Retell AI vs Thoughtly: Honest Comparison (2026)

Major takeaways

Who should pick Retell AI over Thoughtly? Teams with engineering capacity who need fine-grained control over LLM choice, telephony stack, and voice synthesis, or developers building voice AI into a product.

Who should pick Thoughtly over Retell AI? Operations or contact-centre teams without dedicated developers who need to deploy call automation quickly using visual workflows and pre-built templates.

How do their pricing models differ? Retell AI charges per minute with bring-your-own LLM and telephony costs billed separately; Thoughtly bundles platform access, LLM inference, and telephony into a single per-minute rate with tiered monthly plans.

If you care about X, pick Y

How we evaluated

This comparison draws on vendor documentation from Retell AI's developer docs, Thoughtly's help centre, published pricing pages for both platforms, and third-party review coverage on G2 and TrustRadius. Evaluation criteria included build experience (API vs no-code), telephony architecture, LLM and voice provider options, published pricing structures, compliance statements, and integration ecosystems. No test calls were placed; performance claims are reported as stated by each vendor. Last updated: October 2026.

What each platform does

Retell AI

Retell AI is an API-first voice agent platform for developers building conversational AI into products or custom workflows.

Teams integrate via REST API or WebSocket, configure LLM endpoints (OpenAI, Anthropic, or custom models), select TTS providers (ElevenLabs, Azure, Play.ht), and deploy agents on inbound or outbound calls. The platform handles interruption, turn-taking, and function calling during conversations. Retell AI supports bring-your-own telephony via SIP or Twilio integration.

The vendor states the platform is used by teams building voice products, automating customer support, and running outbound campaigns, though specific customer counts are not publicly disclosed. Deployment requires engineering resources to configure prompts, tools, and telephony routing.

Thoughtly

Thoughtly is a no-code AI voice agent builder designed for operations and contact-centre teams automating inbound reception, appointment booking, lead qualification, and outbound reminders without developer involvement. Users build agents in a visual workflow editor, selecting from pre-built templates for common use cases. The platform bundles LLM inference, text-to-speech, and telephony (including phone numbers) into tiered monthly plans with per-minute pricing.

Thoughtly supports warm transfer to human agents, CRM integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce), and calendar booking. The vendor states the platform is used by healthcare practices, real estate teams, and service businesses, though specific customer counts are not published. Agents can be deployed on inbound calls or configured for outbound campaigns via the dashboard.

Feature comparison

Pricing and cost per minute

Retell AI pricing

Retell AI charges per minute of call time, with LLM inference and telephony billed separately by the customer's chosen providers.

The vendor's pricing page lists a base per-minute rate of $0.10 per minute for platform usage, which includes speech-to-text, turn-taking logic, and function-calling orchestration. Text-to-speech costs depend on the selected provider: ElevenLabs charges approximately $0.18 per 1,000 characters, Azure Cognitive Services charges $0.016 per 1,000 characters, and Play.ht pricing varies by voice model. LLM costs are billed directly by OpenAI, Anthropic, or the customer's model provider; a typical GPT-4 Turbo call might incur $0.02–$0.05 per minute in LLM tokens. Telephony costs (inbound and outbound) are billed by Twilio or the customer's SIP carrier, typically $0.01–$0.02 per minute for US numbers.

Retell AI does not publish minimum spend requirements or contract terms on the pricing page. Enterprise customers requiring HIPAA compliance or dedicated support are directed to contact sales for custom quotes. The all-in per-minute cost depends on the customer's LLM, TTS, and telephony choices, making direct cost comparison difficult without specifying a configuration.

Source: Retell AI pricing page, vendor documentation, third-party provider rate cards as of October 2026.

Thoughtly pricing

Thoughtly publishes tiered monthly plans on its pricing page, bundling platform access, LLM inference, text-to-speech, and telephony into a single per-minute rate.

The Starter plan is listed at $99 per month and includes 200 minutes at $0.25 per minute for additional usage, with support for up to 10 concurrent calls. The Professional plan is listed at $499 per month with 1,000 included minutes, $0.20 per minute for overages, and 50 concurrent calls. The Enterprise plan requires a custom quote and includes dedicated support, HIPAA compliance documentation, and higher concurrency limits (up to 500 concurrent calls as stated by the vendor).

