AssemblyAI vs Speechmatics: voice AI pricing compared
Updated 2026-11-10 · listed A to Z, not ranked
AssemblyAI sells speech-to-text models for pre-recorded files and live streams, speech-understanding add-ons, an LLM gateway and, since 2026, a text-to-speech API. Transcription bills per hour of audio, pay as you go, with custom rates on contract.
Speechmatics is a speech-to-text API for batch and real-time transcription. It bills per hour of audio, with different rates by model.
Listed A to Z, from assemblyai.com and speechmatics.com. Every figure below is quoted from those pages.
- Main price table
- Pre-recorded, Pre-recorded, Realtime, Realtime, Realtime, Sync (single call, up to 20 min), Dictation API
- Free option
- None in the published plan table
- Published prices
- Universal-2 $0.15/hr, Universal-3.5 Pro $0.21/hr, Universal-Streaming $0.15/hr, Universal-3.6 Pro Realtime $0.45/hr, TTS $15 per 1M characters; free tier.
- Main price table
- Melia 1 (multilingual), Oak 1 (medical), Linden 1 (real-time voice agents), Standard, Enhanced
- Free option
- None in the published plan table
- Published prices
- From $0.12 per hour, $100 free credit to start, volume discounts up to 25%. Per-model hourly rates.
How we checked: Prices quoted from each official pricing page: AssemblyAI checked Nov 10, 2026, Speechmatics checked Nov 10, 2026. Taxes, usage overages and promotions can change what you pay; confirm with each provider before you buy.
How they compare
- Main price table. AssemblyAI lists 7 entries (Pre-recorded, Pre-recorded, Realtime, Realtime, Realtime, Sync (single call, up to 20 min), Dictation API); Speechmatics lists 5 (Melia 1 (multilingual), Oak 1 (medical), Linden 1 (real-time voice agents), Standard, Enhanced).
- Free option. AssemblyAI: none in the published plan table. Speechmatics: none in the published plan table.
- How prices are quoted. AssemblyAI: “Speech-to-text models (pay as you go)”. Speechmatics: “Rates by model”.
AssemblyAI plans and prices
| API | Model | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-recorded | Universal-3.5 Pro (18 languages) | $0.21 / hr |
| Pre-recorded | Universal-2 (99 languages) | $0.15 / hr |
| Realtime | Universal-3.6 Pro Realtime (32 languages) | $0.45 / hr |
| Realtime | Universal-Streaming (English) | $0.15 / hr |
| Realtime | Universal-Streaming Multilingual | $0.15 / hr |
| Sync (single call, up to 20 min) | Universal-3.5 Pro | $0.30 / hr |
| Dictation API | Built on Universal-3.5 Pro | $0.62 / hr, all features included |
| Add-on | Pre-recorded | Realtime |
|---|---|---|
| Speaker diarization | $0.02 | $0.12 |
| Keyterms prompting | $0.05 on Universal-3.5 Pro; included on Universal-2 | Included on 3.6 Pro Realtime; $0.04 on Universal-Streaming |
| Medical mode | $0.15 | $0.15 |
| PII text redaction | $0.08 (Guardrails) | $0.12 |
| Summarization | $0.02 low effort; $0.07 medium | — |
Text-to-speech: AssemblyAI-TTS-1 at $15 per 1M characters, billed on input characters; cloned voices and EU processing cost the same.
From assemblyai.com, checked Nov 10, 2026. Full breakdown: AssemblyAI pricing.
Speechmatics plans and prices
| Model | Price |
|---|---|
| Melia 1 (multilingual) | $0.12 / hour |
| Oak 1 (medical) | $0.15 / hour |
| Linden 1 (real-time voice agents) | $0.15 / hour |
| Standard | $0.23 / hour |
| Enhanced | $0.38 / hour |
New accounts start with $100 in free credits. Speechmatics lists volume discounts of up to 25%, and 33% off when you allow your data to be used for model training.
From speechmatics.com, checked Nov 10, 2026. Full breakdown: Speechmatics pricing.
FAQ
How much does AssemblyAI cost?
Universal-2 $0.15/hr, Universal-3.5 Pro $0.21/hr, Universal-Streaming $0.15/hr, Universal-3.6 Pro Realtime $0.45/hr, TTS $15 per 1M characters; free tier. (checked Nov 10, 2026).
How much does Speechmatics cost?
From $0.12 per hour, $100 free credit to start, volume discounts up to 25%. Per-model hourly rates. (checked Nov 10, 2026).
Do AssemblyAI and Speechmatics have a free option?
AssemblyAI: none in the published plan table. Speechmatics: none in the published plan table.
Which is better, AssemblyAI or Speechmatics?
We do not pick a winner. The two price and package their products differently; the tables above quote each official pricing page so you can match a plan to your own usage.
Where do these prices come from?
Each vendor's own pricing page: assemblyai.com (checked Nov 10, 2026) and speechmatics.com (checked Nov 10, 2026). Prices change; confirm on the vendor's page before you buy.
Sources (official pages, read 2026-11-10)
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