A Retell AI alternative built from agent to answer
Build agents from a plain-English prompt or in code, test them before production, and put them on phone numbers that run on the same platform, at one all-inclusive agent rate.
Retell AI is a capable platform, so switch for the right reasons. This page covers what actually changes, what it costs, and how to migrate without a forced cutover.
Why teams choose Plivo-powered voice agents
The backbone of your AI-powered applications is Plivo's voice infrastructure network, built for consistent, real-time conversations.
- Voice-to-voice latency
- <500ms
- Infrastructure uptime
- 99.99%
- Countries covered
- 150+
- All-inclusive agent rate
- $0.04/min
SOC 2 Type II 
GDPR 
HIPAA 
PCI DSS 
CSA STAR Level 1 Game-changing reasons to choose Plivo
One platform for telephony, STT, TTS, and LLM orchestration
Plivo runs the full voice AI stack in-house, so you get consistently <500ms latency, better call quality, and zero dependency on third-party tools.
Launch voice agents in minutes, not weeks
Describe what you want your agent to do in plain English. Vibe Agent builds the flow inside AI Agent Studio, and you refine it with prompts or drag and drop.
Build and deploy custom voice agents your way
Developers get full control to build custom voice agents that talk to your backend and APIs, using the programming languages you already use.
Don't reinvent your workflows
Connect your agents to CRMs, CDPs, helpdesks, and other business systems for seamless conversations and information flow.
Serve every customer in their language
Humanized voice agents speak, understand, and switch between languages and accents mid-call, with no extra setup.
When a real person is the right answer
Plivo agents hand off to your human team with full context, so customers never have to repeat themselves.
One included rate versus a configurable total
Retell AI exposes its components so teams can tune each one, and the final rate depends on the configuration. Plivo bundles the production stack into one published figure. Both are legitimate models; this is what each looks like on paper.
Voice engine
Retell AI
$0.055/min
Plivo
Included
Voices
Retell AI
$0.015-$0.030/min by provider
Plivo
Included
LLM and reasoning
Retell AI
$0.003-$0.160/min by model
Plivo
Included
Voice telephony
Retell AI
$0.015/min
Plivo
Included
Cost per minute
Retell AI
$0.088-$0.270/min
Plivo
$0.040/min
| Cost component | Retell AI | Plivo 54-85% lower |
|---|---|---|
| Voice engine | $0.055/min | Included |
| Voices | $0.015-$0.030/min by provider | Included |
| LLM and reasoning | $0.003-$0.160/min by model | Included |
| Voice telephony | $0.015/min | Included |
| Cost per minute | $0.088-$0.270/min | $0.040/min |
Retell AI rates from retellai.com/pricing, August 2026. QA, extra concurrency, and burst usage are billed on top.
Plivo's agent rate is all-inclusive: telephony, voice models, transcription, and orchestration. Recheck provider pages before purchase.
What changes when you switch, and what stays
You still need explicit prompts, reliable tool contracts, production tests, and compliance controls on either platform. The difference is where those pieces are assembled and priced.
Creation workflow
Retell AI
Plivo
Published pricing
Retell AI
Plivo
Telephony path
Retell AI
Plivo
Testing
Retell AI
Plivo
Scale controls
Retell AI
Plivo
| Capability | Retell AI | Plivo |
|---|---|---|
| Creation workflow | Visual and developer workflows with detailed agent, flow, model, and provider configuration | Prompt-first with Vibe Agent, then inspect and tune in AI Agent Studio or move into code |
| Published pricing | Assembled from components: $0.088-$0.270/min depending on voices and models | $0.040/min all-inclusive |
| Telephony path | Managed Twilio or Telnyx, or bring your own carrier | Numbers, SIP trunking, and routing on the platform that runs the agent |
| Testing | AI quality assurance at $0.100/min after the first 100 minutes | Simulation testing included |
| Scale controls | 20 concurrent calls included; paid concurrency and burst capacity beyond that | Concurrency raised automatically with usage, no charge |
AI voice agents for every customer interaction
Explore the top AI agents that streamline operations, boost CSAT, and cut resolution times - no training required.
