AWS Transcribe vs Google Cloud Speech-to-Text
AI Transcription APIs pricing comparison · 2026
AWS Transcribe is usage-based from $0.006 per minute, while Google Cloud Speech-to-Text is usage-based from $0.003 per minute. AWS Transcribe is typically 62% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.
AWS Transcribe
Amazon Transcribe is AWS's fully managed automatic speech recognition (ASR) service that c
verified 9w ago
$196
$300
Google Cloud Speech-to-Text
Google Cloud Speech-to-Text pricing is usage-based, starting free for 60 minutes/month as
verified 4mo ago
$196
$300
Recorded annual contract medians
AWS
median is
$104
less than
Google
· different customer contracts; not a quote
Cheapest
$196
Spread
35%
Estimated license cost
at 25 seats
List price × seats. Click a tier below to lock it.
Usage-based
$0.006 per minute
see vendor pricing for volume tiers
Usage-based
$0.016 per minute
see vendor pricing for volume tiers
What buyers actually pay
median, annual
Vendr deal-flow data. The real benchmark, not list price.
↓ Lowest median
Median annual
$196/yr
Vendr · n=13
Median annual
$300/yr
Vendr · n=15
REF · 01
Sources & confidence
Every dollar amount and contract clause below traces back to a sourced fact. We don't manufacture composite scores.
Where this data comes from
Vendr · TrustRadius · Reddit · BBB · official docs
Sources
5 sourced facts
2 contract · Vendr median · 2 review platforms
Last verified
2mo ago
Confidence
Medium confidence
Sources
19 sourced facts
16 hidden-cost · 1 contract · Vendr median · 1 review platform
Last verified
4mo ago
Confidence
High confidence
REF · 02
Plans at a glance
Every tier per product. Lock one to drive the cost row above and reveal a tier-specific outbound CTA.
Tier ladder
Click a tier to lock the cost row to it. Locking surfaces a tier-specific Visit CTA.
REF · 04
Contract terms
The fine print, surfaced. Green = buyer-friendly. Each clause backed by a quoted source.
AWS
Google
Auto-renewal
—
Yes
Cancellation
For pay-as-you-go subscriptions, buyers can cancel directly from the AWS Marketplace console at any time; for public offers with contract pricing, cancellation within 48 hours of purchase can be done through AWS Customer Service for a full refund.
—
Commitment
There is no upfront commitment or minimum spend required for standard AWS Transcribe usage.
None for standard pay-as-you-go usage; large workloads may require a custom contract
Price escalation
—
No published price escalation schedule; standard pay-as-you-go rates apply unless on a custom large-workload contract
Can downgrade
—
✓
Yes
REF · 05
What users say
Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.
User reviews
TrustRadius · Trustpilot · G2
Decide
Get a quote from each vendor
Each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
License cost is computed from publicly listed plans (real math, list price × seats).
Median annual cost is from Vendr's deal flow when available — see source badges.
Hidden costs and contract terms each cite their own sources. We do not invent composite scores.
AI Transcription APIs
AWS Transcribe
Free tier; usage-based, from $0.006 per minute
Full pricing breakdown →
VS
AI Transcription APIs
Google Cloud Speech-to-Text
Free tier; usage-based, from $0.003 per minute
Full pricing breakdown →
AWS Transcribe and Google Cloud Speech-to-Text both operate in the ai transcription apis category. This page compares their published pricing.
Plan-by-Plan Pricing
| Plan | AWS Transcribe | Google Cloud Speech-to-Text |
|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | Free /minute | Free /minute |
| Standard Transcription (pay-as-you-go) | Free /minute | Free /minute |
| Call Analytics (pay-as-you-go) | Free /minute | Free /minute |
| Speech-to-Text V2 API - Standard Recognition - 2,000,000+ minutes | — | Free /minute |
| Speech-to-Text V2 API - Standard Dynamic Batch Recognition | — | Free /minute |
| Speech-to-Text V1 API - Standard Recognition with Data Logging - 0 to 60 minutes | — | Free /minute |
| Speech-to-Text V1 API - Standard Recognition with Data Logging - 60+ minutes | — | Free /minute |
| Speech-to-Text V1 API - Standard Recognition without Data Logging - 0 to 60 minutes | — | Free /minute |
| Speech-to-Text V1 API - Standard Recognition without Data Logging - 60+ minutes | — | Free /minute |
| Medical Dictation - 0 to 60 minutes | — | Free /minute |
| Medical Dictation - 60+ minutes | — | Free /minute |
| Medical Conversation - 0 to 60 minutes | — | Free /minute |
| Medical Conversation - 60+ minutes | — | Free /minute |
| Large Workloads / Custom Quote | — | Free |
Market Intelligence
AWS Transcribe
- Median annual cost
- $196
- Based on
- 13 deals
Google Cloud Speech-to-Text
- Median annual cost
- $300
- Based on
- 15 deals
Contract Terms
| Term | AWS Transcribe | Google Cloud Speech-to-Text |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-renewal | — | Yes |
| Cancellation | For pay-as-you-go subscriptions, buyers can cancel directly from the AWS Marketplace console at any time; for public offers with contract pricing, cancellation within 48 hours of purchase can be done through AWS Customer Service for a full refund. | — |
| Minimum commitment | There is no upfront commitment or minimum spend required for standard AWS Transcribe usage. | None for standard pay-as-you-go usage; large workloads may require a custom contract |
| Price escalation | — | No published price escalation schedule; standard pay-as-you-go rates apply unless on a custom large-workload contract |
| Can downgrade | — | Yes |