AssemblyAI Pricing Per Minute 2025: Hidden Add-On Costs & Simpler Alternative

AssemblyAI's pricing looks deceptively simple at first glance: $0.15/hour ($0.0025/min) for their Universal speech-to-text model. But here's what their pricing page doesn't make immediately obvious: every advanced feature costs extra, and those costs stack quickly.

Need speaker identification? That's $0.02/hour more. Want sentiment analysis? Another $0.02/hour. PII redaction? $0.08/hour. Summarization? $0.03/hour. By the time you add the features most applications actually need, your $0.0025/min base rate can triple or quadruple.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll break down Assembly AI's complete 2025 pricing structure, reveal exactly how add-on costs stack, calculate real-world scenarios with multiple features, and show you when their à la carte model makes sense—and when a simpler all-inclusive alternative saves money and complexity.

For comparing transcription pricing across all major services, see our comprehensive cost analysis.

Quick Navigation

• AssemblyAI Pricing Overview (2025)
• The Feature Stacking Problem
• Hidden Costs & Considerations
• AssemblyAI vs BrassTranscripts: When Simplicity Wins
• Real-World Feature Stacking Scenarios
• AssemblyAI Free Tier & Volume Discounts
• When to Choose AssemblyAI vs Alternatives
• Frequently Asked Questions
• AI Prompt: AssemblyAI Pricing Calculator
• Final Verdict: AssemblyAI vs BrassTranscripts
• Pricing Disclaimer

AssemblyAI Pricing Overview (2025)

According to AssemblyAI's official pricing page (verified October 2025), their pricing follows a base + add-ons model:

Core Transcription Pricing

Last verified: October 24, 2025 from AssemblyAI Pricing

That $0.15/hour base rate is competitive—until you start adding features.

Speech Understanding Add-Ons (The Real Cost)

Every feature below is priced separately and stacks on top of your base transcription cost:

Basic Features

Advanced Features

Guardrails (Security/Compliance)

All pricing from AssemblyAI's official pricing page, verified October 2025

The Feature Stacking Problem

Here's where AssemblyAI's pricing model gets expensive fast. Let's calculate what a typical "fully-featured" transcription actually costs:

Example: Podcast Transcription with Common Features

Features needed:

• Base transcription (Universal): $0.0025/min
• Speaker identification: $0.00033/min
• Sentiment analysis: $0.00033/min
• Auto chapters: $0.00133/min
• Summarization: $0.0005/min

Total per-minute cost:

$0.0025 + $0.00033 + $0.00033 + $0.00133 + $0.0005 = $0.00499/min

You're now paying 2x the advertised base rate. At 100 hours/month:

100 hours × 60 min × $0.00499 = $29.94/month

That's still cheap in absolute terms, but it's double what the pricing page headline suggests.

Example: Enterprise Meeting Transcription (Maximum Features)

Features needed:

• Base transcription: $0.0025/min
• Speaker identification: $0.00033/min
• Entity detection: $0.00133/min
• Topic detection: $0.0025/min
• Summarization: $0.0005/min
• PII redaction: $0.00133/min
• Content moderation: $0.0025/min

Total per-minute cost:

$0.0025 + $0.00033 + $0.00133 + $0.0025 + $0.0005 + $0.00133 + $0.0025 = $0.01349/min

You're now paying 5.4x the base rate. At 200 hours/month:

200 hours × 60 min × $0.01349 = $161.88/month

This is why AssemblyAI's pricing requires careful feature auditing. Every checkbox you enable literally multiplies your costs.

Hidden Costs & Considerations

Beyond the à la carte feature pricing, several hidden costs affect your real AssemblyAI spending:

1. Pay-As-You-Go Requires Pre-Funding

AssemblyAI operates on a deposit-based system:

• You deposit funds into your account
• Usage deducts from your balance
• No monthly subscription, but requires upfront payment

Impact: You need to estimate usage and fund your account in advance. Over-estimate and you tie up capital. Under-estimate and your API calls fail mid-month.

