# 12 Best Retell AI Alternatives (2026)

> 12 verified Retell AI alternatives in Voice AI, led by Dasha (from $0.08/min). Compared on real production cost and per-use-case verdicts. Updated October 2026.

Retell AI is api plus no-code, production telephony fast. Teams that switch usually cite price at production volume, compliance requirements, deeper pipeline control, outbound campaign tooling, an out-of-the-box receptionist, ecommerce order handling. The alternatives below are ranked by published head-to-head verdicts, not sponsorship.

On our facts, Retell AI is the 14th-lowest latency of 17 - the kind of gap teams cite when they go looking.

## Where to switch, by reason

| Switching because of | See |
| --- | --- |
| price at production volume | [Replicant](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/best/agency/) |
| compliance requirements | [Pipecat](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/best/healthcare/) |
| deeper pipeline control | [LiveKit Agents](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/best/developer/) |
| outbound campaign tooling | [Cognigy (NiCE)](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/best/outbound/) |
| an out-of-the-box receptionist | [Telnyx Voice AI Agents](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/best/receptionist/) |
| ecommerce order handling | [Dentina](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/best/ecommerce/) |

## The Retell AI alternatives, ranked

| # | Tool | Positioning | vs Retell AI | Best if you need | Price | Rating |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [Dasha](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/dasha/) | Dev platform, conversational AI | vs Retell AI: about half the base concurrency, ~15% pricier, no native sip trunking. |  | From $0.08/min |  |
| 2 | [LiveKit Agents](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/livekit-agents/) (OSS) | Realtime infra + agents (OSS + cloud) | vs Retell AI: ~85% cheaper, about half the base concurrency. | custom pipeline control, healthcare compliance | From $0.01/min |  |
| 3 | [Millis AI](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/millis/) | Low-latency voice agents | vs Retell AI: ~70% cheaper. | smb receptionist and booking | From $0.02/min |  |
| 4 | [Phonely](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/phonely/) | SMB AI receptionist | vs Retell AI: ~30% cheaper, no bring-your-own llm. | smb receptionist and booking | From $0.05/min |  |
| 5 | [Ringly.io](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/ringly/) | Ecommerce phone agents | vs Retell AI: ~315% pricier, about half the base concurrency, no bring-your-own llm. | ecommerce support and orders | From $0.29/min |  |
| 6 | [Thoughtly](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/thoughtly/) | No-code AI contact center | vs Retell AI: about half the base concurrency. | custom pipeline control, smb receptionist and booking | From $500/mo |  |
| 7 | [Ultravox](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/ultravox/) | Realtime speech model + platform | vs Retell AI: about half the base concurrency, ~30% cheaper, no bring-your-own llm. |  | From $0.05/min |  |
| 8 | [Vocode](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/vocode/) (OSS) | Open-source framework |  | custom pipeline control, healthcare compliance | See pricing |  |
| 9 | [Voiceflow](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/voiceflow/) | Agent builder (chat + voice) | vs Retell AI: about half the base concurrency, ~30% cheaper, no native sip trunking. | no-code agency deploys, ecommerce support and orders | From $0.05/min |  |
| 10 | [Vapi](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/vapi/) | Dev-first API platform, full pipeline control | vs Retell AI: about half the base concurrency, ~30% cheaper. | custom pipeline control, ecommerce support and orders | From $0.05/min |  |
| 11 | [Abby Connect](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/abby-connect/) | Legacy virtual-receptionist provider (est. 2005) adding a lower-cost AI tier with built-in human backup; minute-bundle pricing on both lines. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | From $99/mo |  |
| 12 | [Air AI](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/air-ai/) | AI sales calls | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 13 | [Alex (fka Apriora)](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/alex/) | 'Interview everyone. Hire the best.' - autonomous AI interviewer (voice + video) for high-volume hiring, operated by Apriora Inc. dba Alex. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 14 | [Arini](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/arini/) | The AI front desk for dental groups and DSOs - zero missed calls, 24/7. | vs Retell AI: about half the latency, no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 15 | [ASAPP](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/asapp/) | Generative AI CX platform whose GenerativeAgent overlays existing CCaaS stacks to automate voice and messaging interactions. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 16 | [Assort Health](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/assort-health/) | Specialty-specific AI agents for the full patient journey (access, intake, referrals, outreach). | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 17 | [Avoca](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/avoca/) | AI workforce platform for the home-services trades (voice, chat, outbound, and call coaching). | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 18 | [Bland AI](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/bland/) | Outbound-heavy, enterprise-leaning | vs Retell AI: roughly double the per-minute price, ~55% slower, no bring-your-own llm. |  | From $0.14/min |  |
