AssemblyAI

by AssemblyAI

Universal-2 model + diarization, PII redaction, topic detection, summarization.

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TL;DR

Best for product teams that want transcription + NLP (summaries, topics, sentiment, PII) in one API. Pricing: from $0.37/hr.

Category
Transcription APIs
License
Stars
Last push
Pricing
from $0.37/hr
Platforms
API

What it is

AssemblyAI ships its own Universal-2 ASR model alongside a rich NLP layer: speaker diarization, PII redaction, auto-chapters, topic detection, and sentiment. HIPAA-eligible with a BAA on higher tiers. Good pick for products that need the transcript to be a starting point, not the finish line. Last price check: 2026-04-20.

Best for: Product teams that want transcription + NLP (summaries, topics, sentiment, PII) in one API.
Watch out for: Per-minute cost rises with add-ons; proprietary model (Universal-2), so no self-host path.

Install / use

View AssemblyAI API docs ↗

Features

Speaker diarizationYes
Word-level timestampsYes
Streaming / real-timeYes
Languages supported99
HIPAA eligibleYes

AssemblyAI vs Whipscribe

FeatureAssemblyAIWhipscribe
CategoryTranscription APIsTranscription APIs
PricingNot verified$4–$24 one-time packs (credits never expire) · $2 single unlock · 60 min free on signup
Speaker diarizationNot verifiedYes
Word timestampsNot verifiedYes
StreamingNot verifiedNo
Languages9999
PlatformsAPIWeb, API, MCP

Alternatives to AssemblyAI

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