AssemblyAI vs Rime
At typical volumes AssemblyAI costs less for 2 of 3 uses and Rime for 1. The gap changes with volume, so check your own numbers below.
AssemblyAIRime
$3.50
Speech to text1,000 minutes/mo
Not compared
$15.00
Text to speech1,000,000 characters/mo
Not compared
Not compared
Voice agent1,000 minutes/mo
$80.00
What each one offers
| Feature | AssemblyAI | Rime |
|---|---|---|
| Speaker labels | Extra cost | No |
| Languages | 99 | 10 |
| Self-hosting | No | Yes |
| EU data residency | Yes | No |
| Realtime voice | No | Yes |
Try your own numbers
Same calculator as the home page, limited to these two providers.
Every month I transcribe of audio.
AssemblyAI is the cheapest, at $3.50 a month.
Estimated monthly bill for 1,000 minutes, lowest first. 1 of 2 providers fit.
- 1AssemblyAIUniversal-3.5 Pro (pre-recorded), $0.21/hr$3.50 per monthLowest priceVisit AssemblyAI (opens in a new tab)
Usage $3.50 Monthly total $3.50 Works out to $0.0035 per minute.
Priced in the "Above 0" tier; every unit is billed at that tier's rate.
Not available for this setup
- RimeNot in this comparison.
- Prices updated 2026-10-30.
- Compared on transcription of recorded files (pre-recorded or batch). Live streaming is billed differently and costs more at some providers.
- Priced in the "Above 0" tier; every unit is billed at that tier's rate.
- Free-tier credits are not subtracted.
- How we calculate this
Some “Visit” links are affiliate links: the provider may pay us if you sign up. That never changes the order, which is set by price alone.
Frequently asked questions
- Which is cheaper for speech-to-text at 1,000 minutes, AssemblyAI or Rime?
- Only AssemblyAI is in this comparison, at $3.50 a month (prices updated 2026-10-30).
- Which is cheaper for text-to-speech at 1,000,000 characters, AssemblyAI or Rime?
- Only AssemblyAI is in this comparison, at $15.00 a month (prices updated 2026-10-30).
- Which is cheaper for voice agent at 1,000 minutes, AssemblyAI or Rime?
- Only Rime is in this comparison, at $80.00 a month (prices updated 2026-10-30).
Some “Sign up” links are affiliate links and may earn a commission. Rankings are computed from price only and never take affiliate status into account.