# Speechmatics vs ElevenLabs Scribe: Speech-to-Text Comparison (2026) Source: https://speechmatics-website-git-preview-speechmatics.vercel.app/how-we-compare/elevenlabs-scribe-alternative Speechmatics vs ElevenLabs Scribe compared on accuracy, real-time diarization, deployment, and pricing. See why enterprises choose Speechmatics for speech-to-text. ## **Speechmatics vs ElevenLabs Scribe:** Which Speech-to-Text API Delivers? Speechmatics' primary focus is speech-to-text — with real-time speaker diarization, true on-premises deployment, and the depth a text-to-speech company newly entering STT can't match. - [Get $200 Free Credit](https://speechmatics-website-git-preview-speechmatics.vercel.app#switch200) - [Contact Sales](https://speechmatics-website-git-preview-speechmatics.vercel.app/speak-to-sales) - G2 HighPerformer Summer 2024 - G2 HighPerformer Fall 2024 - [G2 Highest Adoption Fall 2024](https://www.g2.com/products/speechmatics/reviews) - G2 Fall 2025 best users - [G2 HighPerfomer Spring 2025](https://www.g2.com/products/speechmatics/reviews) - [G2 HighPerformer Winter 2025](https://www.g2.com/products/speechmatics/reviews) - [G2 Most likely to recommend Winter 2025](https://www.g2.com/products/speechmatics/reviews) - G2 Users Love Us ## See how Speechmatics compares vs ElevenLabs Scribe on your audio Choose from live radio, your own voice, or sample audio to see side-by-side comparisons of Speechmatics vs ElevenLabs Scribe. ## Why Speechmatics — Why teams choose Speechmatics over ElevenLabs Scribe ### Accuracy & Languages — Top-ranked accuracy, including names and numbers Speechmatics ranks **ahead on overall transcription accuracy in head-to-head customer evaluations** — including names and numerical data. Customers rate Speechmatics stronger on non-English languages such as Arabic, Turkish, and Hebrew, where ElevenLabs Scribe underperforms. ### Real-Time Diarization — Full real-time speaker diarization Speechmatics provides **full real-time speaker diarization, with channel diarization also available**. ElevenLabs Scribe offers diarization in batch only (Scribe v2) — not in real-time. If you're building live call analytics or voice agents, you need to know who is speaking now. ### Specialist, not a newcomer — Speech-to-text is our primary, long-term focus Speechmatics has been a speech-to-text specialist for well over a decade. ElevenLabs is a text-to-speech company that recently expanded into STT. Speechmatics also offers **true on-premises deployment — CPU-capable, air-gapped** — that ElevenLabs cannot match. ## Feature comparison — Speechmatics vs ElevenLabs Scribe: Feature-by-feature comparison A detailed look at how the two platforms stack up across core capabilities, advanced features, and verified public reviews. | **Feature** | **Speechmatics ★** | **ElevenLabs Scribe** | | --- | --- | --- | | Core Product Focus | Speech-to-text specialist — STT is our primary focus | Text-to-speech company that recently expanded into speech-to-text | | Real-Time Transcription | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | | Batch Transcription | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | | Speaker Diarization | ✓ Full real-time diarization; channel diarization available | Batch only (Scribe v2) — no real-time diarization | | Transcription Accuracy | Top-ranked in head-to-head customer evaluations | Competitive, but edged out on overall accuracy in evaluations | | Non-English Languages (e.g. Arabic, Turkish, Hebrew) | Customers rate Speechmatics ahead | Weaker on these languages in customer evaluations | | Word-Level Timestamps | ✓ Precise word-level timestamps | Timestamp precision a reported weakness | | Custom Dictionary & Phonetics | ✓ Phonetic prompts — a core feature | Custom vocabulary supported, but not a core design focus | | Medical / Domain Models | Dedicated medical uplift models (English, French, German, Spanish, Arabic-English) | No dedicated medical models | | On-Premises Deployment | ✓ True