ElevenLabs is a voice AI platform with conversational agents and no-code builder; Vapi is an API-first developer platform for building custom voice applications.
Major takeaways
Who should pick ElevenLabs over Vapi? Teams that want a no-code conversational agent builder with bundled telephony, voice cloning, and a simpler setup path for non-technical operators.
Who should pick Vapi over ElevenLabs? Developers building custom voice products who need full control over LLM choice, telephony stack, and function-calling logic via API.
How do their pricing models differ? ElevenLabs charges per-minute with bundled telephony; Vapi charges separately for platform minutes, LLM inference, and bring-your-own telephony, making all-in costs harder to predict.
If you care about X, pick Y
| If you care about | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| No-code agent building | ElevenLabs | Visual conversational-agent builder; Vapi is API-first and requires code. |
| Full control over LLM and telephony stack | Vapi | Bring-your-own LLM and SIP trunk; ElevenLabs uses hosted models and bundled telephony. |
| Transparent all-in per-minute pricing | ElevenLabs | Published per-minute rates include telephony; Vapi bills platform, LLM, and telephony separately. |
| Voice cloning and custom voices | ElevenLabs | Native voice cloning from samples; Vapi supports multiple TTS providers but no native cloning. |
| Developer flexibility and function calling | Vapi | Full SDK access, custom function calling, and webhook control; ElevenLabs offers limited tool integrations. |
| Compliance documentation for healthcare | Either | Both publish SOC 2 Type II; HIPAA BAA availability should be confirmed directly with each vendor. |
How we evaluated
This comparison draws on vendor documentation from ElevenLabs and Vapi, published pricing pages, and third-party review coverage on G2, TrustRadius, and Trustpilot. We assessed build model, telephony flexibility, LLM and voice-provider choice, pricing transparency, compliance statements, and integration depth. No test calls were placed, no agents were built, and no performance measurements were conducted. All latency, containment, and concurrency figures are vendor-stated claims or third-party estimates. This article was last updated in October 2026.
What each platform does
ElevenLabs
ElevenLabs is a voice AI platform offering text-to-speech, voice cloning, and conversational AI agents. The conversational-agent product launched in 2024 and targets non-technical teams building customer-service bots, appointment schedulers, and after-hours receptionists. Agents are built in a visual editor with pre-built templates. ElevenLabs bundles telephony, so teams get phone numbers and inbound/outbound calling without configuring a SIP trunk. The platform supports 32 languages, according to vendor documentation. ElevenLabs raised a Series B in January 2024, reportedly valuing the company at over $1 billion, and counts enterprise customers in media, gaming, and customer service.
Vapi
Vapi is an API-first voice AI platform for developers building custom voice applications.
Launched in 2023, it provides SDKs in Python, JavaScript, and Go, plus webhooks for real-time call control. Developers bring their own LLM (OpenAI, Anthropic, custom models), TTS provider (ElevenLabs, PlayHT, Deepgram, Azure), and telephony (Twilio, Vonage, or any SIP trunk). Vapi handles the orchestration layer: speech-to-text, turn-taking, function calling, and call state management. The platform is used by startups building voice products, contact centers automating overflow, and sales teams running outbound campaigns. Vapi does not publish customer counts or funding details. Documentation states support for 100+ languages via underlying TTS and STT providers.
Feature comparison
| Capability | ElevenLabs | Vapi |
|---|---|---|
| Build model | No-code visual builder | API-first; SDKs in Python, JS, Go |
| Inbound calls | ✓ Bundled phone numbers | ✓ Bring-your-own carrier or Twilio |
| Outbound calls / campaigns | ✓ Limited campaign tools | ✓ Full API control for campaigns |
| Telephony | Bundled; no SIP trunk needed | Bring-your-own (Twilio, Vonage, SIP) |
| LLM choice | Vendor-hosted (not specified) | ✓ Bring-your-own (OpenAI, Anthropic, custom) |
| Voice / TTS provider choice | Native ElevenLabs voices + cloning | ✓ ElevenLabs, PlayHT, Deepgram, Azure, custom |
| Languages | 32 (vendor docs) | 100+ (via underlying providers) |
| Interruption handling | ✓ Documented turn-taking | ✓ Configurable via API |
| Warm transfer / human handoff | ✓ | ✓ |
| Function calling / tool use | Limited integrations | ✓ Full custom function calling |
| CRM and calendar integrations | Limited pre-built connectors | ✓ Via webhooks and API |
| Call recording, transcripts, analytics | ✓ | ✓ |
| Compliance statements | SOC 2 Type II (published) | SOC 2 Type II (published) |
| Concurrency limits | Not publicly documented | Not publicly documented |
Pricing and cost per minute
ElevenLabs pricing
ElevenLabs charges per minute of agent conversation time, with bundled telephony. The published pricing page lists three tiers as of October 2026: Free (10 minutes per month), Starter ($5 per month for 30 minutes, then $0.30 per additional minute), and Pro ($22 per month for 100 minutes, then $0.24 per additional minute). Enterprise pricing is available on request. The per-minute rate includes inbound and outbound telephony, speech-to-text, text-to-speech, and LLM inference, according to the pricing page. No separate telephony or LLM charges are listed. Contracts are month-to-month for Starter and Pro; Enterprise terms are not published.
