PolyAI vs Retell AI (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Retell AI grades higher than PolyAI: 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.
PolyAI
Voice AI agents for phone calls, from small shops to contact centers
Retell AI
Pay-per-minute platform for AI phone and chat agents
Which one is for you
Pick PolyAI if
- Fits if you want a phone agent for a single small business line
- Works for developers who want to pay by the minute through the model API
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you take many calls: Essentials covers 250 minutes
- Pricey if you have several sites, as Scale is per location
- Watch out: the trial length is not stated
- Watch out: the developer tab bills by connected time, 2c a minute for the model API and from 9.5c for the full platform
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
| 2.2GPAPolyAIFair | 2.4GPARetell AIFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CEssentials is $49 a month for 250 minutes, just under the category's $50 dearer-quarter line. Plus is $199 and Scale $299 per location, so heavy use costs more. | 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 | CA free trial is offered on Essentials, Plus and Scale, but its length is not stated. Developer accounts get free credit. | 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 | CVoice agents, an assistant called Wren, its own speech model, call insight and bring-your-own phone line. Developer billing is separate, at 2c to 9.5c a minute. | 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. Building and testing call flows is a learning curve. | CNo store rating on record, and you set up prompts, a number, models and voices, often with the API. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with eight integrations listed and a developer API. No phone or desktop app. | BWeb, with Make, Twilio, Vonage, HubSpot, n8n and Go High Level listed, plus API access. |
| Best for | AI phone agents for customer calls | 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: PolyAI and Retell AI. How we grade
Where they differ
- PolyAI also covers AI support agent and appointment booking.
- Retell AI also covers chatbots.
At a glance
| PolyAI | Retell AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $49 per month for 250 minutes | $0 to start, then $0.07 to $0.31 per minute for voice agents |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free trial offered on Essentials, Plus and Scale; length not stated | $10 in free credits with full platform access. |
| Web | ||
| Made by | PolyAI | Retell AI |
| Price read from | poly.ai | retellai.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
PolyAI
- The Scale price is per location, so ten locations is not a single price.
- A separate Developer tab bills by connected time: the Model API at 2c a minute and the full platform from 9.5c a minute.
- The pricing page lists $20 of free credit for developer pay-as-you-go accounts.
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
PolyAI
- Dialog Agent
- Builds agents with flows, tools and brand voice, from no-code to full code on one platform.
- Wren
- An assistant that designs, builds, tests and optimizes agents from a plain-English description.
- Dialog-RSN-1 model
- The vendor's audio-native model, which it says responds in under 300ms median first-token latency.
- Call insight
- Every call gets a summary and a PolyScore, with latency and agent details visible in real time.
- Bring your own phone line
- Keep an existing number and connect a carrier over SIP at no charge, or take a number from PolyAI.
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
PolyAI
Essentials$49
per month, 250 minutes included
Then 30c a minute. 1 number, 5 calls at once; Google Calendar, Calendly, Cal.com and Zapier.
Plus$199
per month, 1,000 minutes included
Then 25c a minute. 10 calls at once; adds HubSpot, Zoho CRM, Dynamics 365 and Microsoft 365.
Scale$299
per location per month, 1,500 minutes each
Then 20c a minute. Up to 9 locations with pooled minutes; adds Salesforce, Zendesk and Slack.
EnterpriseCustom
Sold through sales: HIPAA with a BAA, SSO, uptime SLA, data residency and 24/7 support.
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, PolyAI or Retell AI?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PolyAI starts at $49 per month for 250 minutes, and Retell AI starts at $0 to start, then $0.07 to $0.31 per minute for voice agents.
Which has a free plan, PolyAI or Retell AI?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither PolyAI 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.