Honest Retell AI Review 2025: Features, Pros & Cons, Pricing, and Comparison

TL;DR
Retell AI is a developer-focused voice agent platform that’s now evolving into a more accessible tool with its new visual agent builder. It’s powerful, flexible, and highly scalable — ideal for engineering teams and enterprises that want full control over AI calling infrastructure.

But for non-technical teams or businesses that want to launch AI agents quickly, Pod stands out as the simpler, faster, and more predictable alternative.

Best for: Engineering-driven teams needing customization, API control, and compliance.
Not for: Teams wanting instant, no-code deployment or simple billing.

Overview

Retell AI is an API-first voice agent platform designed for developers who want fine-grained control over AI phone interactions. It focuses on real-time streaming, flexible integrations, and low-latency telephony.

Retell AI Features

• API-first voice agent platform: Build, deploy, and monitor AI phone agents for inbound and outbound use cases.
• Real-time streaming: Low-latency WebSocket voice streaming, barge-in/interrupt detection, and live context.
• Visual agent builder: Design and adjust conversation flows through an interactive interface.
• BYOC (Bring Your Own Carrier): Integrate Twilio, Telnyx, Vonage, or use Retell’s own telephony stack.
• Premium voices: ElevenLabs, PlayHT, OpenAI voices, 30+ languages, customizable per call.
• Prompt chaining & LLM flexibility: Use GPT-4, Claude 3, or your own LLM; prompt logic and chaining via API.
• Post-call analytics: Transcripts, latency metrics, and summaries.
• Batch outbound & branded caller ID: Bulk dialer and company-branded outbound numbers.
• Compliance: SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR (no ISO 27001 or RBAC yet).
• Calendar booking: Cal.com integration for scheduling.
• Scalable concurrency: 20+ concurrent calls (free), scalable to millions.
• Support: Discord & email for self-serve, dedicated Slack & onboarding for enterprise.

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Pros

• Developer flexibility: True API-first design—custom flows, integrations, and full logic control.
• Visual builder (new): Enables faster setup and flow mapping, even for semi-technical users.
• Usage-based pricing: No platform fees; pay only for minutes, LLM usage, and telephony.
• Premium voice options: ElevenLabs, PlayHT, and OpenAI voices for natural sound.
• Barge-in/interrupt handling: Real-time control for natural conversations.
• High concurrency: Handles large-scale outbound/inbound workloads.
• Compliance-ready: SOC2, HIPAA, and GDPR.
• Integrations: Connect your own telephony, LLMs, and custom webhooks.

Cons

• Still developer-focused: Visual builder helps, but deep control still requires API knowledge.
• Learning curve: SDKs and manual flow testing remain technical.
• Limited no-code UX: No drag-and-drop sandbox comparable to full no-code tools.
• No voice cloning: Only prebuilt premium voices supported.
• Missing some enterprise controls: No ISO 27001, RBAC, or audit logs.
• Tiered support: Discord/email for self-serve; Slack reserved for enterprise.

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Retell AI Pricing (2025)

Retell uses a usage-based pricing model, which is flexible but can lead to fluctuating monthly costs depending on your usage volume and model choices.

• Discounted rates available for >$3K/month usage.
• Self-serve plan for smaller users, enterprise onboarding for large teams.
• No platform fees or forced bundles.

💡 Pro tip: LLM selection and premium voice choice heavily affect monthly costs — test configurations before scaling.

Real-World Cost Example

For a 10,000-minute outbound campaign using ElevenLabs + GPT-4o mini:

• Usage: ~$700–$900
• Telephony: +$150
• Analytics/KB: +$50–$100

Total Estimate: $900–$1,200/month depending on concurrency and model selection.

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Retell AI Usability & Interface

• Developer-first at heart: APIs, SDKs, and manual flow testing remain the primary workflow.
• Visual builder (2025): Retell’s new visual interface allows users to map call logic without code — but setup and fine-tuning still rely on engineering input.
• No complete sandbox: Visual QA and debugging remain manual for now.
• Engineers preferred: Non-technical users may still need dev assistance for production-ready agents.

🧠 Verdict: The visual builder closes the usability gap, but Pod’s full no-code system still leads for rapid deployment and iteration.

