10 Best Retell AI Alternatives: Top Tools Compared

TLDR

Quick comparison of top Retell alternatives and competitors:

• Robylon: Best for support teams needing voice + omnichannel automation (tickets, chat, WhatsApp) under one platform with strong CRM integration and operational analytics.
• Vapi: API-first with sub-500ms latency, webhooks, and tool calling. Best for engineering teams building custom voice workflows.
• Synthflow: No-code platform with fixed bundled pricing. Best for fast deployment without engineering overhead.
• Bland AI: Simple $0.09/min pricing for routine phone workflows like lead qual and reminders.
• SignalWire: Bundled speech-to-text, LLM, and text-to-speech runtime at $0.16/min. Best for reducing vendor orchestration complexity.
• Deepgram: Hourly agent runtime ($4.50/hr) for teams that control telephony separately.
• ElevenLabs: Voice-quality-first at $0.10/min. Best when expressiveness affects conversions.
• Aircall: $0.99/min for teams already using business phone systems.
• PolyAI: Enterprise inbound with rich analytics and operational dashboards.
• Cognigy: Enterprise platform with governance, AWS Marketplace packaging, and procurement-ready contracts.

Choose based on: Whether you need API control vs no-code speed, pricing predictability, omnichannel vs voice-only, and enterprise compliance requirements.

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Introduction

Looking for Retell alternatives that fit your voice AI use case?

Some teams need faster deployment with no-code tools. Others want API-first control, bundled pricing, or voice that connects directly to CRM and support systems. And for enterprises, compliance, governance, and operational reporting often matter more than latency alone.

This guide covers 10 Retell alternatives across different buyer profiles- developer-first platforms, no-code builders, enterprise-grade solutions, and omnichannel support tools. Each option is evaluated on voice quality, latency, integrations, pricing transparency, handoff logic, and operational fit.

Whether you are automating inbound support, scaling outbound sales, or building custom voice workflows, you'll find a platform comparison that matches how your team actually evaluates voice AI.

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What to evaluate in an AI voice agent platform?

A strong AI voice agent platform needs to stay stable during peak traffic, take real actions mid-call, and give operations teams control without constant engineering help.

1) Voice quality and stability

• The voice should sound natural and consistent across calls.
• The agent should handle accents and background noise without breaking.

2) Low-latency voice AI and real-time voice

• Latency decides whether the call feels smooth or awkward.
• In practice, teams look for sub-second latency as a baseline for natural dialogue.

3) Barge-in / call interruption handling

• The agent should stop speaking when the caller interrupts.
• The agent should not restart the same sentence after an interruption.

4) Call flows: call routing, IVR navigation, transfers

• The platform should support predictable routing rules for sales, support, and billing.
• IVR logic should be easy to update without breaking existing flows.
• Transfers should not drop context or restart the call.

5) Warm transfer/handoff to a human agent

• A warm transfer should pass context, not just connect the call.
• The human agent should receive a summary, intent, and any collected fields.

6) Memory: persistent memory (conversation memory) for repeat callers

• The agent should recognize repeat callers when appropriate.
• It should remember context safely without mixing users or leaking information.

7) Integrations: CRM integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot) + helpdesk + data tools

• The platform should write data back into systems of record, not just read from them.
• It should support real workflows like creating contacts in HubSpot, logging calls and notes in Salesforce, creating or updating helpdesk tickets, and sending events to analytics tools

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Top 10 Retell Alternatives for Voice AI

1) Robylon (Best value for support teams)

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Robylon is a conversational AI platform built to automate customer support across multiple channels, including voice, WhatsApp, chat, and email/ticketing systems. It is positioned around high automation rates, faster resolution, and ROI for support operations.

Best Use Case

Best for teams that want voice plus omnichannel support automation rather than a voice-only tool. Strong fit when voice calls need to connect to tickets, user context, and support operations in unified workflows.

Key Features

• Omnichannel automation: conversations from call, web, chat, WhatsApp, and social channels can be managed in a single inbox, with context preserved across channels so customers do not repeat themselves.
• Positions 40+ language support for global and regional use cases (example: English, Hindi, Spanish, French, German).
• It lists 40+ app integrations across help desks, CRMs, ecommerce, and data tools, including WhatsApp, Gmail, Zendesk, Freshworks/Freshdesk, Intercom, HubSpot, Salesforce, Shopify, and Google Sheets.
• Robylon offers dashboards for call volume and other operational metrics, plus filters to review conversations by channel, tag, sentiment, and more.

Pricing: Robylon offers self-serve plans (including $39/mo and $199/mo tiers) with an enterprise option

Industry: D2C/eCommerce, fintech, travel, SaaS, gaming, logistics, and support-heavy businesses that want a unified automation layer.

Limitations: If you only need a bare voice runtime API, a broader omnichannel platform may feel heavier.

Why Better than Retell?

Robylon is a stronger Retell alternative when your team needs Voice, tickets, chat, and WhatsApp under one support automation strategy. It reduces operational silos by treating calls as part of end-to-end support workflows, not standalone voice experiments.

