credits for deepgram, elevenlabs, assembly ai for stt
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Deepgram ElevenLabs AssemblyAI free credits STT pricing 2025 2026
Here's the current (mid-2026) free credits and STT pricing breakdown for all three:
Free Credits for STT Providers
| Provider | Free Credits | Batch Rate | Streaming Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deepgram | $200 on signup | ~$0.26/hr (Nova-3) | ~$0.46/hr |
| AssemblyAI | $50 on signup | ~$0.21/hr (Universal-3 Pro) | ~$0.45/hr |
| ElevenLabs | Limited credits | ~$0.22/hr (Scribe v1/v2) | - |
Deepgram
- $200 in free credits when you sign up for an API key - the most generous free tier of the three
- Current flagship model: Nova-3 (~$0.26/hr batch, ~$0.46/hr streaming)
- Also has Flux for voice agents with very low end-of-speech latency
- Speaker diarization costs an extra +$0.02/hr
- No EU data residency
AssemblyAI
- $50 in free credits on API signup (also a free playground to test before signing up)
- Universal-2: $0.15/hr | Universal-3 Pro: $0.21/hr batch, $0.45/hr streaming
- Universal-Streaming: $0.15/hr (English or multilingual)
- Best pick if you need bundled speech intelligence (sentiment, summaries, topic detection, compliance flagging)
- Supports HIPAA (BAA available) and EU data residency
ElevenLabs (Scribe)
- Limited free credits - the least generous of the three (no fixed dollar amount advertised publicly)
- Scribe v1/v2: ~$0.22/hr
- Scribe v2 Realtime: 93.5% accuracy across 30 languages, under 150ms latency
- Best choice if you're already using ElevenLabs for TTS and want one vendor for the full voice pipeline, or if multilingual accuracy is a hard requirement
TL;DR
- Most free credit: Deepgram ($200)
- Best value for features: AssemblyAI ($50 + rich transcript intelligence)
- Best multilingual/realtime combo: ElevenLabs Scribe v2 Realtime (but stingiest free tier)
Prices are current as of mid-2026 - always verify on each provider's pricing page before committing since these shift frequently.
i mean startup credits by aws acticate azure foundry and different form of these credits i could take for them deepgram, elevenlabs, assembly etc
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Deepgram AssemblyAI ElevenLabs startup credits AWS Activate Azure for Startups Google for Startups 2025 2026
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Deepgram startup program credits apply partner 2025
Here's the full picture - all the routes to get startup credits you can use toward Deepgram, ElevenLabs, and AssemblyAI:
Startup Credit Programs for STT Providers
Direct Startup Programs (apply directly to the provider)
| Provider | Program | Credit Value | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deepgram | Signup credits | $200 free | Anyone, instant |
| Deepgram | Enterprise / startup deals | Negotiable | Contact sales |
| AssemblyAI | Signup credits | $50 free | Anyone, instant |
| ElevenLabs | Startup Grants | ~$4,000+ (33M characters, 12 months) | <25 employees, voice-focused product |
Cloud Startup Programs (indirect - credits usable for infrastructure, NOT directly for these APIs)
Important note: AWS Activate, Azure Founders Hub, and Google for Startups give you cloud credits (for their own services). Deepgram, AssemblyAI, and ElevenLabs are third-party APIs billed separately - you cannot pay their invoices with AWS/Azure/GCP credits directly unless they're listed as marketplace partners.
| Program | Max Credits | How to Qualify |
|---|---|---|
| AWS Activate | Up to $100,000 | Self-service: $1k instant. $5k-$100k requires accelerator/VC/incubator membership |
| Azure Founders Hub | Up to $150,000 | Early-stage startup, free to apply. Includes OpenAI API credits via Azure |
| Google for Startups | Up to $350,000 | Seed/Series A, AI-first startups preferred |
The workaround: If Deepgram or AssemblyAI are available on AWS Marketplace or Azure Marketplace, you can pay for them using cloud credits. Check their respective marketplaces - this route works for some providers.
Third-Party Credit Aggregators (bundle multiple programs)
These platforms help you access many programs at once:
- Brex - Startup card + perks dashboard with credits for AI tools
- Ramp - Similar to Brex, unlocks OpenAI/startup credits with VC verification
- Carta perks marketplace
- Segment Startup Program, HubSpot for Startups, etc. - some include AI tool credits in bundles
Accelerator / Incubator Routes (biggest credits)
If you're in or can get into one of these, credit access multiplies:
- Y Combinator - Partners with dozens of AI tools; alumni get direct deals with Deepgram, ElevenLabs, etc.
- Techstars, a16z START, Sequoia Arc - Similar partner ecosystems
- Microsoft for Startups (via Azure Founders Hub) - Easiest to access, includes Azure + GitHub Copilot + OpenAI credits
Practical Strategy
- Instant wins: Grab Deepgram's $200 and AssemblyAI's $50 today - no approval needed
- Apply to ElevenLabs Startup Grants if you're building voice products (<25 employees)
- Apply to AWS Activate Founders ($1k instant, no VC needed) and Azure Founders Hub (up to $150k, easy application)
- Check AWS/Azure Marketplace listings for Deepgram and AssemblyAI - if listed, cloud credits can cover API bills directly
- Join an accelerator or use a VC-backed entity to unlock the $100k AWS tier and other high-value partner deals
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