on-prem (CPU-capable, air-gapped) | ✗ No on-premises deployment | | Deployment Flexibility | SaaS, on-premises, hybrid — no single-cloud lock-in | Cloud-only | | Long-Term Speech-to-Text Focus | Speech-to-text is our primary, long-term focus | Text-to-speech first; speech-to-text a newer addition | | Pricing | From $0.129/hr (Melia batch) | ~$0.22/hr batch; ~$0.28–0.48/hr real-time | ### G2 Spring 2026 — Head-to-Head | **Metric** | **Speechmatics ★** | **ElevenLabs** | | --- | --- | --- | | Overall G2 Rating | 4.8 / 5 (65 reviews) | 4.5 / 5 (1,143 reviews) | | Likelihood to Recommend | 95% | 90% | | Quality of Support | 92% | 82% | | Good Partner in Doing Business | 95% | 86% | | Meets Requirements | 92% | 86% | | Ease of Use | 92% | 87% | | Ease of Admin | 91% | 88% | | Ease of Setup | 89% | 89% | | Average Time to ROI | 3 months | 7 months | ## Where Speechmatics outperforms ElevenLabs Scribe **Real-Time ASR | Enterprise Differentiation | Competitive Positioning** ### Real-time diarization — ElevenLabs can't match it Speechmatics delivers **full real-time speaker diarization at no extra charge**. ElevenLabs Scribe offers diarization in batch mode only. For live call analytics, contact centres, and voice agents, knowing who is speaking in real-time is non-negotiable. ### True on-premises — ElevenLabs is cloud-only Speechmatics offers **true on-premises containers that run on CPU or GPU** and can be deployed in secure, air-gapped networks. ElevenLabs Scribe has no on-premises offering — it is cloud-only. For regulated industries, defence, and healthcare, this is a fundamental gap. ### Stronger on Arabic, Turkish, Hebrew, and beyond Speechmatics is rated ahead on non-English languages in head-to-head customer evaluations. Languages like **Arabic, Turkish, and Hebrew are production-proven** in Speechmatics. ElevenLabs Scribe's non-English language quality is weaker in customer assessments. ### Dedicated medical uplift — ElevenLabs has none Speechmatics has purpose-built **medical uplift models across English, French, German, Spanish, and Arabic-English bilingual**. These are production-ready for clinical documentation and healthcare workflows. ElevenLabs Scribe has no equivalent medical-domain models. ### Phonetic custom dictionaries — a core feature Phonetic custom dictionaries are a **core, deeply integrated feature in Speechmatics**. You can define how brand names, product names, and specialist terms are transcribed. For ElevenLabs Scribe, custom vocabulary is a newer, secondary capability — not a design priority. ### Better value — from $0.129/hr vs $0.22/hr+ Speechmatics starts from **$0.129/hr for Melia batch**. ElevenLabs Scribe is approximately $0.22/hr for batch and $0.28–0.48/hr for real-time. Speechmatics pricing is all-inclusive with no separate add-on charges for diarization or custom vocabulary. ## Limited time offer — Start building with Speechmatics today Join thousands of developers who've made the switch. Get started with **$200 in free credits** when you sign up with promo code **SWITCH200** ### Start building with Speechmatics today 1) 👤 Log in or signup to [the Speechmatics Portal](https://portal.speechmatics.com/settings/billing/overview) 2) 💳 Add a valid payment card (no charge until credit is used) 3) 🔑 Enter your code: **SWITCH200** 4) 🚀 Start building with $200 free credit - [Activate my credit](https://portal.speechmatics.com/settings/billing/overview) ## Frequently Asked Questions: Speechmatics vs ElevenLabs Scribe ### Does Speechmatics offer real-time speaker diarization? Speechmatics provides full real-time speaker diarization, with channel diarization also available. ElevenLabs Scribe offers diarization in batch only (its Scribe v2 model) — not in real-time. For live call analytics or voice agents, Speechmatics is the clear choice. ### Is Speechmatics more accurate than ElevenLabs Scribe? Speechmatics ranks ahead on overall transcription accuracy in head-to-head customer evaluations, including