ElevenLabs vs Retell AI
Two of the most-asked-about agents in the voice space. Here's how they actually stack up.
ElevenLabs
AI voice cloning and text-to-speech platform for audiobooks, dubbing, and voice agents
Free + $5/mo
Read full review →Retell AI
Low-latency voice agent platform with emotion-adaptive dialogue for sales and support
From $0.07/mo
Read full review →Side-by-side comparison
| ElevenLabs | Retell AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | AI voice cloning and text-to-speech platform for audiobooks, dubbing, and voice agents | Low-latency voice agent platform with emotion-adaptive dialogue for sales and support |
| Pricing | Free + $5/mo | From $0.07/mo |
| Categories | voice, text-to-speech, conversational-agents | voice-agents, api, sales |
| Made by | ElevenLabs | Retell AI |
| Launched | 2022-08 | 2024-04 |
| Platforms | Web, API, iOS, Android | API, Web, Phone |
| Status | active | active |
ElevenLabs highlights
- + Voice cloning from a 1-minute audio sample with Professional Voice Cloning on Creator and above
- + Text-to-speech across 32 languages with sub-second latency on the Flash model
- + Conversational AI platform for building real-time voice agents with tool calling and memory
- + Dubbing Studio for translating and lip-syncing video content into 29 languages
- + Sound Effects generator for AI-generated audio from text prompts
Retell AI highlights
- + Sub-800ms end-to-end latency from utterance end to first audio byte
- + Emotion-adaptive dialogue that adjusts agent tone based on detected caller sentiment
- + Built-in speech-to-text and text-to-speech with no separate provider configuration needed
- + Phone number provisioning and SIP trunking for inbound and outbound calling
- + Custom LLM support via bring-your-own-endpoint configuration
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, ElevenLabs or Retell AI?
Neither is universally better. ElevenLabs (Free + $5/mo) leans into voice, while Retell AI (From $0.07/mo) is closer to voice-agents. Pick based on which workflow you actually do every day.
What is the price difference between ElevenLabs and Retell AI?
ElevenLabs is free + $5/mo. Retell AI is from $0.07/mo. See the pricing row in the comparison table.
Can I use ElevenLabs and Retell AI together?
In most cases, yes. They serve overlapping but distinct needs, so running them side by side is common until you decide which fits your workflow.