Retell AI Alternatives

7 Retell AI Alternatives in 2026, Compared

Looking for a Retell AI alternative? This page compares seven Retell AI alternatives, VoiceOI included, on pricing model, VICIdial and SIP support, live transfer, answering machine detection, no-code building, languages and inbound calls, using each vendor's own published pages.

Disclosure: this page is published by VoiceOI, one of the tools listed. Vendor details come from each vendor's own site and were last reviewed in October 2026; check their sites for current plans.

Why Teams Look for a Retell AI Alternative

Per-minute totals vary: Retell lists voice agents at $0.07-$0.31 per minute depending on the LLM and features, so forecasting a monthly bill means modeling your LLM choice and call length.
The per-minute figure is a sum of voice infrastructure, text-to-speech and LLM choices, so it ranges from $0.07 to $0.31; add-ons such as advanced denoising and safety guardrails are +$0.005/min each, and US telephony via Twilio is listed at $0.015/min.
Concurrency is priced: 20 concurrent calls are included, and extra concurrency is $8 per concurrency per month.
Different fit: Retell lists receptionists, appointment setters, lead qualification and customer service as use cases. Teams that only run outbound lead qualification and live transfer may prefer a tool built for that, which is what VoiceOI focuses on.

Source: Retell AI pricing page, reviewed October 2026.

Retell AI Alternatives Compared

Tool	Best for	Pricing model	VICIdial / SIP	Live transfer	Answering machine detection	No-code builder	Languages	Inbound calls
Retell AI (the tool you are replacing)	Phone automation from receptionists to outbound campaigns (its use cases)	Pay as you go: $0.07-$0.31 per minute for voice agents, depending on LLM, voice and add-ons chosen; US telephony from $0.015/min via Twilio, no charge for SIP trunking or custom telephony	SIP trunking stated; VICIdial not stated	Human takeover of a live call stated	Not stated	Drag-and-drop canvas stated	Multiple languages (list not stated)	Yes, inbound and outbound batch calls
VoiceOI (our product)	Outbound call floors, especially VICIdial shops	Prepaid per bot: $25-$155 per bot per month, no per-minute AI fee	VICIdial remote agents; any SIP carrier	Live transfer: the bot hands the live call to your human closer over SIP, with AI-written call notes (fronter and closer bots)	Detects machines, ends the call and logs it as AM	Yes, no-code script builder	English-first	No, built for outbound
Bland AI	Enterprise phone agents in regulated industries (its description)	Per minute: $0.14 (Start), $0.12 plus $299/month (Build), custom Enterprise	SIP and bring-your-own Twilio listed; VICIdial not stated	Warm transfer listed; $0.05 or $0.04 per transfer minute unless you bring your own telephony	Not stated	Conversational Pathways listed; builder assistant "Norm"	40+ languages	Yes, inbound and outbound
Vapi	Developers building voice agents (its "for builders" positioning)	$0.05/min hosting fee plus speech, LLM and voice providers billed separately; optional $29/month Core	Vapi telephony/SIP listed; VICIdial not stated	Not stated	Not stated	Not stated	Not stated	Twilio inbound and outbound rates, plus Vonage and Telnyx rates, listed
Synthflow	Enterprises that want a managed rollout (its description)	Enterprise contracts start at $30,000 a year	SIP trunking stated; VICIdial not stated	Human handoff stated	Voicemail detection stated "out of the box"	Visual Flow Designer	English and Spanish in its case studies; full list not stated	Yes, inbound and outbound
Telnyx Voice AI	Developers who want AI and carrier on one invoice	$0.05/min voice engine; LLM per token billed on top; carrier cost from $0.0032/min inbound, outbound SIP trunking from $0.005/min	SIP trunking rates listed; VICIdial not stated	Call transfer listed as a built-in tool on its product page	Not stated	AI Assistant Builder, a no-code interface, stated on its product page	80+ languages	Outbound stated; inbound agents not stated
ElevenLabs Agents	Teams that want a wide voice and language library	$0.08/min standard rate on plans from $0 to $990/month; LLM extra; telephony billed by external providers directly	Telephony mentioned; SIP and VICIdial not stated	Not stated	Not stated	"No engineering required" to configure agents	70+ languages	Inbound support and outbound at scale
Thoughtly	Teams responding to leads across voice and SMS	Flex plan from $500/month; voice, SMS, email and workflows included in every plan with no per-channel fees; per-minute rates not stated	Not stated	Team steps in with full CRM context stated	Not stated	Not stated	34+ languages with voice cloning	Inbound and outbound stated

1. VoiceOI(our product)

Best for: outbound qualification floors that want a flat per-bot price instead of per-minute AI billing

If your Retell AI use case is outbound lead qualification, VoiceOI is built for that one job. AI fronter bots call a lead list, ask a short script and pass qualified calls to a human closer, either inside VICIdial as remote agents or through the built-in dialer for bot campaigns. It does not cover the inbound receptionist use case.

