Retell AI vs ElevenLabs Agents: Pricing, Voices and Which to Pick
Two of the most used voice agent platforms, compared on all in cost per minute, voices, concurrency, compliance and builder tools.
By , research by the BestBots team · Updated Oct 19, 2026
Fact checked against each company's published pricing, documentation and verified user ratings. How we score
Retell AI is the better pick for most teams building phone agents: every cost is published, 20 concurrent calls and HIPAA come free, and its testing tools help non engineers ship. Pick ElevenLabs Agents when voice quality and voice choice matter most, since it offers 5,000+ voices across 31 languages at a flat $0.08 a minute after plan minutes.
ElevenLabs Agents4.2From $0.08 per minute (monthly plan with included minutes, then per minute)
Visit ElevenLabs AgentsSide by side
| Spec | Retell AI | ElevenLabs Agents |
|---|---|---|
| BestBots Score | 4.6 | 4.2 |
| Starting price | $0.055 per minute | $0.08 per minute |
| Pricing model | per minute, pay as you go | monthly plan with included minutes, then per minute |
| Free trial | $10 in free credits | None listed |
| Per minute cost | $0.055 voice infra plus LLM ($0.0016 to $0.32), voice ($0.015 to $0.10) and telephony ($0.015 US Twilio or Telnyx) | $0.08 per minute, no ElevenLabs telephony fee, LLM and carrier extra |
| Telephony | Retell numbers via Twilio, Vonage, or your own SIP trunk at no Retell charge | Native Twilio integration, SIP trunk, batch outbound calling; no ElevenLabs telephony fee |
| Concurrency | 20 concurrent calls free, then $8 per line per month | 4 Free, 6 Starter, 10 Creator, 20 Pro, 30 Scale, 40 Business; burst at $0.16 per minute |
| Languages | Multilingual agents supported; the dashboard lists current languages | 31 languages for agent voices |
| HIPAA | Yes, listed as HIPAA ready | BAAs on Enterprise only |
The short answer
Both platforms run the same loop on a phone call: transcribe the caller, send the text to an LLM, speak the reply with a synthetic voice. They differ in where they came from.
Retell is a voice agent platform first. It sells orchestration, telephony, testing and compliance, and lets you choose the LLM and voice (including ElevenLabs voices). Its pricing page itemizes every part.
ElevenLabs is a voice company that added an agent platform. Its strength is the voice library and voice quality; the agent product (formerly Conversational AI) bundles minutes into the same plans as its text to speech products.
- Clinics, regulated businesses, call centers: Retell.
- Brand voice, character voices, many languages: ElevenLabs.
- Budget prototypes: ElevenLabs' free plan; Retell's $10 credit for a one time test.
Pricing
As listed on each pricing page in October 2026.
| Line item | Retell AI | ElevenLabs Agents |
|---|---|---|
| Platform rate | $0.055 per minute voice infra, includes speech to text | Plan minutes, then $0.08 per minute |
| Plans | Pay as you go, $10 free credits | Free 15 min, Starter $6 (75), Creator $22 (275), Pro $99 (1,238), Scale $299 (3,738), Business $990 (12,375) |
| LLM | $0.0016 to $0.32 per minute by model, listed | Billed on top by model, not listed on the pricing page |
| Voice | $0.015 standard; $0.040 to $0.10 ElevenLabs voices | Included |
| Telephony | US Twilio or Telnyx $0.015 per minute; SIP free | No ElevenLabs fee; your carrier bills (Twilio inbound about $0.0085, outbound about $0.014) |
| Concurrency | 20 free, then $8 per line per month | 4, 6, 10, 20, 30, 40 by plan; burst at $0.16 per minute |
| Phone numbers | $2 per month | From your carrier, for example $1.15 per month on Twilio |
| HIPAA | Included | Enterprise only |
Cost at two volumes
| Monthly volume | Retell AI (budget stack) | ElevenLabs Agents |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 minutes, inbound | about $95 | about $89 (Creator $22 plus 725 at $0.08, plus Twilio inbound) plus LLM |
| 5,000 minutes, inbound | about $473 | about $443 (Scale $299 plus 1,262 at $0.08, plus Twilio inbound) plus LLM |
| Same, with ElevenLabs Flash voice | add about $0.025 per minute | Included |
Retell's budget stack uses its listed lowest cost LLM tier, a $0.015 voice and US Twilio telephony, about $0.0946 a minute all in. ElevenLabs' rows exclude the LLM because it is not published on the pricing page; on a cheap model it is a small addition, on a frontier model it can be the largest line. All platforms' rates are in the AI Price Index and explained in AI voice agent cost per minute.
