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Microsoft Azure Speech alternatives

10 companies ranked alongside Microsoft Azure Speech on Lister's rankings, compared on what each is best for, its starting price and its Lister Score.

FROM 2 RANKINGS · UPDATED
The closest alternatives to Microsoft Azure Speech on Lister are Descript, the companies that share the most rankings with it. Each is compared below on its stated best fit, starting price and Lister Score.
Microsoft Azure Speech alternatives, compared
#ALTERNATIVEBEST FORSCOREFROMRANKED
1DescriptEdit video like a word documentPodcasters and talking head creators90.3$12/month#3 in Top 10 AI Voice-Cloning ToolsOn 2 of Microsoft Azure Speech's rankings
2Google Cloud Text-to-SpeechEnterprise-grade voice synthesis with neural networksEnterprises, accessibility features, multilingual apps95.0$0.16 per 1M characters#1 in Top 10 AI Voice-Cloning Tools
3OpenAI WhisperRobust speech recognition across multiple languagesDevelopers and custom integrations95.0Free#1 in Top 10 AI Speech-to-Text Tools
4ElevenLabsRealistic voice cloning and narration92.7$5.00/month#2 in Top 10 AI Voice-Cloning Tools
5Otter.aiYour AI meeting assistantProfessional meeting transcription92.7$16.99/month#2 in Top 10 AI Speech-to-Text Tools
6RevSpeech to text services powered by AI and humansHigh-accuracy human and AI mix90.3$0.25 per minute#3 in Top 10 AI Speech-to-Text Tools
7AssemblyAIAudio intelligence APIs for developersEnterprise audio intelligence APIs88.0Pay as you go#4 in Top 10 AI Speech-to-Text Tools
8DeepgramDeep learning speech recognition platformReal-time streaming transcription85.7Pay as you go#5 in Top 10 AI Speech-to-Text Tools
9SynthesiaAI avatar video generationCorporate training and marketing85.7$22/month#5 in Top 10 AI Voice-Cloning Tools
10Amazon PollyAWS-powered text-to-speech with neural voice qualityAWS-native applications, chatbots, accessibility features83.3$0.0000093 per character#6 in Top 10 AI Voice-Cloning Tools
FROM LISTER RANKINGS · UPDATED HOW WE RANK →

How to choose an alternative to Microsoft Azure Speech

Start from what you need it for. Where each fits best, as Lister records it:

Closest to Microsoft Azure Speech by the rankings they share: Descript (2 rankings).

Free to start, by their stated pricing: OpenAI Whisper and Amazon Polly.

Stated starting prices: Descript ($12/month), Google Cloud Text-to-Speech ($0.16 per 1M characters), ElevenLabs ($5.00/month), Otter.ai ($16.99/month), Rev ($0.25 per minute) and Synthesia ($22/month).

Each Lister Score is the alternative's score on the ranking named in its row, so compare scores within one ranking rather than across rankings. How the score is made.

Each alternative in brief

01

Descript

Edit video like a word document

#3 in Top 10 AI Voice-Cloning Tools: Descript combines video/audio editing with Overdub, its voice cloning feature. Users can recreate their own voice or create synthetic voices for narration within the editing timeline, streamlining production workflows.

From $12/monthBest for: Podcasters and talking head creatorsFull profile
PROS
  • Intuitive text based editing
  • Excellent automatic filler word removal
CONS
  • Limited advanced visual effects
  • Occasional transcription errors
90.3
02

Google Cloud Text-to-Speech

Enterprise-grade voice synthesis with neural networks

#1 in Top 10 AI Voice-Cloning Tools: Google's cloud-based text-to-speech service offers premium neural voices, multilingual support, and SSML customisation. Integrates natively with Google Cloud ecosystem for scalable production deployments across web, mobile, and IoT applications.

From $0.16 per 1M charactersBest for: Enterprises, accessibility features, multilingual appsFull profile
PROS
  • Highly scalable API with enterprise-grade uptime
  • Exceptional multilingual support across 40+ languages
CONS
  • Less intuitive for non-technical users
  • No easy voice cloning from custom samples without advanced setup
95.0
03

OpenAI Whisper

Robust speech recognition across multiple languages

#1 in Top 10 AI Speech-to-Text Tools: An open source automatic speech recognition system trained on a massive dataset of multilingual audio.

FreeBest for: Developers and custom integrationsFull profile
PROS
  • High accuracy in noisy environments
  • Free and open source
CONS
  • Requires technical setup to run locally
95.0
04

ElevenLabs

#2 in Top 10 AI Voice-Cloning Tools: ElevenLabs specialises in creating realistic voice clones from short audio samples. Offers instant voice cloning, multilingual synthesis, and professional-grade voice design tools used by podcasters, game developers, and content creators.

From $5.00/monthBest for: Realistic voice cloning and narrationFull profile
PROS
  • Incredible realism
  • Advanced voice cloning capabilities
CONS
  • Can generate ethical concerns regarding misuse
92.7
05

Otter.ai

Your AI meeting assistant

#2 in Top 10 AI Speech-to-Text Tools: An AI-powered meeting assistant that records audio, writes notes, and generates summaries automatically.

From $16.99/monthBest for: Professional meeting transcriptionFull profile
PROS
  • Excellent transcription accuracy
  • Interactive AI meeting chat
CONS
  • Subscription required for full features
92.7
06

Rev

Speech to text services powered by AI and humans

#3 in Top 10 AI Speech-to-Text Tools: A transcription platform combining speech recognition AI with human verification options.

From $0.25 per minuteBest for: High-accuracy human and AI mixFull profile
PROS
  • Human review option for maximum accuracy
  • Fast turnaround times
CONS
  • More expensive than fully automated rivals
90.3
07

AssemblyAI

Audio intelligence APIs for developers

#4 in Top 10 AI Speech-to-Text Tools: An enterprise-grade AI audio intelligence platform accessible via simple API endpoints.

Pricing: Pay as you goBest for: Enterprise audio intelligence APIsFull profile
PROS
  • Powerful developer API
  • Advanced audio intelligence features
CONS
  • Not designed for casual end-users
88.0
08

Deepgram

Deep learning speech recognition platform

#5 in Top 10 AI Speech-to-Text Tools: A speech-to-text platform built on deep learning models designed for high-speed processing.

Pricing: Pay as you goBest for: Real-time streaming transcriptionFull profile
PROS
  • Incredible processing speed
  • Custom vocabulary training
CONS
  • Steep learning curve for beginners
85.7
09

Synthesia

AI avatar video generation

#5 in Top 10 AI Voice-Cloning Tools: Synthesia generates videos with AI avatars speaking in synthesised voices. Combines voice cloning with avatar animation, enabling creation of professional videos without actors or cameras.

From $22/monthBest for: Corporate training and marketingFull profile
PROS
  • High quality digital human presenters
  • No cameras or studios needed
CONS
  • Avatar movements can look slightly stiff
  • Strict content moderation policies
85.7
10

Amazon Polly

AWS-powered text-to-speech with neural voice quality

#6 in Top 10 AI Voice-Cloning Tools: Amazon's cloud text-to-speech service, Polly, offers neural voices, SSML support, and real-time streaming synthesis. Integrates natively with AWS for applications requiring scalable voice output generation.

$0.0000093 per characterBest for: AWS-native applications, chatbots, accessibility featuresFull profile
PROS
  • Lowest per-character pricing at scale
  • Native AWS Lambda and SNS integration
CONS
  • Minimal voice customisation compared to dedicated platforms
  • Learning neural voices requires separate tuning
83.3