kitio.aiAssemblyAI vs Gladia
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. AssemblyAI starts at See pricing page and Gladia 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
- Real-time transcription
- Code-switching detection
- Speaker diarization
- Translation
- Audio intelligence add-ons
| Feature | AssemblyAI | Gladia |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Speech AI API for transcription, diarization and audio understanding | Multilingual speech-to-text API built for real-time voice products |
| Category | Audio & voice | Audio & voice |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | See pricing page | See pricing page |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | AssemblyAI | Gladia |
| Based in | United States | France |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
|
Both offer: Speaker diarization.
Pricing compared
AssemblyAI starts at See pricing page and Gladia 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
Self-serve
Pay as you go
- Start with 50€ free
- Prepaid credits, no subscription
- Automatic volume discounts
Enterprise
Custom
- Annual plan
- Custom models and fine-tuning
- Unlimited concurrent requests
- Zero data retention
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
Gladia
- Handles mixed-language speech
- Low latency streaming
- Free hours to start
- Smaller company than big clouds
- API only, no editor
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 Gladia if you want:
- Handles mixed-language speech
- Low latency streaming
- Free hours to start
Watch out: smaller company than big clouds.
AssemblyAI vs Gladia FAQ
What is the difference between AssemblyAI and Gladia?
AssemblyAI: Speech AI API for transcription, diarization and audio understanding. Gladia: Multilingual speech-to-text API built for real-time voice products. Both are audio & voice tools.
Is AssemblyAI or Gladia cheaper?
AssemblyAI starts at See pricing page and Gladia starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do AssemblyAI and Gladia have free plans?
AssemblyAI: Yes. Gladia: Yes.
Who makes AssemblyAI?
AssemblyAI is made by AssemblyAI, based in United States.
Who makes Gladia?
Gladia is made by Gladia, based in France.
Which should I choose, AssemblyAI or Gladia?
Choose AssemblyAI if you value high accuracy on english and rich analysis features. Choose Gladia if you value handles mixed-language speech and low latency streaming.