All plans include phone numbers, CRM integrations, call recording, and access to the visual workflow builder. Voice cloning is available on Professional and Enterprise tiers. The vendor does not publish separate line-item costs for LLM, TTS, or telephony; the per-minute rate is all-in. Contract terms are not disclosed on the pricing page; month-to-month billing is implied for Starter and Professional tiers, with annual contracts typical for Enterprise.

Source: Thoughtly pricing page as of October 2026.

What a month of calls might cost

Estimating monthly spend requires multiplying total call minutes by the all-in per-minute rate, then adding platform fees and any overage charges. The formula is:

Monthly cost = (platform fee) + (total minutes × per-minute rate)

For Retell AI, total minutes must be multiplied by the sum of platform fee, LLM cost, TTS cost, and telephony cost, each billed separately. For Thoughtly, the per-minute rate is bundled.

Illustrative example (not a benchmark): A team handling 2,000 inbound qualification calls per month, averaging 3 minutes per call, would consume 6,000 minutes. On Thoughtly's Professional plan, the cost would be $499 (base fee) + 5,000 overage minutes × $0.20 = $1,499 per month. On Retell AI, assuming $0.20 all-in per minute (platform + LLM + TTS + telephony), the cost would be 6,000 × $0.20 = $1,200 per month, with no base platform fee but separate invoices from Retell AI, the LLM provider, the TTS provider, and the telephony carrier.

Readers should replace the assumed call length, call volume, and per-minute rates with their own estimates and request quotes from both vendors for configurations matching their expected usage.

What users say

Public review coverage for both platforms was limited at the time of writing. Developer-focused voice AI platforms often accumulate fewer G2 or Trustpilot reviews than general-purpose SaaS tools, as buyers in this category typically evaluate via proof-of-concept builds rather than review aggregators.

Retell AI user feedback

Available third-party reviews cite Retell AI's low-latency performance and flexibility in LLM and voice provider choice as strengths. Users with engineering teams report that the API-first architecture allows fine-grained control over conversation flow and tool integration.

Recurring concerns include the complexity of initial setup, the need to manage multiple vendor relationships (LLM provider, TTS provider, telephony carrier), and limited documentation for advanced use cases such as multi-turn function calling or custom interruption logic. Some reviewers note that estimating total cost per minute requires tracking usage across multiple billing systems, which adds operational overhead compared to bundled pricing models.

Thoughtly user feedback

Third-party reviews of Thoughtly highlight the speed of deployment and ease of use for non-technical teams.

Users in healthcare, real estate, and service industries report building functional appointment-booking and lead-qualification agents in under an hour using the visual builder and pre-built templates. Recurring criticisms include limited control over LLM behaviour and voice selection compared to API-first platforms, and occasional difficulty customising workflows beyond the provided templates. Some reviewers note that the bundled per-minute pricing simplifies budgeting but may be more expensive than bring-your-own configurations for high-volume use cases.

Strengths and gaps

What Retell AI does well

LLM and voice provider flexibility. Retell AI supports bring-your-own LLM endpoints (OpenAI, Anthropic, custom models) and multiple TTS providers (ElevenLabs, Azure, Play.ht), allowing teams to optimise for cost, latency, or voice quality based on their use case.

Telephony control. The platform supports bring-your-own SIP trunk or Twilio integration, giving teams control over carrier selection, number provisioning, and call routing logic.

Low-latency architecture. The vendor states sub-800ms response times for turn-taking and interruption handling, though independent benchmarks are not publicly available.

Function calling during calls. Retell AI allows developers to configure custom tools (CRM lookups, calendar booking, payment processing) that the agent can invoke mid-conversation via API callbacks.

Where Retell AI has gaps

Retell AI does not ship a no-code builder. Deployment requires SDK integration, prompt engineering, and API configuration; teams without engineering resources cannot deploy agents without external development support.

The all-in per-minute cost depends on the customer's LLM, TTS, and telephony choices, each billed separately, making cost estimation and budget tracking more complex than bundled models.

CRM, calendar, and third-party tool integrations must be built via API; the platform does not ship native connectors for HubSpot, Salesforce, or Calendly.

