Head to head · Speech-to-text · October 2026 research run

ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API vs MiniMax Speech-to-Text

ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API scores 73 (BB) on agent readiness against MiniMax Speech-to-Text's 48.4 (D), and leads in every scored category. Both do speech-to-text.

Best speech-to-text APIs for AI agents · All 320 stt comparisons

Which one, for what

ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API BB

Best for Batch transcription where diarisation, entity detection and keyterms matter, and for teams already on ElevenLabs for speech.

Ahead on

  • Reliability, 80 against 47
  • Schema & documentation, 95 against 82
  • Agent ergonomics, 75 against 70
  • Security & auth, 65 against 33
  • Payments & pricing, 40 against 20
  • Maintenance & community, 77 against 6
  • Transparency & trust, 71 against 63

Also in its favour

  • Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better
  • A hosted endpoint, with nothing to install
  • Runs on your own machine

Watch for

Audio may be used for training unless the account opts out, and the opt-out isn't retroactive

MiniMax Speech-to-Text D

Best for Cheap file transcription with diarisation and subtitles, strongest on Chinese and code-switched audio by the vendor's account.

No category where it leads by five points or more, and no fact that sets it apart.

Watch for

Files only, up to 500 seconds and 50 MB; live audio input isn't supported

Why the edge

Each category where one leads by five points or more, with the reason behind each side's score from its assessment. The numbers are in the table below; this is what they stand for.

Maintenance & community ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API +71

ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API 77

Read as a model, as the ElevenLabs text-to-speech listing is, in place of the 1 October release-count reading. Newest change is SDK 2.75.0, tagged in the Python and JavaScript repositories on 27 October 2026 (23:02 UTC), and the 26 October changelog entry changed realtime silence thresholds and added transcription webhook retries. Speech to Text also changed on 12 October (turn_prediction commit strategy) and 19 October (edited_text) (30). Weekly dated entries, 16 between 3 August and 26 October (10). scribe_v1 is still marked deprecated in favour of scribe_v2 with no date or notice period (0 of 10). Public changelog and support channels (10 of 15). The Python SDK had 19 open issues on 1 October, several opened in August 2026, per the ElevenLabs text-to-speech listing's 1 October check of the same repository, not re-read on 1 November (5 of 10). Official Python and TypeScript SDKs current at 2.75.0. The local elevenlabs-mcp package, the only one with a transcription tool, has been deprecated since 20 August 2026 in favour of the hosted server, its last release 0.12.2 on 4 August (15). Fern-generated SDKs, read as the ElevenLabs text-to-speech listing reads them (7 of 10). 30 + 10 + 0 + 10 + 5 + 15 + 7 = 77.

MiniMax Speech-to-Text 6

Read as a model. No dated release or change of asr-1.0 was found on the model or API release notes or the status page (0). No dated ASR entries in the last 90 days (0). Support by email and Discord, not tested (6 of 15). No official SDK, and the MCP servers have no transcription tool (0 of 15). No package to judge (0 of 10). Total 6.

Reliability ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API +33

ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API 80

incident.io status page with a Speech to Text component and dated component history (20). Re-read on 1 November from the history page, which dates each component's impact, as the ElevenLabs text-to-speech, voice cloning and agents listings were read; the incidents feed was re-posted on 21 October and leaves older incidents out. Six incidents touched the Speech to Text component in the 90 days from 3 August. Elevated TTS and STT error rates from 06:39 to 07:13 UTC on 3 August and TTS and STT latency from 15:15 to 17:53 UTC on 26 August, both at degraded performance. Two latency incidents on 4 September, the EU residency from 11:41 to 12:12 UTC and the global residency from 13:55 to 21:01 UTC for "a small subset of requests", and STT latency from 15:42 to 16:05 UTC on 28 September, all degraded. From 16:00 to 19:44 UTC on 29 September a usage datastore fault caused latency, conversation failures and 429s on STT requests, marked partial outage on Speech to Text and Conversations. The 1 October note called it one major of 94 minutes; the page dates the STT impact at 3 hours 44 minutes, and it is read as partial, as the ElevenLabs agents listing read the same incident. A one-minute entry named "Test" on 16 October isn't counted. Nothing has touched STT since 29 September. Minor only (20 of 30, was 10). Concurrency per plan published with numbers, re-read on 1 November, 8 on Free to 60 on Scale for batch and 6 to 45 for realtime, with current-concurrent-requests and maximum-concurrent-requests headers (15). The error reference names three 429 codes, rate_limit_exceeded, concurrent_limit_exceeded and system_busy, and asks for exponential backoff (15). No SLA found for self-serve plans, and the API pricing page puts SLAs under Enterprise (0). Scribe v2, Scribe v2 Realtime and Scribe v2 Medical carry no alpha or beta label (10). 20 + 20 + 15 + 15 + 0 + 10 = 80.

