An AI-powered voice generation platform operated by Algomatic Inc. By simply selecting a character and entering text, users could generate high-quality Japanese speech with smooth, emotionally rich expression, and use it commercially for VTubing, narration, educational content, and more. It drew attention for its low barrier to entry — free to start with no credit card required — and for the expressive acting of its anime-style character voices. However, the service was discontinued on February 4, 2026. This article preserves an overview of the service as a record.
Key Features
- Simple workflow: pick a character, enter text: Users chose a voice from a large character roster and typed the text to be read aloud. At official launch, the selectable characters had been expanded to 100
- Emotionally rich delivery: Rather than flat text-to-speech, it aimed for smooth emotional expression that followed the context of each line — quality intended to work for game voices and drama-style content
- Commercial use supported: Generated audio could be used commercially within the terms of service, and was applied to video production, narration, and educational content
- Free start with no credit card: No upfront plan selection or card registration was needed, keeping the barrier to entry low
- API availability: An API was officially released in December 2024, using a prepaid model, enabling integration into external applications and workflows
- Made in Japan: Developed and operated by Algomatic Inc., part of the DMM group. It was officially launched under the name “Niji Voice” after rebranding from its former name “DMM Voice”
Pricing
Following the service shutdown, new sign-ups and usage are no longer available. For reference, the pricing at the time of operation was as follows.
| Plan | Price | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | $0 | Voice generation could be tried with no credit card registration |
| API (prepaid) | 825 yen (tax included) per 10,000 characters | Pay-as-you-go with upfront credit |
The above is reference information based on figures published during the service’s operation (2024–2025). Niji Voice was discontinued on February 4, 2026, and is no longer available. See the announcements on the official Algomatic website for details.
Pros & Cons
✅ Pros (while in operation)
- An exceptionally low barrier to entry for voice synthesis: just pick a character and enter text
- Well regarded for the naturalness of its emotional expression, setting it apart from conventional, often monotone TTS
- Free to start, with commercial use supported
- The API enabled automation and in-app integration
⚠️ Cons and cautions
- Service ended on February 4, 2026. New usage is no longer possible, and existing workflows need to migrate to alternative services
- The shutdown was reportedly preceded by the receipt of character-voice removal requests from the Japan Actors Union (Nippairen) side, placing the service at the center of the debate over AI voices and voice actors’ rights
- As a Japanese-focused service, it was not well suited to multilingual content
Comparison with Similar Services
Since Niji Voice has been discontinued, here is a comparison with alternative candidates serving similar purposes.
| Comparison | Niji Voice (ended) | VOICEVOX | CoeFont | ElevenLabs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Algomatic (Japan) | Hiho (OSS, Japan) | CoeFont (Japan) | ElevenLabs (US) |
| Strengths | Character voices + emotional expression | Free character voice synthesis | Diverse AI voices, voice “fonts” | Multilingual, high-quality voice generation |
| Pricing | Free tier + prepaid API | Free (OSS) | Free tier + paid plans | Free tier + paid plans |
| Commercial use | Allowed (within terms) | Per-character terms apply | Allowed depending on plan | Allowed depending on plan |
| Available today | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Who Is It For
New usage is no longer possible due to the shutdown, but the roles Niji Voice filled were in demand among the following users. Consider this when looking for alternatives.
- Creators who want to add anime-style character voices to videos and games
- People who want narration or educational-content audio at low cost, without recording sessions
- Developers who want to automate emotionally expressive Japanese speech synthesis via an API
Summary
Niji Voice was a Japan-made AI voice platform that generated emotionally rich Japanese speech from nothing more than a character selection and text input. While it earned support for its ease of use and expressiveness, it also faced the challenges surrounding AI voices and voice actors’ rights, and the service ended on February 4, 2026. For similar use cases, alternatives such as VOICEVOX and CoeFont are worth considering.