| 19 | [Bolna](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/bolna/) | Open-source voice-agent orchestration with a hosted platform priced for Indian-language call volume. | vs Retell AI: ~5× the base concurrency, about half the latency, no native sip trunking. |  | From $0.06/min |  |
| 20 | [Brooke.ai](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/brooke-ai/) | OEM-channel digital voice assistant for fixed ops - a sub-brand of Proactive Dealer Solutions (Better Car People), sold through programs like Stellantis MarketCenter rather than as a standalone startup. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 21 | [Caseflood](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/caseflood/) | 'The first human-assisted legal AI intake team designed to autonomously sign retainers for law firms' - long-form voice intake plus human-in-the-loop closing, YC-backed. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 22 | [Cognigy (NiCE)](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/cognigy/) | Agentic AI platform for CX (Cognigy.AI + Voice Gateway); Forrester Wave 2026 Leader, sold standalone and inside NiCE CXone Mpower. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 23 | [ConverzAI](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/converzai/) | 'World's Leading Automation for Staffing Firms' - agentic virtual recruiters covering the pipeline from sourcing to placement, staffing-agency (not corporate HR) focus. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 24 | [Cresta](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/cresta/) | Generative AI platform unifying autonomous AI Agent, Agent Assist, and Conversation Intelligence for enterprise contact centers. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 25 | [Decagon](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/decagon/) | AI concierge platform - voice/chat/email agents driven by natural-language Agent Operating Procedures (AOPs). | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 26 | [Deepgram Voice Agent API](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/deepgram-voice-agent-api/) | Unified STT + LLM orchestration + TTS voice-agent pipeline at a flat all-in rate ($4.50/hr), with BYO-LLM/TTS discounts and enterprise deployment options. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | From $0.07/min |  |
| 27 | [Dentina](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/dentina/) | The AI dental receptionist built by a dentist - 24/7 inbound/outbound calls with real-time PMS write-back. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | From $299/mo |  |
| 28 | [Dialzara](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/dialzara/) | Lowest-entry-price SMB AI receptionist with minute-bundle pricing and SMS/chatbot/outbound add-ons | vs Retell AI: ~585% pricier, no native sip trunking. |  | From $0.48/min |  |
| 29 | [Dograh](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/dograh/) (OSS) | Self-hostable open-source voice agent platform ('OSS alternative to Vapi & Retell') with a no-code workflow builder and air-gapped on-prem deployment for regulated industries. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 30 | [Domu](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/domu/) | YC S24 collections-automation platform for financial institutions across the Americas - 'compliance is not a checkbox, it is the architecture'. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 31 | [echowin](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/echowin/) | No-code AI phone/chat agent builder with pay-as-you-go pricing, 70+ languages, and agency white-label options | vs Retell AI: ~185% pricier, no native sip trunking. |  | From $0.20/min |  |
| 32 | [ElevenLabs Agents](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/elevenlabs-agents/) | Voice-quality leader, agents platform | vs Retell AI: ~90% faster, ~30% cheaper, no native sip trunking. |  | From $0.05/min |  |
| 33 | [EliseAI](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/eliseai/) | Voice-capable agentic suite, not a voice-only agent: full housing-operations platform (leasing, resident services, CRM, payments) plus a HealthAI arm - voice is one channel of a much broader product. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 34 | [Google Gemini Live API](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/gemini-live-api/) | Native-audio speech-to-speech model API (Gemini Live) with barge-in, affective dialog, and tool use over a stateful WebSocket. | vs Retell AI: ~75% cheaper, no native sip trunking. |  | From $0.02/min |  |
| 35 | [Goodcall](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/goodcall/) | Agentic voice AI for SMB service businesses; unusual per-unique-customer metering with unlimited minutes ('born at Google'). | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | From $79/mo |  |
