audio model comparison
MAI-Transcribe-2 vs Voxtral Small Transcribe 3
MAI-Transcribe-2 and Voxtral Small Transcribe 3 are both current audio models, from Microsoft AI and Mistral AI. MAI-Transcribe-2 is 58% cheaper per audio minute than Voxtral Small Transcribe 3, $0.001667 vs $0.004. On Artificial Analysis AA-WER v2, MAI-Transcribe-2 scores 2.04 % WER and Voxtral Small Transcribe 3 2.09 % WER (Artificial Analysis, measured November 3, 2026).
- Higher Artificial Analysis AA-WER v2
- MAI-Transcribe-22.04 % WER against 2.09 % WER
- Lower price per audio minute
- MAI-Transcribe-2$0.001667 against $0.004
- Newer release
- Voxtral Small Transcribe 3Oct 2026 against Sep 2026
Data verified November 3, 2026 · Dataset 2026-11-03
Side by side
MAI-Transcribe-2 and Voxtral Small Transcribe 3, 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 | MAI-Transcribe-2 | Voxtral Small Transcribe 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ||
| Price per audio minute | $0.001667 (better) | $0.004 |
| Independent benchmarks | ||
| Artificial Analysis AA-WER v2 | 2.04 % WER (#1 of 7) (better) | 2.09 % WER (#2 of 7) |
| Specs | ||
| Provider | Microsoft AI | Mistral AI |
| Release date | September 3, 2026 | October 20, 2026 |
| Access | API only | API only |
| Context window | Not reported | Not reported |
| Max output | Not reported | Not reported |
| Input | audio | audio |
| Output | text | text |
Charts
Against every current audio model
Where MAI-Transcribe-2 and Voxtral Small Transcribe 3 land among the current models of their task, on every independent benchmark, on price and on context.
Where each stands
On Artificial Analysis AA-WER v2, MAI-Transcribe-2 ranks #1 and Voxtral Small Transcribe 3 #2 of 7 current models. Each bar is the share of current models it beats: on score, price and context.
Independent benchmarks
Artificial Analysis AA-WER v2
MAI-Transcribe-2:#1of 7
2.04% WER · ahead of 100%
Voxtral Small Transcribe 3:#2of 7
2.09% WER · ahead of 83%
Price and context
Price per audio minute
MAI-Transcribe-2:#1of 14
$0.001667 · cheaper than 92%
Voxtral Small Transcribe 3:#4of 14
$0.004 · cheaper than 77%
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, Voxtral Small Transcribe 3 costs 2.4 times as much as MAI-Transcribe-2, at each provider's listed rates.
100 hours of audio
Voxtral Small Transcribe 3 costs 2.4× as much
- MAI-Transcribe-2
- $10
- Voxtral Small Transcribe 3
- $24
| Workload or rate | MAI-Transcribe-2 | Voxtral Small Transcribe 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Example workloads | ||
| 100 hours of audio | $10 (better) | $24 |
Your own bill will differ. These figures use list prices and example workloads. The AI Model Cost Audit reviews your real usage, shortlists models that score as well for each task for less, and estimates the savings.
Launch price $100, regular price $150
Verdict
When to choose each
MAI-Transcribe-2
Where it leads
- Lower price per audio minute, $0.001667 vs $0.004
- Better Artificial Analysis AA-WER v2 result, 2.04 % WER vs 2.09 % WER (lower is better)
Best for
- Low-cost multilingual batch transcription
- Meeting and call transcripts with speaker labels
Watch out for
- Azure Speech lists it as a public preview with no SLA, not recommended for production
- The $0.10 per hour price is a limited-time offer until 2026-12-31, and the later price is not published
Voxtral Small Transcribe 3
Where it leads
- Supports speech translation and audio understanding
Best for
- Multilingual meeting and call transcription with speaker labels
- Speech pipelines that must stay on EU-hosted infrastructure
Watch out for
- Released as a public preview, so behaviour and pricing may change
- Its comparisons with other transcription models are Mistral tests
From benchmark to production
Building on MAI-Transcribe-2 or Voxtral Small Transcribe 3?
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.
AI Model Cost AuditLaunch price $100, regular price $150What the audit includes
FAQ
MAI-Transcribe-2 vs Voxtral Small Transcribe 3 FAQ
Which is cheaper, MAI-Transcribe-2 or Voxtral Small Transcribe 3?
MAI-Transcribe-2 is 58% cheaper per audio minute than Voxtral Small Transcribe 3, $0.001667 vs $0.004.
How much would 100 hours of audio cost with MAI-Transcribe-2 or Voxtral Small Transcribe 3?
100 hours of audio comes to $10 with MAI-Transcribe-2 and $24 with Voxtral Small Transcribe 3 at their listed rates.
Which scores higher on independent benchmarks, MAI-Transcribe-2 or Voxtral Small Transcribe 3?
MAI-Transcribe-2 leads on Artificial Analysis AA-WER v2, 2.04 % WER to 2.09 % WER. Scores are independent evaluations, not either vendor's launch figures.
How do MAI-Transcribe-2 and Voxtral Small Transcribe 3 differ in features?
Only Voxtral Small Transcribe 3 supports speech translation and audio understanding.
Further reading
More on MAI-Transcribe-2 and Voxtral Small Transcribe 3
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Production evaluation
Choosing between MAI-Transcribe-2 and Voxtral Small Transcribe 3?
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