.
ElevenLabs: for original voices and performance transfer
ElevenLabs covers two useful paths for character work. Voice Design creates a new voice from a written description of attributes such as age, accent, and tone. Its Voice Changer takes recorded speech and converts it to another voice while retaining delivery details such as pacing and emotional cues.
That makes ElevenLabs useful when a performer needs to direct the line rather than accept whatever prosody a TTS model chooses. It also works as conventional text-to-speech, including streamed audio for applications.
ElevenLabs is a better fit for creating an authorized, reusable character voice than for searching for an unlicensed imitation of an existing character. Its TTS usage guidance says commercial use requires a paid plan and that you must own the intellectual-property rights to the input content. A subscription does not create rights to a character or a person's voice.
Choose ElevenLabs when: you want to design an original voice, direct a performance through speech-to-speech conversion, or use the same voice across produced content.
Look elsewhere when: your main need is an open-source local workflow or full conversational orchestration.
Cartesia: for an application-ready TTS layer
Cartesia is an API-first option for teams adding generated speech to software. Its current Sonic documentation covers streamed TTS and stable, date-pinned model snapshots. Pinning a model version is useful when you want to test changes before updating production audio.
Cartesia also offers instant voice cloning in its playground and API. The documented workflow accepts a short recorded or uploaded clip and gives practical guidance on recording quality, pacing, and language.
Cartesia does not supply the character's reasoning or conversation state. It produces the speech. Pair it with your own application logic, or use it as a voice provider inside a conversational platform such as Dasha.
Choose Cartesia when: developers need a current TTS API, streaming output, and control over model-version updates.
Look elsewhere when: you want a public character catalog or a ready-made conversational agent.
RVC: for self-hosted voice conversion
RVC stands for Retrieval-based Voice Conversion. It is voice conversion rather than text-to-speech: you provide speech, and the software changes its vocal characteristics while preserving the underlying performance.
The open-source project includes a browser-based interface, model training and inference, and a real-time conversion interface. Its current setup instructions require Python, FFmpeg, model files, and hardware-specific dependencies. The repository provides paths for CPU, AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA systems, but actual latency and audio quality depend on the machine, audio chain, and model.
RVC gives you more control over deployment than a hosted generator, along with more operational work. The code uses the MIT License, but that license applies to the software. It does not automatically grant permission to use a third party's recordings, identity, character, or model weights.
Choose RVC when: you need live or recorded voice conversion and are comfortable operating a local Python project.
Look elsewhere when: you need text-to-speech from a prompt, a managed API, or conversation logic.
How to choose without overbuilding
Use the smallest system that matches the final experience:
- For one generated line: start with FakeYou and verify the specific model's provenance and usage terms.
- For an original character voice: test ElevenLabs Voice Design. Use Voice Changer when a performer's delivery should drive the result.
- For speech inside an application: compare Cartesia and ElevenLabs using the same scripts, accents, and output settings.
- For a live voice filter: run RVC on the hardware and audio route you plan to use.
- For a character that listens and responds: test Dasha with an authorized voice provider and the actual tools or game state the character needs.
A short pilot should use your hardest lines, not a polished demo script. Include names, invented terms, numbers, interruptions, background noise, and emotional changes. For interactive systems, measure the full turn from the end of the user's speech to the start of the response. A fast TTS model cannot compensate for slow transcription, model reasoning, or tool calls elsewhere in the stack.
Questions about 15.ai alternatives
Is 15.ai available again?
The original domain redirected to Wikipedia when checked on August 5, 2026. That is a current availability observation, not a prediction about whether the project will return. Test the domain before relying on it for a new project.
Which option is closest to 15.ai?
FakeYou is the closest in interaction model: select a public voice, enter text, and wait for generated audio. It is not an exact replacement, and the rights, provenance, and quality of individual models can differ.
What is the difference between TTS and voice conversion?
TTS turns written text into speech. Voice conversion starts with recorded or live speech and changes the voice while keeping much of the original timing and delivery. FakeYou, ElevenLabs, and Cartesia offer TTS workflows. ElevenLabs and FakeYou also offer voice conversion, while RVC is specifically built around conversion.
Can Dasha replace 15.ai for character clips?
Not directly. Dasha is intended for two-way voice agents. Use a TTS or voice-conversion tool for isolated clips. Use Dasha when the character needs to listen, maintain context, respond, and call application tools during a live session.
Can I use a generated character voice commercially?
A tool's availability does not settle the rights question. Check the provider's current terms, the source and license of the specific voice or model, and your rights to the character, recordings, and script. Get qualified legal advice when identity, publicity, copyright, trademark, or commercial distribution is involved.
If your project needs a live voice agent rather than another audio file, start building with Dasha and test the full conversation in the browser before choosing a production voice.