| 36 | [Guava (formerly Gridspace)](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/guava/) | Developer-first voice agent API 'for regulated industries', built on a decade of Gridspace voice AI in banks and hospitals. | vs Retell AI: ~55% slower, no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 37 | [HappyRobot](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/happyrobot/) | Enterprise 'AI operating system for the real economy': AI-worker platform that grew out of logistics voice agents, now spanning 8 verticals (logistics, utilities, airlines, finance, insurance, manufacturing, retail, telecom). | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 38 | [Hello Patient](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/hello-patient/) | Conversational AI for healthcare's 'front door' - voice, SMS, and chat patient communication. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 39 | [Hume EVI](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/hume-evi/) | Emotionally intelligent speech-to-speech API (Empathic Voice Interface, EVI 3 / EVI 4 mini) with voice cloning and supplemental-LLM support. | vs Retell AI: about half the latency, no native sip trunking. |  | From $0.07/min |  |
| 40 | [Kore.ai](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/kore-ai/) | Enterprise agentic AI platform (Artemis) with voice AI agents for contact-center self-service at Global 2000 scale. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 41 | [Level AI](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/level-ai/) | LLM-native contact-center intelligence platform (QA/Agent Assist center of gravity) with an AI Virtual Agent for voice and chat automation. | vs Retell AI: ~210% slower, no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 42 | [Liberate](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/liberate/) | 'The Most Trusted AI in Insurance' - voice-first, insurance-native agents (pre-trained on insurance processes) spanning sales, service, and claims across voice, SMS, email, and digital channels. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 43 | [Lindy](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/lindy/) | AI employees incl. phone agents | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | From $49.99/mo |  |
| 44 | [Loman AI](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/loman/) | Restaurant voice AI with deep POS order-writing (Toast/Square/Clover/Olo etc.) - orders and payments, not just reservations and FAQs. | vs Retell AI: ~2.5× the base concurrency, no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 45 | [Frontdesk (My AI Front Desk)](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/my-ai-front-desk/) | Multi-channel AI front desk (voice/SMS/chat/email/WhatsApp) with bundled CRM and a white-label reseller program, mid-rebrand from My AI Front Desk to Frontdesk | vs Retell AI: ~255% pricier, no native sip trunking. |  | From $0.25/min |  |
| 46 | [Netic](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/netic/) | Autonomous AI revenue engine for essential home services. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 47 | [Numa](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/numa/) | AI operating system for the AI-native dealership - voice AI plus agentic follow-up (Heat Case, Opportunity, Service Advisor agents) for franchise dealers and multi-rooftop groups. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 48 | [Observe.AI](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/observe-ai/) | Contact-center AI platform expanding from conversation intelligence into autonomous VoiceAI agents (inbound and outbound) with copilots for frontline teams. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 49 | [Omilia](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/omilia/) | Conversational AI platform for contact-center voice/IVR automation, with native 'Lexis' voice synthesis and agentic voice/chat agents. | vs Retell AI: ~95% faster, no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 50 | [OpenAI Realtime API](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/openai-realtime-api/) | Frontier speech-to-speech model API (gpt-realtime family) for low-latency voice agents over WebRTC, WebSocket, and SIP. | vs Retell AI: no bring-your-own llm. |  | See pricing |  |
| 51 | [Parloa](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/parloa/) | AI Agent Management Platform (AMP) for enterprise contact centers - design, test, scale, optimize agentic AI. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 52 | [Patter](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/patter/) (OSS) | MIT-licensed, self-host-only voice AI SDK (Python + TypeScript) abstracting 27+ providers across LLM/STT/TTS/carrier layers - a middle ground between hosted platforms (Vapi/Retell) and heavyweight frameworks. | vs Retell AI: ~35% faster, no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 53 | [Pipecat](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/pipecat/) (OSS) | Open-source Python framework for real-time voice and multimodal conversational agents, maintained by Daily, with Pipecat Cloud as the managed production runtime. | vs Retell AI: ~85% cheaper. |  | From $0.01/min |  |
| 54 | [Play.ai (PlayHT)](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/play-ai/) | Voice agents + TTS heritage | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 55 | [PolyAI](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/polyai/) | Enterprise voice assistants | vs Retell AI: about half the latency, no bring-your-own llm. |  | See pricing |  |
