py-xiaozhi vs voice-ai
py-xiaozhi: py-xiaozhi is a Python-based client for the Xiaozhi AI voice assistant, designed for learning through code and experiencing AI voice features without dedicated hardware. It integrates core AI capabilities like voice interaction, visual multi-modality, and smart wake-up, alongside a rich MCP tool ecosystem and IoT device integration.; voice-ai: Rapida is an open-source, end-to-end voice orchestration platform for designing, building, and deploying scalable voice agents. Built in Go with gRPC, it offers real-time audio processing, LLM-agnostic architecture, and full observability for production-grade workloads.
TL;DR
- You want to try the Xiaozhi voice assistant on a computer without ESP32 hardware.
- You want offline wake words with Sherpa-ONNX, echo cancellation and a GUI or command-line mode.
- You want ready MCP tools such as schedules, timers, music, train tickets, web search and maps.
- You want a self-contained assistant: AI features depend on the Xiaozhi service.
- You cannot use Python 3.9 to 3.12, working audio devices and an internet connection.
- You want to self-host the backend: that is the server projects' job.
Building and deploying scalable voice agents
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