Strengths

Bots appear in VICIdial as remote agents, can be provisioned in bulk, and write outcomes back to VICIdial.
Live transfer: the bot hands the live call to your human closer over SIP, with AI-written call notes.
No-code script builder for recorded-voice bots and LLM-driven AI agents, plus a simulator, call recordings and transcripts.
Any SIP carrier works, including Twilio and Telnyx SIP trunks, added by pasting a carrier config block.
Answering machine detection ends the call and logs it as AM; spoken do-not-call phrases end the call; an optional TCPA AI-voice disclosure is available.
Measured turns of about a second in testing.

Limits

Outbound only: no inbound receptionist or general inbound IVR.
English-first; conversations in other languages are not offered.
No native CRM integrations yet (coming soon). Google Sheets export is available on the Pro LG tiers.
No free plan.
Does not leave voicemail messages: the call ends when a machine is detected.
Lead-gen (LG) tiers do not include live transfers; fronter and closer bots do.

Pricing: Prepaid per bot, one concurrent call slot each: $25-$155 per bot per month by bot type and connection (fronter bots from $25, lead-gen bots from $50, closer bots from $100), volume discounts up to 60%, and no per-minute AI fee. Your carrier bills carrier minutes.

Source: VoiceOI pricing page, reviewed October 2026.

2. Bland AI

Best for: regulated-industry teams that want per-minute plans with a self-serve start

Bland AI is the closest per-minute counterpart to Retell AI in this list. It calls itself an "Enterprise Voice AI Platform for Phone Agents", lists inbound and outbound agents, 40+ languages and warm transfer, and publishes two self-serve plans plus a custom Enterprise tier. Feature details per https://www.bland.ai/.

Strengths

Its pricing page says LLM, speech-to-text and text-to-speech are included in the per-minute rate, with no token charges.
Start has a $0 platform fee and no card required, so you can begin without a contract.
You can bring your own Twilio account or SIP trunk; its page says bring-your-own-telephony customers do not pay transfer fees.
Its homepage lists SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA BAA and PCI DSS v4.0.

Limits

Billed per minute ($0.14 on Start, $0.12 plus a $299/month platform fee on Build), so cost rises with talk time.
Start allows 100 calls a day and 10 concurrent calls; Build allows 2,000 calls a day and 50 concurrent calls.
Transfers are metered at $0.05 (Start) or $0.04 (Build) per transfer minute unless you bring your own telephony.
Check their site for answering machine detection and VICIdial support.

Pricing: Start: $0.14/min, $0 platform fee. Build: $0.12/min plus $299/month. Enterprise: custom, contracted to your volume.

Source: Bland AI pricing page, reviewed October 2026.

3. Vapi

Best for: developers who want every part of the call as a separate line item

Vapi's homepage ("Build, deploy, and improve voice agents") targets builders, and its pricing page splits a call into hosting, transcription, LLM and voice. It shows 30+ integration logos and an API-native design. Feature details per https://vapi.ai/.

Strengths

Itemized pricing: you see the hosting fee, speech, LLM and voice costs separately.
Its pricing page lists Vapi telephony/SIP and WebSockets as free, with Twilio, Vonage and Telnyx rates shown.
Starts with 4 concurrent calls and $5 in free credits; Core is $29/month for 10 concurrent calls.
Testing and simulation are included.

Limits

The $0.05/min hosting fee is only one part of the bill; speech, LLM and voice are billed separately, so the all-in rate depends on your provider choices.
Pro has a $999/month minimum for 30 concurrent calls.
Check their site for a no-code builder, transfer, answering machine detection and VICIdial support.

Pricing: $0.05/min hosting fee plus provider costs billed separately. Example ranges on its page: transcription $0.0095-$0.0099/min, LLM $0.0077-$0.0452/min, voice $0.0146-$0.0238/min. Optional Core $29/month; Pro $999/month minimum.

Source: Vapi pricing page, reviewed October 2026.

