AI voice agent pricing, compared honestly
AI calling prices are hard to compare because vendors price different things: some quote an all-in per-minute rate, some quote a platform rate with model costs passed through, some sell monthly plans with per-action credits, and some don't publish numbers at all. This page puts the published figures side by side — every number below comes from the vendor's own pricing page, verified on August 9, 2026.
Competitor pricing and plan details verified from each vendor's public website on August 9, 2026. Vendor pricing may change — always confirm on their sites.
| Vendor | Published pricing | Platform fee | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leadialer | $0.10/min all-in; $0.008/SMS segment | None | None — prepaid, $500 minimum top-up |
| Vapi | $0.05/min platform + model costs at cost ($0 with your own API keys); SMS $0.005/msg | None on Build | Build usage-based; Scale annual contract |
| Retell AI | $0.07–$0.31/min by components; example config $0.115/min | None | None on pay-as-you-go |
| Bland AI | $0.14/min (Start), $0.12/min, $0.11/min by tier; transfers $0.05–$0.03/min extra | $0 / $299/mo / $499/mo by tier | Enterprise contracted to volume |
| Structurely | $0.08/action credit (Team), $0.06 (Company) | $499/mo or $999/mo | TODO: not published on pricing page |
| Synthflow | Not published — scoped per contract | Included in contract | Enterprise contracts from $30,000/year |
The four pricing models you're actually choosing between
- All-in per-minute (Leadialer): one rate covers AI, transcription, voice, and telephony. Predictable; no configuration.
- Platform + passthrough (Vapi): a low platform rate plus the raw model costs. Your all-in price depends entirely on model choices.
- Component menu (Retell, Bland): per-minute rates assembled from voice infra, LLM, TTS, and add-ons — or flat talk rates with tiered platform fees.
- Plan + credits (Structurely, Synthflow, Smith.ai): monthly fees with per-action, per-call, or contract-scoped usage.
How to compute your real cost
Take your expected monthly talk minutes, multiply by the true all-in per-minute rate (platform + every passthrough + required add-ons), then add monthly fees divided into the same month. A $0.05/min headline with $0.06/min of model passthroughs costs more than a $0.10/min all-in rate; a $299 platform fee adds $0.06/min at 5,000 minutes but $0.60/min at 500. Volume changes the winner — run your own numbers.
Where Leadialer sits, stated plainly
Leadialer charges $0.10 per minute, all-in, and $0.008 per SMS segment, from a prepaid balance with a $500 minimum top-up. No platform fee, no contract, no passthroughs, and calling pauses at zero — you're never auto-charged. That structure is best for teams that want predictable cost per conversation without managing a component stack; a carefully-configured platform can beat it at the low end if you run the cheapest models and your own API keys.
Frequently asked questions
What does an AI voice agent cost per minute in 2026?
Published rates from vendors' own sites range from $0.05/min (Vapi's platform rate, before model passthroughs) to $0.31/min (top of Retell's component range), with Leadialer flat at $0.10/min all-in. Plan-based vendors price per action or per call instead (all verified August 9, 2026).
Why do some vendors not publish per-minute rates?
Enterprise-scoped vendors price per contract. Synthflow's page, for example, lists a $30,000/year starting point with final pricing scoped to volume, concurrency, telephony, and support needs.
What hidden costs should I check for?
Model/LLM passthroughs, per-minute add-ons (denoising, knowledge bases), transfer-minute rates, per-line concurrency fees, compliance add-ons, and monthly platform fees. Ask every vendor: "what is my total cost for one 2-minute call, including everything?"
Is prepaid better than a monthly plan?
Prepaid means cost scales with usage and stops at zero — good for variable calling volume. Monthly plans can win at consistently high volume if the bundled usage is priced below the metered equivalent. Leadialer is prepaid with a $500 minimum; the balance never auto-refills.
Detailed head-to-heads
Hear Leadialer before you compare further
Real recorded seller calls are on the demo page — negotiation, screener handling, and booking.