audio model comparison
GPT-4o Transcribe vs Scribe v2
GPT-4o Transcribe and Scribe v2 are both current audio models, from OpenAI and ElevenLabs. Scribe v2 is 39% cheaper per audio minute than GPT-4o Transcribe, $0.003667 vs $0.006. On Artificial Analysis AA-WER v2, GPT-4o Transcribe scores 3.96 % WER and Scribe v2 2.18 % WER (Artificial Analysis, measured October 13, 2026).
Data verified October 13, 2026 · Dataset 2026-10-13
Side by side
Standard-tier prices in effect today. The better value in each row is highlighted.
| Fact | GPT-4o Transcribe | Scribe v2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price per audio minute | $0.006 | $0.003667 (better) |
| Artificial Analysis AA-WER v2 | 3.96 % WER (#6 of 6) | 2.18 % WER (#2 of 6) (better) |
| Provider | OpenAI | ElevenLabs |
| Release date | March 20, 2025 | January 9, 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 |
When to choose each
GPT-4o Transcribe
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
Scribe v2
Best for
- Batch transcription and diarization
Watch out for
- $0.22 per hour of audio; keyterm prompting and transcript editing add $0.05 and $0.07 per hour
GPT-4o Transcribe vs Scribe v2 FAQ
Which is cheaper, GPT-4o Transcribe or Scribe v2?
Scribe v2 is 39% cheaper per audio minute than GPT-4o Transcribe, $0.003667 vs $0.006.
Which scores higher on independent benchmarks, GPT-4o Transcribe or Scribe v2?
Scribe v2 leads on Artificial Analysis AA-WER v2, 2.18 % WER to 3.96 % WER. Scores are independent evaluations, not either vendor's launch figures.
Related comparisons
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Live Preview vs GPT-4o Transcribe
- Gemini 3.5 Live Translate Preview vs GPT-4o Transcribe
- Gemini 3.5 Transcribe vs GPT-4o Transcribe
- Gemini 3.5 Transcribe vs Scribe v2
- Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS vs GPT-4o Transcribe
- Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS vs GPT-4o Transcribe
- Gemini 3.8 Live vs GPT-4o Transcribe
- GPT-4o Transcribe vs GPT Transcribe
- GPT-4o Transcribe vs Grok Voice Transcribe 2.0
- GPT-4o Transcribe vs Scribe v2 Realtime
Production evaluation
Choosing between GPT-4o Transcribe and Scribe v2?
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