Side by side
Compare platforms head to head
Pick the platforms you're weighing up and read them column by column. Switch between the two views: Business calls leads with the per-minute cost and the live-phone features, while Video & narration leads with the per-character rate, the cheapest plan and the size of each voice library.
Pick up to 4. We start you on the best 4 for live calls. The numbers are sourced; the 1–10 scores are an editorial preview. A “—” means the platform's page doesn't state that value, not that the feature is missing.
| Speechify | ElevenLabs | Retell AI | Ringly.io | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-in /min | $0.06–0.07 (best) | $0.08–0.25 | $0.07–0.31 | $0.19–0.35 |
| Headline /min | $0.07 | $0.08 | $0.07 | $0.29 |
| Cheapest plan | PAYG | PAYG | PAYG | $349/mo |
| Overall | 8.2 (best) | 8.1 | 7.4 | 7.3 |
| Voice quality | 8 | 10 (best) | 8 | 7 |
| Voice range | 7 | 10 (best) | 8 | 7 |
| Ease of use | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 (best) |
| Value | 9 (best) | 7 | 7 | 6 |
| HIPAA | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| SOC 2 Type II | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| GDPR | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| SIP trunking | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Warm transfer | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Batch calling | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| MCP / tools | No | Yes | No | No |
The whole field at a glance
The picker above compares four platforms at a time. These two tables list every platform we track, ranked best first for each job, so you can scan the full field before you narrow it down. Prices are sourced and dated on each platform's page; the overall score is our provisional editorial preview, out of 10, not yet from blind listening tests.
Business calls
| Platform | The total you actually pay for one minute of conversation once every piece is added up: the platform, the AI, the voice and the phone line. | Headline /min | Cheapest plan | Overall | HIPAA | SOC 2 | GDPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speechify | $0.06–0.07 | $0.07 | Pay as you go | 8.2 | No | No | No |
| ElevenLabs | $0.08–0.25 | $0.08 | Pay as you go | 8.1 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Retell AI | $0.07–0.31 | $0.07 | Pay as you go | 7.4 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ringly.io | $0.19–0.35 | $0.29 | $349/mo | 7.3 | No | No | No |
| LiveKit | $0.02–0.20 | $0.01 | $50/mo | 7 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cartesia | $0.08–0.15 | $0.06 | Pay as you go | 7 | No | No | No |
| Synthflow | Custom | n/a | Pay as you go | 6.9 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Vapi | $0.05–0.30 | $0.05 | Pay as you go | 6.9 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ServiceAgent | $0.30–0.60 | $0.45 | $39/mo | 6.8 | No | No | No |
| Trillet AI | $0.05–0.12 | $0.12 | $49/mo | 6.7 | Yes | No | Yes |
| Bland | $0.11–0.14 | $0.12 | $299/mo | 6.7 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Telnyx | $0.06–0.20 | $0.05 | Pay as you go | 6.6 | No | Yes | Yes |
| Pipecat | $0.03–0.20 | $0.01 | Pay as you go | 6.5 | Yes | No | Yes |
