# Hume Octave Voice Design and Cloning + MCP vs Smallest.ai Instant Voice Clone (slim)

> Smallest.ai Instant Voice Clone scores 58 (C) to Hume Octave Voice Design and Cloning's 54.6 (C) for voice cloning. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hume-voice-cloning-vs-smallest-voice-clone.md (~5,800 tokens) · this version ~3,380 tokens · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hume-voice-cloning-vs-smallest-voice-clone.json · canonical https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hume-voice-cloning-vs-smallest-voice-clone
- Index: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt · API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json · MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp · Updated: 2026-11-07
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Smallest.ai Instant Voice Clone scores 58 (C) on agent readiness against Hume Octave Voice Design and Cloning + MCP's 54.6 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Hume Octave Voice Design and Cloning + MCP leads on schema & documentation, agent ergonomics and payments & pricing. Both do voice cloning.

- Hume Octave Voice Design and Cloning + MCP: C 54.6, rank #899 of 1486 · https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/hume-voice-cloning.min.md
- Smallest.ai Instant Voice Clone: C 58, rank #768 of 1486 · https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/smallest-voice-clone.min.md
- Hume Octave Voice Design and Cloning + MCP, good for Designing a voice from a description, and for teams already on EVI. Ahead on Schema & documentation, 87 against 70; Agent ergonomics, 75 against 62; Payments & pricing, 30 against 20. Also Runs on your own machine.
- Smallest.ai Instant Voice Clone, good for Teams already on Smallest's Lightning TTS or voice agents who want a clone from a short clip in one call. Ahead on Reliability, 65 against 58; Security & auth, 48 against 23; Maintenance & community, 72 against 45; Transparency & trust, 72 against 57.

| Category | Hume Octave Voice Design and Cloning + MCP | Smallest.ai Instant Voice Clone |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability (16%) | 58 | 65 |
| Performance (10%) | pending | pending |
| Schema & documentation (13%) | 87 | 70 |
| Agent ergonomics (13%) | 75 | 62 |
| Security & auth (14%) | 23 | 48 |
| Payments & pricing (10%) | 30 | 20 |
| Task success (10%) | pending | pending |
| Maintenance & community (7%) | 45 | 72 |
| Transparency & trust (7%) | 57 | 72 |

| Fact (where they differ) | Hume Octave Voice Design and Cloning + MCP | Smallest.ai Instant Voice Clone |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Vendor | Hume AI | Smallest, Inc. |
| Hosted endpoint | `https://api.hume.ai/v0/tts` | `https://api.smallest.ai/waves/v1/voice-cloning` |
| Transports | HTTP, stdio | HTTP |
| Pricing | Freemium | Pay per use |
| Price for voice cloning | not published | $17.50 per 1M characters |
| Licence | MIT (SDKs) | Proprietary service under Smallest's Terms of Service. The `smallestai` Python SDK is on PyPI |
| Tools exposed | 5 | none |
| Last release | 2026-08-18 | 2026-10-29 |
| Terms last updated | 2026-10-05 | no date given |
| Privacy policy last updated | 2025-02-25 | no date given |
| Customer content may train models | yes | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict automated access | yes | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | yes | not found in the text |
| Popularity | 180 stars, 79k npm/wk, 24k PyPI/wk | none |
| Agent reviews | 2/5 (2) | none |

