Shortlist by what you need
Start here if you know why you are leaving Deepgram.
Want the closest match?
AssemblyAIMost similar to Deepgram in what it does, its category and its price.
Visit (opens AssemblyAI in a new tab)Need a free plan?
GladiaHas a free plan, rated 4.3 out of 5.
Visit (opens Gladia in a new tab)Want the lowest price?
SpeechmaticsFrom $0.13/mo, the lowest starting price here.
Visit (opens Speechmatics in a new tab)Want the best rated?
Vapi
Rated 4.4 out of 5 in our review, against 4.5 for Deepgram.
Visit (opens Vapi in a new tab)
At a glance
Green means better than Deepgram, red means worse. Prices are starting prices per month.
| Tool | Our rating | Starts at | Free plan | Best for | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 DeepgramBaseline | 4.5 | Free | Yes | Trains its own speech models from scratch, built for call centers | |
| AssemblyAI | 4.5Same | Free | Yes | A developer API, not an app, built for accuracy benchmarks | vs Deepgram |
| Gladia | 4.3−0.2 | Free | Yes | A European speech API tuned for accents and multilingual audio | vs Deepgram |
 Google Cloud Speech-to-Text | 4.3−0.2 | Free | Yes | Google Cloud's speech recognition API converting audio to text across 125+ languages with real-time streaming. | vs Deepgram |
 Voicegain | 4.0−0.5 | Free | Yes | Voice AI platform with speech-to-text APIs, voice agents and healthcare call automation that runs on its cloud, a private VPC or fully on-premises. | vs Deepgram |
| Speechmatics | 3.9−0.6 | $0.13/mo | Yes | Enterprise speech API platform for speech-to-text and voice agents in 55+ languages, with $100 in free usage and no card required. | vs Deepgram |
| Vapi | 4.4−0.1 | Not listed | No | Infrastructure for building voice agents, not a voice model itself | vs Deepgram |
 Hume AI | 4.2−0.3 | Free | Yes | Built around reading and responding to vocal emotion | vs Deepgram |
 LongScribe | 3.6−0.9 | $4.99/mo | Yes | AI transcription software for long prerecorded audio and video | vs Deepgram |
The alternatives in detail
In order of how closely each one matches Deepgram.
AssemblyAI
4.5Free
vs DeepgramSame
A developer API, not an app, built for accuracy benchmarks.
- Usage-based speech-to-text API
- LeMUR framework for LLM analysis on transcripts
- Published accuracy benchmarks against competitors
Strong, independently referenced accuracy benchmarks
No consumer app, requires development work to use
Gladia
4.3Free
vs Deepgram−0.2
A European speech API tuned for accents and multilingual audio.
- Whisper-based model with additional accuracy tuning
- Strong performance on accented and multilingual audio
- EU-based infrastructure for data residency needs
Tuned specifically for accented and code-switching speech
No consumer app, requires development work to use
Google Cloud Speech-to-Text
4.3Free
vs Deepgram−0.2
Google Cloud's speech recognition API converting audio to text across 125+ languages with real-time streaming.
- Speech recognition across 125+ languages and regional variants
- Real-time streaming transcription alongside batch processing
- Automatic punctuation and speaker diarization
Language and variant coverage exceeds most competing transcription APIs
Per-second billing makes total cost hard to predict without usage forecasting
Voicegain
4.0Free
vs Deepgram−0.5
Voice AI platform with speech-to-text APIs, voice agents and healthcare call automation that runs on its cloud, a private VPC or fully on-premises.
- Omega, Kappa and Voicegain-Whisper speech recognition models
- Casey voice AI suite for healthcare payer calls
- Clara ambient listening and medical scribe
$50 free credit with no credit card
Aimed at developers and healthcare organizations, not casual users
Speechmatics
3.9$0.13/mo
vs Deepgram−0.6
Enterprise speech API platform for speech-to-text and voice agents in 55+ languages, with $100 in free usage and no card required.
- Speech-to-text in 55+ languages and dialects
- Low-latency mode built for real-time voice agents
- English text-to-speech for voice-agent responses
A meaningful free credit to test the API before paying
Enterprise pricing is not public and needs a sales conversation
Vapi
4.4Not listed
vs Deepgram−0.1
Infrastructure for building voice agents, not a voice model itself.
- Orchestration layer connecting STT, LLM, and TTS providers
- Provider-agnostic, swap components without rebuilding
- Built-in telephony and call handling infrastructure
Removes the integration work of combining separate voice AI providers
Requires development work, not a ready-made consumer app
Hume AI
4.2Free
vs Deepgram−0.3
Built around reading and responding to vocal emotion.
- Empathic Voice Interface for emotion-aware responses
- Vocal tone and prosody analysis
- Research-backed emotional expression measurement
Genuinely distinct focus on emotional intelligence, not just accuracy
Narrower use case than general-purpose voice AI platforms
LongScribe
3.6$4.99/mo
vs Deepgram−0.9
AI transcription software for long prerecorded audio and video.
- Transcribes long recordings from YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Vimeo and 1,000+ other sources
- Uploads from your computer or cloud storage, with batch upload of up to 20 files on Premium
- Imports a whole YouTube channel and lets you pick which videos to transcribe
The free plan recurs every month rather than expiring after a trial
The free plan stops at 3 transcriptions and 180 minutes a month
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is Deepgram free?
Deepgram has a free plan.
What is the best free alternative to Deepgram?
AssemblyAI is the highest-rated alternative here with a free plan (4.5 out of 5). Other free options: Gladia, Google Cloud Speech-to-Text, Hume AI.
What is the cheapest alternative to Deepgram?
Among paid plans, Speechmatics has the lowest starting price (from $0.13/mo). If you need it free, start with AssemblyAI.
How did you pick these alternatives?
We match tools on what they do, their category and their price, using the details in our directory. Ratings come from our reviews and reader reviews.