| Tier | Monthly fee | Included minutes | Overage rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 10 | Not applicable |
| Starter | $5 | 30 | $0.30/min |
| Pro | $22 | 100 | $0.24/min |
| Enterprise | Custom quote | Custom | Custom |
Source: ElevenLabs Pricing
Vapi pricing
Vapi charges separately for platform minutes, LLM inference, and telephony.
The published pricing page lists a Free tier (10 minutes per month) and a Pay-as-you-go tier with no monthly platform fee. Platform minutes are billed at $0.05 per minute, according to the pricing page. LLM costs are pass-through: if a customer uses OpenAI GPT-4, they pay OpenAI's API rate directly. TTS and STT costs are similarly pass-through from the chosen provider (ElevenLabs, Deepgram, etc.). Telephony is bring-your-own, so customers pay Twilio or Vonage rates separately. Vapi does not publish an all-in per-minute estimate because the total depends on the customer's LLM, TTS, STT, and carrier choices. Enterprise pricing is available on request.
| Tier | Monthly fee | Platform rate | LLM / TTS / STT | Telephony |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 10 min included | Customer's provider | Customer's provider |
| Pay-as-you-go | $0 | $0.05/min | Customer's provider | Customer's provider |
| Enterprise | Custom quote | Custom | Custom | Custom |
Source: Vapi Pricing
What a month of calls might cost
To estimate monthly spend, calculate: (minutes per call) × (calls per month) × (all-in per-minute rate) + platform fees + telephony + overage.
For ElevenLabs, the all-in per-minute rate is published ($0.24 on Pro tier overage, $0.30 on Starter overage). If a team runs 100 calls per month at 3 minutes per call (300 minutes total) on the Pro tier, the cost is: $22 (base) + (300 - 100 included minutes) × $0.24 = $22 + $48 = $70 per month (illustrative assumption; replace with actual call volume and length).
For Vapi, the all-in rate depends on LLM, TTS, STT, and telephony choices. If a team uses OpenAI GPT-4 (estimated $0.03 per minute for a typical call, based on token usage), ElevenLabs TTS (estimated $0.18 per minute, based on third-party reports), Deepgram STT (estimated $0.0043 per minute, per Deepgram's published pricing), and Twilio telephony (estimated $0.013 per minute inbound, per Twilio's published pricing), the all-in rate is approximately $0.05 (Vapi platform) + $0.03 (LLM) + $0.18 (TTS) + $0.0043 (STT) + $0.013 (telephony) = $0.28 per minute (illustrative assumption). For 100 calls at 3 minutes each (300 minutes), the cost is 300 × $0.28 = $84 per month (illustrative assumption; actual costs vary by provider and usage).
These examples are illustrative only. Actual costs depend on call length, volume, provider rates, and tier. Teams should request quotes from both vendors at expected volume.
What users say
Public review volume for ElevenLabs is limited; the recurring themes below are drawn from the available G2 / Trustpilot / TrustRadius coverage.
ElevenLabs
Third-party review coverage for ElevenLabs' conversational-agent product is thin, as the product launched in 2024 and most reviews focus on the text-to-speech API.
Available feedback on G2 and Trustpilot highlights voice quality and ease of setup for non-technical users. Some users note that the no-code builder has fewer customization options than API-first platforms, and that enterprise pricing is not transparent. Documentation gaps for advanced use cases (custom function calling, complex call flows) are mentioned in developer forums.
