Deepgram vs Gladia: Which Speech-to-Text API Powers Your Application the Best (in 2026)?

In 2026, the choice between Deepgram and Gladia for speech-to-text API services hinges on user needs and priorities, whether they favor a comprehensive voice AI platform or high-accuracy transcription with robust multilingual support. Deepgram, a US-based platform, offers an extensive suite of voice AI solutions, including text-to-speech and a unified Voice Agent API, making it ideal for teams seeking to build end-to-end voice solutions, particularly for English-speaking markets. It focuses on providing flexibility, custom model training, and on-premise deployment options, though its modular pricing for additional features like speaker diarization could increase costs for users needing comprehensive audio analysis. In contrast, Gladia, a European startup, emphasizes transcription accuracy and developer experience, offering a real-time-first architecture with strong multilingual capabilities for over 100 languages and code-switching. Gladia’s pricing model is straightforward, inclusive of all audio intelligence features without add-ons, and aligns with privacy-conscious users by ensuring no customer data is used for model training on paid plans. While Deepgram’s platform is suited for those requiring a broad voice AI infrastructure, Gladia appeals to teams needing high-accuracy, real-time transcription, especially in international or GDPR-compliant contexts.