AWS Transcribe Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
AWS Transcribe pricing varies by team size and features, ranging from $0 to $6.75 per minute in 2026. Your actual cost depends on the tier you choose, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: No free tier available
- Billing: Monthly and annual (save 15-20%)
- Hidden costs: Add ~35% for implementation, support, and training
AWS Transcribe offers a freemium model with limited features; upgrade to unlock more.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- Batch and streaming transcription at $0.024/min
- Automatic language identification across 100+ languages
- Custom vocabularies for domain-specific terms
- Speaker diarization (identify up to 10 speakers)
- Channel identification for multi-channel audio
- Billed per second with 15-second minimum per request
- 12-month free tier: 60 minutes/month for new AWS accounts
Free Plan Limits
| Limit | Free Plan | Paid Plans |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 60 min/month for 12 months (new accounts only) | Unlimited/Higher |
| Max audio length | 4 hours per batch job | Unlimited/Higher |
| Concurrent jobs | 100 (default, can request increase) | Unlimited/Higher |
| Support | AWS Basic Support (included) | Unlimited/Higher |
| SLA | 99.9% availability | Unlimited/Higher |
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like advanced automation
- You require premium support or SLA guarantees
- You need to remove branding or watermarks
- You need advanced integrations or API access
Hidden Restrictions on Free Plan
- AWS Transcribe branding may appear on your content or communications
- Support is limited to community forums or email with longer response times
- Export options may be restricted or include watermarks
- API access is typically limited or not available
- Advanced reporting and analytics require paid plans
Free vs Paid: Which Do You Need?
Free Plan is Enough If...
- You're an individual or very small team
- You need only basic features
- You don't mind usage limits
- Branding on output is acceptable
- Community support is sufficient
You Need Paid If...
- Your team is growing beyond limits
- You need advanced features
- Professional branding is required
- You need priority support
- Integrations/API access is critical
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is AWS Transcribe free?
Yes, AWS Transcribe offers a freemium plan with 7 core features included. However, there are limits on free tier, max audio length that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in AWS Transcribe's free plan?
AWS Transcribe's free plan includes: Batch and streaming transcription at $0.024/min, Automatic language identification across 100+ languages, Custom vocabularies for domain-specific terms, Speaker diarization (identify up to 10 speakers), Channel identification for multi-channel audio, and 2 more features. Key limits include Free tier: 60 min/month for 12 months (new accounts only), Max audio length: 4 hours per batch job, Concurrent jobs: 100 (default, can request increase).
03 What's NOT included in AWS Transcribe's free plan?
The free plan excludes: advanced features, premium support, and higher limits. You'll also have AWS Transcribe branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from AWS Transcribe's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like advanced automation, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $0/minute.
05 Is AWS Transcribe's free plan really free forever?
Yes, AWS Transcribe's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit. However, feature and usage limits may restrict what you can do without upgrading to a paid plan.
Get AWS Transcribe pricing updates
We'll notify you when pricing changes or new free features are added.