Azure vs Google Cloud
At typical volumes Azure costs less for 1 of 3 uses and Google Cloud for 1, and they cost the same or neither offers it for 1. The gap changes with volume, so check your own numbers below.
What each one offers
| Feature | Azure | Google Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Speaker labels | Extra cost | Yes |
| Languages | Not published | 125 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | No |
| EU data residency | Yes | Yes |
| Realtime voice | No | No |
Try your own numbers
Same calculator as the home page, limited to these two providers.
Every month I transcribe of audio.
Google Cloud is the cheapest, at $16.00 a month. Azure would cost 1.0 times as much.
Estimated monthly bill for 1,000 minutes, lowest first. 2 of 2 providers fit.
- 1Google CloudSpeech-to-Text V2 Standard (incl. Chirp), $0.016/min$16.00 per monthLowest priceVisit Google Cloud
Usage $16.00 Monthly total $16.00 Works out to $0.016 per minute.
Tiers are graduated: each band of usage is billed at its own rate (reached: Up to 500000).
- 2AzureStandard real-time transcription, $1/hr$16.67 per month+$0.67, 4.2% 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 2026-10-23.
- 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 Google Cloud?
- Google Cloud is cheaper, at $16.00 a month against $16.67 for Azure (prices updated 2026-10-23).
- Which is cheaper for text-to-speech at 1,000,000 characters, Azure or Google Cloud?
- Azure is cheaper, at $15.00 a month against $16.00 for Google Cloud (prices updated 2026-10-23).
- Which is cheaper for voice agent at 1,000 minutes, Azure or Google Cloud?
- Neither Azure nor Google Cloud offers voice agent in our data.
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.