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2) Vapi (API-first)

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Vapi is a developer-first AI voice agent platform built around tool calling, webhooks, and programmable call workflows. It emphasizes ultra-low latency and scaling for high call volumes, with testing and optimization features like A/B experiments. 

Best Use Case

Best for product teams building custom inbound and outbound calling with tight backend control. Strong fit when you need webhooks + tool actions to connect calls to internal systems. 

Key Features

• Webhooks and event handling for orchestration and integrations
• Sub-500ms latency positioning for real-time conversations

Pricing: Vapi applies a $0.05 per minute platform fee (with underlying model/telephony costs separate). 

Industry: SaaS, logistics, fintech, and any team building custom voice automation.

Limitations: Pricing predictability depends on external STT, TTS, LLM, and telephony choices, increasing cost management complexity.

Why Better than Retell?

Vapi is stronger when you want API-first control and a clean “tools & webhooks” integration pattern. It also markets latency and large-scale infrastructure more explicitly for production deployments. 

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3) Synthflow (No-code)

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Synthflow positions itself as an all-in-one AI voice platform designed for business teams, not just engineers. It bundles common needs like CRM integration, transcription, and SMS into fixed plans.

Best Use Case

For teams that want to ship fast using a no-code/low-code workflow approach.

Key Features

• Fixed plans with bundled CRM integration, transcription, and SMS.
• Agency plan designed for higher volume and multi-department usage.
• Integrations called out for HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zapier.

Pricing: Starter $29/mo (50 mins); Pro $375/mo (2,000 mins); Growth $750/mo (4,000 mins); Agency $1,250/mo (6,000 mins).

Industry: Healthcare clinics, local services, BPOs, and sales/support teams that want a predictable rollout.

Limitations: If you need deep custom infrastructure control, the packaged approach can feel less flexible than API-first stacks.

Why Better than Retell?

Synthflow is stronger for predictable pricing and faster launches without building every integration from scratch. It also fits agency/BPO operations better with plans designed for high-volume, multi-team usage.

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4) Bland AI

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Bland AI offers AI phone agents aimed at automating voice conversations for business workflows. Its billing model is simple to understand at the top layer: a per-minute rate with add-ons like phone numbers. 

Best Use Case

Launching voice agents quickly without building a full custom stack. Useful for outbound campaigns, basic intake, and structured call flows. 

Key Features

• Optional phone numbers and telephony-related add-ons. 
• Designed for phone-agent style automation for routine calls. 
• Supports business workflows where calls follow repeatable patterns. 

Pricing: Bland AI lists $0.09/minute for calls (plus optional add-ons like phone numbers). 

Industry: Lead qualification, scheduling, reminders, collections, and other repeatable phone workflows.

Limitations: Complex, multi-system workflows can require extra engineering effort and careful testing to avoid brittle call behavior.

Why Better than Retell?

Bland can be a better pick when you want a straightforward per-minute rate and faster initial deployment. It is often chosen for scaling routine phone workflows without assembling multiple vendors first. 

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5) SignalWire

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SignalWire offers an AI Agent API focused on building and deploying voice agents with media and telecom control. Its pricing page explicitly includes orchestration features like barge-in, memory, and tool calls in the runtime. 

Best Use Case

Teams that want a single runtime for speech-to-text (STT), LLM, and text-to-speech (TTS) without stitching separate vendors. 

Key Features

• AI orchestration with barge-in, memory, and tool calls
• Real-time API triggers and media control
• Built-in agent memory and retrieval (RAG-style grounding) 

Pricing: SignalWire AI Agent Runtime: $0.16/min

Industry: Voice-heavy products, telecom workflows, and engineering teams building production-grade voice automation.

Limitations: Teams wanting a purely no-code builder may find the API-centric approach slower for daily iteration.

Why Better than Retell?

SignalWire is stronger for teams prioritizing bundled runtime economics and reducing multi-vendor orchestration overhead.

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6) Deepgram

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Deepgram provides a Voice Agent API aimed at building real-time conversational voice experiences. It positions the product as a way to deploy voice agents without assembling every piece from scratch. 

Best Use Case

Engineering teams that want a voice API and plan to integrate telephony separately. Useful for companies that already have a calling stack and need an agent layer on top. 

Key Features

• Pricing is published as an hourly runtime rate
• Built for integration into existing apps and infrastructure 
• Developer-friendly approach for custom workflows

Pricing: Offers a pay-as-you-go plan up to $4.50/hour and Custom Pricing with an enterprise plan.

Industry: Product-led companies building embedded voice experiences inside apps and platforms.

Limitations: You still need a telephony layer and workflow plumbing to reach production-grade inbound and outbound calling.

Why Better than Retell?

Deepgram can be better when you want a clean hourly agent runtime and already control telephony separately. It fits teams that prefer building their own orchestration patterns over adopting a single vendor’s opinionated flow model. 