| 56 | [Rapida](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/rapida/) (OSS) | Open-source (GPL-2.0 + branding terms) voice AI orchestration platform in Go/gRPC, aimed at agencies, CPaaS/CCaaS providers, and enterprises wanting white-label, multi-tenant voice operations with provider-level cost passthrough. | vs Retell AI: ~10× the base concurrency, ~90% cheaper. |  | From $0.01/min |  |
| 57 | [Regal](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/regal/) | Contact-center AI (enterprise) | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 58 | [Replicant](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/replicant/) | Voice-native contact-center automation with deterministic reasoning for business rules and 1B+ minutes of production conversation data. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 59 | [Rosie](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/rosie/) | Self-serve SMB AI answering service with bundled-minute pricing and bilingual EN/ES on every plan. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | From $49/mo |  |
| 60 | [Salient](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/salient/) | Compliance-first AI loan-servicing platform ('Taylor' voice agent plus audit/claims/chargeback agents) for technology-first consumer lenders - voice-as-a-wedge into the full servicing lifecycle. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 61 | [Sameday](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/sameday/) | Trades-focused AI sales agent - sells and books jobs (claims 92%+ booking rate, voice cloning of your staff) rather than just taking messages. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | From $449/mo |  |
| 62 | [Sierra](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/sierra/) | Outcome-priced conversational AI agent platform from Bret Taylor and Clay Bavor; voice product replaces IVR with an empathetic agent. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 63 | [Simple Phones](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/simple-phones/) | Done-for-you AI phone agent for small businesses on flat per-call-bundle pricing | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | From $97/mo |  |
| 64 | [Sindarin](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/sindarin/) | Persona-driven voice agents | vs Retell AI: ~70% faster, no native sip trunking. |  | From $99/mo |  |
| 65 | [Slang AI](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/slang-ai/) | Hospitality-native voice AI ('Superhost') priced per location - reservation-system depth and guest recognition rather than generic receptionist features. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | From $399/mo |  |
| 66 | [Smith.ai](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/smith-ai/) | Human+AI hybrid receptionist platform with per-call bundle pricing; 500+ live agent network, law-firm-heavy customer base. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | From $150/mo |  |
| 67 | [STELLA Automotive AI](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/stella-automotive/) | Dealership-focused conversational AI platform with certified DMS integrations (CDK, Reynolds, Tekion) and dealer/industry investors incl. Reynolds & Reynolds board representation. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 68 | [Synthflow](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/synthflow/) | No-code, agency white-label king | vs Retell AI: no bring-your-own llm. |  | From $2,500/mo |  |
| 69 | [Telnyx Voice AI Agents](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/telnyx-voice-ai/) | Carrier-native voice AI: telephony, GPUs, STT/TTS and orchestration vertically integrated at the network edge. | vs Retell AI: ~25× the base concurrency, ~70% faster. |  | From $0.05/min |  |
| 70 | [TEN Framework](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/ten-framework/) (OSS) | Open-source real-time multimodal conversational AI framework (voice + video + avatar) with its own VAD and full-duplex turn-detection models, backed by Agora. |  |  | See pricing |  |
| 71 | [Toma](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/toma/) | "AI Coworkers for the Automotive Enterprise" - dealership call automation with production safeguards, YC/a16z-backed. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 72 | [Twilio ConversationRelay](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/twilio-conversationrelay/) | Carrier-grade voice harness for BYO-LLM agents inside Twilio Programmable Voice. | vs Retell AI: ~25% faster. |  | From $0.07/min |  |
| 73 | [Upfirst](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/upfirst/) | Per-call-bundle AI receptionist with 35+ languages and declining overage rates up to 600 calls/mo | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | From $24.95/mo |  |
| 74 | [Vision Agents](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/vision-agents/) (OSS) | Open-source multimodal (video-first) AI agent framework by Stream, combining realtime LLMs with vision models on Stream's low-latency edge network. | vs Retell AI: ~95% faster, no native sip trunking. |  | See pricing |  |
| 75 | [Zoom Virtual Agent Receptionist](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/zoom-virtual-agent-receptionist/) | Big-tech price anchor for the receptionist segment: standalone AI receptionist at $29.99/mo (100 min), launched 2026-07-09; also bundled free with Zoom Phone. | vs Retell AI: no native sip trunking. |  | From $29.99/mo |  |