2. Per-Second Billing (With Rounding)

AssemblyAI bills in per-second increments, but pricing is shown per hour. This means:

• A 61-second file costs for 61 seconds (not rounded to 2 minutes)
• But a 1-second file still costs for 1 second

Better than Rev.ai's 15-second minimum, but still requires precise usage tracking.

3. Free Tier Limitations

AssemblyAI offers $50 in free credits for new accounts, which equals:

• ~185 hours of pre-recorded Universal transcription (base only)
• ~33 hours if you use all major features (5x cost multiplier)

Limitation: One-time credit, not monthly. Once exhausted, you're on paid usage immediately.

4. Feature Combination Testing Costs Money

Want to test which features improve your application? Each test costs real money:

• Test speaker ID: $0.02/hour × test hours
• Test sentiment: $0.02/hour × test hours
• Test both together: $0.04/hour × test hours

For 10 hours of testing across 5 feature combinations: ~$2-3 in testing costs. Not huge, but it adds up during development.

5. No Volume Discounts Publicized

AssemblyAI's pricing page states: "If you plan to send large volumes...reach out to see if you qualify for a volume discount."

Translation: No public volume pricing tiers. You must contact sales, negotiate, and likely commit to minimum usage. This creates pricing uncertainty for growing applications.

AssemblyAI vs BrassTranscripts: When Simplicity Wins

Let's be transparent about where each service makes sense.

Where AssemblyAI Wins

1. Ultra-Low Base Cost for Simple Transcription If you genuinely only need basic transcription with no add-ons, AssemblyAI's $0.0025/min is exceptional value. At 1,000 hours/month:

1,000 hours × 60 min × $0.0025 = $150/month

That's hard to beat for API-based transcription.

2. Granular Feature Control AssemblyAI's à la carte model means you pay only for features you use. If you need entity detection but not sentiment analysis, you're not forced into a bundle.

3. Advanced AI Features Features like PII redaction, content moderation, and entity detection are genuinely advanced and priced reasonably given their complexity.

4. Real-Time Streaming AssemblyAI's streaming transcription (same $0.0025/min base rate) is valuable for live captioning, voice assistants, and real-time applications.

Where BrassTranscripts Wins

1. Predictable All-Inclusive Pricing BrassTranscripts: $2.25 flat rate for 0-15 min files, $0.15/min for 16+ min files (speaker ID included).

No mental math about feature costs. No surprise bills when you forget you enabled sentiment analysis.

2. No Account Required: Upload and Go AssemblyAI requires:

• Account creation
• API key management
• Deposit funding
• Webhook or polling implementation

BrassTranscripts: Upload your file, get your transcript. Zero technical barriers.

3. Included Speaker Identification Speaker ID is the #1 most-requested feature for transcription. AssemblyAI charges $0.02/hour ($0.00033/min) extra. BrassTranscripts includes it in the base pricing ($2.25 for 0-15 min, $0.15/min for 16+ min).

4. No API Integration Required AssemblyAI is API-first. You must:

• Write code to upload files
• Handle asynchronous job processing
• Manage webhooks or polling
• Implement error handling

BrassTranscripts requires zero code. Upload → Download. Done.

Cost Comparison: 100 Hours/Month with Speaker ID

Crossover Point: AssemblyAI becomes cheaper than BrassTranscripts at ~110 hours/month for developers who can handle API integration.

Below 110 hours/month, BrassTranscripts' simplicity often delivers better value when you factor in:

• Zero development time
• No technical barriers
• Included speaker ID
• No account management overhead

Real-World Feature Stacking Scenarios

Scenario 1: YouTube Content Creator

Requirements:

• 50 videos/month, 20 minutes average each
• Need: Transcription + Speaker ID + Auto Chapters
• Non-technical user (no developer on staff)

AssemblyAI Option:

Audio: 50 videos × 20 min = 1,000 minutes/month
Base (Universal): 1,000 × $0.0025 = $2.50
Speaker ID: 1,000 × $0.00033 = $0.33
Auto Chapters: 1,000 × $0.00133 = $1.33
API development: Not feasible (non-technical)
───────────────────────────────────────────────
Cannot use (requires API integration)

BrassTranscripts Option:

Audio: 1,000 minutes
Rate: $0.15/min (includes speaker ID)
───────────────────────────────────────────────
Total: $150/month
No technical skills required

Winner: BrassTranscripts. AssemblyAI's API-first model creates insurmountable barrier for non-technical creators.