Some users report that documentation for multi-turn function calling, custom interruption logic, and WebSocket streaming is incomplete or outdated.

What Thoughtly does well

No-code deployment. The visual workflow builder allows non-technical teams to configure call logic, integrations, and routing rules without writing code; pre-built templates for appointment booking, lead qualification, and customer support reduce time to first agent.

Bundled pricing. All-in per-minute rates include platform access, LLM inference, TTS, and telephony, simplifying cost estimation and eliminating the need to manage multiple vendor relationships.

Native CRM and calendar integrations. Thoughtly ships pre-built connectors for HubSpot, Salesforce, and Calendly, allowing agents to book meetings, update contact records, and log call outcomes without custom API work.

Warm transfer to human agents. The platform includes a native transfer node in the workflow builder, allowing agents to escalate calls to live representatives based on configurable triggers (e.g., customer request, sentiment threshold, unresolved query).

Where Thoughtly has gaps

The platform uses vendor-selected models for language understanding and speech synthesis; teams cannot bring their own LLM or TTS provider, limiting optimisation for cost, latency, or voice quality.

Thoughtly provides bundled phone numbers with limited carrier choice; teams cannot bring their own SIP trunk or use a preferred telephony provider.

The bundled per-minute rate (reportedly $0.20–$0.25) may be more expensive than bring-your-own configurations for high-volume use cases, particularly when using lower-cost LLM or TTS providers.

Users report that workflows requiring complex multi-step logic, custom tool integrations, or fine-grained control over conversation flow may exceed the capabilities of the visual builder, requiring migration to an API-first platform.

Which use cases fit each

Pick Retell AI if you...

Have engineering resources to integrate via API and configure LLM, TTS, and telephony providers.

Need fine-grained control over conversation logic, tool integrations, or voice synthesis quality.

Want to optimise per-minute costs by selecting lower-cost LLM or TTS providers for high-volume use cases.

Are building a voice AI product or embedding conversational agents into a custom application.

Pick Thoughtly if you...

Need to deploy call automation without engineering resources or API integration work.

Prefer bundled pricing that includes LLM, TTS, and telephony in a single per-minute rate.

Want pre-built CRM and calendar integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce, Calendly) without custom development.

Are automating common use cases (appointment booking, lead qualification, after-hours reception) where pre-built templates reduce setup time.

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

Retell AI and Thoughtly serve different buyer profiles.

Retell AI is the stronger fit for teams with engineering capacity who need control over LLM choice, telephony stack, and voice synthesis, or developers building voice AI into a product. The API-first architecture allows fine-grained customisation and cost optimisation at scale, but requires SDK integration, prompt engineering, and management of multiple vendor relationships. Teams without dedicated developers will find deployment difficult.

Thoughtly is the better starting point for operations or contact-centre teams automating inbound reception, appointment booking, or outbound reminders without engineering resources. The no-code visual builder, pre-built templates, and native CRM integrations allow non-technical teams to launch agents quickly. Bundled pricing simplifies cost estimation and eliminates the need to coordinate LLM, TTS, and telephony vendors. The trade-off is less control over model selection, voice quality, and telephony routing, and potentially higher per-minute costs at scale compared to bring-your-own configurations.

Neither platform is universally superior. Teams should build the same short test flow on both platforms (e.g., a three-turn appointment-booking conversation), calculate the all-in per-minute cost at their expected volume, and confirm compliance documentation (SOC 2, HIPAA) directly with each vendor before committing to a contract. Teams with engineering capacity and high call volumes will likely find Retell AI's flexibility worth the integration effort. Teams prioritising speed to deployment and simplicity will find Thoughtly's no-code model a better match.

Frequently asked questions

Is Retell AI cheaper than Thoughtly?

It depends on call volume and configuration. Retell AI's base platform fee is reportedly $0.10 per minute, but LLM, TTS, and telephony are billed separately by third-party providers, with all-in costs estimated at $0.16–$0.23 per minute depending on the chosen models. Thoughtly bundles all components into a single per-minute rate of $0.20–$0.25. At high volumes, bring-your-own configurations on Retell AI may be cheaper, but require managing multiple vendor invoices. Teams should request quotes from both vendors for their expected usage.

