What is Retell AI?
Retell AI is a platform for building AI phone agents that answer and make calls with natural voices, for support, sales and scheduling teams. It is made by Retell AI, a Y Combinator-backed startup. The platform combines speech recognition, a language model of your choice and text-to-speech, and connects them to phone numbers so the agent can hold a real-time conversation.
Retell is aimed at teams that want a production phone agent without building the voice pipeline themselves. You design the conversation in a visual flow builder or with prompts, add knowledge from your documents, connect tools such as calendars or CRMs, and test calls before going live. It is SOC 2 certified, with HIPAA options on Enterprise. Typical uses are appointment booking, customer support triage, lead qualification, reminders and after-hours reception for clinics, home services and contact centers.
Main Features
- Builds voice agents with a visual conversation flow editor or prompts.
- Connects agents to phone numbers for inbound and outbound calls.
- Lets you choose the language model and voice provider for each agent.
- Adds knowledge bases from documents and web pages.
- Calls external tools and APIs to book appointments or update records.
- Runs batch outbound calling campaigns.
- Includes 20 concurrent calls at no extra charge.
- Provides chat agents priced per message alongside voice agents.
How to Get Started with Retell AI
- Create an account at retellai.com to receive $10 in free credits.
- Start from a template or build an agent in the flow editor.
- Pick a voice and language model, then add your knowledge base.
- Test the agent in the browser, buy or import a number and go live.
Retell AI Pricing
Retell AI gives new accounts $10 in free credits, then charges pay-as-you-go with no contract. Voice agents cost about $0.07 to $0.31 per minute depending on the model, voice and telephony you choose, and 20 concurrent calls are included, with more at $8 per concurrency per month. Enterprise pricing is by quote and adds HIPAA support and dedicated help.
Who Should Use It?
- Clinics and dental offices automating appointment calls.
- Home service businesses answering calls after hours.
- Sales teams qualifying inbound leads by phone.
- Contact centers deflecting routine support calls.
- Developers building voice products on top of an API.
Retell AI Alternatives
- Vapi: developer-first voice agent API with more raw control
- Bland AI: focused on high-volume enterprise phone calls
- Goodcall: simpler receptionist setup for small businesses
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Retell AI free?
Not after the trial credit. New accounts get $10 in free credits, then calls are billed pay-as-you-go from about $0.07 per minute.
What is Retell AI used for?
Retell AI is used to build phone agents that book appointments, answer support calls and qualify leads. It handles both inbound and outbound calls.
Is Retell AI HIPAA compliant?
Yes, on the Enterprise plan. Retell is SOC 2 certified on all plans and offers HIPAA and a BAA for Enterprise customers.
Retell AI vs Vapi: which is better?
Retell is easier for teams that want a visual builder and fast setup, while Vapi gives developers more low-level control. Both charge per minute, so cost depends on the models you pick.