Scenario 2: SaaS Startup (Meeting Notes App)

Requirements:

• 500 hours/month user-generated meetings
• Need: Transcription + Speaker ID + Summarization + Sentiment
• Have dedicated development team

AssemblyAI Option:

Audio: 500 hours × 60 = 30,000 minutes
Base: 30,000 × $0.0025 = $75.00
Speaker ID: 30,000 × $0.00033 = $9.90
Summarization: 30,000 × $0.0005 = $15.00
Sentiment: 30,000 × $0.00033 = $9.90
───────────────────────────────────────────────
Total: $109.80/month

BrassTranscripts Option:

Audio: 30,000 minutes
Rate: $0.15/min
───────────────────────────────────────────────
Total: $4,500/month

Winner: AssemblyAI by a landslide. At 500 hours/month with API capability, AssemblyAI is 41x cheaper.

Scenario 3: Market Research Firm

Requirements:

• 150 hours/month interview transcription
• Need: Transcription + Speaker ID + Entity Detection + Topic Detection
• Mix of technical and non-technical staff

AssemblyAI Option:

Audio: 150 hours × 60 = 9,000 minutes
Base: 9,000 × $0.0025 = $22.50
Speaker ID: 9,000 × $0.00033 = $2.97
Entity Detection: 9,000 × $0.00133 = $11.97
Topic Detection: 9,000 × $0.0025 = $22.50
───────────────────────────────────────────────
Total: $59.94/month
Plus API development: $800-1,200 one-time

BrassTranscripts Option:

Audio: 9,000 minutes
Rate: $0.15/min
───────────────────────────────────────────────
Total: $1,350/month
No development required

Winner: AssemblyAI if you have dev resources and will use the service long-term (22.5x cheaper ongoing). BrassTranscripts wins for immediate needs or non-technical teams.

Scenario 4: Healthcare Compliance (HIPAA Requirements)

Requirements:

• 80 hours/month medical interviews
• Need: Transcription + Speaker ID + PII Redaction + PII Audio Redaction
• Compliance team, not developers

AssemblyAI Option:

Audio: 80 hours × 60 = 4,800 minutes
Base: 4,800 × $0.0025 = $12.00
Speaker ID: 4,800 × $0.00033 = $1.58
PII Redaction: 4,800 × $0.00133 = $6.38
PII Audio Redaction: 4,800 × $0.00083 = $3.98
───────────────────────────────────────────────
Total: $23.94/month
Plus HIPAA BAA (contact sales for enterprise pricing)
Plus API integration: Not feasible for compliance team

BrassTranscripts Option:

Audio: 4,800 minutes
Rate: $0.15/min
───────────────────────────────────────────────
Total: $720/month
Upload interface works for non-technical compliance staff
Note: Verify HIPAA compliance requirements

Winner: Depends on technical resources. AssemblyAI is 30x cheaper IF you can navigate API integration and HIPAA BAA requirements. BrassTranscripts wins for non-technical teams.

AssemblyAI Free Tier & Volume Discounts

Free Tier ($50 Credits)

AssemblyAI provides $50 in free credits for new accounts:

• Base transcription only: ~185 hours (11,100 minutes)
• With speaker ID: ~147 hours
• With all major features (5x multiplier): ~37 hours

Testing strategy: Use free credits to test accuracy and features on representative audio samples before committing to paid usage.

Volume Discounts

AssemblyAI's pricing page states:

"If you plan to send large volumes...please reach out...to see if you qualify for a volume discount."