4. Synthflow

Best for: enterprises that want a vendor-managed launch instead of self-serve setup

Synthflow sells an enterprise package rather than a self-serve plan: its pricing page lists a single Enterprise plan from $30,000 a year with implementation and launch support. Its homepage lists inbound and outbound automation, a Visual Flow Designer, voicemail detection, human handoff and SIP integration. Feature details per https://synthflow.ai/.

Strengths

Implementation, onboarding, testing, training and launch support are part of its enterprise package.
Its pricing page lists CRM, calendar, contact-center, webhook and API integrations.
Telephony options include its native telephony, SIP trunking or approved enterprise telephony.

Limits

Its pricing page lists a single Enterprise plan with contracts starting at $30,000 a year, scoped on volume, concurrency, telephony, integrations, security and launch support.
Check their site for VICIdial support and language coverage beyond the English and Spanish in its case studies.

Pricing: Enterprise contracts start at $30,000 annually; final pricing is scoped to your volume and setup.

Source: Synthflow pricing page, reviewed October 2026.

5. Telnyx Voice AI Agents

Best for: teams that would rather pay one carrier for both the AI engine and the phone lines

Telnyx runs its own carrier network, and its Voice AI Agents product page lists a $0.05/min rate for orchestration, speech-to-text and text-to-speech, plus 80+ languages, 1,400+ voices, call transfer as a built-in tool and an AI Assistant Builder, a no-code interface. Feature details per https://telnyx.com/products/voice-ai-agents.

Strengths

One Telnyx invoice covers the AI engine and the telephony.
Its pricing page lists 500 concurrent calls on pay-as-you-go.
SIP trunking rates are published (from $0.005/min outbound).
Telnyx also works as a SIP carrier for VoiceOI bots.

Limits

The $0.05/min engine rate excludes the LLM (billed per token) and telephony (carrier cost from $0.0032/min inbound; outbound SIP trunking from $0.005/min).
Check their site for answering machine detection and VICIdial support.

Pricing: $0.05 per minute for orchestration, speech-to-text and text-to-speech; LLM billed per token; telephony add-on with carrier cost from $0.0032/min inbound and outbound SIP trunking from $0.005/min.

Source: Telnyx Voice AI Agents pricing page, reviewed October 2026.

6. ElevenLabs Agents

Best for: teams that put voice quality and language range first

ElevenLabs Agents are positioned as "conversational agents that feel human". Its agents page lists 70+ languages, 16,000 voices, inbound support, outbound at scale and integrations with Zapier, Salesforce, HubSpot and Twilio. Feature details per https://elevenlabs.io/agents.

Strengths

A free plan with 15 minutes and 4 concurrent calls lets you try an agent before paying.
Published plans from $6 to $990 a month, with included minutes and concurrency per plan.
Its page says agents can switch between languages mid-conversation.

Limits

Standard calls are $0.08/min (burst $0.16/min) with LLM costs billed on top by usage and model.
Its pricing page says telephony is billed by external providers directly rather than by ElevenLabs.
Check their site for call transfer, answering machine detection, SIP and VICIdial support.

Pricing: Standard call rate $0.08/min; plans: Free $0, Starter $6, Creator $22, Pro $99, Scale $299, Business $990 per month, Enterprise custom. LLM costs extra.

Source: ElevenLabs Agents pricing page, reviewed October 2026.

7. Thoughtly

Best for: teams that follow up with leads across voice, SMS and email

Thoughtly pitches agents that respond to leads in seconds, qualify them and book meetings. Its pricing page lists 34+ languages with voice cloning, inbound and outbound agents, 200+ integrations plus a REST API, and two-way CRM sync with HubSpot, Salesforce and Zoho. Feature details per https://www.thoughtly.com/.

Strengths

Voice, SMS, email and workflows are included in every plan, with no per-channel fees or per-seat charges, per its pricing page.
Two-way CRM sync and a REST API are listed on every plan.
Its homepage says every interaction is logged to your CRM, so your team has full context when they step in.
Scale and Enterprise add auto-QA and evaluations.

Limits

Per-minute rates are not stated on its pricing page; Flex starts at $500 per month, usage above plan allowances is billed in arrears, and Scale and Enterprise are tailored.
Check their site for SIP, answering machine detection, a no-code builder and VICIdial support.

Pricing: Flex starts at $500 per month; Scale and Enterprise are tailored quotes. Its pricing page says voice, SMS, email and workflows are included in every plan, with no per-channel fees. Per-minute rates are not stated.