| CloudTalk | $0.15–0.35 | $0.15 | $19/mo | 6.5 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hermes | $0.21–0.24 | $0.21 | $149/mo | 6.5 | No | No | Yes |
| OpenAI Realtime API | $0.07–0.48 | $0.18 | Pay as you go | 6.4 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Frontdesk | $0.07–0.25 | $0.25 | $20/mo | 6 | No | Yes | No |
| PolyAI | Custom | n/a | Pay as you go | 5 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cognigy | Custom | n/a | Pay as you go | 4.7 | No | Yes | Yes |
| Sierra | Custom | n/a | Pay as you go | 4.4 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
-
- All-in /min
- $0.06–0.07
- Headline /min
- $0.07
- Cheapest plan
- Pay as you go
- Overall
- 8.2
- HIPAA
- No
- SOC 2
- No
- GDPR
- No
-
- All-in /min
- $0.08–0.25
- Headline /min
- $0.08
- Cheapest plan
- Pay as you go
- Overall
- 8.1
- HIPAA
- Yes
- SOC 2
- Yes
- GDPR
- Yes
-
- All-in /min
- $0.07–0.31
- Headline /min
- $0.07
- Cheapest plan
- Pay as you go
- Overall
- 7.4
- HIPAA
- Yes
- SOC 2
- Yes
- GDPR
- Yes
-
- All-in /min
- $0.19–0.35
- Headline /min
- $0.29
- Cheapest plan
- $349/mo
- Overall
- 7.3
- HIPAA
- No
- SOC 2
- No
- GDPR
- No
-
- All-in /min
- $0.02–0.20
- Headline /min
- $0.01
- Cheapest plan
- $50/mo
- Overall
- 7
- HIPAA
- Yes
- SOC 2
- Yes
- GDPR
- Yes
-
- All-in /min
- $0.08–0.15
- Headline /min
- $0.06
- Cheapest plan
- Pay as you go
- Overall
- 7
- HIPAA
- No
- SOC 2
- No
- GDPR
- No
-
- All-in /min
- Custom
- Headline /min
- n/a
- Cheapest plan
- Pay as you go
- Overall
- 6.9
- HIPAA
- Yes
- SOC 2
- Yes
- GDPR
- Yes
-
- All-in /min
- $0.05–0.30
- Headline /min
- $0.05
- Cheapest plan
- Pay as you go
- Overall
- 6.9
- HIPAA
- Yes
- SOC 2
- Yes
- GDPR
- Yes
-
- All-in /min
- $0.30–0.60
- Headline /min
- $0.45
- Cheapest plan
- $39/mo
- Overall
- 6.8
- HIPAA
- No
- SOC 2
- No
- GDPR
- No
-
- All-in /min
- $0.05–0.12
- Headline /min
- $0.12
- Cheapest plan
- $49/mo
- Overall
- 6.7
- HIPAA
- Yes
- SOC 2
- No
- GDPR
- Yes
-
- All-in /min
- $0.11–0.14
- Headline /min
- $0.12
- Cheapest plan
- $299/mo
- Overall
- 6.7
- HIPAA
- Yes
- SOC 2
- Yes
- GDPR
- Yes
-
- All-in /min
- $0.06–0.20
- Headline /min
- $0.05
- Cheapest plan
- Pay as you go
- Overall
- 6.6
- HIPAA
- No
- SOC 2
- Yes
- GDPR
- Yes
-
- All-in /min
- $0.03–0.20
- Headline /min
- $0.01
- Cheapest plan
- Pay as you go
- Overall
- 6.5
- HIPAA
- Yes
- SOC 2
- No
- GDPR
- Yes
-
- All-in /min
- $0.15–0.35
- Headline /min
- $0.15
- Cheapest plan
- $19/mo
- Overall
- 6.5
- HIPAA
- Yes
- SOC 2
- Yes
- GDPR
- Yes
-
- All-in /min
- $0.21–0.24
- Headline /min
- $0.21
- Cheapest plan
- $149/mo
- Overall
- 6.5
- HIPAA
- No
- SOC 2
- No
- GDPR
- Yes
-
- All-in /min
- $0.07–0.48
- Headline /min
- $0.18
- Cheapest plan
- Pay as you go
- Overall
- 6.4
- HIPAA
- Yes
- SOC 2
- Yes
- GDPR
- Yes
-
- All-in /min
- $0.07–0.25
- Headline /min
- $0.25
- Cheapest plan
- $20/mo
- Overall
- 6
- HIPAA
- No
- SOC 2
- Yes
- GDPR
- No
-
- All-in /min
- Custom
- Headline /min
- n/a
- Cheapest plan
- Pay as you go
- Overall
- 5
- HIPAA
- Yes
- SOC 2
- Yes
- GDPR
- Yes
-
- All-in /min
- Custom
- Headline /min
- n/a
- Cheapest plan
- Pay as you go
- Overall
- 4.7
- HIPAA
- No
- SOC 2
- Yes
- GDPR
- Yes
-
- All-in /min