Which is easier to build with if I can't code?

Thoughtly is easier for non-technical teams. The visual workflow builder allows users to configure call logic, integrations, and routing rules without API integration or prompt engineering. Pre-built templates for appointment booking, lead qualification, and customer support reduce setup time. Retell AI requires SDK integration and custom development; teams without engineering resources cannot deploy agents without external support.

Can I bring my own phone numbers or carrier to each?

Retell AI supports bring-your-own carrier via SIP trunk or Twilio integration, allowing teams to use existing phone numbers and control telephony routing. Thoughtly provides bundled phone numbers with limited carrier choice; bring-your-own SIP trunk is not documented as a supported option. Teams with existing telephony infrastructure or specific carrier requirements should confirm compatibility with each vendor before committing.

Which handles outbound calling campaigns better?

Thoughtly includes a dashboard campaign manager that allows non-technical teams to upload contact lists and schedule outbound calls without API work. Retell AI supports outbound calling via API or webhook triggers, requiring custom development to build campaign logic and contact-list management. For teams without engineering resources, Thoughtly is the simpler option. For teams building custom outbound workflows with dynamic scripting or real-time CRM updates, Retell AI's API-first model offers more flexibility.

Are Retell AI and Thoughtly HIPAA compliant?

Both platforms state SOC 2 Type II compliance on their websites. HIPAA compliance requires a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) and is typically available on enterprise contracts. Retell AI's documentation does not specify HIPAA support on the public pricing page; teams requiring HIPAA should contact sales to confirm BAA availability. Thoughtly's pricing page states that HIPAA compliance is available on the Enterprise plan. Readers should request compliance documentation directly from each vendor and verify that their deployment configuration (call recording, transcript storage, data retention) meets regulatory requirements.

Can either transfer a call to a human?

Both platforms support warm transfer to human agents. Retell AI allows developers to configure transfer logic via function calling, triggering an API callback to an external system (e.g., contact-centre platform, PBX) when the agent determines escalation is needed. Thoughtly includes a native transfer node in the visual workflow builder, allowing users to route calls to live representatives based on configurable triggers (customer request, sentiment threshold, unresolved query). Implementation complexity differs: Thoughtly's no-code transfer is simpler for non-technical teams, while Retell AI's API-based approach allows integration with existing contact-centre platforms.

What do users complain about most?

For Retell AI, recurring criticisms include the complexity of initial setup, the need to manage multiple vendor relationships (LLM provider, TTS provider, telephony carrier), and limited documentation for advanced features such as multi-turn function calling or custom interruption logic. Some users report that estimating total cost per minute requires tracking usage across multiple billing systems. For Thoughtly, users cite limited control over LLM behaviour and voice selection compared to API-first platforms, and difficulty customising workflows beyond the provided templates. Some reviewers note that the bundled per-minute pricing may be more expensive than bring-your-own configurations for high-volume use cases.

How long does it take to deploy each platform?

Thoughtly users in healthcare, real estate, and service industries report building functional appointment-booking and lead-qualification agents in under an hour using the visual builder and pre-built templates. Retell AI deployment time depends on engineering capacity and integration complexity; teams report that initial SDK integration, prompt configuration, and telephony setup typically requires several days to weeks. Teams without dedicated developers cannot deploy Retell AI agents without external development support.

Which platform has better call quality?

Both vendors state sub-second response times for turn-taking and interruption handling, though independent benchmarks are not publicly available. Retell AI allows teams to select TTS providers (ElevenLabs, Azure, Play.ht) based on voice quality preferences; Thoughtly uses vendor-selected models with voice cloning available on higher tiers. Teams should run test calls on both platforms with their expected use case to compare latency, voice naturalness, and interruption handling before committing.

How does 11x's Julian compare to Retell AI and Thoughtly?

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 or automating non-sales use cases (customer support, appointment booking) typically compare it less directly to Retell AI or Thoughtly. Julian is designed for revenue teams who want inbound voice and outbound email in one system, with native CRM integration and unified analytics. Teams automating sales conversations across inbound and outbound channels may evaluate Julian; teams building voice products or automating non-sales workflows typically choose between Retell AI and Thoughtly based on their build experience and telephony requirements.

Last updated: October 2026.