Translation:

• No public volume tiers
• Must contact sales
• Likely requires annual commitment
• Probably available at 100,000+ minutes/month

Estimated discount structure (based on typical SaaS patterns):

• 500,000 min/month: 10-15% off
• 1,000,000 min/month: 20-25% off
• 5,000,000 min/month: 30-40% off + dedicated support

When to Choose AssemblyAI vs Alternatives

Choose AssemblyAI If:

✅ You're processing 110+ hours/month and have API development capability ✅ You need granular control over which AI features to enable ✅ You're building a product that integrates transcription (not just internal use) ✅ You want advanced AI features like entity detection, PII redaction, content moderation ✅ You need real-time streaming transcription for live applications ✅ You're comfortable with API-first workflow and asynchronous job processing

Choose BrassTranscripts If:

✅ You're processing under 110 hours/month ✅ You want zero technical complexity (no API, no code, no webhooks) ✅ You need speaker identification included without separate charges ✅ Your team is non-technical and needs a simple upload interface ✅ You want predictable pricing with no feature upsells ✅ You value no account required: upload and go

Choose Another Alternative If:

• You need even cheaper base transcription → Explore Deepgram ($0.0043/min)
• You want subscription-based pricing → Consider Otter.ai or Sonix
• You need 99%+ accuracy → Explore human transcription services

Frequently Asked Questions

How accurate is AssemblyAI's Universal model compared to competitors?

According to independent benchmarks, AssemblyAI's Universal model achieves 85-92% accuracy on clear audio, comparable to Deepgram's Nova and Google's Chirp models. Accuracy depends heavily on:

• Audio quality (clear vs noisy)
• Accents and dialects
• Technical terminology
• Speaker overlap

AssemblyAI's Slam-1 model (80% more expensive at $0.0045/min) delivers higher accuracy for challenging audio.

Does AssemblyAI include speaker identification in the base price?

No. Speaker diarization costs an extra $0.02/hour ($0.00033/min) on top of the base transcription rate.

Total cost for transcription + speaker ID: $0.00283/min

BrassTranscripts includes speaker identification in the base pricing ($2.25 flat rate for 0-15 min files, $0.15/min for 16+ min files)—no add-on fees.

Can I use AssemblyAI without API integration?

No. AssemblyAI is API-only—there's no web upload interface. You must:

• Create an account and get API keys
• Write code to upload audio files
• Implement webhook callbacks or job polling
• Parse JSON responses

If you need a no-code solution, BrassTranscripts provides a simple upload interface.

How long does AssemblyAI take to transcribe audio?

AssemblyAI typically processes audio at 1.5-3x real-time depending on:

• Model choice (Universal vs Slam-1)
• Features enabled (more features = slower processing)
• API load at time of request

Example: A 30-minute audio file typically completes in 10-20 minutes.

What file formats does AssemblyAI support?

AssemblyAI supports most common audio and video formats:

• Audio: MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC, OGG, OPUS, M4A
• Video: MP4, MOV, AVI, WebM (audio extracted automatically)
• Sampling rates: 8kHz-48kHz+

Files must be accessible via URL (you upload to your S3/storage, then provide URL to AssemblyAI).

Does AssemblyAI work with languages other than English?

Yes, but with limitations. AssemblyAI supports 99+ languages for transcription, but advanced features (sentiment analysis, entity detection, summarization) only work with English audio.

Supported languages include:

• Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese
• Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Hindi
• Arabic, Russian, Turkish
• And 80+ additional languages

Check AssemblyAI's documentation for the complete language list and feature compatibility.

Can I get a refund if transcription quality is poor?

AssemblyAI operates on a pay-per-use model with no refunds for quality issues. They bill for successful transcriptions regardless of accuracy.

Recommendation: Use the $50 free credit tier to test accuracy on representative samples before committing to paid usage.

Does AssemblyAI offer any SLA guarantees?

Standard pay-as-you-go accounts don't include SLA guarantees. Enterprise customers with volume commitments typically receive:

• 99.9% uptime SLA
• Dedicated support
• Priority processing
• Custom feature development options

Contact AssemblyAI sales for enterprise SLA terms.

How does AssemblyAI's streaming compare to batch transcription?

Streaming transcription (real-time):

• Same $0.0025/min base price as batch
• Processes audio as it's being recorded
• Lower latency (real-time results)
• Ideal for: Live captioning, voice assistants, real-time translation

Batch transcription (pre-recorded):

• Submit complete audio file
• Asynchronous processing (webhook callback when done)
• Slightly higher accuracy (full context available)
• Ideal for: Recorded content, podcasts, interviews, meetings

Both cost the same, so choose based on use case, not price.