names and numerical data. Speechmatics is also rated stronger on non-English languages such as Arabic, Turkish, and Hebrew, where ElevenLabs Scribe underperforms. ### Can Speechmatics be deployed on-premises when ElevenLabs cannot? Speechmatics offers true on-premises containers that run on CPU or GPU and can be deployed in secure, air-gapped networks. ElevenLabs Scribe does not currently provide on-premises deployment — it is a cloud-only service. ### Does Speechmatics support custom vocabulary and phonetic dictionaries? Phonetic custom dictionaries are a core, deeply integrated feature in Speechmatics. You can define how brand names, product names, and specialist terms are transcribed using phonetics. For ElevenLabs Scribe, custom vocabulary support is a newer, secondary capability — not a core design priority. ### Does Speechmatics offer dedicated medical models? Speechmatics has purpose-built medical uplift models across English, French, German, Spanish, and Arabic-English bilingual. These are production-ready for clinical documentation and healthcare workflows. ElevenLabs Scribe has no equivalent dedicated medical-domain models. ### Is Speechmatics a better long-term speech-to-text partner than ElevenLabs? Speech-to-text is Speechmatics' primary focus, and has been for well over a decade. ElevenLabs is a text-to-speech company that recently expanded into speech-to-text. If STT accuracy, reliability, and depth matter to your product roadmap, Speechmatics is the specialist partner built for it. ### How does Speechmatics pricing compare to ElevenLabs Scribe? Speechmatics starts from $0.129/hr for Melia batch transcription — all-inclusive, with no separate charges for speaker diarization or custom vocabulary. ElevenLabs Scribe is approximately $0.22/hr for batch and $0.28–0.48/hr for real-time, with pricing that varies by feature usage. ## **Ready to switch to superior speech-to-text?** Join thousands of developers building the future of voice with Speechmatics. Get $200 in free credits when you sign up today. - [Get Started](https://portal.speechmatics.com/signup/) - [Contact Sales](https://speechmatics-website-git-preview-speechmatics.vercel.app/speak-to-sales) ## Resources for AI Voice Agents ### Voice Agents — Vapi and Speechmatics: Build agents that understand every voice - [Vapi and Speechmatics build better agents](https://www.speechmatics.com/company/articles-and-news/vapi-and-speechmatics-build-agents-that-understand-every-voice) Ship Voice AI agents that stay readable in real time, even in noisy, multi-speaker calls. - Speechmatics — Editorial Team ### Voice Agents — Introducing real-time, speaker-aware Voice Agents with LiveKit + Speechmatics - [Introducing real-time, speaker-aware Voice Agents with LiveKit + Speechmatics](https://www.speechmatics.com/company/articles-and-news/build-ai-agents-that-understand-who-said-what-livekit) Speechmatics brings speaker diarization to LiveKit agents - enabling them to understand not just _what_ was said, but _who_ said it. - Anthony Perera — Product Marketing Manager ### Voice Agents — Pipecat and Speechmatics: Building Voice Agents that know exactly ‘Who’ said ‘What’ - [Pipecat and Speechmatics: Building Voice Agents that know exactly 'Who' said 'What'](https://www.speechmatics.com/company/articles-and-news/pipecat-and-speechmatics-building-voice-agents-that-know-exactly-who-said-what) Build smarter voice agents on Pipecat with Speechmatics speech-to-text, now with powerful speaker diarization for real-world, multi-speaker conversations. - Speechmatics — Editorial Team ### AI Agent Builder — How to build a conversational agent in less time than Cupid’s arrow takes to strike - [Eros blog](https://www.speechmatics.com/company/articles-and-news/how-to-build-a-conversational-agent-in-less-time-than-cupids-arrow-takes-to-strike) What happens when you set out to build a fully functioning AI love guru with very little turnaround time? Let's find out... - Farah Gouda — Data Engineer