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Voice Quality & Latency

• Latency: ~800ms typical — solid but not best in class.
• Interrupt handling: Real-time barge-in supported.
• Voices: ElevenLabs (best), PlayHT, OpenAI — but no cloning/custom voices yet.
• Localization: Requires manual configuration per language.

🎧 Verdict: Excellent voice quality, though slower and less configurable than Pod’s sub-350ms multi-voice setup.

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Developer Capabilities & Integrations

• Full API control: Real-time audio streams, LLM chaining, custom flows, webhooks.
• Batch outbound: Scalable campaign support.
• LLM flexibility: Bring GPT, Claude, or any model.
• Integrations: Telephony (Twilio, SIP), Cal.com, and CRMs via API.
• No native Zapier/n8n layer.

💻 Verdict: Outstanding developer toolkit, but less accessible for non-engineers.

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Security & Compliance

• Certifications: SOC2, HIPAA, GDPR.
• Encryption: In transit and at rest.
• Enterprise features: Dedicated onboarding, support, and uptime SLAs.
• Missing: ISO 27001, RBAC, audit logs, or on-prem hosting.

🔒 Verdict: Good compliance coverage — strong enough for healthcare and enterprise, but Pod adds deeper options like RBAC and self-hosting.

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Customer Support

• Standard: Discord and email.
• Enterprise: Slack channel, onboarding, and account managers.
• No SLA for free users.
• Rapid feature releases (sometimes with breaking changes).

💬 Verdict: Developer-friendly support, but Pod’s dedicated onboarding and live assistance make it easier for business teams to start fast.

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Honest Retell AI Review: The Verdict

Retell AI is a robust, flexible, and enterprise-ready platform for developers building custom AI phone agents. It excels at streaming quality, integration flexibility, and LLM control.

However, Retell’s usability improvements still don’t match the speed and simplicity of a true no-code platform. For teams without dedicated engineers, Retell can feel heavy.

Score: 7.8/10
Best for: Engineering-led teams, complex AI call logic, enterprise integrations.
Not for: Business teams needing no-code speed or transparent pricing.

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Retell AI vs Pod

Here’s how Retell compares directly with Pod, the leading alternative for teams that want no-code simplicity and enterprise scalability.

💡 Takeaway:

Pod delivers enterprise-grade AI calling without the engineering overhead. Its visual builder, faster latency, and transparent pricing make it the smarter choice for teams that need to launch and scale quickly.

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FAQs about Retell AI

How much does Retell AI cost per minute?
Retell AI’s pricing starts around $0.07–$0.08 per minute for premium voices such as ElevenLabs or PlayHT.
You’ll also pay for LLM usage (from $0.006 to $0.50/min depending on model) and telephony (~$0.015/min).
Most small-to-mid teams spend between $900 and $1,200 per month depending on total call volume and chosen voice models.

Does Retell AI have a free plan or trial?
Yes. Retell offers $10 in free credits, which covers about 60 minutes of calls. This lets you test the platform’s latency, audio quality, and API before committing to a paid plan.
There’s no ongoing free tier, but the credits give a solid preview of core features.

Who should use Retell AI?
Retell AI is best for developers and engineering teams that want full control over AI phone agents — from call logic to integrations. It’s ideal for regulated industries or complex workflows that need deep customization.
If you want to build voice agents without coding or setup complexity, Pod AI is a better fit — offering a no-code visual builder, faster latency, and transparent pricing.

Is Retell AI HIPAA compliant?
Yes, along with SOC 2 and GDPR (no ISO 27001 yet).

Can I use my own LLM or telephony provider?
Yes. Retell supports GPT-4, Claude, and BYOC with Twilio, Telnyx, or Vonage.

Does Retell offer voice cloning?
No. You can choose from premium voices but not clone your own yet.

What’s the minimum cost?
Enterprise plans start around $3,000/month; self-serve users can pay per minute.

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Alternatives to Retell AI

If Retell’s API-first approach feels too technical, consider:

• Pod: No-code visual builder, instant deployment, sub-350ms latency, and full compliance.
• Synthflow: Another solid API tool, but lacks Pod’s compliance depth and call performance.
• Dasha: Developer-heavy but powerful for advanced logic.
• Goodcall: Simpler phone agent option for SMBs.
• Aircall / Talkdesk: Traditional CCaaS with limited AI capabilities.