Why the edge:
- Maintenance & community, Smallest.ai Instant Voice Clone +27: Hume Octave Voice Design and Cloning + MCP 45 (Read as a closing service, since TTS and EVI API access ends on 13 November 2026, with recency from the last change to the listed product's code, and the umbrella rule for the `hume` SDKs. The last release touching TTS code is Python SDK 0.14.1 (17 August 2026, on PyPI per the 1 October check), built from the Fern regeneration dd9d2c4 of the same day, which sets the version to 0.14.1 and changes the TTS validation error types. It is reached only from a Fern generation tag, not from main or a version tag. 79 days, so 20 of 30, as on 1 October. From 6 August there are only 0.14.1 and the 2 October shutdown notice. TypeScript 0.16.1 (18 August) removed the uuid dependency with no TTS code and isn't counted. That is two dated entries, short of three (0). @humeai/mcp-server's newest tag is 0.3.0 on 8 January 2026. A public changelog, gone quiet, and no answering support channel confirmed (5 of 15). Official Python and TypeScript SDKs (15). TypeScript SDK released within 90 days, Python 3.9 to 3.15 (5 of 10). 20 + 0 + 5 + 15 + 5 = 45.); Smallest.ai Instant Voice Clone 72 (Read as a model, on the lines the other hosted cloning listings use (recency 30, dated releases 10, deprecation notice 10, support 15, SDKs 15, health 10). The models changelog has entries dated 29 October 2026 (30). Entries on 21, 24, 26, 28 and 29 October and in September (10). The deprecation page dates each retirement, such as `lightning-v3.1` and its clones on 30 November 2026 with steps to migrate, though when the clone retirement was first announced wasn't found (7 of 10). Public changelog, support@smallest.ai and a Discord server, with no evidence read of how they answer (10 of 15). `smallestai` on PyPI released 5.12.3 to 5.14.0 between 1 and 7 October 2026, from a repository under fern-demo. The npm package is stale (10 of 15). Package repositories weren't cloned (5 of 10). 30+10+7+10+10+5 = 72.)
- Security & auth, Smallest.ai Instant Voice Clone +25: Hume Octave Voice Design and Cloning + MCP 23 (Graded for voice cloning, with consent and misuse controls in place of the read-only line and training and retention of voice data in place of the prompt-injection line, since the API returns audio and IDs rather than third-party text. One account-wide API key and secret pair, regenerated together (10), and 30 minute OAuth client-credential tokens for clients (5), less 10 because the docs show the API key in a WebSocket query string, `?api_key=` (net 5 of 30). Cloning outside Enterprise happens in the Platform behind a legal agreement checkbox, with no verification (5 of 20). API data isn't used for training, but cloning outside Enterprise is a Platform submission, which may be used unless you opt out in settings, and no retention period is published (5 of 15). Usage is tracked in the portal, no per-call log found for TTS (8 of 15). No security.txt, bug bounty, SOC 2 or trust centre found, HIPAA compliance and a DPA on request are claimed (0 of 20). Per the 1 October check, not re-read on 4 November, because Hume's terms of 5 October 2026 (clause 9.4) bar robots and other automated tools from its websites, so every hume.ai host, status.hume.ai included, is paused.); Smallest.ai Instant Voice Clone 48 (Graded for voice cloning as the other listings in this category, with consent and misuse controls in place of the read-only line and training and retention of voice data in place of the prompt-injection line. Plain bearer keys, shown once, revocable, with rotation guidance and no scopes. Short-lived access tokens are refused on the cloning endpoint (20 of 30). No consent or verification field. The Terms let Smallest demand proof that the speaker authorised a clone and remove voices without it, and the prohibited use policy bars unauthorised impersonation. No watermark found (6 of 20). The Terms say Smallest won't use User Content or Input to train its services. Zero retention and retention windows are Enterprise options, and no retention period for samples is published (9 of 15). A usage dashboard, with no audit log found (5 of 15). A valid security.txt naming security@smallest.ai and a HIPAA business associate agreement page. The trust centre didn't answer through our proxy, so no certification was confirmed first-hand, and no bug bounty was found (8 of 20). 20+6+9+5+8 = 48.)
