Service costs and platform choice
Compare model fees, backend platform fees, and average cost per user at three scales, using the same usage per person.
Monthly cost overview
USD / monthModel fees = Soniox + OpenAI. Soniox handles translation and Agent speech recognition; OpenAI provides Agent text and voice responses. Platform fees cover the backend services that record usage.
Scale is based on monthly active users. Select an amount to view its calculation.
| Platform | Monthly costs | 100 users | 500 users | 1,000 users |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Render | Platform fee | $73.00 | $73.00 | $76.75 |
| Model fees | $224.00 | $1,120.00 | $2,240.00 | |
| Platform + model total | $297.00 | $1,193.00 | $2,316.75 | |
| Average per user/month | $2.97 | $2.39 | $2.32 | |
| Microsoft Azure | Platform fee | $195.68 | $195.68 | $210.63 |
| Model fees | $224.00 | $1,120.00 | $2,240.00 | |
| Platform + model total | $419.68 | $1,315.68 | $2,450.63 | |
| Average per user/month | $4.20 | $2.63 | $2.45 |
100 users
Monthly active users| Monthly costs | Render | Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | $73.00 | $195.68 |
| Model fees | $224.00 | $224.00 |
| Platform + model total | $297.00 | $419.68 |
| Average per user | $2.97 | $4.20 |
500 users
Monthly active users| Monthly costs | Render | Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | $73.00 | $195.68 |
| Model fees | $1,120.00 | $1,120.00 |
| Platform + model total | $1,193.00 | $1,315.68 |
| Average per user | $2.39 | $2.63 |
1,000 users
Monthly active users| Monthly costs | Render | Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | $76.75 | $210.63 |
| Model fees | $2,240.00 | $2,240.00 |
| Platform + model total | $2,316.75 | $2,450.63 |
| Average per user | $2.32 | $2.45 |
The platforms are alternatives; their fees are not added together. Model fees are the same at a given user count. Average per user = combined platform and model fees ÷ monthly active users. Additional tools, taxes, and operational labor are excluded.
Platform assessment
Backend platform fees only; model fees excludedRender
Application, database, and scheduled jobs are managed together, fitting the defined backend scope.
All user counts are monthly active users. Starting database specifications differ, so this is not a unit-price comparison for identical hardware. Both use Singapore, one application, and one database, without high-availability redundancy. The 100/500/1,000-user scenarios allow for 10/50/100 peak connections; capacity requires load testing.
Average model cost per user
USD / active user / monthAll three scenarios—100, 500, and 1,000 users—assume the same monthly usage per person: 300 translation minutes, 50 Agent conversation minutes, and 100 responses. Model fees per user are therefore the same at every scale; allocated platform costs are additional.
Agent sends finalized Soniox text to OpenAI Realtime. The estimate assumes text conversation history and excludes OpenAI audio input fees. If sessions retain audio history, its usage must be added. All usage figures are planning assumptions to be adjusted using settlement records after launch.