<!-- Canonical: https://www.agentlist.io/compare/vapi-vs-retell -->

# [VapiVapi · voice-agent](https://www.agentlist.io/systems/vapi)vs[Retell AIRetell AI · voice-agent](https://www.agentlist.io/systems/retell)

The two leading developer platforms for phone agents. Vapi maximizes stack flexibility (swap STT/LLM/TTS per call); Retell emphasizes production call quality — latency, interruptions, transfers — with both API and no-code paths.

agentlist.io · spec diff · verified 2026-09-25 — list prices only, not benchmarks

SEC.01

## Spec diff

VapiRetell AI

vendorVapiRetell AI

categoryvoice-agentvoice-agent

interfacesapi · voiceapi · voice

hostingcloudcloud

pricingUsage-based: ~$0.05/min platform fee + model/telephony costsUsage-based (~$0.07+/min); enterprise plans

statusactively maintainedactively maintained

SEC.02

## Pick which

pick Vapi if

You want maximum control over each layer of the voice stack and provider-by-provider cost tuning.

pick Retell AI if

You want conversational polish out of the box and a no-code path alongside the API.

watch out

Headline per-minute rates are only the platform fee — model the full stack (telephony, STT, LLM, TTS) at your real call volume.

SEC.03

## Feature notes

-   Vapi
-   01API-first voice orchestration
-   02Bring-your-own models
-   03Sub-second latency stack
-   04Inbound + outbound calls
-   05Tools/function calling mid-call
-   06Telephony included or BYO

-   Retell AI
-   01API + no-code builder
-   02Barge-in/interruption handling
-   03Warm transfer + telephony
-   04Post-call analytics
-   05Multilingual voices
-   06Compliance options

FAQ

## Frequently asked

### Vapi or Retell AI — which should I pick?

The two leading developer platforms for phone agents. Vapi maximizes stack flexibility (swap STT/LLM/TTS per call); Retell emphasizes production call quality — latency, interruptions, transfers — with both API and no-code paths. Pick Vapi if: You want maximum control over each layer of the voice stack and provider-by-provider cost tuning. Pick Retell AI if: You want conversational polish out of the box and a no-code path alongside the API.

### Is Vapi or Retell AI cheaper?

Vapi: Usage-based: ~$0.05/min platform fee + model/telephony costs. Retell AI: Usage-based (~$0.07+/min); enterprise plans. List prices as of 2026-09-25; usage pools and seat terms change the real cost.

### Does Vapi or Retell AI run locally?

Vapi hosting: cloud. Retell AI hosting: cloud. Interfaces differ too: Vapi exposes api/voice, Retell AI exposes api/voice.

### Are Vapi and Retell AI still maintained?

Vapi: actively maintained. Retell AI: actively maintained. Statuses are re-verified each catalog refresh (2026-09-25); see the changelog for the full history.

ALT

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A

## Vapi

Vapi is the developer platform for voice agents: API-first orchestration of STT, LLM, TTS, and telephony so you can put an agent on a phone number in minutes — and swap every layer.

[full spec sheet →](https://www.agentlist.io/systems/vapi)

-   [↗ vapi.ai](https://vapi.ai/)
-   [↗ docs.vapi.ai](https://docs.vapi.ai/)
-   [↗ vapi.ai/pricing](https://vapi.ai/pricing)

B

## Retell AI

Retell AI is a voice-agent platform focused on production call quality: fine-grained latency tuning, interruption handling, and both API and no-code agent building for phone agents.

[full spec sheet →](https://www.agentlist.io/systems/retell)

-   [↗ retellai.com](https://www.retellai.com/)

SRC

## Data

Fields come from the seed catalog, re-verified 2026-09-25. This page compares recorded specs — it does not rank performance. See the [changelog](https://www.agentlist.io/changelog) or the [JSON feed](https://www.agentlist.io/api/v1/systems).

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Source: [Vapi vs Retell AI: spec comparison | agentlist.io](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/vapi-vs-retell). This is the public page rendered as Markdown; interactive controls require the website.