Aircall vs Retell AI: Which Voice Agent Platform is Best?

Aircall and Retell AI both run AI voice agents, but they suit different teams. Aircall is an AI-powered platform for customer conversations: phone numbers, call routing, analytics, and CRM integrations come built in, and the AI Voice Agent switches on inside the phone system your team already uses.

Retell AI is an API-first platform: you pick your own language model, voice, and phone carrier, then build and maintain the setup yourself. Pick Retell if you have developers and want control over every component. Pick Aircall if you run a sales, support, or operations team and want AI answering calls quickly, on one bill.

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What's the difference between Aircall and Retell AI?

The real difference is who does the building.

Retell AI gives developers a voice API and a visual builder. You choose the language model, the voice provider, and the phone carrier, then connect them. For a team building a custom voice app, that control is the point.

Aircall's AI Voice Agent runs on the same platform as your phone numbers, call routing, and CRM integrations. You describe what the agent should do in plain language, connect your knowledge base, and turn it on. There's no carrier to set up and no second vendor to manage.

Aircall vs Retell AI at a glance

What comes included with each platform?

• Phone numbers and calling. Aircall includes phone numbers, its own carrier network, and call routing. With Retell, you either rent numbers at US$2 a month each or connect your own carrier, such as Twilio or Telnyx.

• One platform, one bill. With Aircall, calls, routing, and the AI run in one product under one price. With Retell, the language model, voice, and carrier are separate choices, each with its own cost and settings.

• Handoff to your team. Aircall passes calls from the AI to a person inside your existing routing, with ring groups, warm transfer, whisper, and barge. Retell supports transfers too, set up against whichever carrier you connect.

• AI and human calls in one view. Aircall reports on AI and human calls together, with Live Feed, recordings, and call transcription. Retell reports on the AI calls, while your team's calls sit in a separate system.

How fast can each platform go live?

Setting up Aircall's AI Voice Agent works like writing a brief. You describe what the agent should handle, connect your knowledge base, and it starts taking calls, often the same day.

Retell moves fast for developers, and its drag-and-drop builder helps non-technical users too. The longer work sits around the agent: choosing a model and voice, connecting a carrier, and wiring up analytics and your CRM so you can see the whole call operation.

How deep do the CRM integrations go?

Aircall connects natively with HubSpot, Salesforce, Zendesk, and Shopify, with no-code in-call actions. During a call, the agent can look up a record, update a ticket, and log the outcome. Salesforce support runs from CTI to a dedicated Salesforce Voice integration with omni-channel routing. In total, Aircall offers 250+ integrations.

Retell has a native HubSpot integration and connects to other tools through its API or automation platforms like Make and n8n. For Salesforce, Zendesk, or Shopify, expect some engineering work.

Which handles AI messaging as well as voice?

Aircall runs AI Voice Agents for calls and AI Messaging Agents for SMS and WhatsApp, on the same business numbers. Both can book appointments, look up orders, create tickets, and update your CRM.

Retell is voice first. It offers SMS at US$20 a month plus US$0.01 per message, and chat through a web widget.

How do they compare on outbound calling?

Both platforms handle event-triggered outbound calls, like appointment reminders, callbacks, and lead follow-ups fired from your CRM. Aircall's outbound AI is generally available through the AI Sales Agent.

Retell also offers batch calling, where you upload a contact list and run personalised calls at scale. If high-volume campaigns are your main use case, check the current state of each platform's campaign features before you decide.

Which languages does each support?

Aircall's AI Voice Agent speaks 38 languages, with custom voices, and routes multilingual callers through intent-based call routing. Retell's language coverage depends on the model and voice providers you choose.

Either way, test the agent in the languages your customers actually speak. How it sounds on a real call matters more than a count on a spec sheet.

How does Aircall pricing compare to Retell AI?

Compare what each rate includes, not just the headline number. Aircall prices are in GBP and Retell AI prices in USD, as published in October 2026.

Retell's lowest rate is cheaper per minute, but you pay for and manage the pieces around it. With Aircall, the price you see covers the whole call. For a full breakdown, read our guide to AI voice agent costs. Current Aircall plans are on the pricing page.

Which platform fits your team?

Match the platform to who will own it.

• Pick Retell AI if you have engineers, want to choose your own model and voice, or you're building a custom voice app where that control is worth the setup and upkeep.

• Pick Aircall if you run a sales, support, or operations team and want an AI Voice Agent live quickly, inside your phone system and CRM, with handoff and CRM logging already built in.

For business teams without developers, the managed route is usually faster to launch and cheaper to run. See how the AI Voice Agent works inside Aircall's call centre software, or browse all of Aircall AI.

-> Try Aircall for free

Frequently asked questions

Is Aircall a good Retell AI alternative?

Yes, for teams that want AI call handling without building it. Aircall includes phone numbers, routing, analytics, and CRM integrations, so a sales or support team can run an AI Voice Agent without engineers. Retell suits developers who want to build and control each component.

Does Retell AI include phone numbers?

Not in the per-minute rate. Retell numbers cost US$2 a month each, or you can connect your own carrier, such as Twilio or Telnyx. Aircall includes phone numbers and its carrier network in the platform.

Can I use an AI voice agent without a developer?

With Aircall, yes. You set up the AI Voice Agent in plain language and turn it on inside your existing phone system, no code needed. Retell has a visual builder, but connecting the model, carrier, and integrations around it usually takes technical work.

How much does Retell AI cost compared to Aircall?

Retell AI costs US$0.07 to US$0.31 per minute depending on the model, voice, and carrier, plus monthly fees for numbers, extra concurrency, and knowledge bases. Aircall gives you 50 free minutes a month, then charges £0.22 per minute, dropping to £0.14 at volume. That rate covers calls, routing, the AI, and CRM logging. Compare the total cost of your setup, not the headline rate.

Does Aircall's AI Voice Agent handle outbound calls?

Yes. Aircall's outbound AI handles event-triggered calls, like appointment reminders, follow-ups, and lead outreach fired from your CRM. For high-volume batch campaigns, check the current feature set for your use case.

Which is better for regulated industries like healthcare?

Both are SOC 2 Type II and GDPR compliant. Retell AI also publishes HIPAA compliance and ISO 27001 certification. Aircall supports HIPAA through a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) on request, for teams handling protected health information.