AssemblyAI vs Deepgram
Both are developer APIs, not apps. For batch transcription, AssemblyAI Universal-2 is cheaper per hour ($0.15 vs $0.26 for Deepgram Nova-3). Deepgram gives more free credit to start ($200 vs $50) and adds text-to-speech on the same platform.
Last checked Oct 17, 2026. Prices change, so confirm on the vendor's site before you pay.
Pick AssemblyAI if…
- You transcribe recorded audio in bulk and want the lowest per-hour rate ($0.15/hr on Universal-2)
- You want add-ons like PII redaction and speaker labels priced per hour
- You want an LLM gateway on the same API key
Pick Deepgram if…
- You want the biggest free credit to prototype ($200, no expiry date)
- You need streaming plus text-to-speech (Aura, Flux TTS) from one vendor
- You want true per-second billing
| Compared | AssemblyAI | Deepgram | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our rating | Not yet rated | Not yet rated | BestBotFor catalog |
| Free credit | $50, no card | $200, no card | [14]; [15] |
| Pre-recorded transcription | Universal-3.5 Pro $0.21/hr; Universal-2 $0.15/hr | Nova-3 $0.26/hr ($0.0043/min) | [14]; [15] |
| Streaming | From $0.15/hr (billed on session time) | Nova-3 $0.29/hr ($0.0048/min, promotional) | [14]; [15] |
| Voice agent API | $4.50/hr | $4.50/hr (Standard) | [14]; [15] |
| Text to speech | Not listed | Yes: Aura-2 $0.030 per 1,000 characters | [15] |
| Skill level | Advanced | Advanced | BestBotFor catalog |
Speech AI prices fell again this year. Get The Daily Bot for AI and API pricing changes.
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AssemblyAI profile · Deepgram profile
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Sources
- [14] AssemblyAI pricing: https://www.assemblyai.com/pricing (vendor, checked Oct 17, 2026 (page says last updated Sep 28, 2026))
- [15] Deepgram pricing: https://deepgram.com/pricing (vendor, checked Oct 17, 2026)
- BestBotFor catalog: src/data/scores-v2.3.csv (Our rating, category rank) and live /best pages (fit %), read Oct 17, 2026
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