Speech-to-text APIs · Comparison
Google Cloud Speech-to-Text vs Speechmatics
2 products compared side by side: what you pay for with each one first, then the five access facts, entry prices, recorded plan limits and the bottom line of each review. The evidence note under the table says how each product was checked.
Side by side
| Metric | Google Cloud Speech-to-Text | Speechmatics |
|---|---|---|
| What you're paying for | Built-in reachSpeech recognition inside your Google Cloud account, with IAM, audit logs, a BAA and EU processing, and dynamic batch at $0.003 a minute. | Compliance includedTranscription in 55+ languages where your audio stays out of model training unless you opt in, with EU, US and Australian processing for every account. |
| Overall score | 7.8 | 8.1Best |
| Free option | Free plan | Free trial |
| Card to start | Card required | No card needed |
| Getting access | Self-serve | Self-serve |
| Starter priceCheapest paid plan | $0.003/min | $0.24/hr |
| Pricing model | Usage-based | Usage-based |
| Pricing page | Public prices | Public prices |
| Billing unit | Per second of audio, no minimum; each channel billed | Per second, from credits at hourly rates; credit price falls with packs and subscriptions |
| Free credit | 60 minutes a month on the V1 API; none on V2 | $100 at sign-up, no card, valid 12 months |
| Streaming rate | $0.016/min ($0.96/h), the same as batch | Melia 1 $0.40/h; Standard $0.45/h; Enhanced $0.80/h (list) |
| Diarization | No separate price; Chirp 3 diarization in batch only | Included; real-time speaker labels on Enhanced, Standard and Linden, not Melia 1 |
| Languages | Over 125 (product page) | 55+ (pricing page); 56 for Melia 1 |
| Training on your audio | Not without your permission; V1 data logging opt-in gives a lower rate | Only if you opt in (33% off) |
| Retention | Sync and streaming not stored; async transcripts about 5 days (V1) | Batch files 7 days, delete sooner by API; real-time audio not stored |
| HIPAA BAA | Covered; accepted in the console per the docs | Sub-BAA through the Trust Center; plan and process not stated |
| EU processing | Chirp 3 GA in the eu multi-region | EU, US and Australia regions for all customers |
| Self-hosted | Speech-to-Text On-Prem on GKE, through sales | On-prem containers, virtual appliance and on-device on Enterprise |
| SOC 2 / ISO 27001 | SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 (Compliance Reports Manager) | SOC 2 Type II (Trust Center, under NDA); ISO/IEC 27001:2022 |
| Console SSO | SAML through Cloud Identity Free, no listed cost | SAML/OIDC on Enterprise, $280/month add-on |
| Bottom line | From its public pages, Google Cloud Speech-to-Text suits teams inside Google Cloud: no training without permission, a BAA, EU processing and dynamic batch at $0.003 a minute. Features need checking per model, and there is no PII redaction. | From its public pages, Speechmatics has the strictest privacy defaults of the five: no training unless you opt in, 7-day batch retention and real-time audio not stored. Its pricing page leads with discounted rates, and redaction, SSO and on-prem are Enterprise features. |
Evidence: Google Cloud Speech-to-Text: facts checked 2026-10-16 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; Speechmatics: facts checked 2026-10-16 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run. Prices in USD as listed, excluding tax. "–" means not recorded.
When to pick each
In the words of each review, with the date its facts were checked.
From our Google Cloud Speech-to-Text review
Checked Oct 16, 2026- Pick Google Cloud Speech-to-Text when
- You want dynamic batch pricing and a BAA within your Google Cloud account.
- Pick Speechmatics when
- You want a $100 sign-up credit, a stated 7-day batch retention and a delete-job API.
From our Speechmatics review
Checked Oct 16, 2026- Pick Speechmatics when
- You want a $100 sign-up credit, a stated 7-day batch retention and a delete-job API without a cloud account.
- Pick Google Cloud Speech-to-Text when
- You already run on Google Cloud and want its IAM, audit logs and a BAA under your existing account.
Entry price
Baseline: each product's cheapest paid plan, per month. Included usage differs, so read the line under each price.
- Google Cloud Speech-to-TextV2 standard recognition$0.016/minFirst 500,000 min a month; then $0.01, $0.008 and $0.004
- Batch, sync and streaming at one price
- Chirp 3 priced at $0.016 on the product page
- Diarization and speech adaptation with no separate price
- SpeechmaticsPro: Melia 1, pre-recorded$0.24/hrPay-as-you-go list rate; $0.16 with the model-training opt-in
- Speaker diarization included
- 56 languages, code-switching
- Word timestamps included
Prices as listed on each pricing page, in USD per month, excluding tax. Observed: Google Cloud Speech-to-Text 2026-10-16, Speechmatics 2026-10-16.
Which one fits
- If you need to start today without a sales call
- SpeechmaticsSelf-serve sign-up, no card needed; the highest score of the 2 self-serve products here (8.1/10).
- If you want to try it without entering a card
- SpeechmaticsFree trial, no card needed; scored 8.1/10.
- Highest overall score
- Speechmatics8.1/10 (Excellent). The review shows the score breakdown and the run behind it.
Picked by fixed rules from the table above, not by hand. How we score
Full reviews
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