MiniMax Speech-to-Text 47

Atlassian Statuspage at status.minimax.io with component history, but its components are LLM, Text-to-Speech and Video Generation, with none for speech to text (10 of 20). With no component, the history holds no record for transcription (5). Limits published with numbers, 2 concurrent connections and 30,000 audio seconds a minute (15). 429 is documented as rate_limit_error, and the general error code page says to retry later, with no backoff figures or Retry-After (7 of 15). No SLA in the terms or docs (0). asr-1.0 is called the current public model with no beta label (10). 10 + 5 + 15 + 7 + 0 + 10 = 47.

Security & auth ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API +32

ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API 65

Model reading of the checklist, with training and retention in place of least-privilege and injection lines. Keys can be restricted to chosen endpoints, given a credit quota and limited to IP addresses or CIDR ranges, user keys can expire after 15 minutes to 30 days, service accounts hold keys that don't belong to a person, and leaked keys found by GitHub secret scanning are disabled, re-read on 1 November. Realtime browser clients use single-use tokens, which we don't deduct for (30). The Privacy Policy (updated 9 October 2026, re-read on 1 November) says ElevenLabs may train on personal data, with an opt-out under Data use that only covers data sent after it's set (10). Speech-to-text audio and transcripts are kept by default and zero retention through enable_logging=false is Enterprise only, though the zero retention page now names every /v1/speech-to-text/ endpoint (5). The Developers page has a Request Log that lists every API request with search, filters and CSV export, and usage can be broken down by API key, though we found no audit log of key actions below Enterprise (10 of 15, was 5). A valid security.txt (expiring 6 October 2027, re-read on 1 November) pointing to a vulnerability disclosure programme, and the Eleven v4 launch page states SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 and PCI DSS Level 1 certification for every ElevenLabs model. We count those as vendor claims because we saw no report, and the trust centre wasn't re-read. No bug bounty or public advisories found (10 of 20, was 5, as the ElevenLabs text-to-speech listing reads the same evidence). 30 + 10 + 5 + 10 + 10 = 65.

MiniMax Speech-to-Text 33

Model reading of the checklist, with training and retention in place of the least-privilege and injection lines. Plain API keys from the console with no scopes found, and the docs say publicly leaked keys may be disabled, as on minimax-voice-cloning (20 of 30). The terms (effective 30 March 2026), as read for minimax-voice-cloning on 4 November, let MiniMax use input and generated content to operate, maintain, develop and improve its services, with no opt-out found, and the privacy policy rules out only training to profile or target consumers (5 of 20). No retention period for uploaded audio or transcripts was found (3 of 15). Each response carries a trace ID, with no audit log found (5 of 15). No security.txt, disclosure policy, bug bounty or certification found, as on the other MiniMax listings (0 of 20). Total 33.

Payments & pricing ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API +20

ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API 40

No x402, MPP or L402 (0). Per-hour prices and plan allowances published without a login, re-read on 1 November, $0.22 an hour for Scribe v2 and Scribe v2 Medical and $0.39 for Scribe v2 Realtime (20). Free plan with 4 hours 30 minutes of batch a month and no card, per the 1 October check; the pricing page read on 1 November doesn't say whether the free plan needs one (20). A person signs up in a browser (0). 0 + 20 + 20 + 0 = 40.

MiniMax Speech-to-Text 20

No x402, MPP or L402 (0). $0.38 an hour published without a login (20). Speech to text is for paid accounts only (0). A person signs up in a browser and funds a balance (0). Total 20.

Schema & documentation ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API +13

ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API 95

OpenAPI file at api.elevenlabs.io/openapi.json, per the 1 October check, not re-read on 1 November because api.elevenlabs.io's robots.txt disallows every path (25). llms.txt with a Markdown twin of each page, re-read on 1 November (10). Reference pages state what each parameter does, and the docs separate batch, realtime and medical use, though they rarely say when not to use one (15). Multipart fields are typed with enums such as timestamps_granularity, and model_id is required (15). Examples on each endpoint and an error reference with codes and meanings, re-read on 1 November (15). Versioned /v1 paths and a dated weekly changelog, the newest entry 26 October (15). 25 + 10 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 15 = 95.

MiniMax Speech-to-Text 82

OpenAPI 3.1 for /v1/speech_to_text, with eight documented responses (25). llms.txt and a Markdown copy of every page (10). The guide says when to stream, when to use verbose_json, and that subtitles and diarisation can't be combined with streaming (15 of 20). Typed multipart fields with an enum for response_format, and file limits stated in prose (12 of 15). Python examples and an error table giving HTTP status, error.type and trigger for 400, 401, 402, 413, 422, 429 and 500 (15). Versioned /v1 path, but neither release notes page mentions the ASR API, and the API notes stop at 28 October 2025 (5 of 15). Total 82.

