Shortlist by what you need
Start here if you know why you are leaving Speechmatics.
Want the closest match?
CartesiaMost similar to Speechmatics in what it does, its category and its price.
Visit (opens Cartesia in a new tab)Need a free plan?
DeepgramHas a free plan, rated 4.5 out of 5.
Visit (opens Deepgram in a new tab)Want the best rated?
VoicegainRated 4.0 out of 5 in our review, against 3.9 for Speechmatics.
Visit (opens Voicegain in a new tab)
At a glance
Green means better than Speechmatics, red means worse. Prices are starting prices per month.
| Tool | Our rating | Starts at | Free plan | Best for | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 SpeechmaticsBaseline | 3.9 | $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. | |
| Cartesia | 4.4+0.5 | Free | Yes | A different model architecture built for real-time voice agents | vs Speechmatics |
| Voicegain | 4.0+0.1 | 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 Speechmatics |
| Deepgram | 4.5+0.6 | Free | Yes | Trains its own speech models from scratch, built for call centers | vs Speechmatics |
 SpeechGPT | 2.7−1.2 | Not listed | No | A no-code speech recognition and NLU API for building voice-enabled apps - customizable language, accent, and dialect handling for customer service bots and voice search. | vs Speechmatics |
 Voiser | 3.5−0.4 | $4/mo$3.87 more | Yes | Turkish AI voice platform for text to speech, transcription, dubbing, voice cloning and video, with plans from $4 a month. | vs Speechmatics |
 FakeYou | 4.0+0.1 | $7/mo$6.87 more | Yes | Community-powered AI voice generator with thousands of character and celebrity voices for text-to-speech and voice conversion. | vs Speechmatics |
 Altered | 3.9Same | Not listed | No | Real-time voice morphing for calls and games, plus studio-grade speech-to-speech editing for post-production - including Euphonia, a voice-restoration mode for dysphonia support. | vs Speechmatics |
 Deepdub AI | 3.5−0.4 | Not listed | No | A voice performance on demand, not just text-to-speech - Deepdub Phantom X 3.2 delivers expressive, ~125ms-latency speech and voice cloning across 100+ languages. | vs Speechmatics |
The alternatives in detail
In order of how closely each one matches Speechmatics.
Cartesia
4.4Free
vs Speechmatics+0.5
A different model architecture built for real-time voice agents.
- State space model architecture (Mamba-based) for low latency
- Sonic (TTS), Ink (STT), and Line (voice agent) product suite
- Top-ranked on independent speech benchmarks
Architecture specifically optimized for real-time latency
No published flat pricing, requires contacting sales for production use
Voicegain
4.0Free
vs Speechmatics+0.1
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
Deepgram
4.5Free
vs Speechmatics+0.6
Trains its own speech models from scratch, built for call centers.
- Speech recognition models trained from scratch, not fine-tuned Whisper
- Real-time streaming transcription API
- Built for call center and voice agent use cases
Own model training gives more control over accuracy and speed tradeoffs
No consumer app, requires engineering integration
SpeechGPT
2.7Not listed
vs Speechmatics−1.2
A no-code speech recognition and NLU API for building voice-enabled apps - customizable language, accent, and dialect handling for customer service bots and voice search.
- AI speech recognition with contextual understanding
- Customizable language, accent, and dialect handling
- No-code setup for voice-enabled applications
Accent/dialect customization addresses a real accuracy gap in generic speech tools
No specific underlying AI model is named
Voiser
3.5$4/mo
vs Speechmatics$3.87 more−0.4
Turkish AI voice platform for text to speech, transcription, dubbing, voice cloning and video, with plans from $4 a month.
- Text to speech in 75+ languages with 1000+ voices, per the older site
- Speech to text in 71 languages with timestamps and keyword detection
- Voice cloning on the Pro and Enterprise plans
Low entry prices
Two sites with different feature and pricing pages during a migration
FakeYou
4.0$7/mo
vs Speechmatics$6.87 more+0.1
Community-powered AI voice generator with thousands of character and celebrity voices for text-to-speech and voice conversion.
- Library of 3,500+ community-contributed character, celebrity, and custom voices
- Text-to-speech generation from typed input in a selected voice
- Voice conversion that re-voices existing audio clips into a different model
Free core functionality makes the tool accessible without a subscription
Community-uploaded voices raise recurring likeness and consent questions around celebrity and public-figure models
Altered
3.9Not listed
vs SpeechmaticsSame
Real-time voice morphing for calls and games, plus studio-grade speech-to-speech editing for post-production - including Euphonia, a voice-restoration mode for dysphonia support.
- Speech-to-speech voice morphing for post-production (Studio)
- Low-latency real-time voice transformation for calls and games
- Euphonia: voice restoration mode for dysphonia support
Genuine assistive-technology mode (Euphonia) alongside the entertainment features
Real-time voice changing raises identity-transparency considerations on calls
Deepdub AI
3.5Not listed
vs Speechmatics−0.4
A voice performance on demand, not just text-to-speech - Deepdub Phantom X 3.2 delivers expressive, ~125ms-latency speech and voice cloning across 100+ languages.
- Deepdub Phantom X 3.2 model, tied for #1 in expressivity benchmarks
- ~125ms end-to-end real-time voice latency
- Voice cloning and speech-to-speech translation
Real-time latency figures (~125ms) are unusually specific for a voice AI product
Enterprise pricing isn't disclosed upfront
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is Speechmatics free?
Speechmatics has a free plan, and paid plans start from $0.13/mo.
What is the best free alternative to Speechmatics?
Deepgram is the highest-rated alternative here with a free plan (4.5 out of 5). Other free options: Cartesia, Voicegain, FakeYou.
What is the cheapest alternative to Speechmatics?
Among paid plans, Voiser has the lowest starting price (from $4/mo). If you need it free, start with Deepgram.
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.