Whisper (OpenAI) Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Whisper (OpenAI) pricing varies by team size and features, ranging from $0.003 to $0.006 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
Whisper (OpenAI) offers a freemium model with limited features; upgrade to unlock more.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- Speech-to-text at $0.003/min ($0.18/hour)
- 99+ language support
- Multiple audio format support (mp3, mp4, wav, webm, etc.)
- Billed per second with no minimum charge
- Near real-time processing (5-10x faster than real-time)
- Also available as token-based pricing at $1.25/1M input tokens
Free Plan Limits
| Limit | Free Plan | Paid Plans |
|---|---|---|
| Max file size | 25 MB per request | Unlimited/Higher |
| Rate limits | Tier-based (50 RPM default) | Unlimited/Higher |
| Support | Community forum | Unlimited/Higher |
| SLA | None | 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
- Whisper (OpenAI) 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 Whisper (OpenAI) free?
Yes, Whisper (OpenAI) offers a freemium plan with 6 core features included. However, there are limits on max file size, rate limits that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in Whisper (OpenAI)'s free plan?
Whisper (OpenAI)'s free plan includes: Speech-to-text at $0.003/min ($0.18/hour), 99+ language support, Multiple audio format support (mp3, mp4, wav, webm, etc.), Billed per second with no minimum charge, Near real-time processing (5-10x faster than real-time), and 1 more features. Key limits include Max file size: 25 MB per request, Rate limits: Tier-based (50 RPM default), Support: Community forum.
03 What's NOT included in Whisper (OpenAI)'s free plan?
The free plan excludes: advanced features, premium support, and higher limits. You'll also have Whisper (OpenAI) branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from Whisper (OpenAI)'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 $0.003/minute.
05 Is Whisper (OpenAI)'s free plan really free forever?
Yes, Whisper (OpenAI)'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 Whisper (OpenAI) pricing updates
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