audio model comparison
Scribe v2 vs Scribe v3
Scribe v2 and Scribe v3 are both current audio models, from ElevenLabs. Both cost $0.003333 per audio minute. On Artificial Analysis AA-WER v2, Scribe v2 scores 2.18 % WER and Scribe v3 1.95 % WER (Artificial Analysis, measured November 15, 2026).
- Lower Artificial Analysis AA-WER v2
- Scribe v31.95 % WER against 2.18 % WER
- Newer release
- Scribe v3Nov 2026 against Jan 2026
Data verified November 15, 2026 · Dataset 2026-11-15
Side by side
Scribe v2 and Scribe v3, 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 | Scribe v2 | Scribe v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ||
| Price per audio minute | $0.003333 | $0.003333 |
| Independent benchmarks | ||
| Artificial Analysis AA-WER v2 | 2.18 % WER (#4 of 8) | 1.95 % WER (#1 of 8) (better) |
| Specs | ||
| Provider | ElevenLabs | ElevenLabs |
| Release date | January 9, 2026 | November 10, 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 Scribe v2 and Scribe v3 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, Scribe v2 ranks #4 and Scribe v3 #1 of 8 current models. Each bar is the share of current models it beats: on score, price and context.
Independent benchmarks
Artificial Analysis AA-WER v2
Scribe v2:#4of 8
2.18% WER · ahead of 57%
Scribe v3:#1of 8
1.95% WER · ahead of 100%
Price and context
Price per audio minute
Scribe v2:#3of 16
$0.003333 · cheaper than 80%
Scribe v3:#3of 16
$0.003333 · cheaper than 80%
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.
100 hours of audio
The same price
- Scribe v2
- $20
- Scribe v3
- $20
| Workload or rate | Scribe v2 | Scribe v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Example workloads | ||
| 100 hours of audio | $20 | $20 |
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
Scribe v2
Where it leads
No measured lead over Scribe v3 in this data.
Best for
- Batch transcription and diarization
Watch out for
- $0.20 per hour of audio; keyterm prompting and transcript editing add $0.05 and $0.07 per hour
- ElevenLabs followed it with Scribe v3 on November 10, 2026, at the same price; Artificial Analysis measures 1.95% for v3 against 2.18% for v2 on AA-WER
Scribe v3
Where it leads
- Better Artificial Analysis AA-WER v2 result, 1.95 % WER vs 2.18 % WER (lower is better)
Best for
- Accurate batch transcription of meetings, calls and archives in many languages
- Transcripts that need reliable speaker labels
Watch out for
- Keyterm prompting and transcript editing cost extra: $0.05 and $0.07 per hour of audio
- ElevenLabs' comparisons use its own internal version of FLEURS and a meeting and call dataset it has not published yet
- Built for recorded audio: live transcription is the separate Scribe v3 Live model, at $0.22 per hour
From benchmark to production
Building on Scribe v2 or Scribe v3?
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 $150
FAQ
Scribe v2 vs Scribe v3 FAQ
Which is cheaper, Scribe v2 or Scribe v3?
Both cost $0.003333 per audio minute.
How much would 100 hours of audio cost with Scribe v2 or Scribe v3?
100 hours of audio comes to $20 with Scribe v2 and $20 with Scribe v3 at their listed rates.
Which scores higher on independent benchmarks, Scribe v2 or Scribe v3?
Scribe v3 leads on Artificial Analysis AA-WER v2, 1.95 % WER to 2.18 % WER. Scores are independent evaluations, not either vendor's launch figures.
AI Model Brief
The AI models worth knowing, once a week
What shipped, how it scores on independent benchmarks, what it costs per million tokens and what was deprecated, from the data behind our AI model benchmarks.
We use your address only to send the brief. See our privacy policy.
See this week’s briefFurther reading
More on Scribe v2 and Scribe v3
Related comparisons
- Scribe v2 vs Voxtral Small Transcribe 3
- Scribe v2 Realtime vs Scribe v3
- Grok Voice Transcribe 2.0 vs Scribe v2
- Scribe v3 vs Scribe v3 Live
- MAI-Transcribe-2 vs Scribe v2
- Gemini 3.5 Transcribe vs Scribe v2
- GPT Transcribe vs Scribe v2
- GPT-4o Transcribe vs Scribe v2
- Scribe v2 vs Scribe v3 Live
- Scribe v2 vs Scribe v2 Realtime
Production evaluation
Choosing between Scribe v2 and Scribe v3?
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
