OpenAI vs Sarvam
At typical volumes OpenAI costs less for 1 of 3 uses and Sarvam for 2. The gap changes with volume, so check your own numbers below.
What each one offers
| Feature | OpenAI | Sarvam |
|---|---|---|
| Speaker labels | Extra cost | Extra cost |
| Languages | Not published | 11 |
| Self-hosting | No | No |
| EU data residency | Yes | No |
| Realtime voice | Yes | 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. Sarvam would cost 1.1 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 (opens in a new tab)
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.
- 2SarvamSpeech to Text (batch), $0.00515/min$5.15 per month+$0.65, 14.5% moreEstimateVisit Sarvam (opens in a new tab)
Usage $5.15 Monthly total $5.15 Works out to $0.00515 per minute. Converted to USD.
Priced in the "Above 0" tier; every unit is billed at that tier's rate.
Converted at 1 INR = 0.010518 USD (2026-10-31).
- 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, OpenAI or Sarvam?
- OpenAI is cheaper, at $4.50 a month against $5.15 for Sarvam (prices updated 2026-10-30).
- Which is cheaper for text-to-speech at 1,000,000 characters, OpenAI or Sarvam?
- Only Sarvam is in this comparison, at $21.04 a month (prices updated 2026-10-30).
- Which is cheaper for voice agent at 1,000 minutes, OpenAI or Sarvam?
- Sarvam is cheaper, at $36.81 a month against $96.00 for OpenAI (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.