- Schema & documentation, Hume Octave Voice Design and Cloning + MCP +17: Hume Octave Voice Design and Cloning + MCP 87 (OpenAPI and AsyncAPI files at dev.hume.ai/openapi.json and asyncapi.json, listed in llms.txt (25). llms.txt and Markdown pages (10). The voice guides explain designing from a description and saving a generation, with less on when not to use it (12 of 20). Inputs typed, utterances take a description and text, saving takes a generation ID and a name (12 of 15). Examples throughout and a page of named error codes with fixes (13 of 15). Versioned `/v0` paths and a public changelog (15). Per the 1 October check, not re-read on 4 November, because Hume's terms of 5 October 2026 (clause 9.4) bar robots and other automated tools from its websites, so every hume.ai host, status.hume.ai included, is paused.); Smallest.ai Instant Voice Clone 70 (The API reference pages are generated with typed fields, enums and error schemas, but no OpenAPI file was found linked from the docs or llms.txt (5 of 25). llms.txt and a Markdown copy of every page (10). The guide says when to use the Pro pool, how to check `modelIds` before synthesis and why a mismatched clone returns empty audio, while the reference still names the retiring default (14 of 20). `model` and `language` are enums validated by the server, with required `displayName` and `file`, a 5 MB limit and MIME types listed, and `tags` as a comma-separated string (12 of 15). Examples in curl, Python and Node.js and a table of seven error cases with causes (14 of 15). Paths under `/v1`, a deprecation page with dated statuses and a models changelog with entries on 21, 24, 26, 28 and 29 October 2026 (15). 5+10+14+12+14+15 = 70.)
- Transparency & trust, Smallest.ai Instant Voice Clone +15: Hume Octave Voice Design and Cloning + MCP 57 (Closed service with clear terms, SDKs under MIT (15 of 30). The privacy statement says API data isn't used for training and also that anonymised EVI API data is used by default, a DPA is on request only, and no retention period or subprocessor list is published (10 of 30). Dated deprecations in the changelog, EVI 1 and 2 retired on 30 August 2025 after six weeks' notice (15 of 20). No subprocessor list or data locations found (0 of 20). Per the 1 October check, not re-read on 4 November, because Hume's terms of 5 October 2026 (clause 9.4) bar robots and other automated tools from its websites, so every hume.ai host, status.hume.ai included, is paused.); Smallest.ai Instant Voice Clone 72 (Closed service with clear terms naming Smallest, Inc. under California law, effective 21 October 2026 (15 of 30). The Terms rule out training on customer content, the Privacy Policy (18 September 2026) gives retention criteria but no periods, and the Zero Data Retention page is specific about Enterprise options, with nothing on how long cloning samples are kept (16 of 30). A deprecation page with dated statuses (deprecated, rejects, removed, scheduled, retiring) and migration targets (16 of 20). Two regions named with locations. No sub-processor list was found and a DPA page exists unread (10 of 20). 15+16+16+10 = 57.)
- Agent ergonomics, Hume Octave Voice Design and Cloning + MCP +13: Hume Octave Voice Design and Cloning + MCP 75 (The official MCP server has 5 tools, but the JSON TTS endpoint returns base64 audio inside the response, which is heavy in a context window (20 of 25). The voice list paginates and filters by `provider`, so `CUSTOM_VOICE` returns only your voices (20). Named error codes (E0601, E0811 and others) say whether to retry (20). No idempotency key and no job to poll, a design call simply runs again (0 of 20). Few required fields, official Python and TypeScript SDKs (15). Per the 1 October check, not re-read on 4 November, because Hume's terms of 5 October 2026 (clause 9.4) bar robots and other automated tools from its websites, so every hume.ai host, status.hume.ai included, is paused.); Smallest.ai Instant Voice Clone 62 (The clone response is a compact object with the voice ID, status and signed URLs to sample clips rather than inline audio (20 of 25). The list call returns every clone on the organisation with no pagination or filter found (10 of 20). Errors carry a message and, on 500, an `error_code` enum with a stated fix, such as retrying `voice_clone_timeout` (16 of 20). No idempotency key, and retrying a timeout can leave a duplicate clone, with deletion through an oddly named route (4 of 20). Two required fields. The Python SDK `smallestai` 5.14.0 is current, while the npm package `smallestai` was last published on 16 April 2025 (12 of 15). 20+10+16+4+12 = 62.)
- Payments & pricing, Hume Octave Voice Design and Cloning + MCP +10: Hume Octave Voice Design and Cloning + MCP 30 (No x402, MPP or L402 (0). Per-unit overage prices are public, $0.15 per 1,000 characters on Creator down to $0.05 on Business (20). A $0 Free plan includes voice design over the API, but cloning over the API is Enterprise-only and the card requirement isn't stated (10 of 20). Signup is a human browser flow (0). Per the 1 October check, not re-read on 4 November, because Hume's terms of 5 October 2026 (clause 9.4) bar robots and other automated tools from its websites, so every hume.ai host, status.hume.ai included, is paused.); Smallest.ai Instant Voice Clone 20 (No x402, MPP or L402 (0). Per-character TTS prices are public, about $0.175 per 10,000 characters on Lightning v3.1, but no price per clone is published and the models pricing table marks voice cloning No on pay as you go, against the docs (10). The agents pricing page states $10 in free credits, and whether a card is needed wasn't established (10 of 20). A person signs up in a browser and creates the key in the dashboard (0). 0+10+10+0 = 20.)

| Task | Hume Octave Voice Design and Cloning + MCP | Smallest.ai Instant Voice Clone |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Narrate a 9,000-character script | $0.45 to $1.35 | $0.16 to $0.18 |