Callin vs Retell AI (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Retell AI grades higher than Callin: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Retell AI grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Retell AI
Pay-per-minute platform for AI phone and chat agents
Free trial · from $0
Which one is for you
Pick Callin if
- Fits if you resell AI phone agents under your own brand
- Works for small call volumes billed by the minute with no monthly fee
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you run many calls: pay-as-you-go allows 5 at once, more needs the sales-only High Volume plan
- Watch out: the $0.029 per minute rate is a vendor-stated floor for custom plans, not a published price
- Skip it if you need many languages: eight are named on the About page
- Not for you if you want a free plan, as only 30 minutes are free
Pick Retell AI if
- Fits if you want to pay per minute with no monthly commitment
- Works for developers wiring phone agents into Twilio or HubSpot
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you add it up, as model, voice and telephony sit on top of the $0.055 base
- Watch out: HIPAA and BAA, SSO, role-based access and custom retention are Enterprise only
- Watch out: AI quality assurance and PII removal are charged per minute on top
- Not for you if you want a fixed bill, because cost moves with minutes
How we grade them
| 2.2GPACallinFair | 2.4GPARetell AIFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$0.16 a minute with no monthly fee. The category sells mostly by the month, so it is hard to line up; the lower $0.029 figure is only a floor for custom plans. | CStarts at $0 and bills $0.07 to $0.31 a minute, so the price can't be set against the category's monthly plans. Voice infrastructure alone is $0.055 a minute. |
| Free plan and trial | C30 free minutes to start, with an account created straight away. A short trial, with no free plan after it. | C$10 in free credits with full platform access. There is no free plan, and the page does not say whether a card is needed. |
| Features | CWhite-label platform, industry agents, its own voice engine, calendar and CRM links and bring-your-own carrier. 5 concurrent calls on pay-as-you-go. | BInbound and outbound calls, batch calls, testing and monitoring, model and voice choice, and chat agents. The core job of a phone agent is covered. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You set up agents, connect calendars and CRM, and may bring a carrier. | CNo store rating on record, and you set up prompts, a number, models and voices, often with the API. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb platform with Google Calendar, Cal.com, Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, Zapier, n8n and Make listed. No desktop or phone app. | BWeb, with Make, Twilio, Vonage, HubSpot, n8n and Go High Level listed, plus API access. |
| Best for | white-label AI voice agents | developers building phone agents that bill by the minute |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Callin and Retell AI. How we grade
Where they differ
- Callin also covers workflow automation and appointment booking.
- Retell AI also covers chatbots.
In commonWebPublic APIAI agents
At a glance
| Callin | Retell AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $0.16 per minute, no monthly fee | $0 to start, then $0.07 to $0.31 per minute for voice agents |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30 free minutes to start | $10 in free credits with full platform access. |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Callin.io | Retell AI |
| Price read from | callin.io | retellai.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Callin
- The pay-as-you-go plan allows 5 concurrent calls; more needs the sales-only High Volume plan.
- The $0.029 per minute rate is a vendor-stated floor for custom plans, not a published price.
- Voice languages named on the About page are English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French, German, Dutch and Hindi.
Retell AI
- The rate is a sum of parts: voice infrastructure is $0.055 per minute, with model, voice and telephony on top, hence $0.07 to $0.31.
- The comparison table lists HIPAA and BAA, SSO, role-based access and custom data retention for Enterprise only.
- Dedicated implementation support and a dedicated stable server are Enterprise add-ons.
- Add-ons such as AI quality assurance and PII removal are charged per minute on top of the base rate.
Key features
Callin
- White-label platform
- Partners add their own logo, brand colors and custom domain, so their clients see only the partner's brand, and set their own client prices.
- Industry agents
- Ready-made voice agents for property management, IT support tickets, real estate seller and buyer qualification, and EV and municipal services.
- Neuron 1.0 voice engine
- The vendor's own low-latency voice engine, which it says responds in under 176 milliseconds. The plan lists 10 more AI models alongside it.
- Calendar, CRM and automation links
- Integrations include Google Calendar, Cal.com, Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, Zapier, n8n and Make, plus a REST API and webhooks.
- Bring your own carrier
- Calls can run over Callin's own numbers, Twilio, Telnyx or a SIP trunk.
Retell AI
- Inbound and outbound phone agents
- Agents answer or place calls, transfer to a human, book appointments, use a knowledge base and navigate keypad menus.
- Batch calls and caller ID
- The deploy menu lists batch calling for high-volume campaigns, branded caller ID and verified phone numbers.
- Testing and monitoring
- Simulation testing, call transcripts and analytics, post-call analysis and AI quality assurance are listed for monitoring agents.
- Model and voice choice
- The cost estimator offers language models from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google and voices from Retell, ElevenLabs, Cartesia, Minimax, Fish and OpenAI.
- Chat agents
- The same platform runs chat agents, priced from $0.002 per message.
Plans
Callin
Pay-as-you-go$0
no monthly fee, then $0.16 per minute
White-label branding, custom domain, unlimited clients, 5 concurrent calls and bring-your-own carrier. 30 free minutes to start.
High VolumeCustom
Custom pricing with rates as low as $0.029 per minute, more concurrent calls, priority support and a custom SLA. Sold through sales.
Retell AI
Pay as you go$0
to start, then $0.07-$0.31 per minute
Voice agents at $0.07-$0.31 per minute, chat agents from $0.002 per message, 20 free concurrent calls, API access and email support.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom voice and chat pricing, role-based access, custom SSO, MSA, DPA and BAA terms, and 24/7 support with a dedicated portal.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Callin or Retell AI?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Callin starts at $0.16 per minute, no monthly fee, and Retell AI starts at $0 to start, then $0.07 to $0.31 per minute for voice agents.
Which has a free plan, Callin or Retell AI?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Callin nor Retell AI has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.