Vapi vs Retell: Which Voice AI Platform Saves You More in 2026?
Introduction
The voice AI market is on fire. Valued at $2.4 billion in 2024, it is projected to explode to $47.5 billion by 2034, growing at a staggering 34.8% compound annual rate. Businesses everywhere are racing to automate phone calls, qualify leads, and handle customer service at scale with AI-powered voice agents.
But here is the real question. When it comes to choosing a platform to build these agents, two names keep coming up in 2026: Vapi and Retell AI. Both are powerful, both have loyal user bases, and both promise to help you deploy production-ready voice agents. So which one actually delivers more value for your money?
In this Vapi vs Retell comparison, we break down everything, including pricing, features, ease of use, latency, compliance, and scalability, so you can make an informed decision without the marketing fluff.
1. What Is Vapi AI?
Vapi is a developer-first voice AI platform built for engineering teams that want complete control over their voice agent stack. The name literally stands for “Voice API,” and everything about the platform reflects that philosophy.
With Vapi, you choose your own speech-to-text provider (Deepgram, AssemblyAI, Whisper), your own large language model (OpenAI GPT-4, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini), and your own text-to-speech engine (ElevenLabs, PlayHT, Azure). Vapi then orchestrates all of these components in real time during a live phone call.
Key Vapi features include:
- Sub-500ms infrastructure latency for real-time conversations.
- Flow Studio visual builder for basic drag-and-drop call logic.
- Squads feature for chaining multiple specialized agents in one call.
- Support for 100+ languages through configurable STT and TTS providers.
- Function calling for triggering external APIs mid-call (booking, CRM updates, SMS).
- Open-source architecture with self-hosting options.
- SOC 2 and PCI compliance, with HIPAA available on enterprise plans.
Vapi recently raised $20M in Series A funding led by Bessemer, signaling strong momentum in the developer community. It holds a 4.7/5 expert rating across major review platforms.
2. What Is Retell AI?
Retell AI positions itself as a more accessible alternative, still powerful for developers, but with a significantly lower barrier to entry. The platform offers a no-code drag-and-drop interface that lets teams build and launch AI voice agents in as little as 3 to 5 minutes.
Where Vapi says “bring your own everything,” Retell bundles more components into the platform itself. You still get flexibility to plug in your preferred LLM or telephony provider, but Retell handles more of the orchestration without requiring deep technical configuration.
Key Retell AI features include:
- No-code conversation flow builder with nodes, transitions, and reusable components.
- Sub-800ms latency with advanced barge-in support (the AI stops talking when the caller interrupts).
- Unlimited concurrent call capacity on all plans.
- Built-in knowledge base integration for multi-turn conversations.
- Branded caller ID and verified phone numbers to avoid spam flags.
- Native integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, Cal.com, Make, and n8n.
- HIPAA, SOC 2 Type 1 and 2, and GDPR compliance are included across all plans.
- 99.99% uptime guarantee.
Retell holds a 4.8/5 rating from over 780 reviews, with users frequently praising its ease of use and natural-sounding conversations.
Vapi vs Retell: Pricing Breakdown
Pricing is where the Vapi vs Retell conversation gets really interesting. Both platforms use usage-based models, but the way costs stack up in production is very different.
a. Vapi Pricing:
Vapi charges a base platform fee of $0.05 per minute. But that is just the starting point. On top of that, you pay separately for each service in the stack. A typical breakdown looks like this:
- Platform fee: ~$0.05/min
- Transcription (STT): ~$0.01/min.
- LLM processing: ~$0.02 to $0.20/min (depending on model).
- Voice generation (TTS): ~$0.04/min.
- Telephony: ~$0.01/min.
The total real-world cost typically lands between $0.13 and $0.33 per minute. Vapi also charges for phone numbers, SIP lines ($10/line/month), and compliance add-ons (HIPAA costs $1,000/month). Enterprise deployments commonly require $40,000 to $70,000 annual budgets.
b. Retell AI Pricing:
Retell charges a flat rate of $0.07+ per minute for AI voice agents with no separate platform fees. Speech-to-text is included at no extra charge. Phone numbers are $2.00/month. HIPAA and SOC 2 compliance are included on all plans without additional cost.
