kitio.aiWhisper vs Deepgram
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Whisper is completely free, while Deepgram is freemium.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Multilingual transcription
- Speech translation to English
- Several model sizes
- Command-line tool
- Python API
- Nova speech-to-text
- Real-time streaming
- Speaker diarization
- Aura text-to-speech
- Voice agent API
- Self-hosted deployment
| Feature | Whisper | Deepgram |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | OpenAI's open-source speech recognition and translation model | Speech-to-text, text-to-speech and voice agent APIs for developers |
| Category | Audio & voice | Audio & voice |
| Pricing model | Free | Freemium |
| Starting price | Free | See pricing page |
| Free plan | Yes, fully free | Yes |
| Made by | OpenAI | Deepgram |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Whisper is completely free, while Deepgram is freemium.
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
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
Whisper
- Free under the MIT license
- Robust to accents and noise
- Huge ecosystem of tools
- No built-in speaker labels
- Large models need a GPU for speed
Deepgram
- Low latency for live audio
- Competitive per-minute pricing
- Self-hosting option
- Developer-only, no consumer app
- Accuracy varies by language
Which one should you choose?
Choose Whisper if you want:
- Free under the MIT license
- Robust to accents and noise
- Huge ecosystem of tools
Watch out: no built-in speaker labels.
Choose Deepgram if you want:
- Low latency for live audio
- Competitive per-minute pricing
- Self-hosting option
Watch out: developer-only, no consumer app.
Whisper vs Deepgram FAQ
What is the difference between Whisper and Deepgram?
Whisper: OpenAI's open-source speech recognition and translation model. Deepgram: Speech-to-text, text-to-speech and voice agent APIs for developers. Both are audio & voice tools.
Is Whisper or Deepgram cheaper?
Whisper is completely free, while Deepgram is freemium.
Do Whisper and Deepgram have free plans?
Whisper: Yes, fully free. Deepgram: Yes.
Who makes Whisper?
Whisper is made by OpenAI, based in United States.
Who makes Deepgram?
Deepgram is made by Deepgram, based in United States.
Which should I choose, Whisper or Deepgram?
Choose Whisper if you value free under the mit license and robust to accents and noise. Choose Deepgram if you value low latency for live audio and competitive per-minute pricing.