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7) ElevenLabs

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ElevenLabs offers Conversational AI focused on natural voice experiences, building on its speech and voice generation stack. It is commonly evaluated when voice quality and expressiveness matter as much as automation logic. 

Best Use Case

Prioritizing voice quality and rapid experimentation with lifelike speech. Useful for inbound experiences where the “sound” of the agent affects conversions or trust. 

Key Features

• Billing behavior includes details like treatment of silence/latency windows
• Built on a voice-first stack known for high-quality speech

Pricing: ElevenLabs positions Conversational AI as starting at $0.10 per minute (per launch info)

Industry: Sales, hospitality, support, and brands where voice experience quality impacts outcomes.

Limitations: For full call center automation, you may still need separate telephony, routing, and operational controls.

Why Better than Retell?

ElevenLabs can be a stronger option when your top constraint is voice quality and expressiveness. It also gives teams pricing and billing details targeted at voice experiences, which helps model cost per minute. 

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8) Aircall

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Aircall offers an AI Voice Agent positioned for handling customer calls inside a business phone/contact workflow. It is built for teams that already run calling operations and want automation without rebuilding everything.

Best Use Case

Best for support teams needing call handling with a familiar phone system workflow. A good fit when you want voice automation tied to day-to-day call operations.

Key Features

• Built around inbound call handling as a primary use
• Designed for operational adoption inside an existing calling platform
• Supports call workflows where routing and resolution need consistency

Pricing: Aircall lists AI Voice Agent pricing starting at $0.99 per minute.

Industry: Support and sales teams are already operating with modern business phone workflows.

Limitations: If you need a deeply customizable API-first agent runtime, a packaged agent may feel constrained.

Why Better than Retell?

Aircall can provide a clear starting per-minute price aimed at budget predictability for support leaders.

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9) PolyAI (Enterprise inbound)

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PolyAI builds lifelike voice AI agents focused on customer experience across voice and other channels. It highlights operational data and analytics to improve call handling and experience consistency. 

Best Use Case

Enterprises that want inbound automation with strong operational visibility and improvement loops. 

Key Features

• “Rich data” approach that analyzes calls and surfaces actionable insights
• Live dashboard-style access to conversational data for spotting trends
• Enterprise-grade positioning for consistent customer experiences

Pricing: PolyAI states ongoing usage is priced per minute. 

Industry: Retail, travel, banking, insurance, telecom, and other high-volume contact center environments.

Limitations: Public rate cards are not listed, so budgeting usually requires a sales process and scoped deployment assumptions.

Why Better than Retell?

PolyAI can outperform Retell when you need enterprise inbound support with continuous optimization and analytics depth. It is built for a contact-center scale where operational reporting and governance are non-negotiable. 

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10) Cognigy (Enterprise + governance)

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Cognigy AI is an enterprise contact center AI platform used to build conversational IVR, self-service, and agent assist. It is positioned for large deployments and integrations across voice and chat channels. 

Best Use Case

Best for enterprises that need governance, vendor procurement fit, and long-term scale.
Strong when security, deployment options, and integration breadth matter more than quick prototyping.

Key Features

• A broad integration ecosystem listed across major CX and CRM tools
• Available via AWS Marketplace with defined contract SKUs
• Enterprise-grade platform positioning for high-scale deployments

Pricing: AWS Marketplace lists a 12-month Basic 5K pm package at $43,080/year (and other enterprise SKUs). 

Industry: Finance, healthcare, telecom, travel, and other regulated or high-volume enterprises.

Limitations: Implementation and procurement cycles are typically heavier than self-serve tools, slowing time-to-first-live deployment.

Why Better than Retell?

Cognigy is stronger when you need enterprise procurement-ready packaging and broad integration coverage. It is a better fit for organizations standardizing voice and chat automation under one governed platform. 

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Retell Alternatives: Quick Comparison Guide

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Retell vs Robylon at a glance

Both tools help teams run AI voice agents. The difference is in where each platform focuses.

• Retell is built around voice-first calling. It lets teams configure the voice stack, telephony, and model choices.
• Robylon is an AI agent platform for customer support and sales that also connects voice to the rest of the support stack. It highlights real-time CRM updates, handoff, and voice performance analytics. 

Here’s the key difference

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Conclusion

Choosing the right Retell alternative depends on your deployment model, technical requirements, and operational priorities.

If you are an engineering-led team building custom workflows, Vapi and SignalWire offer API-first control with clean integration patterns. If you need to ship fast without code, Synthflow and Bland AI provide no-code builders with predictable pricing.

For teams where voice is part of a broader support or sales strategy, not an isolated experiment, Robylon stands out among Retell alternatives by connecting voice to tickets, WhatsApp, chat, CRM updates, and operational dashboards.

Enterprise buyers prioritizing compliance, governance, and vendor procurement should evaluate Cognigy and PolyAI, which are built for regulated industries and contact center scale.

The best Retell alternative is not the one with the lowest latency or the cheapest per-minute rate. It's the one that matches how your team works, how you measure success, and what systems your voice agents need to integrate with.

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