Greet the prospects and ask gather their details and requirements.
AI Conversation
Lead capture & qualification
Capture inbound leads across chat, SMS, and voice, qualify them in real-time using smart branching logic, and instantly route high-intent prospects to your sales team.
Look up order details and provide real-time shipping updates.
AI Conversation
Customer support
Connect to Shopify or Woo to automatically manage order status, shipping updates, and product inquiries, directly on call.
Check availability and confirm booking in real-time.
AI Conversation
Appointment booking
Let customers schedule appointments via phone or chat, with real-time availability synced to Calendly or your booking system.
Troubleshoot using knowledge base and escalate if needed.
AI Conversation
Tech support
Troubleshoot common tech queries using your knowledge base, with smart conversational flows that route only complex cases to humans.
Run post-interaction surveys and gather CSAT scores.
AI Conversation
Survey & feedback
Gather timely input from customers through surveys and conversations, so you can improve continuously.
Detect channel, maintain context, and engage seamlessly.
AI Conversation
Multichannel engagement
Build agents that work where your customers are - voice, chat, SMS, or WhatsApp - with context preserved across every touchpoint.
Move call flows in three controlled steps
Do not start by porting every number. Rebuild one representative agent, run both platforms in parallel, and cut traffic over only after the new path passes your own gates.
- 01
Map the Retell workload
Export prompts, flow logic, tools, webhooks, knowledge sources, numbers, transfer rules, and the metrics that define success today.
- 02
Rebuild and validate in parallel
Recreate the agent with Vibe Agent or the API, then run simulations and live tests on the same call set, scoring completion, latency, and transfers.
- 03
Cut over gradually
Route a small share of production traffic first. Watch outcomes against your rollback triggers before moving numbers, SIP routes, or the full workload.
What our customers say
“We chose Plivo for the voice layer: calls route where we need them, at a good price and very low latency. We don't see the drops we had before.”
Scott Rosen
President and CEO, MDabroad
“Standard providers were never built for this kind of workload. We needed infrastructure designed for real-time, high-volume voice AI from the ground up.”
Prateek Sachan
Co-Founder and CTO, Bolna
“Plivo helps us operate in more than 150 countries, and that's a great selling point for us. That comes from Plivo's direct global carrier relationships.”
Chetan Giridhar
CTO, CallHub
“For almost five years we've relied on Plivo for global customer calls, more than 6 million minutes. Its reliability and ease of use is a boon to our agents.”
Eden Amirav
CEO and Co-founder, Become
Frequently asked questions
Plivo is a strong Retell AI alternative for teams that want the agent builder, programmable build paths, simulation testing, and telephony in one platform with a published $0.04/min all-inclusive rate. Retell AI remains a strong option for teams that prefer component-level model and carrier control.
The common reasons are more predictable per-minute pricing, one vendor across the agent and the call path, a natural-language creation workflow for operators, and code paths for engineers. Confirm those benefits with a like-for-like pilot before moving production traffic.
Map prompts and flows, tools and webhooks, knowledge sources, model and voice behavior, phone numbers or SIP routes, compliance settings, transfer rules, test cases, and reporting. Recreate a representative workload first rather than bulk-moving every agent.
The safest approach is a parallel pilot that leaves current production routes untouched. Your temporary routing and eventual number-porting plan depend on carriers, countries, number types, and compliance registrations, so confirm the sequence with Plivo before scheduling a cutover. Porting is free for US and Canada numbers.
Yes: telephony, voice models, transcription, orchestration, the builder, simulation testing, transfer to human, and knowledge base are all inside the published rate, with no monthly platform fee. Enterprise, destination-specific, and non-agent products can have separate terms.
Teams that actively prefer Retell AI's component-level controls, treat their current carrier architecture as an intentional boundary, and have production testing showing the cost and operating model already fit. A migration should solve a measured problem, not chase a sticker price.
Want the side-by-side first?
See how the two platforms compare line by line on pricing, build paths, telephony, testing, and scale.
Test Plivo before you switch
Start with $10 in free credits. Rebuild one representative Retell workflow, run the same calls, and compare quality, operating effort, and reconciled cost.