kitio.aiDeepgram vs AssemblyAI
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Deepgram starts at See pricing page and AssemblyAI 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
- Nova speech-to-text
- Real-time streaming
- Speaker diarization
- Aura text-to-speech
- Voice agent API
- Self-hosted deployment
- Batch and streaming transcription
- Speaker diarization
- PII redaction
- Sentiment and topic detection
- LLM features over transcripts
| Feature | Deepgram | AssemblyAI |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Speech-to-text, text-to-speech and voice agent APIs for developers | Speech AI API for transcription, diarization and audio understanding |
| Category | Audio & voice | Audio & voice |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | See pricing page | See pricing page |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | Deepgram | AssemblyAI |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
|
Both offer: Speaker diarization.
Pricing compared
Deepgram starts at See pricing page and AssemblyAI starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
3 plans
Pay As You Go
$200 free credit, then usage
- All public model endpoints
- Speech-to-text from $0.0043/min
- For developers and startups
Growth
$4K+ / year
- Prepaid annual credits
- Lower per-minute rates
- For growing applications
Enterprise
Contact sales
- Large volumes and custom models
- Deployment and support options
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
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
Deepgram
- Low latency for live audio
- Competitive per-minute pricing
- Self-hosting option
- Developer-only, no consumer app
- Accuracy varies by language
AssemblyAI
- High accuracy on English
- Rich analysis features
- Clear documentation
- Add-on features cost extra
- No end-user app
Which one should you choose?
Choose Deepgram if you want:
- Low latency for live audio
- Competitive per-minute pricing
- Self-hosting option
Watch out: developer-only, no consumer app.
Choose AssemblyAI if you want:
- High accuracy on English
- Rich analysis features
- Clear documentation
Watch out: add-on features cost extra.
Deepgram vs AssemblyAI FAQ
What is the difference between Deepgram and AssemblyAI?
Deepgram: Speech-to-text, text-to-speech and voice agent APIs for developers. AssemblyAI: Speech AI API for transcription, diarization and audio understanding. Both are audio & voice tools.
Is Deepgram or AssemblyAI cheaper?
Deepgram starts at See pricing page and AssemblyAI starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do Deepgram and AssemblyAI have free plans?
Deepgram: Yes. AssemblyAI: Yes.
Who makes Deepgram?
Deepgram is made by Deepgram, based in United States.
Who makes AssemblyAI?
AssemblyAI is made by AssemblyAI, based in United States.
Which should I choose, Deepgram or AssemblyAI?
Choose Deepgram if you value low latency for live audio and competitive per-minute pricing. Choose AssemblyAI if you value high accuracy on english and rich analysis features.