Speechmatics: Enterprise Pricing, Enterprise Plumbing
Speechmatics charges ~$1.04/hr for real-time and $0.30/hr for batch — with a custom JSON-config REST API and an async job-polling flow. SpeakEasy is $0.20/hr, one sync call, standard SDK.
Feature-by-feature comparison
Built for European enterprise compliance teams. Priced accordingly.
| Feature | SpeakEasy | Speechmatics |
|---|---|---|
| STT Price per Hour (real-time) | $0.20 | ~$1.04 |
| STT Price per Hour (batch) | $0.20 | ~$0.30 |
| Monthly Plan | $10/mo (50 hrs included) | Pay-as-you-go / enterprise |
| Free Tier | $1 first month | 8 hrs free trial |
| Languages | 99+ | 55+ |
| Speaker Diarization | Yes | Yes |
| Word-level Timestamps | Yes | Yes |
| API Model | Sync single call | Async job + polling |
| OpenAI SDK Compatible | Yes | No (custom REST) |
| Self-hosted option | No | Yes (on-prem container) |
| Text-to-Speech | Yes | No |
| Pricing Model | Simple flat rate | Enterprise + custom quote |
Pricing breakdown
On-prem niche vs developer-friendly pricing.
SpeakEasy
- ✓STT at $0.20/hour (50 hrs included)
- ✓~80% cheaper than real-time Speechmatics
- ✓99+ languages vs 55+
- ✓Includes TTS
- ✓OpenAI SDK — instant integration
Speechmatics
- ✕Custom JSON-config REST API
- ✕Async job + polling required
- ✕No Text-to-Speech
- ✓Self-hosted/on-prem container available
- ✓8 hours free trial
Save ~80% on real-time STT — same accuracy class
100 hrs/month real-time: Speechmatics ≈ $104. SpeakEasy = $22.50. Only pick Speechmatics if you need self-hosted on-prem for compliance.
One sync call vs async job config
Speechmatics makes you build a multipart request with a JSON config blob and then poll for job completion. SpeakEasy returns the transcript synchronously.
# Speechmatics — custom REST API with JSON config
import requests
headers = {"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_SPEECHMATICS_KEY"}
files = {
"data_file": open("meeting.mp3", "rb"),
"config": (None, '''{
"type": "transcription",
"transcription_config": {"language": "en", "diarization": "speaker"}
}'''),
}
res = requests.post(
"https://asr.api.speechmatics.com/v2/jobs",
headers=headers,
files=files,
).json()
# then poll job, then fetch transcript — not shown# SpeakEasy — one call, standard OpenAI SDK
from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI(
api_key="YOUR_SPEAKEASY_KEY",
base_url="https://www.tryspeakeasy.io/api/v1"
)
transcript = client.audio.transcriptions.create(
model="whisper-large-v3",
file=open("meeting.mp3", "rb")
)
print(transcript.text)The verdict
Speechmatics has one real advantage: self-hosted on-prem. If you're a European bank, a healthcare system, or a government agency that cannot send audio to a public cloud, their deployable container is genuinely useful.
Outside that use case, the pricing and DX are not competitive. $1.04/hr real-time at 5x SpeakEasy rates, a custom REST API with JSON config blobs, async-job polling, and no TTS. You're paying enterprise rates for enterprise friction you do not need.
SpeakEasy runs Whisper large-v3 at $0.20/hr with a single sync call over the OpenAI SDK. Ship an STT-backed feature this afternoon, not after a three-month enterprise procurement cycle.
$1 for your first month. Full 50 hours included.
Also compare SpeakEasy with:
$1. 50 hours. Both STT and TTS.
Your current speech API provider is charging you too much. Switch in one line of code.