Head-to-head comparison
Gladia vs Live Transcribe
Two of the transcription tools podcasters reach for. Here's how they differ on pricing, features, audience, and the trade-offs that actually matter day-to-day.
Multilingual Whisper-powered API with sub-300ms streaming.
Best for: Voice product developers
Google's free Android live captioning app
Best for: Deaf and hard-of-hearing users who need free, real-time captions in any setting.
At a glance
The honest trade-offs
Gladia
Pros
- Sub-300ms real-time latency
- 100+ languages with code-switching
- Free 10 hours/month evaluation
Watch-outs
- API-only, no editor for end users
- Higher async rate than raw Whisper
- Volume tiers need annual commits
Live Transcribe
Pros
- Genuinely free with no caps
- 120-plus languages, offline on newer Pixels
- Sound notifications built in for accessibility
Watch-outs
- Android only
- No transcript export
- Not a developer-facing API
Which one should you pick?
Pick Gladia if
You’re building around voice product developers. Gladia took Whisper and re-engineered it to work in production — sub-300ms streaming latency, code-switching across 100+ languages, diarization and translation in the same stream. For developers building voice products it's a serious Whisper-API upgrade.
Pick Live Transcribe if
You’re building around deaf and hard-of-hearing users who need free, real-time captions in any setting.. Live Transcribe is Google's accessibility-first transcription app, not a podcast tool. It runs on Android, captions ambient speech in 120-plus languages in real time, and flags sounds like alarms and baby cries.
Also worth comparing
Or see all Gladia alternatives.
Frequently asked
What does Gladia do better than Live Transcribe?
Gladia's standout is "Sub-300ms real-time latency". Live Transcribe doesn't make that promise — it leans into "Genuinely free with no caps" instead. If the first sentence describes your workflow, pick Gladia; if the second does, pick Live Transcribe.
What are the trade-offs?
Gladia: api-only, no editor for end users. Live Transcribe: android only. Whether either matters depends entirely on what you actually need — neither is a deal-breaker by itself.
Do they support the same platforms?
Gladia works on Web where Live Transcribe doesn't. Live Transcribe works on Android where Gladia doesn't. If you're on a specific OS or device, that may decide for you.
Can I use Gladia and Live Transcribe together?
Both are transcription tools so most teams pick one. Some workflows do combine them — for example, using Gladia for one show or episode type and Live Transcribe for another. Worth trying both free tiers before committing.