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AI · head to head

Deepgram vs Fastly

Deepgram logo

Deepgram

AI

Voice AI API platform for speech-to-text, text-to-speech, and voice agents

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Fastly logo

Fastly

Cloud

High performance edge computing platform

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Deepgram pricing is entirely usage-based, so total cost can be harder to predict than flat subscription tools.; Fastly bandwidth is priced per region, and delivery to India, Africa and South Korea is $0.28 per GB against $0.12 in North America and Europe
  • They diverge on capability: Deepgram covers Flux speech-to-text, Fastly covers Edge Compute.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Deepgram and Fastly actually diverge.

Attributes where Deepgram and Fastly differ
AttributeDeepgramFastly
CategoryAICloud
FoundedUnknown2011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), platforms (web, api), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Deepgram

  • Flux speech-to-text
  • Flux text-to-speech
  • Voice Agent API
  • Real-time and batch processing
  • Self-hosted deployment
  • Audio intelligence

Only in Fastly

  • Edge Compute
  • CDN
  • DDoS Protection
  • Real-time Analytics
  • Image Optimization
  • Video Streaming
  • API
  • Instant Purge

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Deepgram

  • Building real-time voice agents for customer supportnot Fastly
  • Transcribing recorded audio at scale via batch STTnot Fastly
  • Adding conversational text-to-speech to voice applicationsnot Fastly
  • Self-hosting speech models for data residency requirementsnot Fastly

Fastly

  • Serving static and dynamic content through a global CDNnot Deepgram
  • Running edge logic and caching in front of an origin applicationnot Deepgram

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Deepgram

  • Pricing is entirely usage-based, so total cost can be harder to predict than flat subscription tools.
  • The Growth plan requires a minimum $4K/year commitment to unlock discounted rates.
  • Enterprise features and custom SLAs require a direct sales conversation rather than self-serve signup.
  • Some promotional per-minute rates are time-limited, meaning long-term pricing may differ from current promotional rates.

Fastly

  • Bandwidth is priced per region, and delivery to India, Africa and South Korea is $0.28 per GB against $0.12 in North America and Europe
  • The same traffic therefore costs more than twice as much depending on where the audience is, which is invisible until the bill arrives
  • The free allowance is 100 GB of bandwidth and 1M requests a month
  • Requests are billed separately from bandwidth, at $0.01 per 10,000 above the first million
  • High volume rates past 50 TB are not published and require contacting sales

Pricing, plan by plan

Deepgram

Free
  • Pay As You Go$undefined/mo
    • $200 free credit to start
    • No minimums or expiration
    • No credit card required to start
  • Growth$undefined/mo
    • Save up to 20% with annual pre-paid credits
    • Minimum $4K/year commitment
    • Credits applied against actual usage
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Custom pricing for large-scale deployments
    • Dedicated support and contracts

Fastly

Free
  • Free TrialFree
    • CDN
    • DDoS protection
    • Real-time analytics
  • Pay-As-You-GoFree
    • Usage-based pricing
    • Advanced features
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Deepgram if

  • You need flux speech-to-text.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want flux text-to-speech.
Deepgram review

Choose Fastly if

  • You need edge compute.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want cdn.
Fastly review

Questions people ask

Is Deepgram or Fastly better?
Neither clearly leads. Deepgram starts at Free and Fastly at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Deepgram or Fastly?
Deepgram starts at Free and Fastly at Free.
Does Deepgram or Fastly run on more platforms?
Deepgram runs on web, api. Fastly runs on Web, Api.
Can I use Deepgram for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Deepgram best used for?
Deepgram is most often used for building real-time voice agents for customer support, transcribing recorded audio at scale via batch stt, adding conversational text-to-speech to voice applications, self-hosting speech models for data residency requirements. Of those, building real-time voice agents for customer support and transcribing recorded audio at scale via batch stt are not what Fastly is typically brought in for.
What can Deepgram do that Fastly cannot?
Deepgram covers Flux speech-to-text, Flux text-to-speech, Voice Agent API, Real-time and batch processing. Fastly covers Edge Compute, CDN, DDoS Protection, Real-time Analytics.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Deepgram: What does Deepgram cost?

Deepgram uses usage-based pricing starting with $200 in free credit, pay-as-you-go rates per minute or per character, a Growth plan with annual pre-paid credits requiring a $4K/year minimum, and custom Enterprise pricing.

Source
Fastly: Does Fastly charge based on usage or a flat monthly fee?

Fastly operates on a usage-based model with volume discounts. They offer a free tier with 100 GB bandwidth and 1M requests for experimentation, then customers pay per unit consumed with tiered discounts as consumption increases.

Source
Deepgram: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

New users get $200 of free credit with no credit card required, which can be applied to speech-to-text, text-to-speech, or voice agent usage before any payment is needed.

Source
Fastly: What are Fastly's main service packages and their costs?

Fastly offers Network Services Packages ($1,500-$6,000/month baseline), Security Packages (custom pricing), Compute Packages ($500/month entry level), and Observability Packages ($1,500/month entry level). Enterprise solutions include custom quotes for high-volume deployments.

Source
Deepgram: How is usage metered?

Usage is metered per minute of audio for speech-to-text and voice agent calls, and per 1,000 characters for text-to-speech, with add-ons like redaction and entity detection billed separately per minute.

Source
Fastly: Can I start using Fastly for free?

Yes, Fastly offers a free tier with generous allowances for experimentation including 100 GB bandwidth and 1M requests. You can start building free and only pay when you use additional resources.

Source
Fastly: Are there surprise overage charges with Fastly?

Fastly advertises predictable pricing with no surprise overages. The pricing structure is designed to be transparent as consumption grows.

Source
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