Transparency & trust ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API +8

ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API 71

Closed service with clear terms and MIT SDKs (15). The Privacy Policy, updated 9 October 2026 and re-read on 1 November, allows training on personal data with a forward-only opt-out, and the zero retention page now says every /v1/speech-to-text/ endpoint is covered for Enterprise customers. We found no speech-to-text statement that contradicts them, though a reader still pieces the position together from three pages (15). scribe_v1 is marked deprecated without a date or a written policy (5). EU, India and Singapore residency hosts are documented, but no named sub-processor list was found (15). 15 + 15 + 5 + 15 = 50.

MiniMax Speech-to-Text 63

Closed API with clear terms under Singapore law naming Nanonoble Pte. Ltd., as on the other MiniMax listings (15 of 30). The terms and privacy policy agree that inputs may be used to improve services and that data sits in a United States data centre, with no retention period for audio (8 of 30). No deprecation notice or policy touches the ASR API (10 of 20, for the dated notices elsewhere on the API release notes). Data location stated as the United States and an EU representative named, with third parties only by category (10 of 20). Total 43.

Score by category

CategoryWeight this runElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text APIMiniMax Speech-to-TextEdge
Reliability16%208047ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API +33
Performance10%pendingpendingpendingnot scored in this run
Schema & documentation13%16.29582ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API +13
Agent ergonomics13%16.27570ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API +5
Security & auth14%17.56533ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API +32
Payments & pricing10%12.54020ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API +20
Task success10%pendingpendingpendingnot scored in this run
Maintenance & community7%8.8776ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API +71
Transparency & trust7%8.87163ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API +8
Negative events≤1500
TotalBB 73/100D 48.4/100

Facts side by side

FactElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text APIMiniMax Speech-to-Text
KindModel APIModel API
VendorElevenLabsMiniMax
Hosted endpointhttps://api.elevenlabs.io/v1no (local only)
TransportsHTTP, stdioHTTP
AuthAPI keyAPI key
PricingFreemiumPay per use
x402nono
LicenceMIT (SDKs)none
Tools exposednone0
Read-only variant documentednono
llms.txtyesyes
Last release2026-10-27none
Terms last updated2026-03-31couldn't be read
Privacy policy last updated2026-05-20couldn't be read
Customer content may train modelsyes, with an opt-outcouldn't be read
Terms restrict automated accessnot found in the textcouldn't be read
Terms restrict benchmarkingnot found in the textcouldn't be read
Terms or service can change without noticeyescouldn't be read
Arbitration or class-action waiveryescouldn't be read
Popularity3.1k stars, 1.1M npm/wk, 2.2M PyPI/wknone
Agent reviews3.5/5 (2)none

What the same task costs

TaskElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text APIMiniMax Speech-to-Text
Transcribe a one-hour meeting60 minutes of recorded audio$0.22 to $0.39$0.38

Estimated from each listing's published prices, the same tasks as on the price index. Plans, minimums and free allowances aren't counted.

How the scores have moved

Verdicts

ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API

Scribe v2 transcribes 90+ languages at $0.22 an hour of batch audio, with diarisation up to 32 speakers and keys that can be scoped by endpoint, capped and set to expire. Audio may be used for training unless the account opts out, the opt-out isn't retroactive, and zero retention needs Enterprise.

MiniMax Speech-to-Text

MiniMax's ASR API has an OpenAPI file, typed error envelopes and a public price of $0.38 an hour, with diarisation and subtitle output. It takes files of up to 500 seconds only, allows 2 concurrent connections, has no free tier or status component, and no dated release.

Before you call either

ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API

  1. Create a key restricted to speech-to-text with a credit quota and an expiry
  2. Use source_url for hosted files instead of downloading and re-uploading
  3. Set webhook=true for long files and turn on webhook retries so results aren't lost
  4. Back off exponentially on any of the three 429 codes
  5. Opt out under Data use before sending customer audio. It only covers later uploads

MiniMax Speech-to-Text

  1. Split recordings into pieces under 500 seconds before uploading, since longer audio returns 400
  2. Convert to mono 16 kHz or a compressed format to stay under 50 MB
  3. Use verbose_json for speakers and timestamps, and json only when streaming
  4. Treat 402 insufficient_balance_error as final and ask the user to top up
  5. Use https://api.minimaxi.com for a mainland China account

Questions

Which is better for AI agents, ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API or MiniMax Speech-to-Text?

ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API scores 73 (BB) on agent readiness against MiniMax Speech-to-Text's 48.4 (D), and leads in every scored category.

Do ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API and MiniMax Speech-to-Text need an API key?

Both need an API key.

Can an agent call ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API and MiniMax Speech-to-Text without installing anything?

ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API has a hosted endpoint at https://api.elevenlabs.io/v1. No hosted endpoint is listed for MiniMax Speech-to-Text.

Other comparisons with ElevenLabs Scribe Speech to Text API or MiniMax Speech-to-Text

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