c. Side-by-Side Cost for 10,000 Minutes per Month:
| Cost Component | Vapi AI | Retell AI |
|---|---|---|
| Platform/Voice | $1,363 | $700 |
| Phone Numbers | $80+ | $20 |
| Compliance Add-ons | $1,000+ | $0 (included) |
| Total Monthly | ~$2,443+ | ~$720 |
| Per-Minute Rate | ~$0.14–$0.24 | ~$0.07 |
Vapi vs Retell: Feature Comparison
| Feature | Vapi AI | Retell AI |
|---|---|---|
| Target User | Developers and engineering teams | Both developers and non-technical teams |
| Setup Time | Hours to weeks (code required) | 3–5 minutes (no-code builder) |
| Latency | Sub-500ms | Sub-800ms |
| LLM Support | BYO — OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, custom | OpenAI, Claude, custom LLM support |
| Voice Providers | ElevenLabs, PlayHT, Azure, custom | ElevenLabs, OpenAI, Deepgram, custom |
| Concurrent Calls | Limited to lower tiers | Unlimited on all plans |
| Barge-In Support | Yes | Yes (advanced) |
| Knowledge Base | Via external API integration | Built-in native support |
| Branded Caller ID | Not supported | Supported |
| Compliance | SOC 2, PCI. HIPAA $1,000/mo extra | HIPAA, SOC 2, GDPR — all plans |
| Uptime SLA | 99.99% infrastructure | 99.99% platform |
| Visual Flow Builder | Flow Studio (basic) | Full drag-and-drop with reusable nodes |
| Multi-Agent Support | Squads (agent chaining) | Multi-prompt and flow agents |
| Analytics | Basic (external tools needed) | Built-in post-call analytics |
| CRM Integrations | Via API/webhooks (manual) | Native — Salesforce, HubSpot, Cal.com |
i. When Should You Choose Vapi?
Vapi is the stronger choice if your team fits this profile:
You have experienced developers who want to handpick every component of the voice stack. Your use case requires ultra-low latency below 500ms, and you are willing to manage the complexity. You need to integrate proprietary or self-hosted LLMs. You want an open-source architecture with the option to self-host. Your developers prefer working primarily through APIs and code rather than visual builders.
Vapi gives you maximum flexibility. It is the voice AI equivalent of building your own custom PC from individual parts, powerful if you know what you are doing, but time-consuming and potentially expensive if you don’t.
ii. When Should You Choose Retell AI?
Retell AI is the better fit if your priorities look like this:
You need to get AI voice agents live quickly without a large engineering team. Cost predictability matters, and you don’t want to manage 4 to 6 separate vendor relationships.
You operate in regulated industries like healthcare or finance and need compliance included out of the box. Your team includes non-technical members who need to build and modify agents. You need built-in CRM integrations, analytics, and a branded caller ID without custom development.
Retell is more like buying a pre-built, production-ready system that you can customize without needing to assemble it from scratch.
How to Implement Voice AI: 5-Step Process
Regardless of which platform you choose, here is the proven implementation framework our team at Orbilon Technologies recommends:
- Step 1 — Define Your Use Case: Identify specific call workflows to automate. Start with high-volume, repetitive calls like appointment booking, FAQ handling, or lead qualification.
- Step 2 — Choose Your Stack: Select your LLM, voice provider, and telephony based on your latency, quality, and budget requirements. Both Vapi and Retell support multiple providers.
- Step 3 — Build Your Agent: Design the conversation flow, system prompts, and fallback logic. With Retell, this can be done in the visual builder. Vapi, it requires API configuration.
- Step 4 — Test Thoroughly: Run simulated calls across different scenarios. Test interruptions, edge cases, long pauses, and multi-turn conversations before going live.
- Step 5 — Deploy and Optimize: Launch with a small batch of calls, monitor analytics, and iterate. Track metrics like average handle time, resolution rate, and customer satisfaction.
What Results Can You Expect?
Businesses deploying voice AI platforms like Vapi and Retell are reporting consistent results across industries:
- 97% of voice AI adopters report revenue growth.
- 42% improvement in average handle time.
- 20–30% reduction in operational costs.
- 80% of users save 5 or more hours per week.
- 82% see improved customer engagement.
The global voice AI market’s 34.8% annual growth rate reflects the fact that early adopters are gaining measurable competitive advantages while others are still evaluating options.
Vapi vs Retell: The Bottom Line
Both platforms are excellent, but they serve different needs. Here is the simplest way to decide:
- Choose Vapi if you have deep technical resources, want maximum customization, need sub-500ms latency, and are comfortable managing a multi-vendor stack.
- Choose Retell if you want faster deployment, transparent pricing, built-in compliance, and a platform that both developers and business teams can use.
- For most businesses looking to deploy voice AI in 2026 without hiring a dedicated engineering team, Retell offers stronger out-of-the-box value.
- For developer teams building highly customized, performance-critical applications, Vapi provides unmatched flexibility.
Need Help Building Your Voice AI Solution?
At Orbilon Technologies, we specialize in designing and developing custom voice AI solutions for businesses across industries. Whether you choose Vapi, Retell, or a hybrid approach, our team builds production-ready voice agents that deliver real ROI.
With a 4.96 rating on Clutch and a track record of delivering AI-powered solutions for global clients, we bring the technical expertise and strategic thinking to get your voice AI project from concept to production — fast.
Ready to get started?
Website: https://orbilontech.com
Email: support@orbilontech.com
Let’s discuss your project today.
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