Gladia
French speech-to-text API from OVHcloud, usage-based pricing and 100+ languages
Quick Overview
| Company | Gladia SAS (part of OVHcloud) |
|---|---|
| Category | AI Voice & Speech |
| Headquarters | Roubaix, France |
| Founded | 2022 |
| EU Presence | EU (France) |
| Data Location | EU (vendor states it is "headquartered in the EU") |
| Open Source | No |
| Compliance | GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2 Type II |
| Pricing | Starter pay-as-you-go from $0.61/hr async, $0.75/hr real-time (€50 free credits) / Growth from $0.20/hr with commitment / Enterprise custom |
| Free Option | €50 in free credits, no expiry |
| Replaces | Deepgram, AssemblyAI, Amazon Transcribe |
Detailed Review
Gladia is a second speech-to-text API in this category, built in France and now part of OVHcloud, Europe's largest cloud infrastructure company — both registered at the same Roubaix address, with an OVH entity named as Gladia's president in the French companies register.
For a buyer who wants European transcription infrastructure without depending on a single founder-led startup, that ownership is a selling point rather than a footnote: it is the backing of an already-public European cloud company rather than outside venture capital.
The API detects language automatically across more than 100 languages, includes speaker diarization as standard, and offers both asynchronous and real-time transcription.
Pricing is genuinely usage-based: a Starter tier at $0.61 per hour for async and $0.75 for real-time with €50 in free credits to start, a Growth tier for committed volume at rates as low as $0.20 per hour, and an Enterprise tier with zero data retention, dedicated infrastructure and an SLA. That structure suits a team testing transcription in an app before committing to a contract.
Gladia SAS was registered in January 2022 and holds GDPR, HIPAA and SOC 2 Type II certifications, with the vendor stating it is headquartered in the EU. It competes on price and language coverage rather than trying to out-accurate Speechmatics' benchmark claim, and the honest gap is that neither an on-premise nor an on-device option is advertised the way Speechmatics offers one — Gladia is a cloud API, full stop.
What Gladia does well
- Usage-based pricing from $0.61/hr, no quote required to start
- 100+ languages with automatic detection
- Speaker diarization included as standard
- €50 in free credits, no expiry
- Backed by OVHcloud, a public European cloud company
Where Gladia falls short
- Cloud API only — no on-premise or on-device option
- Founding year comes from the company register, not a vendor about page
- Newer entrant than Speechmatics in this category
- Transcription only, no voice synthesis
Standout feature. The same Roubaix address as OVHcloud, and an OVH entity listed as Gladia's own president in the French register.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Usage-based pricing from $0.61/hr, no quote required to start
- 100+ languages with automatic detection
- Speaker diarization included as standard
- €50 in free credits, no expiry
- Backed by OVHcloud, a public European cloud company
Cons
- Cloud API only — no on-premise or on-device option
- Founding year comes from the company register, not a vendor about page
- Newer entrant than Speechmatics in this category
- Transcription only, no voice synthesis
Alternatives to Gladia
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Gladia?
Gladia is a second speech-to-text API in this category, built in France and now part of OVHcloud, Europe's largest cloud infrastructure company — both registered at the same Roubaix address, with an OVH entity named as Gladia's president in the French companies register.
For a buyer who wants European transcription infrastructure without depending on a single founder-led startup, that ownership is a selling point rather than a footnote: it is the backing of an already-public European cloud company rather than outside venture capital.
Where is Gladia based?
Gladia operates from Roubaix, France, which places it under EU (France). Compliance: GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2 Type II.
What does Gladia cost?
Starter pay-as-you-go from $0.61/hr async, $0.75/hr real-time (€50 free credits) / Growth from $0.20/hr with commitment / Enterprise custom. €50 in free credits, no expiry.
Who is Gladia best for?
Developers needing multilingual speech-to-text with usage-based pricing. The same Roubaix address as OVHcloud, and an OVH entity listed as Gladia's own president in the French register.
What are the drawbacks of Gladia?
Cloud API only — no on-premise or on-device option. Founding year comes from the company register, not a vendor about page. Newer entrant than Speechmatics in this category. Transcription only, no voice synthesis.
Is Gladia a good alternative to Deepgram?
Gladia is built as a European alternative to Deepgram: French speech-to-text API from OVHcloud, usage-based pricing and 100+ languages. It will not be a like-for-like feature match in every respect, so check the review above for where the two genuinely differ before switching.
How does Gladia compare to other AI Voice & Speech tools?
Gladia is one of several European AI Voice & Speech tools we cover. It is most often compared with Deepgram, AssemblyAI, Amazon Transcribe.