Compare · Prices checked October 20, 2026
Retell AI vs Vapi (2026)
Published starting prices: Retell AI, $0.07/min (Pay as you go, from). Vapi, $0.05/min (Hosting fee, plus providers). Side-by-side public pricing, what each does, real use cases and who each suits, all from our listings with sources. We haven't tested either hands-on.
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Voice platform
Retell AI
Pay-as-you-go platform for building voice agents. Cheapest per minute, but you (or an agency) build the receptionist yourself.
≈ $115/mo at 300 calls
Ranked in 1 industry$0.07/min
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Voice platform
Vapi
Developer platform: $0.05/min hosting plus pass-through model, speech and voice costs. Very flexible, very DIY.
≈ $74-116/mo at 300 calls
Pay per use$0.05/min
Quick answer
- Cheaper: Advertised entry prices: Retell AI $0.07/min, Vapi $0.05/min. At about 300 calls a month, our estimate of the real bill is ≈ $115/mo + build time for Retell AI and ≈ $74-116/mo + telephony + build time for Vapi, so Vapi is cheaper at that volume. Your bill depends on your call volume and call length; the math is on each product page. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Free plans: Retell AI: no $0 plan on its pricing page (checked October 20, 2026); free trial or free start: Free sign-up; pay for usage. Vapi: no $0 plan on its pricing page (checked October 20, 2026); free trial or free start: $5 free credits.
Pricing side by side
| Item |  Retell AI |  Vapi |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $0.07/min (Pay as you go, from) | $0.05/min (Hosting fee, plus providers) |
| Pricing model | Pay per use | Pay per use |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Real bill at 300 calls/mo (our estimate) | ≈ $115/mo + build time | ≈ $74-116/mo + telephony + build time |
| Free trial | Free sign-up; pay for usage | $5 free credits |
| Plans |
|
|
| Pricing note | Default calculator: voice infra $0.055 + LLM ~$0.04 + TTS $0.015 per min, plus telephony $0.015/min and $2/mo per number. | Transcriber ~$0.0095-0.0099, LLM ~$0.0077-0.0452, voice ~$0.0146-0.0238 per min. Telephony billed by your provider. HIPAA is an add-on. |
| Checked | October 20, 2026 | October 20, 2026 |
| Source | Vendor pricing page | Vendor pricing page |
Copied from each vendor's public pricing page on the date shown. "not published" means the vendor doesn't publish it; we don't guess. Prices change; confirm with the vendor.
Features and details from our listings
| Item | Retell AI | Vapi |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Pay-as-you-go platform for building voice agents. Cheapest per minute, but you (or an agency) build the receptionist yourself. | Developer platform: $0.05/min hosting plus pass-through model, speech and voice costs. Very flexible, very DIY. |
| Type | Developer voice AI platform (build your own) | Developer voice AI platform (build your own) |
| Listed under | AI receptionists, Voice & phone agents | AI receptionists, Voice & phone agents |
| 24/7 answering | yes | yes |
| Appointment booking | Yes, if you build it | If you build it |
| Integrations | Webhooks, API, Twilio/Telnyx/SIP | API, SIP, Twilio |
| Bilingual | Yes (model dependent) | Model dependent |
| Call transfer | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA | HIPAA/BAA listed in plan comparison (confirm which plan) | HIPAA add-on with BAA |
| Setup fee | None (but you build it) | None (but you build it) |
| Verified public use cases | 1 | 0 |
Use cases
Retell AI
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Use caseVoice
A freelance automation builder made a Retell AI voice agent for a residential estate agency that answers after-hours calls and shares property details from the agency's listings.
Oct 2025Contra
Where our industry rankings place it: Medical Practices #4.
Vapi
We haven't found a verified public use case for Vapi yet.
Use cases are summarised in our own words from the linked public post; vendor case studies are labelled. All use cases.
Who each is best for
- Pay per use
Retell AI is best for
- Ranked for: Medical Practices. In medical practices: For practices with an IT partner: lowest running cost and a HIPAA/BAA path, but you must build it.
- Type: Developer voice AI platform (build your own). Real bill at 300 calls: ≈ $115/mo + build time.
- Strengths: Lowest running cost; Huge positive review base; HIPAA path.
- Watch out: Not a finished product: needs building and upkeep; Costs vary with model choice.
- Pay per use
Vapi is best for
- Type: Developer voice AI platform (build your own). Real bill at 300 calls: ≈ $74-116/mo + telephony + build time.
- Strengths: Lowest raw cost; Pick any model/voice.
- Watch out: Developer-only; Weak Trustpilot reviews; Telephony billed separately.
From our listing data (jobs, public pricing, industry rankings, pros and cons); not a hands-on test. Full details: Retell AI · Vapi.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Retell AI or Vapi?
Advertised entry prices: Retell AI $0.07/min, Vapi $0.05/min. At about 300 calls a month, our estimate of the real bill is ≈ $115/mo + build time for Retell AI and ≈ $74-116/mo + telephony + build time for Vapi, so Vapi is cheaper at that volume. Your bill depends on your call volume and call length; the math is on each product page. Checked October 20, 2026.
Is Retell AI free? Is Vapi free?
Retell AI: no $0 plan on its pricing page (checked October 20, 2026); free trial or free start: Free sign-up; pay for usage. Vapi: no $0 plan on its pricing page (checked October 20, 2026); free trial or free start: $5 free credits.
How much does Retell AI cost?
Retell AI lists Pay as you go: $0.07-$0.31/min (Full platform, 20 concurrent calls, 10 knowledge bases); Enterprise: Contact sales (Custom BAA/MSA, SSO, dedicated support). Our estimate of the real bill at about 300 calls a month: ≈ $115/mo + build time. Checked October 20, 2026 on the vendor's pricing page.
How much does Vapi cost?
Vapi lists Usage only: $0.05/min hosting + providers at cost ($5 credit, 1 number, 4 concurrent); Pro package: $999/mo minimum (30 concurrent, Slack support, SLA). Our estimate of the real bill at about 300 calls a month: ≈ $74-116/mo + telephony + build time. Checked October 20, 2026 on the vendor's pricing page.
Did AITeamGuide test them?
Not hands-on. This comparison is built from each vendor's public pricing page (with the date we checked it), published product information and credited public use cases.
Can a vendor pay to win this comparison?
No. Nothing here is paid. Paid placements on AITeamGuide are always labelled "Sponsored" or "Featured" and never change a comparison or ranking.
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Work at Retell AI or Vapi? Vendors can claim their listing for free or feature it with a label that says "Sponsored"; paid status never changes the order on this page. Building a different agent? List it here.
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