Side by side
AssemblyAI vs mercuryScribe
Both stand on podcast transcription software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APISelf-hostedWeb
AssemblyAI offers a broad set of speech capabilities and usage-based plans, with a free tier subject to stated limits. Compare the language coverage and rates for each model to the needs of your application.
Visit AssemblyAI
Free plan Open source LinuxMacSelf-hosted+2
mercuryScribe offers local transcription, speaker distinction, transcript editing, and several output formats without a software charge. Users need to arrange Hugging Face model access, and compliance suitability depends on their implementation.
Visit mercuryScribeThe facts
| AssemblyAI | mercuryScribe | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Yes |
| Runs on | API, Self-hosted, Web | Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | See the plans | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 13 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | assemblyai.com | mercuryscribe.com |
| On podcast transcription software | #2 of 25 | #1 of 25 |
AssemblyAI: what it does well
- Speech features include diarization, summaries, and sentiment analysis.
- States support for 99 languages.
- Offers managed-cloud and self-hosted deployment.
- Free tier includes audio credits.
- Monthly billing is based on actual usage.
What to know first
- Free tier has streaming and transcription limits.
- Universal-3.5 Pro Realtime is listed for 18 languages.
- Pay-as-you-go charges vary with usage.
mercuryScribe: what it does well
- Free and open source under the MIT license.
- Audio, transcripts, and metadata are not sent to external services.
- Supports speaker distinction and transcript editing.
- Exports VTT, HTML, and DOCX files.
- Runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, and web.
What to know first
- Requires a Hugging Face access token.
- Users must accept terms for required models.
- HIPAA or GDPR suitability depends on implementation.
Alternatives to AssemblyAI Alternatives to mercuryScribe The whole list