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audio model comparison

MAI-Voice-2.1-Flash vs TTS-1

MAI-Voice-2.1-Flash and TTS-1 are both current audio models, from Microsoft AI and OpenAI. Both cost $0.000015 per character.

Data verified October 29, 2026 · Dataset 2026-10-29

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Side by side

MAI-Voice-2.1-Flash and TTS-1, line by line

Prices in effect today, compared at the same tier wherever both list one. The better value in each row is highlighted.

FactMAI-Voice-2.1-FlashTTS-1
Price
Price per character$0.000015$0.000015
Independent benchmarks
Artificial Analysis Speech ArenaNot measured1090 Elo (#9 of 11)
Specs
ProviderMicrosoft AIOpenAI
Release dateOctober 1, 2026Not reported
AccessAPI onlyAPI only
Context windowNot reportedNot reported
Max outputNot reportedNot reported
Inputtexttext
Outputaudioaudio

No independent benchmark has scored both models yet. Each rank counts the current models scored on that benchmark.

Scores:Artificial Analysis · 2026-10-13

Charts

Against every current audio model

Where MAI-Voice-2.1-Flash and TTS-1 land among the current models of their task, on every independent benchmark, on price and on context.

Where each stands

Only TTS-1 has a current Artificial Analysis Speech Arena score: #9 of 11. Each bar is the share of current models it beats.

MAI-Voice-2.1-Flash and TTS-1 among the current audio models, one row per benchmark, price and context window.

Independent benchmarks

Artificial Analysis Speech Arena

MAI-Voice-2.1-Flash: Not scored

TTS-1:#9of 11

1,090 Elo · ahead of 20%

Price and context

Price per character

MAI-Voice-2.1-Flash:#2of 10

$0.000015 · cheaper than 78%

TTS-1:#2of 10

$0.000015 · cheaper than 78%

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

At each provider's listed rates.

What MAI-Voice-2.1-Flash and TTS-1 cost for the same work, at the rates each provider lists.
  • 1M characters

    The same price

    MAI-Voice-2.1-Flash
    $15
    TTS-1
    $15
Workload or rateMAI-Voice-2.1-FlashTTS-1
Example workloads
1M characters$15$15

Verdict

When to choose each

MAI-Voice-2.1-Flash

Where it leads

No measured lead over TTS-1 in this data.

Best for

  • Voice agents and call-center assistants
  • High-volume, low-latency speech

Watch out for

  • Microsoft Foundry lists it as a preview, and voice cloning needs Microsoft approval
  • Microsoft's claims of 55% faster inference and about 60% lower cost do not name the models compared

TTS-1

Where it leads

No measured lead over MAI-Voice-2.1-Flash in this data.

Best for

  • Low-latency text-to-speech

Watch out for

  • OpenAI no longer lists TTS-1 on its models overview, though its model page and $15 per 1M characters price remain

From benchmark to production

Building on MAI-Voice-2.1-Flash or TTS-1?

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

MAI-Voice-2.1-Flash vs TTS-1 FAQ

Which is cheaper, MAI-Voice-2.1-Flash or TTS-1?

Both cost $0.000015 per character.

How much would 1M characters cost with MAI-Voice-2.1-Flash or TTS-1?

1M characters comes to $15 with MAI-Voice-2.1-Flash and $15 with TTS-1 at their listed rates.

Production evaluation

Choosing between MAI-Voice-2.1-Flash and TTS-1?

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