Azure vs OpenAI
At typical volumes Azure costs less for 1 of 3 uses and OpenAI for 2. The gap changes with volume, so check your own numbers below.
What each one offers
| Feature | Azure | OpenAI |
|---|---|---|
| Speaker labels | Extra cost | Extra cost |
| Languages | Not published | Not published |
| Self-hosting | Yes | No |
| EU data residency | Yes | Yes |
| Realtime voice | No | 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. Azure would cost 3.7 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
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.
- 2AzureStandard real-time transcription, $1/hr$16.67 per month+$12.17, 270.4% moreVisit Azure
Usage $16.67 Monthly total $16.67 Works out to $0.0167 per minute.
Priced in the "Above 0" tier; every unit is billed at that tier's rate.
- Prices updated 2026-10-30.
- 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, Azure or OpenAI?
- OpenAI is cheaper, at $4.50 a month against $16.67 for Azure (prices updated 2026-10-30).
- Which is cheaper for text-to-speech at 1,000,000 characters, Azure or OpenAI?
- Only Azure offers it, at $15.00 a month (prices updated 2026-10-30).
- Which is cheaper for voice agent at 1,000 minutes, Azure or OpenAI?
- Only OpenAI offers it, at $96.00 a month (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.