## How the top Retell AI alternatives compare

A closer look at the top 6: each Retell AI alternative's standing among Voice AI peers, its verdict record against Retell AI, and the trade-offs of leaving.

### 1. Dasha

Among the 23 voice ai tools we track, Dasha has the 18th-cheapest per-minute rate.
Before switching, weigh what stays behind - Retell AI vs Dasha: ~20× the base concurrency, ~10% cheaper, adds native sip trunking.
Its published rate is $0.08 per minute, verified July 2026.

**Overall verdict:** Retell AI leads on nearly every dimension. Its base concurrency is 20 calls versus Dasha's 1 call, making it ready for production scale out of the box. Real production costs start at $0.085 per minute versus Dasha's flat $0.08 per minute, a negligible difference that is offset by Retell's richer feature set, including native outbound campaigns, warm transfer, a built-in knowledge base, a no-code builder, DTMF/IVR, SIP trunking, GDPR tooling, SOC2 Type II, BYO-LLM, and BYO-voice. Dasha confirms almost none of these features. The concurrency gap alone decisively favors Retell for any team operating beyond hobbyist scale.

Dasha cost: ≈ $0.08 per minute all-in (est.), verified Jul 15, 2026.

| Monthly volume | All-in monthly bill |
| --- | --- |
| 1K min/mo | $80 |
| 10K min/mo | $800 |
| 100K min/mo | $8,000 |
[Full Dasha vs Retell AI comparison](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/dasha-vs-retell/) · [Dasha review](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/dasha/)

### 2. LiveKit Agents

Among the 23 voice ai tools we track, LiveKit Agents has the 3rd-cheapest per-minute rate - a fit for cost-sensitive, high-volume work.
Our use-case verdicts have LiveKit Agents ahead of Retell AI for custom pipeline control and healthcare compliance.
Seen from the other side, Retell AI vs LiveKit Agents: ~600% pricier, ~4× the base concurrency.
LiveKit Agents lists $0.01 per minute, verified July 2026.

**Why teams switch (Custom pipeline control):** For engineering teams needing custom pipeline control, LiveKit Agents is API-first and passes through LLM and TTS costs at cost, giving engineers direct control over every component without markup or abstraction layers. Retell AI marks up LLM and TTS costs rather than passing them through, limiting transparency and control. LiveKit Agents has no no-code builder, reinforcing its code-first, engineer-oriented design. The real production cost floor is lower for LiveKit at 0.0435 USD/min versus 0.085 USD/min for Retell, meaning custom pipelines stay cheaper at scale. [Custom pipeline control verdict](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/livekit-agents-vs-retell/)

**Overall verdict:** These tools serve different teams. LiveKit Agents wins for engineering-led teams: the base price is $0.01/min versus $0.07/min, real costs run $0.0435-0.3135 versus $0.085-0.415 per minute, and LLM/TTS costs pass through at cost rather than being marked up. Retell AI wins for non-technical or ops-led teams: it offers a no-code agent builder, native outbound campaigns, a simulation and testing suite, partial white-label support, and 20 concurrent calls on the base plan versus only 5 for LiveKit. Each tool clearly fits a different buyer profile.

LiveKit Agents cost: ≈ $0.18 per minute all-in (est.), verified Jul 15, 2026.

| Monthly volume | All-in monthly bill |
| --- | --- |
| 1K min/mo | $179 |
| 10K min/mo | $1,785 |
| 100K min/mo | $17,850 |
[Full LiveKit Agents vs Retell AI comparison](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/livekit-agents-vs-retell/) · [LiveKit Agents review](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/livekit-agents/)

### 3. Millis AI

Among the 31 voice ai tools we track, Millis AI has the 1st-widest language coverage and the 6th-cheapest per-minute rate - a fit for multilingual and localization projects and cost-sensitive, high-volume work.
Head-to-head, Millis AI takes smb receptionist and booking from Retell AI.
Before switching, weigh what stays behind - Retell AI vs Millis AI: ~250% pricier.
Its published rate is $0.02 per minute, verified July 2026.

**Why teams switch (SMB receptionist and booking):** For an SMB watching costs, Millis AI's base price of $0.02/min versus Retell AI's $0.07/min is a 3.5x difference, directly reducing the per-call cost of a receptionist workload. Both tools offer a no-code builder, self-serve signup, outbound campaigns, SIP trunking, and number provisioning, so feature parity is high. Millis AI's real production cost starts at $0.06/min versus Retell's $0.085/min, reinforcing that cost advantage. Retell has SOC 2 and GDPR tooling, which matter less to a typical SMB receptionist than pricing does. Millis holds the edge on affordability for high-volume booking and after-hours coverage. [SMB receptionist and booking verdict](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/millis-vs-retell/)

**Overall verdict:** Retell AI suits compliance-focused or larger teams: it offers SOC 2 Type II, GDPR tooling, a HIPAA BAA option, a built-in knowledge base, a testing suite, warm transfer, and a tighter real-cost ceiling of 0.085 to 0.415 USD/min. Millis AI suits cost-sensitive or bootstrapped teams: its base price of $0.02/min compares favorably to Retell's $0.07/min, and its 600 ms latency makes it lean and fast for high-volume use without enterprise compliance needs. Neither platform dominates across all dimensions, so the right choice depends entirely on budget versus compliance priorities.