Models and features
| Feature | Retell AI | ElevenLabs Agents |
|---|---|---|
| Builder | Drag and drop flow canvas, prompt agents, API | Visual workflow builder, API |
| Testing and QA | Built in testing, AI QA ($0.10 per minute after 100 free) | Not itemized on the pricing page |
| Voices | Retell, Cartesia, OpenAI, Minimax, Fish, Inworld and ElevenLabs voices | 5,000+ voices across 31 languages |
| LLMs | GPT, Claude and other listed models, fast tier at double cost | Choice of models, custom LLM support |
| Knowledge base | 10 free, then $8 per month each | Knowledge base with RAG |
| Outbound | Batch calls $0.005 per dial, branded caller ID $0.10 per call | Batch outbound calling |
| Telephony | Twilio, Vonage, Telnyx, SIP trunk | Native Twilio, SIP trunk |
| Latency claim | About 600 ms, per Retell | Not published as a single figure |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, GDPR, ISO 27001 | BAAs on Enterprise |
| Integrations | HubSpot, Cal.com, Make, n8n, GoHighLevel | Webhooks and tools API |
Head to head scenarios
A dental or medical office answering line
Winner: Retell. HIPAA is included with no add on, SOC 2 Type II is listed, and 20 lines cover a busy morning. ElevenLabs needs Enterprise for a BAA.
A brand that wants a distinctive voice
Winner: ElevenLabs. 5,000+ voices and voice design are what ElevenLabs is known for, and the voice is included in the $0.08 rate. On Retell, the same ElevenLabs voices cost $0.040 to $0.10 a minute extra.
An outbound reminder campaign
Winner: Retell. Published batch dialing ($0.005 per dial), branded caller ID and 20 concurrent calls free make the math easy. ElevenLabs charges $0.16 a minute for burst calls over your plan's concurrency.
Agents in many languages
Winner: ElevenLabs. It states 31 languages for agent voices. Retell supports multilingual agents but does not publish a number; you check the dashboard.
A side project or prototype
Winner: ElevenLabs. 15 free minutes every month with 4 lines, and a $6 Starter plan. Retell's $10 credit is one time.
An ops team with no engineers
Winner: Retell. Built in testing and QA, a quick start that gets an agent on a phone line in about 15 minutes per Retell, and published per component pricing to show finance.
Privacy
Retell lists SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, GDPR and ISO 27001, offers PII removal at $0.01 per minute, and custom data retention on Enterprise. ElevenLabs offers DPAs, SLAs and BAAs on Enterprise. If calls carry health, payment or personal data, Retell's defaults are stronger below the enterprise tier. Either way, disclose recording in the greeting where state law requires consent.
Reviews
Retell holds 4.9 on Trustpilot from 810 reviews, though some reviewers mention 1.5 to 2.5 second pauses and slow support replies. ElevenLabs holds 3.0 from 1,188 reviews, a score that covers all its products and centers on credits and billing.
Verdict
Retell AI wins for most businesses deploying a phone agent: transparent itemized pricing, 20 free concurrent calls, HIPAA without an upcharge and built in testing. ElevenLabs Agents wins when the voice itself is the product, for multilingual agents, and for free ongoing prototyping. If you want both, Retell lets you run ElevenLabs voices inside its platform for $0.040 to $0.10 a minute extra. Full reviews: Retell AI and ElevenLabs Agents. The wider field: best AI voice agents.
Frequently asked questions
Is Retell AI cheaper than ElevenLabs?
At low volume they are close. 1,000 minutes a month runs about $95 on a budget Retell stack with US Twilio, and about $89 on ElevenLabs Creator plus Twilio inbound, before ElevenLabs' LLM charge. At 5,000 minutes, Retell is about $473 and ElevenLabs about $443 plus LLM. Retell's advantage is that every component is priced publicly.
Does Retell AI use ElevenLabs voices?
Yes. Retell offers ElevenLabs voices as an option at $0.040 per minute for Flash, $0.06 for Multilingual v2 and $0.08 to $0.10 for v3 and v4, against $0.015 for Retell, Cartesia, OpenAI and other voices. So you can get ElevenLabs voice quality inside Retell's platform at a higher per minute rate.
Which is better for HIPAA and healthcare?
Retell. It lists HIPAA and SOC 2 Type II with no add on fee. ElevenLabs offers BAAs for HIPAA only on its Enterprise plan.
Which has better voices?
ElevenLabs. It lists 5,000+ voices across 31 languages, the largest library of the voice agent platforms we cover, and voice is ElevenLabs' core product. Retell's own voices cost less per minute, and its ElevenLabs voice option closes most of the gap at a higher rate.
Does ElevenLabs Agents include the LLM?
No. ElevenLabs bills LLM usage separately based on the model you choose, shown inside the product rather than on the pricing page. Retell also bills the LLM separately, at $0.0016 to $0.32 per minute depending on the model, listed on its pricing page.
Can I make outbound calls with both?
Yes. Retell supports batch calls at $0.005 per dial and branded caller ID at $0.10 per outbound call. ElevenLabs supports batch outbound calling through Twilio or SIP. Both are subject to the TCPA's artificial voice rules for calls to cell phones.
Which is easier to build with?
Both have visual builders. Retell adds testing and QA tools and a quick start that gets a phone agent live in about 15 minutes. ElevenLabs has a visual workflow builder, a knowledge base with RAG and custom LLM support. For an ops team without engineers, Retell's built in testing is the edge.
Is there a free plan?
ElevenLabs has a free plan with 15 agent minutes a month and 4 concurrent calls. Retell gives $10 in free credits once, with 20 concurrent calls. For ongoing free prototyping ElevenLabs wins; for a one time test at real concurrency, Retell does.