- Custom
- Headline /min
- n/a
- Cheapest plan
- Pay as you go
- Overall
- 4.4
- HIPAA
- Yes
- SOC 2
- Yes
- GDPR
- Yes
Video & narration
| Platform | Narration is priced by how much text you turn into speech, not by call time. This is the cost per 1,000 characters, roughly a paragraph and a half. | Voices | Languages | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ElevenLabs | $0.10 | 10,000+ | 70+ | 9.3 |
| Fish Audio | $0.02 | 2,000,000+ | 83+ | 7.9 |
| Cartesia | $0.04 | 100+ | 42+ | 7.9 |
| Speechify | $0.01 | 1,500+ | 30+ | 7.8 |
| Murf AI | $0.16 | 200+ | 35+ | 7.6 |
| Hume AI | $0.15 | n/a | 11+ | 6.5 |
| Rime | $0.05 | 300+ | 7+ | 6.4 |
| Deepgram | $0.03 | 90+ | 7+ | 6 |
-
- Narration /1k chars
- $0.10
- Voices
- 10,000+
- Languages
- 70+
- Overall
- 9.3
-
- Narration /1k chars
- $0.02
- Voices
- 2,000,000+
- Languages
- 83+
- Overall
- 7.9
-
- Narration /1k chars
- $0.04
- Voices
- 100+
- Languages
- 42+
- Overall
- 7.9
-
- Narration /1k chars
- $0.01
- Voices
- 1,500+
- Languages
- 30+
- Overall
- 7.8
-
- Narration /1k chars
- $0.16
- Voices
- 200+
- Languages
- 35+
- Overall
- 7.6
-
- Narration /1k chars
- $0.15
- Voices
- n/a
- Languages
- 11+
- Overall
- 6.5
-
- Narration /1k chars
- $0.05
- Voices
- 300+
- Languages
- 7+
- Overall
- 6.4
-
- Narration /1k chars
- $0.03
- Voices
- 90+
- Languages
- 7+
- Overall
- 6
After pricing only, cheapest first? That is the price index. The tables here add our overall score plus the compliance, voices and languages columns.
In-depth comparisons
Prefer a written verdict to a table? These walk through a single decision in full, with the sourced numbers and a clear pick at the end.
- Best of Best AI voices for narration, ranked and priced The seven AI voice engines worth narrating with in 2026, ranked and priced: what each costs per 1,000 characters and what a 10-minute script really comes to.
- Alternatives Alternatives to Synthflow: 5 voice platforms worth a look Synthflow went sales-led in mid-2026 with contracts from $30,000 a year. Five alternatives you can still buy off a page, for cost, control, voice and resale.
- Head to head Bland vs Vapi: turnkey on one stack, or build it your way? Bland runs phone agents on its own low, predictable price; Vapi is the developer's build-it-yourself platform. We compare cost, control and the catch with each.
- Head to head Cartesia vs ElevenLabs: speed or the voice library? Cartesia vs ElevenLabs compared: vendor-claimed latency, narration cost per 1,000 characters, voice libraries, cloning, compliance and a per-job verdict.
- Alternatives ElevenLabs alternatives: 4 voice platforms worth switching to ElevenLabs is the default AI voice tool, but not always the right one. The four alternatives worth a look for latency, cost, video voiceover and emotion.
- Head to head Murf vs ElevenLabs: the studio or the voice engine? Murf vs ElevenLabs compared: bundled hours vs per-character credits, a worked 10-minute video cost, cloning, languages, live agents and a per-job pick.
- Head to head Retell vs Synthflow: self-serve or sales-led? Retell vs Synthflow compared: Retell's published pay-as-you-go menu against Synthflow's sales-led contracts from $30,000 a year, and who each now suits.