Millis AI cost: ≈ $0.36 per minute all-in (est.), verified Jul 15, 2026.

| Monthly volume | All-in monthly bill |
| --- | --- |
| 1K min/mo | $360 |
| 10K min/mo | $3,600 |
| 100K min/mo | $36,000 |
[Full Millis AI vs Retell AI comparison](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/millis-vs-retell/) · [Millis AI review](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/millis/)

### 4. Phonely

Among the 23 voice ai tools we track, Phonely has the 7th-cheapest per-minute rate and the 10th-widest language coverage - a fit for cost-sensitive, high-volume work and multilingual and localization projects.
Our use-case verdicts have Phonely ahead of Retell AI for smb receptionist and booking and matches it for ecommerce support and orders and healthcare compliance.
Seen from the other side, Retell AI vs Phonely: ~40% pricier, adds bring-your-own llm.
Phonely lists $0.05 per minute, verified July 2026.

**Why teams switch (SMB receptionist and booking):** For an SMB receptionist and booking use case, cost and ease of entry matter most. Phonely's base price is $0.05/min versus Retell AI's $0.07/min, and its telephony add-on is $0.02/min versus $0.01/min, putting total base per-minute costs at roughly $0.07 for Phonely versus $0.08 for Retell AI. Phonely also offers 100 free minutes plus a free phone number on signup, which is more tangible for an SMB trialing the product than Retell AI's $10 credit. Both share a no-code builder, warm transfer, knowledge base, and self-serve signup, so feature parity is high, but Phonely's lower entry cost and more SMB-friendly free tier tip the balance. [SMB receptionist and booking verdict](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/phonely-vs-retell/)
[Full Phonely vs Retell AI comparison](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/phonely-vs-retell/) · [Phonely review](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/phonely/)

### 5. Ringly.io

Among the 31 voice ai tools we track, Ringly.io has the 12th-widest language coverage.
Head-to-head, Ringly.io takes ecommerce support and orders from Retell AI.
Before switching, weigh what stays behind - Retell AI vs Ringly.io: ~20× the base concurrency, ~75% cheaper, adds bring-your-own llm.
Its published rate is $0.29 per minute, verified July 2026.

**Why teams switch (Ecommerce support and orders):** For ecommerce support and order flows, Ringly.io integrates natively with Shopify and Gorgias, which are core ecommerce platforms, while Retell AI integrates with GHL, HubSpot, Make, and Twilio but lacks native ecommerce platform connectors. Ringly.io also supports 40 languages, useful for global ecommerce. However, Ringly.io carries a $349/mo platform fee versus Retell AI's $0/mo, and Ringly.io lacks outbound campaigns and DTMF/IVR support. The native Shopify and Gorgias integrations give Ringly.io a focused ecommerce edge despite the cost disadvantage. [Ecommerce support and orders verdict](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/retell-vs-ringly/)
[Full Ringly.io vs Retell AI comparison](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/retell-vs-ringly/) · [Ringly.io review](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/ringly/)

### 6. Thoughtly

Among the 13 voice ai tools we track, Thoughtly has the 6th-highest included concurrency.
Head-to-head, Thoughtly takes custom pipeline control and smb receptionist and booking from Retell AI and matches it for healthcare compliance.
Before switching, weigh what stays behind - Retell AI vs Thoughtly: ~2× the base concurrency.

**Why teams switch (Custom pipeline control):** For engineering teams needing custom pipeline control, API-first access is decisive. Retell AI is explicitly API-first, while Thoughtly is not. Retell AI also carries no monthly platform fee ($0/mo) versus Thoughtly's $500/mo, lowering the barrier for custom integrations and iterative development. Retell AI further supports bring-your-own LLM and bring-your-own TTS, giving engineers fine-grained control over every pipeline component. [Custom pipeline control verdict](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/retell-vs-thoughtly/)
[Full Thoughtly vs Retell AI comparison](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/retell-vs-thoughtly/) · [Thoughtly review](https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/tools/thoughtly/)

Source: https://www.versusref.com/voice-ai/alternatives/retell/