Azure vs OpenAI
At typical volumes Azure costs less for 0 of 3 uses and OpenAI for 2, and they cost the same or neither offers it for 1. The gap changes with volume, so check your own numbers below.
What each one offers
| Feature | Azure | OpenAI |
|---|---|---|
| Speaker labels | Extra cost | Extra cost |
| Languages | Not published | Not published |
| Self-hosting | Yes | No |
| EU data residency | Yes | Yes |
| 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.
OpenAI is the cheapest, at $4.50 a month. Azure would cost 3.7 times as much.
Estimated monthly bill for 1,000 minutes, lowest first. 2 of 2 providers fit.
- 1OpenAIGPT Transcribe, $0.0045/min$4.50 per monthLowest priceVisit OpenAI
Usage $4.50 Monthly total $4.50 Works out to $0.0045 per minute.
Priced in the "Above 0" tier; every unit is billed at that tier's rate.
- 2AzureStandard real-time transcription, $1/hr$16.67 per month+$12.17, 270.4% moreVisit Azure
Usage $16.67 Monthly total $16.67 Works out to $0.0167 per minute.
Priced in the "Above 0" tier; every unit is billed at that tier's rate.
- Prices updated 2026-10-30.
- 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, Azure or OpenAI?
- OpenAI is cheaper, at $4.50 a month against $16.67 for Azure (prices updated 2026-10-30).
- Which is cheaper for text-to-speech at 1,000,000 characters, Azure or OpenAI?
- They cost the same, $15.00 a month (prices updated 2026-10-30).
- Which is cheaper for voice agent at 1,000 minutes, Azure or OpenAI?
- Only OpenAI offers it, at $96.00 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.