We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. It never changes a score or a ranking. How we make money
It's a split decision.
Choose Retell AI for phone-first agents: its pricing page lists voice at $0.07–$0.31/min, 20 concurrent calls included, and tools for call flows, IVR, handoffs and analysis. Choose ElevenLabs for a broader audio platform spanning speech, music, speech-to-text and conversational agents, with a free plan and paid plans from $6/month. These prices are not directly comparable: Retell charges by usage, while ElevenLabs uses monthly credit tiers and per-minute overages.
01Side by side
| Retell AI | ElevenLabs | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $0.07–$0.31/min for voice; no monthly minimum | Free plan; paid Starter plan is $6/month |
| Free plan | Yes; pay-as-you-go includes $10 in free credits | Yes; 10,000 credits/month, no commercial license |
| Best for | Phone-call agents with handoffs and post-call analysis | Audio creation and voice or chat agents |
| Core strength | Visual call flows, IVR navigation and live transfers | Speech, music, voice cloning and conversational agents |
| Learning curve | Not published; includes a drag-and-drop call-flow canvas | Not published; offers several audio products and models |
| Integrations/data | Functions, integrations and APIs; specific integrations not listed | ElevenAPI for speech and music; other integrations not listed |
| Team/seat costs | 20 concurrent calls included; extra concurrency is $8/month | 3 seats at $299; 10 at $990; extra-seat price unpublished |
| Support | Enterprise includes 24/7 support with a dedicated portal | Enterprise includes priority support; further details unpublished |
Retell AI Choose Retell AI if
- Choose Retell AI if phone-call automation is your main job.
- Choose Retell AI if you need IVR navigation and live handoffs.
- Choose Retell AI if pay-as-you-go voice pricing suits your call volume.
ElevenLabs Choose ElevenLabs if
- Choose ElevenLabs if you need speech, music and voice tools together.
- Choose ElevenLabs if you want a free plan before paying.
- Choose ElevenLabs if monthly credit tiers fit your production needs.
02Pricing compared
Retell charges for use rather than a monthly plan: its pricing page lists voice at $0.07–$0.31 per minute, chat at $0.002 or more per AI message, $10 in free credits, and 20 concurrent calls included. There are no minimums or contracts, but costs can rise with add-ons such as telephony, extra concurrency, denoising and quality assurance. Enterprise pricing is custom.
ElevenLabs has a free plan, then monthly tiers from Starter at $6 ($5 per month with annual billing) to Business at $990 ($825 per month annually); Enterprise is custom. Plans include monthly credits, and overage rates vary by tier. This is not a like-for-like price comparison: Retell bills voice usage, while ElevenLabs combines credit allowances with overages. Model your expected minutes and features before comparing totals.
03Features and depth
Retell is built around deploying and managing agents for phone calls. Its feature set includes visual call flows, inbound and outbound calling, IVR navigation, live human handoffs, agent testing and post-call analytics. It also supports web and SMS deployment. That makes its listed tools relevant when the job is handling calls and routing them through a defined workflow.
ElevenLabs covers a wider set of audio work. Its products include text-to-speech, voice cloning, speech-to-text, music generation and sound effects, alongside conversational agents for voice or chat across phone, chat, email and WhatsApp. The homepage lists more than 17,500 voices and speech generation in 90-plus languages. That breadth is useful if voice agents are only one part of the workflow. The trade-off is focus: Retell’s listed features center on agent operations and call handling; ElevenLabs’ span audio creation and APIs as well as agents. Compare the specific agent channels and controls you need, not just the size of each feature list.
04Ease of use and learning curve
Retell offers a visual drag-and-drop canvas for building call flows, plus tools to simulate scenarios and use production calls as regression tests. Those features give teams a structured way to build and review agents, but planning call logic, handoffs, integrations and usage costs still takes work.
ElevenLabs has clearly tiered plans for its audio tools, but its broader product range means buyers may need to sort out which credits, models and products fit their workflow. The pricing page also lists per-minute overages, so a low entry price is not a complete cost estimate. For a phone-agent project, Retell’s workflow-specific controls may be easier to map to the job. For mixed audio and agent work, ElevenLabs covers more ground, with more product choices to evaluate.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper, Retell AI or ElevenLabs?
There is no direct price match. Retell lists voice usage at $0.07–$0.31 per minute, while ElevenLabs starts at $6 per month with included credits and tier-based overages. The cheaper option depends on your usage, chosen features and how much overage you incur.
Is Retell AI better for phone agents?
Retell is the more phone-focused choice based on its listed tools: call flows, inbound and outbound deployment, IVR navigation, human handoffs and call analytics. ElevenLabs also offers conversational agents for phone and other channels, but its product range includes audio generation and speech tools too.
Does Retell AI have a free plan?
Retell’s pricing lists a free plan and $10 in credits with its pay-as-you-go offering. Voice and chat usage are then charged by use, and the pricing page says there are no minimums or contracts. Check the listed add-on rates when estimating your total.
Can I use ElevenLabs for conversational agents?
Yes. ElevenLabs lists conversational agents for voice or chat across phone, chat, email and WhatsApp. Its platform also includes text-to-speech, speech-to-text, voice cloning and music generation, so it may suit teams combining agents with other audio workflows.