audio model comparison
GPT-4o Transcribe vs MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming
GPT-4o Transcribe and MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming are both current audio models, from OpenAI and Microsoft AI. GPT-4o Transcribe is 33% cheaper per audio minute than MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming, $0.006 vs $0.009.
- Lower price per audio minute
- GPT-4o Transcribe$0.006 against $0.009
- Newer release
- MAI-Transcribe-2-StreamingOct 2026 against Mar 2025
Data verified October 29, 2026 · Dataset 2026-10-29
Side by side
GPT-4o Transcribe and MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming, line by line
Prices in effect today, compared at the same tier wherever both list one. The better value in each row is highlighted.
| Fact | GPT-4o Transcribe | MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ||
| Price per audio minute | $0.006 (estimated) (better) | $0.009 |
| Independent benchmarks | ||
| Artificial Analysis AA-WER v2 | 3.96 % WER (#6 of 6) | Not measured |
| Specs | ||
| Provider | OpenAI | Microsoft AI |
| Release date | March 20, 2025 | October 1, 2026 |
| Access | API only | API only |
| Context window | 16,000 tokens | Not reported |
| Max output | 2,000 tokens | Not reported |
| Input | text, audio | audio |
| Output | text | text |
No independent benchmark has scored both models yet. Each rank counts the current models scored on that benchmark.
Charts
Against every current audio model
Where GPT-4o Transcribe and MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming land among the current models of their task, on every independent benchmark, on price and on context.
Where each stands
Only GPT-4o Transcribe has a current Artificial Analysis AA-WER v2 score: #6 of 6. Each bar is the share of current models it beats.
Independent benchmarks
Artificial Analysis AA-WER v2
GPT-4o Transcribe:#6of 6
3.96% WER · ahead of 0%
MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming: Not scored
Price and context
Price per audio minute
GPT-4o Transcribe:#9of 14
$0.006 · cheaper than 38%
MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming:#11of 14
$0.009 · cheaper than 15%
Cost
What each costs
Example workloads at each provider's listed rates, then every other rate either one lists. The cheaper figure in each row is highlighted.
The same work, priced
For 100 hours of audio, MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming costs 1.5 times as much as GPT-4o Transcribe, at each provider's listed rates.
100 hours of audio
MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming costs 1.5× as much
- GPT-4o Transcribe
- $36
- MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming
- $54
| Workload or rate | GPT-4o Transcribe | MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming |
|---|---|---|
| Example workloads | ||
| 100 hours of audio | $36 (estimated) (better) | $54 |
Verdict
When to choose each
GPT-4o Transcribe
Where it leads
- Lower price per audio minute, $0.006 vs $0.009
- Accepts text input
Best for
- Speech transcription
Watch out for
- OpenAI announced its deprecation on 2026-08-26 and recommends GPT Transcribe, which costs $0.0045 per minute against about $0.006 here
MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming
Where it leads
No measured lead over GPT-4o Transcribe in this data.
Best for
- Live captions and voice agents
- Multilingual calls where speakers switch languages
Watch out for
- Microsoft Foundry lists it as a preview
- The $0.54 per hour price is introductory until the end of 2026, and the later price is not published
From benchmark to production
Building on GPT-4o Transcribe or MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming?
Public scores rarely hold on your own data. We test both models on your real tasks, then build the agent or pipeline around the one that wins.
FAQ
GPT-4o Transcribe vs MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming FAQ
Which is cheaper, GPT-4o Transcribe or MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming?
GPT-4o Transcribe is 33% cheaper per audio minute than MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming, $0.006 vs $0.009.
How much would 100 hours of audio cost with GPT-4o Transcribe or MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming?
100 hours of audio comes to $36 with GPT-4o Transcribe and $54 with MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming at their listed rates.
How do GPT-4o Transcribe and MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming differ in features?
GPT-4o Transcribe takes text and audio input; MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming takes audio.
Further reading
More on GPT-4o Transcribe and MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming
Related comparisons
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- Gemini 3.5 Transcribe vs MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming
- Gemini 3.5 Transcribe vs GPT-4o Transcribe
- GPT Transcribe vs MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming
- GPT-4o Transcribe vs GPT Transcribe
- MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming vs Scribe v2 Realtime
- GPT-4o Transcribe vs Scribe v2
- MAI-Transcribe-2 vs MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming
- GPT-4o Transcribe vs Voxtral Small Transcribe 3
- GPT-4o Transcribe vs Scribe v2 Realtime
Production evaluation
Choosing between GPT-4o Transcribe and MAI-Transcribe-2-Streaming?
Public benchmarks narrow the shortlist. We run both on your own tasks, data and cost limits, then build the routing and review controls to run the winner in production.
- A head-to-head evaluation on your real workload
- Routing between models by cost and difficulty