12 Best Groq (hosted Whisper) Alternatives (2026)
Groq (hosted Whisper) is groqcloud runs openai's whisper models on custom lpu chips, turning audio files into text extremely fast at very low per-hour prices.. Teams that switch usually cite price at production volume, streaming latency for live agents, self-hosting and license control. The alternatives below are ranked by published head-to-head verdicts, not sponsorship.
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Reviewed by vsref Editorialfacts verified Sep 23, 2026Methodology →
Where to switch, by reason
All 46 speech-to-text apis alternatives
How the top Groq (hosted Whisper) alternatives compare
A closer look at the top 6: each Groq (hosted Whisper) alternative's standing among Speech-to-text APIs peers, its verdict record against Groq (hosted Whisper), and the trade-offs of leaving.
1. OpenAI Whisper (API)
Among the 43 speech-to-text tools we track, OpenAI Whisper (API) has the 21st-widest language coverage.
Our use-case verdicts have OpenAI Whisper (API) ahead of Groq (hosted Whisper) for medical and matches it for dictation and voice agents.
Seen from the other side, Groq (hosted Whisper) vs OpenAI Whisper (API): ~2× the languages.
OpenAI Whisper (API) lists $0.006 per audio-minute (batch), verified July 2026.
Why teams switch: The heaviest attribute for clinical transcription under US healthcare privacy law is HIPAA BAA availability. OpenAI Whisper API has a verified HIPAA BAA, while no such fact exists for Groq. This is a gate-level requirement: without a BAA, Groq cannot be used for covered healthcare data under HIPAA. On the next two equally weighted attributes, both tools tie on PII redaction (neither supports it) and custom vocabulary (both support it). Both also qualify on SOC 2 Type II. On self-hosting, Groq has an edge. But none of these secondary factors can override the absence of a BAA at weight 5 out of 5, which is the definitive gate for this use case.
Medical verdict →
Overall verdict: Groq wins four use cases outright against OpenAI Whisper's one, and the facts behind that record are clear. Its batch price is $0.002 per audio minute versus $0.006 for OpenAI, a 3x cost advantage that drives the Call Centers and Meetings wins where volume is high. For Developers, Groq adds a free tier of 28,800 audio seconds per day and supports 99 languages compared to OpenAI's 57, broadening addressable workloads. For Self-Hosted teams, Groq offers an on-premises option while OpenAI does not. OpenAI's single win is Medical, where its HIPAA BAA availability gives it a compliance edge Groq cannot match.
| Monthly volume | Monthly bill (batch) |
|---|---|
| 1K min/moSide project | $6 |
| 10K min/moProduction app | $60 |
| 100K min/moCall-center scale | $600 |
Published rates: batch $0.006/min, verified Jul 20, 2026. Sticker rates only; diarization and PII redaction add-ons price in the stack builder. How we compute costs →
Full OpenAI Whisper (API) vs Groq (hosted Whisper) comparison → · OpenAI Whisper (API) review →
2. Amazon Transcribe
Among the 43 speech-to-text tools we track, Amazon Transcribe has the 3rd-widest language coverage - a fit for multilingual and localization projects.
Seen from the other side, Groq (hosted Whisper) vs Amazon Transcribe: ~10% fewer languages.
Amazon Transcribe lists $0.006 per audio-minute (batch), verified July 2026.
| Monthly volume | Batch bill | Streaming bill |
|---|---|---|
| 1K min/moSide project | $6 | $10 |
| 10K min/moProduction app | $60 | $100 |
| 100K min/moCall-center scale | $600 | $1,000 |
Published rates: batch $0.006/min · streaming $0.01/min, verified Jul 20, 2026. Sticker rates only; diarization and PII redaction add-ons price in the stack builder. How we compute costs →
3. Aqua Voice
Among the 43 speech-to-text tools we track, Aqua Voice has the 28th-widest language coverage.
The reverse angle matters too - Groq (hosted Whisper) vs Aqua Voice: ~2× the languages.
Published pricing starts at $0.0065 per audio-minute (batch), verified July 2026.
| Monthly volume | Batch bill | Streaming bill |
|---|---|---|
| 1K min/moSide project | $6.50 | $6.50 |
| 10K min/moProduction app | $65 | $65 |
| 100K min/moCall-center scale | $650 | $650 |
Published rates: batch $0.0065/min · streaming $0.0065/min, verified Jul 20, 2026. Sticker rates only; diarization and PII redaction add-ons price in the stack builder. How we compute costs →
4. AssemblyAI
Among the 43 speech-to-text tools we track, AssemblyAI has the 12th-widest language coverage - a fit for multilingual and localization projects.
Published pricing starts at $0.0035 per audio-minute (batch), verified July 2026.
5. Azure AI Speech (STT)
Among the 43 speech-to-text tools we track, Azure AI Speech (STT) has the 1st-widest language coverage - a fit for multilingual and localization projects.
Before switching, weigh what stays behind - Groq (hosted Whisper) vs Azure AI Speech (STT): ~35% fewer languages.
Its published rate is $0.003 per audio-minute (batch), verified July 2026.
6. Cartesia Ink
Among the 43 speech-to-text tools we track, Cartesia Ink has the 12th-widest language coverage - a fit for multilingual and localization projects.