Source: Thoughtly pricing page, reviewed October 2026.

How to Choose a Retell AI Alternative, and When Another Tool Fits Better

Worked cost example: 10 concurrent calls, each on the phone 50 hours a month, is 30,000 minutes. At Retell's $0.07 bottom rate that is $2,100; at its $0.31 top rate it is $9,300, before telephony charges and add-ons.
The same 10 concurrent calls on VoiceOI are 10 bots: $250 a month at the lowest list price ($25 per bot, a fronter bot limited to 3 questions), before volume discounts. Carrier minutes are billed by your carrier on top.
Rule of thumb: $25 a month equals about 81 minutes at Retell's $0.31 top rate and about 357 minutes at its $0.07 bottom rate. The tiers are not like for like, because a 3-question fronter does less than a general voice agent.
Running an outbound floor on VICIdial or an Asterisk-based dialer: start with VoiceOI, then read the VoiceOI vs Vapi and Retell comparison linked below.
Building a custom voice product with your own code: Vapi and Telnyx price each part of the call and are aimed at developers.
Another tool fits better if you need inbound receptionist calls, calendar booking or CRM sync: VoiceOI does not offer inbound calls or calendar booking and has no native CRM integrations yet, so look at tools whose own pages state those, such as Retell itself, Thoughtly or Synthflow.
Another tool fits better if you need many languages or a large voice library: ElevenLabs lists 70+ languages, Telnyx 80+ and Thoughtly 34+, while VoiceOI is English-first.
Another tool fits better if you need HIPAA or SOC 2 documentation: several vendors state certifications on their own pages, and VoiceOI does not claim them.
Whichever you pick, run a pilot with your own lead list before you commit, and measure answer handling, transfer rate and cost per qualified transfer.

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Retell AI Alternatives: FAQs

Which Retell AI alternative works with VICIdial?

VoiceOI is built for it: bots appear in VICIdial as remote agents, can be provisioned in bulk, and write call outcomes back to VICIdial. Retell's homepage states SIP trunking and Synthflow's states SIP integration, but VICIdial itself is not stated on the vendor pages we reviewed, so confirm with each vendor if you run VICIdial.

How much does Retell AI cost compared with VoiceOI?

Retell's pricing page (reviewed October 2026) lists pay-as-you-go voice agents at $0.07-$0.31 per minute depending on the LLM and features. That is a combined figure covering voice infrastructure, text-to-speech and LLM costs that varies with your choices. US telephony via Twilio is listed separately from $0.015/min, and its page says there is no charge for SIP trunking or custom telephony. VoiceOI is prepaid per bot, from $25 per bot per month, with no per-minute AI fee; your carrier bills carrier minutes.

Is VoiceOI a good Retell AI alternative for outbound calling?

It is if your use case is outbound lead qualification and live transfer to a human closer, especially on VICIdial. Bots call a list, qualify each lead with your script and hand the live call to your closer over SIP with AI-written notes. It is not a fit for inbound receptionist calls, calendar booking, SMS or conversations in other languages.

Which Retell AI alternative has the lowest per-minute price?

Published per-minute figures are not like for like. Telnyx lists $0.05/min for its voice engine with the LLM and telephony billed on top, Vapi lists a $0.05/min hosting fee with speech, LLM and voice billed separately, and ElevenLabs lists $0.08/min plus LLM costs. Add up every part of the call for your own volume before comparing.

Does VoiceOI handle TCPA compliance for AI calls?

Since the FCC's February 2024 ruling, AI-generated voices count as "artificial" voices under the TCPA, so telemarketing calls that use them need prior express written consent. VoiceOI provides controls: spoken do-not-call phrases end the call, an optional TCPA AI-voice disclosure, timezone windows, and recordings and transcripts. You remain responsible for compliance, and this is not legal advice.

Is this list neutral?

Not fully. VoiceOI is one of the seven tools and also the publisher, which is why it appears first and why the page opens with a disclosure. Facts about Retell AI and the other tools were taken from their own websites in October 2026, and each entry has a source link so you can check it yourself.

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VoiceOI vs Vapi and Retell Comparison Bland AI Alternatives Synthflow Alternatives Vapi Alternatives VoiceOI vs Synthflow Live Transfer for AI Calls Answering Machine Detection Voice AI Cost Comparison VICIdial Voice Bot All Comparisons

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