Speech API Billing Mechanics and Rules
All prices are in USD, with actual audio quantities in minutes. Speech is Cheap rounds files up to the next minute. Rev rounds up each file to the second with a 15-second minimum, not fixed billing increments.
Selected word or speaker features are billed according to each offer, though some include them. Speech is Cheap add-ons are charged on every rounded minute, including within the subscription allowance.
Calculations reflect direct commercial API charges. A cloud GPU is not mandatory to self-host open-source models; see the DIY hub to evaluate full infrastructure, hardware, and operational costs.
Comparisons apply eligibility filters based on published limits. Providers unable to verify support for single 240-minute, 0.5 GiB files are omitted from long-form comparisons. Unverified feature add-ons are excluded.
Certain rates depend on promotional terms. Azure Speech MAI-2 Preview Promo pricing ends on 2026-12-31; public preview has no SLA and Microsoft does not recommend it for production.
Public automatic tiers are included, calculating subscription fees, base allowances, overages, and add-ons together while excluding taxes, free credits, and negotiated rates. Introductory credits, recurring free allowances, and commitment discounts are distinct; see the master pricing table.
1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes.
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