Krio ASR v1
Speech to Text
SLE 1
per 5 seconds
- Billed per 5 seconds, rounded up
- Capped at SLE 500 an hour, SLE 900 for two
- Welcome credits spendable here
- Needs SLE 12 on the balance to start
- Audio from 5 seconds up
- Optional noise isolation, free
Pricing
Krio speech API pricing
Transcription is billed by the clock, in credits — 1 credit per 5 seconds on Krio ASR v1, capped at SLE 500 an hour and SLE 900 for two. One credit is SLE 1, every new account starts with 12 of them, and a run that fails is refunded. There are no plans and no monthly fee — you buy credits when you need them.
Model pricing
One credit is SLE 1. Failed runs are refunded.
How credits work
- The unit
- One credit is SLE 1. On Krio ASR v1 audio is charged 1 credit per 5 seconds, rounded up, so a 180-second clip costs 36 credits.
- Hourly caps
- An hour of v1 never costs more than SLE 500, and two hours never more than SLE 900 — the second hour is capped at a further SLE 400. Below those lengths you pay the per-tick rate, so the cap only ever works in your favour.
- Clip length
- v1 takes audio from 5 seconds up to 2 hours.
- Free to start
- 12 welcome credits on signup — 1 minutes of Krio ASR v1. Spendable on v1 only.
- Minimum balance
- v1 needs SLE 12 on the balance to begin a run. It caps nothing: a short clip is still charged only for its own seconds.
- The v2 unlock
- A one-time SLE 100 taken from paid credits before your first v2 transcription. It is an unlock, not a deposit — it does not add to your balance.
- Failed runs
- Refunded in full. A transcription that errors costs nothing.
- Text to speech
- Not metered. Generating Krio speech in the playground consumes no credits.
- Noise isolation
- Free on either model — an optional toggle that separates speech from background sound before transcribing, at no extra credits. The isolated speech track is kept for playback afterward, and on v2 the removed background is kept too.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Krio speech-to-text cost?
Krio ASR v1 is billed by the clock at 1 credit per 5 seconds of audio, rounded up. One credit is SLE 1, so a three-minute recording costs SLE 36. Longer audio is capped: an hour costs SLE 500 and two hours SLE 900, however long the clip runs in between.
Is there a free tier?
Yes. Every new account gets 12 welcome credits, which is 1 minutes of Krio ASR v1 transcription. Welcome credits are spendable on v1 only.
What is the difference between Krio ASR v1 and v2?
v1 is the everyday tier, billed at 1 credit per 5 seconds and capped at SLE 500 an hour. v2 is the higher-accuracy tier: it is billed per second with no hourly cap — SLE 600 an hour — charges a one-time SLE 100 unlock from paid credits, and only takes audio from 3 minutes up. Shorter clips run on v1.
Is there a minimum balance?
Krio ASR v1 needs at least SLE 12 on the balance before it will start a run. It is a floor on what you hold, not on what you are charged — a five-second clip still costs just 1 credit.
Do I pay for failed transcriptions?
No. A run that errors is refunded in full, so a failed transcription costs nothing.
Is Krio text-to-speech billed?
No. Krio text-to-speech is not metered — generating speech in the playground consumes no credits.
Is there a subscription?
No. There are no plans or recurring charges. Credits are bought in bundles, one credit is SLE 1, and they do not expire.
Does isolating background noise cost extra?
No. Noise isolation is free on both models — it's an optional toggle that separates speech from background sound before transcribing, at no extra credits. The isolated speech track is kept for playback afterward, and on Krio ASR v2 the removed background is kept too.
Ready to build? The speech-to-text API reference has the endpoint, limits and error codes.