Parakeet TDT 0.6B v3 vs Whisper Large v3 Turbo on Groq
Parakeet TDT 0.6B v3 is an open-weight speech-to-text model you can call on this endpoint; Whisper Large v3 Turbo on Groq is offered from Groq. Below: what each costs for three realistic workloads, the limits that apply, and when to choose which.
Groq figures are public list prices and documented limits, checked 2026-09-16 against the provider page. Inference APIs prices are read live from the price list.
- Cost: Whisper Large v3 Turbo on Groq is cheaper in all three workloads, by 65%.
- Limits: Groq: Free tier: 20 requests/min, 2,000 requests/day, 7,200 audio-seconds/hour, 28,800 audio-seconds/day (8 hours). Developer-tier upgrades were paused when we checked (Sep 2026). Here: no per-minute or per-day caps.
Side by side
| Parakeet TDT 0.6B v3 | Whisper Large v3 Turbo on Groq | |
|---|---|---|
| Served by | Inference APIs | Groq |
| Model author | NVIDIA | Groq |
| Model id | nvidia/parakeet-tdt-0.6b-v3 | whisper-large-v3-turbo |
| Price | $0.002 / audio minute | $0.0007 / audio minute |
| Capabilities | Speech to text, Very fast, Timestamps, 25 languages | Speech to text, 99 languages, Timestamps |
| Weights | Open | Open |
| Status | Available | Available |
| Limits | No per-minute or per-day request or token caps; usage draws on a prepaid balance | Free tier: 20 requests/min, 2,000 requests/day, 7,200 audio-seconds/hour, 28,800 audio-seconds/day (8 hours). Developer-tier upgrades were paused when we checked (Sep 2026). |
| Speed | 0.036× real time (19.5 s clip in 0.7 s) | not measured by us |
What three workloads cost
List prices applied to the same work. The cheaper side of each row is in bold.
| Workload | Parakeet TDT 0.6B v3 | Whisper Large v3 Turbo on Groq | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hour of audio | $0.12 | $0.04 | 65% |
| 100 hours of audio | $12.00 | $4.20 | 65% |
| 1,000 hours of audio | $120 | $42.00 | 65% |
Whisper Large v3 Turbo on Groq is cheaper in all three workloads, by 65%.
When to choose which
- Long recordings in one of its 25 European languages, where throughput matters
- You transcribe more than 8 hours of audio a day on a free account
- Cost is the deciding factor; it is cheaper in every workload above
- Lowest price per minute, if your volume fits the free tier or you already have a Developer account
Measured speed
Median of three runs on 2026-09-16: a 19.5-second mp3 clip, timed from upload to response. Expect ±30% with time of day. We did not measure Groq and do not quote other people's numbers; read "not measured" as unknown, not slow. Method and raw numbers: speed measurements.
Switching from Groq
Both speak the OpenAI wire format. The edit is the base URL, the key and the model id; then re-run your own prompts, because it is a different model.
import os
from openai import OpenAI
# before: Groq
# client = OpenAI(base_url="https://api.groq.com/openai/v1", api_key=os.environ["GROQ_API_KEY"])
# MODEL = "whisper-large-v3-turbo"
# after: Inference APIs
client = OpenAI(base_url="https://api.inferenceapis.com/v1", api_key=os.environ["INFERENCE_API_KEY"])
MODEL = "nvidia/parakeet-tdt-0.6b-v3"
resp = client.audio.transcriptions.create(model=MODEL, file=open("meeting.mp3", "rb"))More detail, including Node, LangChain and LiteLLM: switching OpenAI-compatible providers.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Parakeet TDT 0.6B v3 or Whisper Large v3 Turbo on Groq?
Whisper Large v3 Turbo on Groq is cheaper in all three workloads, by 65%. The table above uses list prices: Parakeet TDT 0.6B v3 $0.002 / audio minute; Whisper Large v3 Turbo on Groq $0.0007 / audio minute.
Can I switch from Whisper Large v3 Turbo on Groq to Parakeet TDT 0.6B v3 without rewriting code?
Yes, if you call it through an OpenAI-compatible client. Change the base URL to https://api.inferenceapis.com/v1, swap the API key, and set the model to nvidia/parakeet-tdt-0.6b-v3. Because it is a different model, re-run your prompts and evaluations before moving production traffic.
What limits apply to Whisper Large v3 Turbo on Groq?
Free tier: 20 requests/min, 2,000 requests/day, 7,200 audio-seconds/hour, 28,800 audio-seconds/day (8 hours). Developer-tier upgrades were paused when we checked (Sep 2026). On Inference APIs there are no per-minute or per-day request or token caps; usage draws on a prepaid balance.
Spotted a price or limit that has changed? Tell us and we will re-check the provider page.