Speechmatics
Compare Speechmatics models by language handling and required features before comparing their hourly rates.
- Starting price
- Melia 1 USD 0.24/audio hour before discounts
- Free access
- USD 100 introductory credits; no card required
- Billing unit
- Audio hours; model and add-on rates differ
- Platform
- Pre-recorded and streaming APIs
- Verified
- 1 Nov 2026
Overview
What you provide
- Submit authorised audio or video and choose the transcription model and relevant language options.
What you get
- The API returns transcription text with supported speaker labels, formatting and word timings.
Choosing this tool
Melia 1 is presented for mixed-language transcription, whereas Enhanced lets you choose the language and adds a custom dictionary. Compare standard rates first, then decide independently whether granting model-training permission or committing to credits is acceptable. Gladia offers a prepaid transcription API with different language coverage and training defaults. Wudpecker is an alternative when you need a complete meeting-note application instead of building an API workflow.
A decision worked through
At the displayed undiscounted rates, 100 pre-recorded hours cost USD 24 on Melia 1 or USD 75 on Enhanced, before taxes and add-ons. A USD 12 Melia estimate for the same volume assumes both displayed discounts, not standard pay-as-you-go pricing. This compares cost, not recognition quality.
Speechmatics alternatives for model-specific speech transcription apis
Compare Speechmatics with Gladia, Wudpecker for this workflow, including the billing unit and the work left to your team.
| Product | Price / unit | Free allowance | Input → output | Key limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SpeechmaticsRead profileOfficial source ↗ | Melia 1 USD 0.24/hour; conditional discounted rate from USD 0.12/hour | USD 100 starting credits | Audio and model settings become timestamped text. | The lowest rate combines training permission and volume discounts. |
| GladiaRead profileOfficial source ↗ | Async Solaria-3 from EUR 0.16/hour | EUR 50 starting credits for one year | Recorded or live audio becomes text and optional analysis. | Solaria-3 has six languages; training opt-out needs review. |
| WudpeckerRead profileOfficial source ↗ | Free USD 0; Plus USD 23/month or USD 19/month yearly | Ten bot meetings and limited AI questions | Meetings become editable notes and speaker-labelled text. | Unlimited app recording does not mean unlimited bot meetings. |
Setup & workflow
- Select a model using the language and vocabulary requirements.
- Submit a short recording and inspect its transcript and timings.
- Measure processed hours and enabled extras before scaling the integration.
Requirements & installation
- Prepare an API integration and a representative recording whose language and specialist terms are known.
Limits & review
- Lowest advertised rates assume model-training permission and volume savings. The training opt-in changes future audio/transcript data-use terms; a price-view switch does not prove your account opted in. Model features and add-ons differ, and introductory credits are not perpetual free inference.
Your part
- Check names, numbers and domain vocabulary against the recording before using a transcript as a record.
Sources & verification5
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 Speechmatics pricingwww.speechmatics.com
- Official Speechmatics productspeechmatics.com
- Speechmatics official referencewww.speechmatics.com
- Gladia official referencewww.gladia.io
- Wudpecker official referencewww.wudpecker.io
