Google Cloud vs OpenAI
At typical volumes Google Cloud costs less for 0 of 3 uses and OpenAI for 3. The gap changes with volume, so check your own numbers below.
What each one offers
| Feature | Google Cloud | OpenAI |
|---|---|---|
| Speaker labels | Yes | Extra cost |
| Languages | 125 | Not published |
| Self-hosting | No | 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. Google Cloud would cost 3.6 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.
- 2Google CloudSpeech-to-Text V2 Standard (incl. Chirp), $0.016/min$16.00 per month+$11.50, 255.6% moreVisit Google Cloud
Usage $16.00 Monthly total $16.00 Works out to $0.016 per minute.
Tiers are graduated: each band of usage is billed at its own rate (reached: Up to 500000).
- Prices updated 2026-10-30.
- 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, Google Cloud or OpenAI?
- OpenAI is cheaper, at $4.50 a month against $16.00 for Google Cloud (prices updated 2026-10-30).
- Which is cheaper for text-to-speech at 1,000,000 characters, Google Cloud or OpenAI?
- OpenAI is cheaper, at $15.00 a month against $16.00 for Google Cloud (prices updated 2026-10-30).
- Which is cheaper for voice agent at 1,000 minutes, Google Cloud 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.