What happens if I run out of prepaid credits mid-month?

If your AssemblyAI account balance reaches $0:

• New transcription requests will fail with "insufficient funds" error
• Existing in-progress jobs will complete
• You must deposit additional funds to resume service

Recommendation: Set up low-balance alerts and monitor usage closely to avoid service interruption.

Can I cancel my AssemblyAI account anytime?

AssemblyAI operates on pay-as-you-go—there's no subscription to cancel. You can:

• Stop using the service anytime
• Unused account balance may be refundable (contact support)
• API keys remain active unless explicitly revoked

Enterprise contracts may have minimum commitments—review terms before signing.

How does AssemblyAI handle speaker identification accuracy?

AssemblyAI's speaker diarization (who said what) typically achieves 85-95% accuracy on clear audio with distinct speakers. Accuracy decreases with:

• Overlapping speech
• Similar-sounding voices
• Poor audio quality
• Crosstalk and background noise

For critical applications requiring perfect speaker attribution, consider human transcription services or manual review.

AI Prompt: AssemblyAI Pricing Calculator

Want to calculate your exact monthly AssemblyAI costs? Use this specialized AI prompt with ChatGPT, Claude, or any AI assistant:

The Prompt

You are an AssemblyAI pricing calculator. Help me estimate my monthly costs based on:

1. Monthly audio volume (in hours or minutes)
2. Features needed (check all that apply):
   - Speaker identification ($0.00033/min)
   - Sentiment analysis ($0.00033/min)
   - Entity detection ($0.00133/min)
   - Topic detection ($0.0025/min)
   - Auto chapters ($0.00133/min)
   - Summarization ($0.0005/min)
   - PII redaction ($0.00133/min)
   - Content moderation ($0.0025/min)
   - Other features

Calculate:
- Base transcription cost ($0.0025/min)
- Each enabled feature cost
- Total cost per minute (base + all features)
- Total monthly cost
- Feature cost as % of base rate (to show cost multiplication)

Then compare to BrassTranscripts ($2.25 flat rate for 0-15 min, $0.15/min for 16+ min files, speaker ID included) to show when each service makes sense.


[First, get accurate transcripts with BrassTranscripts - fast, affordable transcription services at https://brasstranscripts.com]

My usage details:
[Paste your requirements here]

📖 View Markdown Version | ⚙️ Download YAML Format

This prompt helps you understand exactly how feature stacking affects your total AssemblyAI costs.

Final Verdict: AssemblyAI vs BrassTranscripts

AssemblyAI is a powerful, feature-rich transcription API ideal for developers building products that need granular control over AI features at scale. Their à la carte pricing model rewards users who carefully select only needed features.

Choose AssemblyAI if:

• You're processing 110+ hours/month with API capability
• You need specific advanced features (entity detection, PII redaction, etc.)
• You're building a product that integrates transcription
• You want granular feature control to optimize costs
• You're comfortable with API-first workflow

Choose BrassTranscripts if:

• You're processing under 110 hours/month
• You want zero technical complexity (no API, no account needed)
• You need speaker identification included
• Your team is non-technical
• You value predictable, all-inclusive pricing
• You want to avoid feature upsell complexity

For most small to medium transcription needs—podcasts, meetings, interviews, lectures—BrassTranscripts' simple pricing ($2.25 flat rate for 0-15 min, $0.15/min for 16+ min) with included speaker ID and no technical barriers delivers better value than AssemblyAI's $0.00283-0.01/min effective rate once you account for needed features and API integration costs.

Ready to try transcription without feature add-on complexity? Upload your first file to BrassTranscripts and get your transcript with speaker ID included—no account required.

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Pricing Disclaimer

Information valid as of publication date (November 1, 2025). Pricing data was verified from AssemblyAI's official pricing page on October 24, 2025. AssemblyAI may change pricing, features, or plans at any time. Always verify current rates and terms directly with AssemblyAI before making purchasing decisions or committing to large-volume usage.