Deepgram
Plan a speech pipeline with distinct recorded-audio, live-stream and voice-agent budgets.
- Starting price
- Nova-3 prerecorded USD 0.0043/min
- Free access
- USD 200 starting credit
- Billing unit
- Audio minutes; add-ons separate
- Platform
- REST and streaming APIs
- Verified
- 22 Oct 2026
Overview
What you provide
- Upload recorded audio or open a supported live audio connection with the correct model and language settings.
What you get
- The API returns transcripts and any separately selected speech features.
Choosing this tool
Deepgram is relevant when one application needs both recorded transcription and live voice infrastructure. The same model name can have different streaming and prerecorded prices, and the current streaming offer is promotional. AssemblyAI is a comparison for transcription and enrichment; GroqCloud offers a separate Whisper-based speech path.
A decision worked through
Ten thousand prerecorded monolingual minutes at USD 0.0043 cost USD 43 before credits. At the displayed streaming promotional rate, the same audio duration would be USD 48, or USD 77 at its stated regular rate. This excludes add-ons, TTS and voice-agent orchestration.
Deepgram alternatives for streaming speech recognition and voice infrastructure
Compare Deepgram with AssemblyAI, GroqCloud for streaming speech recognition and voice infrastructure. Match billing units and operating responsibility before comparing rates.
| Product | Price / unit | Free allowance | Input → output | Key limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeepgramRead profileOfficial source ↗ | Nova-3 recorded USD 0.0043/min | USD 200 starting credit | Audio becomes a transcript. | Streaming and add-ons price apart. |
| AssemblyAIRead profileOfficial source ↗ | Universal-2 USD 0.15/hr | No-card trial; model dependent | Recording becomes enriched transcript. | Diarization adds USD 0.02/hr. |
| GroqCloudRead profileOfficial source ↗ | gpt-oss USD 0.15/0.60 per 1M | Model-specific free limits | Messages or audio become text. | Preview is not production. |
Setup & workflow
- Choose prerecorded or streaming before comparing minute prices.
- Test a representative recording with the intended add-ons.
- Log billed audio duration and keep promotion expiry separate from regular rates.
Requirements & installation
- Create API access and prepare audio matching the selected recorded or streaming endpoint.
Limits & review
- Streaming promotions can end, and add-ons can change the effective minute rate. Speech recognition does not guarantee correct names, speaker identity or consent.
Your part
- Review timestamps, speaker labels and names, and obtain permission to process the recording.
Sources & verification4
This profile is based on official sources, not a hands-on product test.
Vendor descriptions and demos document advertised features. Editorial guidance is based on these sources.
- Official Deepgram functionalitydeepgram.com
- Official Deepgram pricingdeepgram.com
- AssemblyAI official referencewww.assemblyai.com
- GroqCloud official referenceconsole.groq.com