- Head to head Speechify vs ElevenLabs: value or voice quality? Speechify vs ElevenLabs compared: cost per 1,000 characters with a worked ten-minute script, the real agent per-minute bill, compliance and a per-job pick.
- Alternatives Alternatives to Bland: 5 platforms worth switching to Bland's flat per-minute bill is hard to beat at volume. The five alternatives worth a look when you want to pick your model, go no-code, or cold call.
- Alternatives Alternatives to Retell: 5 platforms worth switching to Retell is a fast turnkey call platform, but not always the right one. Five alternatives for a lower floor, more control, more languages or better voice.
- Alternatives Alternatives to Vapi: 5 voice platforms worth switching to Vapi is the cheapest, most flexible call platform, but it needs a developer to assemble. Five alternatives for turnkey setup, a flat bill, no-code or voice.
- Best of Best voice AI platforms for inbound customer support The voice-agent platforms worth shortlisting for inbound support and reception, ranked by real fit: warm transfer, knowledge lookup, concurrency and price.
- Best of Best multilingual outbound voice platforms Voice-agent platforms for outbound campaigns across multiple languages, ranked by real fit: language breadth, voice quality abroad, dialer and price.
- Head to head ElevenLabs vs Retell: voice quality or a turnkey phone agent? ElevenLabs vs Retell compared: per-character voice pricing vs a bundled per-minute phone rate, who each suits, languages, compliance and a per-job pick.
- Head to head ElevenLabs vs Vapi: voice quality or call control? ElevenLabs vs Vapi compared: two different tools, the real cost of each, who each is built for, and why teams often run them together rather than choose.
- Best of Best AI receptionist platforms for small business The AI receptionist platforms worth shortlisting for a small business, ranked by real fit: answering, booking, routing, texting back and price.
- Best of Best voice-agent tools for developers The platforms and frameworks worth shortlisting if you are building your own voice agent, ranked along the build-versus-buy line: managed to raw blocks.
- Best of Best voice AI platforms for HIPAA and healthcare Voice-agent platforms that can sign a HIPAA BAA, ranked by how usable each compliant path is: included, Enterprise-gated, paid add-on or build-it-yourself.
- Best of Best low-latency voice platforms The voice platforms with the strongest low-latency claims, ranked: Cartesia, Rime, Deepgram, OpenAI Realtime and Vapi. Vendor claims, not our test calls yet.
- Head to head Bland vs Synthflow: flat-rate volume or no-code speed? Bland vs Synthflow compared: Bland's flat per-minute rate against Synthflow's sales-led enterprise contracts from $30,000 a year, and who each now suits.
- Head to head OpenAI Realtime vs Vapi: build it yourself or buy? OpenAI Realtime vs Vapi compared: the raw speech-to-speech model you wire up versus the managed call platform, the real cost of each, and who each suits.
- Head to head PolyAI vs Cognigy: which enterprise voice platform fits? PolyAI vs Cognigy compared: two quote-only enterprise voice platforms, who each suits, languages, named customers, compliance and a clear pick for each buyer.
- Head to head Retell vs Bland: contact-centre depth or predictability? Retell is a contact-centre dialer with real CRM integrations; Bland runs agents on its own infrastructure at a tight, low price. We compare cost and the catch.
- Head to head Vapi vs Retell: which voice-agent platform should you build on? Vapi vs Retell compared: the real per-minute cost, who each is built for, compliance and the trade-offs, with a clear pick for each kind of buyer.
- Head to head Vapi vs Synthflow: build it yourself or click it together? Vapi is the developer's build-it-yourself phone platform; Synthflow went enterprise-only in mid-2026. We compare cost, buyers and who each now suits.
- Best of Best AI voice agents for outbound sales The voice-agent platforms worth shortlisting for outbound sales and lead-qualification calls, ranked by real fit: dialer, CRM links, compliance and price.