Vapi
Vapi's review coverage is similarly limited, as the platform targets developers and early-stage startups. Available feedback on G2 and developer communities (Reddit, Discord) praises the flexibility of bring-your-own LLM and telephony, and the quality of SDK documentation. Users report that estimating all-in costs is harder than with bundled platforms, because LLM, TTS, STT, and telephony bills arrive separately. Some developers note that Vapi's lack of a visual builder means non-technical teams cannot deploy agents without engineering support. Latency and turn-taking quality are described as strong in third-party discussions, though no independent benchmarks are publicly available.
Strengths and gaps
What ElevenLabs does well
No-code builder for non-technical teams. The visual agent editor and pre-built templates let operations and customer-service teams deploy agents without writing code, according to vendor documentation and user feedback.
Bundled telephony and transparent per-minute pricing. Teams get phone numbers, inbound/outbound calling, and a single per-minute rate that includes LLM, TTS, and STT, simplifying procurement.
Voice cloning and custom voices. Native voice cloning from audio samples is a differentiator; Vapi requires integration with a third-party TTS provider for cloning.
Strong voice quality. ElevenLabs' text-to-speech models are widely cited in third-party reviews as high-quality and natural-sounding.
Where ElevenLabs has gaps
Limited LLM and telephony flexibility. Teams cannot bring their own LLM or SIP trunk; the platform uses vendor-hosted models and bundled telephony only.
Fewer customization options for complex flows. The no-code builder reportedly supports simpler use cases (appointment booking, FAQs) better than multi-step qualification or custom function calling.
Enterprise pricing not published. Teams at scale must request a quote; no public pricing for high-volume tiers is available.
Thinner integration ecosystem. Pre-built CRM and calendar connectors are limited compared to API-first platforms with full webhook access.
What Vapi does well
Full developer control over LLM, TTS, and telephony. Bring-your-own stack flexibility lets teams optimize for cost, latency, or compliance requirements.
Strong SDK and webhook documentation. Python, JavaScript, and Go SDKs are well-documented, and real-time call control via webhooks is a core feature.
Custom function calling and tool use. Developers can build agents that query CRMs, book appointments, or trigger workflows during calls, with full API access.
Language coverage via underlying providers. Support for 100+ languages is possible by choosing the right TTS and STT providers.
Where Vapi has gaps
No visual builder. Non-technical teams cannot deploy agents without engineering support; the platform is API-first only.
Complex cost estimation. Separate bills for platform minutes, LLM, TTS, STT, and telephony make it harder to predict monthly spend than with bundled platforms.
Bring-your-own telephony setup friction. Teams must configure Twilio, Vonage, or a SIP trunk separately, adding deployment time.
Limited public review coverage. Thin third-party feedback makes it harder for buyers to assess real-world performance and support quality.
Which use cases fit each
| Use case | Stronger fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Inbound lead qualification and speed-to-lead | ElevenLabs | Bundled telephony and no-code setup reduce time-to-deploy for non-technical teams. |
| Appointment booking for SMBs | ElevenLabs | Pre-built templates and simpler pricing suit smaller teams without engineering resources. |
| After-hours reception | Either | Both handle inbound calls and warm transfer; choice depends on build-model preference. |
| Outbound reminders and confirmations | Vapi | Full API control for campaign logic and custom triggers; ElevenLabs has limited outbound tooling. |
| Outbound sales calling at scale | Vapi | Custom function calling for CRM lookups and real-time call routing; ElevenLabs lacks these features. |
| Customer-support deflection | Either | Both support FAQs and handoff; ElevenLabs is faster to deploy, Vapi offers more customization. |
| High-volume contact-center overflow | Vapi | Bring-your-own telephony and LLM let teams optimize per-minute costs at scale. |
| Developer building a voice product | Vapi | API-first design and full stack control; ElevenLabs is a packaged agent platform, not a developer tool. |
Pick ElevenLabs if you...
- Want a no-code builder that non-technical teams can use without engineering support.
- Prefer bundled telephony and a single per-minute rate that includes LLM, TTS, and STT.
- Need voice cloning or custom voices without integrating a third-party TTS provider.
- Are deploying simpler use cases (appointment booking, FAQs, after-hours reception) and value speed-to-deploy over customization.
Pick Vapi if you...
- Are a developer building a custom voice product and need full control over LLM, TTS, and telephony stack.
- Want to optimize per-minute costs by choosing your own providers and negotiating rates directly.
- Need custom function calling, CRM integrations, or complex call flows that require API access.
- Have engineering resources to configure bring-your-own telephony and manage separate billing for platform, LLM, and carrier.
