kitio.aiAssemblyAI vs Amazon Transcribe
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. AssemblyAI starts at See pricing page and Amazon Transcribe starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Batch and streaming transcription
- Speaker diarization
- PII redaction
- Sentiment and topic detection
- LLM features over transcripts
- Batch and streaming transcription
- Speaker identification
- Custom vocabulary
- PII redaction
- Call Analytics
- Medical transcription
| Feature | AssemblyAI | Amazon Transcribe |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Speech AI API for transcription, diarization and audio understanding | AWS speech-to-text service for apps, calls and media |
| Category | Audio & voice | Audio & voice |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | See pricing page | See pricing page |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | AssemblyAI | Amazon Web Services |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
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Both offer: Batch and streaming transcription, PII redaction.
Pricing compared
AssemblyAI starts at See pricing page and Amazon Transcribe starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
3 plans
Free
Free
- Try the API for free
- No commitment
Pay as you go
$0.21 / hr (Universal-3.5 Pro)
- Universal-2 at $0.15/hr
- Streaming from $0.45/hr
- Add-ons billed per hour
Custom
Custom
- Custom rate limits
- Higher concurrency
- Enterprise-grade flexibility
2 plans
Free Tier
Free
- 60 minutes per month
- First 12 months
Standard
$0.024 / min (first tier)
- Billed per second, no minimum
- Tiered rates drop with volume
- Batch and streaming
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
AssemblyAI
- High accuracy on English
- Rich analysis features
- Clear documentation
- Add-on features cost extra
- No end-user app
Amazon Transcribe
- Integrates with the AWS stack
- Contact center features built in
- Scales to large volumes
- Setup needs AWS knowledge
- Accuracy trails specialist APIs
Which one should you choose?
Choose AssemblyAI if you want:
- High accuracy on English
- Rich analysis features
- Clear documentation
Watch out: add-on features cost extra.
Choose Amazon Transcribe if you want:
- Integrates with the AWS stack
- Contact center features built in
- Scales to large volumes
Watch out: setup needs aws knowledge.
AssemblyAI vs Amazon Transcribe FAQ
What is the difference between AssemblyAI and Amazon Transcribe?
AssemblyAI: Speech AI API for transcription, diarization and audio understanding. Amazon Transcribe: AWS speech-to-text service for apps, calls and media. Both are audio & voice tools.
Is AssemblyAI or Amazon Transcribe cheaper?
AssemblyAI starts at See pricing page and Amazon Transcribe starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do AssemblyAI and Amazon Transcribe have free plans?
AssemblyAI: Yes. Amazon Transcribe: Yes.
Who makes AssemblyAI?
AssemblyAI is made by AssemblyAI, based in United States.
Who makes Amazon Transcribe?
Amazon Transcribe is made by Amazon Web Services, based in United States.
Which should I choose, AssemblyAI or Amazon Transcribe?
Choose AssemblyAI if you value high accuracy on english and rich analysis features. Choose Amazon Transcribe if you value integrates with the aws stack and contact center features built in.