Inference APIs
Compare/Speech-to-text

Parakeet TDT 0.6B v3 vs Whisper Large v3

Two open-weight speech-to-text models on the same endpoint and API key, so switching between them is a one-word change. Below: what each costs for three realistic workloads, how they differ, and measured speed.

Inference APIs prices are read live from the price list.

Short answer
  • Cost: Both cost the same at list price.

Side by side

Parakeet TDT 0.6B v3Whisper Large v3
Served byInference APIsInference APIs
Model authorNVIDIAOpenAI
Model idnvidia/parakeet-tdt-0.6b-v3openai/whisper-large-v3
Price$0.002 / audio minute$0.002 / audio minute
CapabilitiesSpeech to text, Very fast, Timestamps, 25 languagesSpeech to text, 100 languages, Word timestamps, Speaker diarization, SRT / VTT
WeightsOpenOpen
StatusAvailableAvailable
LimitsNo per-minute or per-day request or token caps; usage draws on a prepaid balanceNo per-minute or per-day request or token caps; usage draws on a prepaid balance
Speed0.036× real time (19.5 s clip in 0.7 s)0.047× real time (19.5 s clip in 0.92 s)

What three workloads cost

List prices applied to the same work. The cheaper side of each row is in bold.

WorkloadParakeet TDT 0.6B v3Whisper Large v3Difference
1 hour of audio$0.12$0.12—
100 hours of audio$12.00$12.00—
1,000 hours of audio$120$120—

Both cost the same at list price.

When to choose which

Choose Parakeet TDT 0.6B v3 if
  • Long recordings in one of its 25 European languages, where throughput matters
  • You need live streaming transcription
Choose Whisper Large v3 if
  • Broad language coverage with automatic language detection
  • Files up to 100 MB and SRT or VTT subtitles straight from the API
  • Speaker labels with diarize=true, at the same price
  • Your audio is in a language outside its 25; use Whisper
  • You need live streaming transcription or speaker diarization

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. Method and raw numbers: speed measurements.

Trying both

Same endpoint, same key. Change one string:

cURL
for MODEL in "nvidia/parakeet-tdt-0.6b-v3" "openai/whisper-large-v3"; do
  curl -s https://api.inferenceapis.com/v1/audio/transcriptions \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $INFERENCE_API_KEY" \
    -F "model=$MODEL" -F "file=@meeting.mp3" | jq -r .text
done

FAQ

Which is cheaper, Parakeet TDT 0.6B v3 or Whisper Large v3?

Both cost the same at list price. The table above uses list prices: Parakeet TDT 0.6B v3 $0.002 / audio minute; Whisper Large v3 $0.002 / audio minute.

How do I switch between them?

They are on the same endpoint and key. Change the model field from nvidia/parakeet-tdt-0.6b-v3 to openai/whisper-large-v3 and nothing else.

Parakeet TDT 0.6B v3 API Whisper Large v3 API Playground

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