Looking for a Deepgram, AssemblyAI or Gladia Alternative? What to Know First
Deepgram, AssemblyAI and Gladia are three of the best-known speech-to-text APIs, used by developers to add transcription and audio intelligence to their own products. Comparing them from Germany, two things matter: they are developer APIs you build on rather than ready tools, and their data-protection stories differ, with Gladia EU-native and the other two US companies offering EU add-ons. This article is fair about what each does well, names the weak points honestly, and then shows the two German alternatives, DeepScript for transcription and Sally AI for meetings.
What the Three APIs Do Well
Each is a strong engine for developers. All three offer batch and real-time transcription with diarisation, summarisation and entity detection at low per-hour prices, and all support German. Deepgram is known for fast, high-accuracy models and a self-hosted option; AssemblyAI for its audio-intelligence features and an LLM gateway; and Gladia for a European-language focus and, notably for German buyers, EU (France) hosting by default with no-training on paid plans.
Where an API Falls Short for a German Team
The issue is fit, not raw capability.
You Have to Build the Product
All three are APIs, so turning them into a usable transcription workflow needs software development. There is no ready app for non-technical staff and no meeting bot. For a team whose need is simply accurate German transcripts or documented meetings, that is a project rather than a tool.
US Entities and Training Caveats
AssemblyAI and Deepgram are US companies; their EU regions improve residency, but the entity is US-based and US-side processing relies on Standard Contractual Clauses. Gladia is EU-native, but its free tier may use audio for training, and its ISO 27001 status reads as in progress on its own security page. For a German buyer who wants a German contracting party and no ambiguity, none of the three is a fully German-native product.
The German Alternatives: DeepScript or Sally AI
Depending on whether you need a transcript or a full meeting workflow, there are two German answers.
DeepScript: the Direct Transcription Alternative
DeepScript is the direct alternative when you want a German-hosted transcription product rather than a foreign API to build on, with a REST API when you need one. It is hosted exclusively on servers in Germany with a German contracting party, GDPR-compliant under Articles 28 and 32 with a German data processing agreement, never uses content for training, and excludes external AI APIs such as OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini for content. It transcribes 99+ languages including German dialects like Bavarian, Swiss German and Viennese, with diarisation, live transcription and exports, at usage-based pricing from €0.18 per hour. Developers get the REST API, SDKs and webhooks; non-technical teams use the ready-made product.
Sally AI: the Full Meeting Solution
If you want more than a transcript, Sally AI is the German AI meeting assistant built for the whole workflow. Where DeepScript stops at the text, Sally AI runs the meeting: a visible bot joins Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet and Webex automatically, an app records in-person meetings, and Sally AI produces structured German summaries, recognises tasks and decisions with assignment, and syncs into seven native CRM integrations including HubSpot and Salesforce. It is GDPR-compliant, ISO-certified and hosted in Germany, and it can be tested free of charge for 30 days. That span, from live capture to tasks and CRM, is the central difference between a raw STT API and a meeting assistant.
The STT APIs, DeepScript and Sally AI: A Direct Comparison
An overview of the key differences at a glance:
| Criterion | Deepgram / AssemblyAI / Gladia | DeepScript | Sally AI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Developer STT APIs | Ready product plus REST API | Full meeting assistant |
| Entity | US (Gladia France) | Germany | Germany |
| Hosting | US or EU option (Gladia EU default) | Germany only | Germany only |
| Usability | Needs integration | Out of the box, API optional | Out of the box |
| Meeting bot / summaries / tasks | No | No (transcription only) | Yes |
| German dialects | German | German plus dialects | German plus dialects |
| Pricing | Usage-based USD (per hour/minute) | From €0.18/hour | From €8/user/month; 30-day trial |
Conclusion: An API or a German Product?
Deepgram, AssemblyAI and Gladia are excellent speech-to-text APIs, and for a product team building voice features they are strong choices, with Gladia the most EU-native of the three.
But if you do not want to build on a foreign API, the choice is about the job. If you want a ready German transcription product with a German contracting party, DeepScript is the direct alternative, and it still offers an API. If you want more than a transcript, a bot that joins your meetings and turns them into summaries, tasks and CRM entries, Sally AI is the full meeting solution. DeepScript can be tried free of charge, and Sally AI offers a 30-day trial.
Disclaimer: This is not legal advice.