Note: if the calls you're automating are inbound sales conversations that need to sit alongside an outbound AI SDR in one platform, teams in that position typically also evaluate 11x's Julian.
Verdict
ElevenLabs is the stronger fit for non-technical teams that want a no-code agent builder with bundled telephony and transparent per-minute pricing.
The visual editor, pre-built templates, and voice-cloning capability make it faster to deploy for simpler use cases like appointment booking, after-hours reception, and FAQ deflection. Teams that value speed-to-deploy and a single vendor bill will find ElevenLabs easier to procure and manage. The trade-off is less flexibility: you cannot bring your own LLM, SIP trunk, or custom function-calling logic.
Vapi is the better starting point for developers building custom voice products or teams that need full control over the stack. Bring-your-own LLM, TTS, and telephony let you optimize for cost, latency, or compliance requirements. The SDK-first design and webhook access support complex call flows, CRM integrations, and real-time call control that ElevenLabs' no-code builder cannot match. The trade-off is complexity: you manage separate bills for platform, LLM, TTS, STT, and telephony, and non-technical teams cannot deploy agents without engineering support.
Practical next steps: build the same short test flow on both platforms (a simple inbound FAQ bot or appointment scheduler). Compare the all-in per-minute rate at your expected volume, including LLM, TTS, STT, and telephony costs for Vapi. Confirm compliance documentation (SOC 2, HIPAA BAA if required) directly with each vendor. If your team has no engineering resources and needs to deploy in days, ElevenLabs is faster. If you need custom logic or want to control costs at scale, Vapi is the right tool.
Frequently asked questions
Is ElevenLabs cheaper than Vapi?
ElevenLabs' published per-minute rate ($0.24 on Pro tier overage) includes telephony, LLM, TTS, and STT. Vapi's platform rate is $0.05 per minute, but you pay separately for LLM, TTS, STT, and telephony, which can total $0.20–$0.35 per minute depending on provider choices, based on third-party estimates. At low volume, ElevenLabs is often cheaper because of bundled pricing. At high volume, Vapi may be cheaper if you negotiate direct rates with LLM and telephony providers.
Which is easier to build with if I can't code?
ElevenLabs has a no-code visual builder; non-technical teams can deploy agents using pre-built templates and a drag-and-drop editor. Vapi is API-first and requires code (Python, JavaScript, or Go). If you have no engineering resources, ElevenLabs is the only option. If you have a developer, Vapi offers more customization.
Can I bring my own phone numbers or carrier to each?
Vapi supports bring-your-own telephony via Twilio, Vonage, or any SIP trunk. ElevenLabs uses bundled telephony; you cannot bring your own carrier or SIP trunk, according to vendor documentation. If you need to use an existing carrier contract or specific phone numbers, Vapi is the only fit.
Which handles outbound calling campaigns better?
Vapi offers full API control for outbound campaigns, including custom triggers, CRM lookups, and real-time call routing. ElevenLabs supports outbound calls but has limited campaign tooling, according to vendor documentation. For high-volume outbound sales or reminder campaigns, Vapi is the stronger fit.
Are ElevenLabs and Vapi HIPAA compliant?
Both platforms publish SOC 2 Type II compliance statements. HIPAA compliance depends on whether the vendor will sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) and how the customer deploys the platform. Neither vendor's public documentation confirms HIPAA BAA availability as of October 2026. Teams in healthcare should request BAA terms and compliance documentation directly from each vendor before deploying.
Can either transfer a call to a human?
Yes. Both ElevenLabs and Vapi support warm transfer to a human agent, according to vendor documentation. ElevenLabs handles this via the visual builder; Vapi handles it via API or webhook. The feature is standard on both platforms.
What do users complain about most?
For ElevenLabs, available third-party feedback notes limited customization options for complex call flows and lack of transparency on enterprise pricing. For Vapi, users report that estimating all-in costs is harder than with bundled platforms, because LLM, TTS, STT, and telephony bills arrive separately. Both platforms have thin public review coverage, making it harder to assess recurring complaints.
How does 11x's Julian compare to ElevenLabs and Vapi?
Julian is 11x's AI phone agent for inbound speed-to-lead and qualification, sold as part of the 11x platform alongside Alice (outbound AI SDR). It is a packaged sales agent rather than a general-purpose voice-building platform, so teams building custom voice products typically compare it less directly. Julian is designed for revenue teams that want inbound voice and outbound email in one system, not for developers building voice applications or contact centers automating support calls.
Last updated: October 2026.
