Bland vs Air AI – Which is best?

Bland - a quick overview

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Bland AI, founded in 2023 by Isaiah Granet and Sobhan Nejad in San Francisco, CA, is revolutionizing customer interactions with its AI phone call platform. This innovative technology empowers enterprises to build hyper-educated AI agents that integrate seamlessly into their tech stacks, offering enterprise-grade stability and scalability. Bland AI is trusted by major clients like Sears and Better.com, and is backed by prominent investors.

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Bland AI's platform is designed for large-scale businesses, handling high volumes of calls efficiently. It provides features like advanced NLP and custom-built models for TTS, inference, and transcription. In the following section, we will explore Bland AI's features, pros and cons, pricing, and user reviews, comparing them with other AI solutions like Air AI and Ringly.io to help you decide which platform best fits your business needs.

Bland's features

• AI Voice Agents for Calls
  Bland enables businesses to create AI agents that make and answer phone calls, handling tasks like customer queries, appointment booking, and outbound campaigns. Its speed (sub-second latency) ensures smooth conversations. While this matches Air AI’s programmable calling abilities, Ringly.io stands out by offering e-commerce-specific workflows and deeper integration with store platforms.
• Memory & Context Recall
  Bland’s Memory feature lets agents remember past interactions by phone number or campaign ID—useful for follow-ups in healthcare or sales. This contextual continuity is similar to Air AI but less tailored than Ringly.io’s knowledge base sync, which updates daily from your website for always-current answers.
• Live Function Calling & API Integrations
  Agents can connect to external APIs during calls (e.g., booking appointments live), supporting complex automations. This is powerful for custom workflows but may require technical setup; Ringly.io offers no-code integrations with 7,000+ tools via Zapier/Make.com—making advanced actions accessible even without coding skills.
• Node Library & Reusable Call Flows
  The Node Library allows users to save and reuse call flow components (like collecting names or numbers), speeding up campaign creation. While efficient for developers building at scale, it lacks the plug-and-play templates found in Ringly.io designed specifically for e-commerce use-cases like abandoned cart recovery.
• Inbound Number Setup
  You can assign dedicated inbound numbers so Bland agents handle incoming calls as well as outbound ones—a standard feature also offered by both Air AI and Ringly.io. However, only Ringly.io provides instant setup with free minutes and a focus on customer support scenarios out of the box.
• Call Batching & Campaigns
  Bland supports sending thousands of calls simultaneously—ideal for surveys or mass outreach in sectors like healthcare or finance. While this matches Air AI’s scalability claims, it doesn’t offer specialized e-commerce flows such as order status checks that are native to Ringly.io.
• Custom LLM Fine-Tuning
  Enterprises can fine-tune Bland’s language models using their own call data to match company tone/style—a strong option if you have unique requirements and technical resources. In contrast, Ringly.io delivers high accuracy from day one using your actual content without training overheads.
• Slack & HubSpot Integrations
  Recent updates add Slack notifications (for real-time alerts) and HubSpot CRM integration (logging call outcomes). These help teams stay informed but are more limited compared to the broader app ecosystem supported natively by Ringly.io through Zapier/Make.com connections.
• AI-Powered Call Analysis Tools
  Bland provides detailed post-call analytics—including structured data extraction—to help teams review performance at scale. However, its reporting is less focused on actionable sales insights than what you get from platforms like ours that analyze every call outcome specifically around conversions and customer satisfaction trends.

Pros

• Human-like AI phone agents – Many users appreciate that Bland’s voicebots sound natural, helping improve customer engagement during calls.
• Comprehensive feature set – The platform offers a wide range of telephony features suitable for industries like healthcare, logistics, financial services, and more.
• Scalable solution – Businesses note that Bland can handle both small-scale pilots and larger enterprise deployments without major issues.
• Multi-bot management – Users value the ability to manage multiple bots or campaigns simultaneously within one dashboard.
• Prompt management tools – The platform provides robust prompt management options for customizing agent responses to fit different business needs.

Cons

• Call quality issues & latency – A recurring complaint is noticeable call delays (latency), which can disrupt conversations or even make some calls unusable; this has persisted despite ongoing feedback since 2023.
• Expensive pricing model – Several reviewers mention that costs add up quickly (e.g., $0.09/minute), making it less accessible for startups or high-volume operations; pricing transparency is also a concern.
• Steep learning curve & complexity – Setting up advanced features often requires developer support; no-code options are limited mainly to Zapier integrations rather than being built-in natively—this makes onboarding harder for nontechnical teams or early-stage companies.
• Opaque data practices & third-party dependencies – Some users express concerns about unclear server locations as well as reliance on third-party integrations for certain functionalities (which may impact reliability).
• Customer support delays during peak times – There are reports of slow response times from customer service when demand is high, leading to frustration if urgent help is needed.

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Air AI - a quick overview

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Air AI, founded in 2022 by Caleb Maddix and Ryan O'Donnel in Phoenix, Arizona, is a pioneering company in conversational AI. It specializes in creating AI voice agents that engage in extended, human-like conversations, making it a leader in sales and customer service automation. Air AI's technology can interact across over 5,000 applications, providing businesses with a powerful tool for scaling operations and enhancing customer engagement.

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Air AI's innovative approach has garnered positive reviews for its ability to help businesses grow by automating tasks and maintaining high customer service standards. In the following section, we will explore Air AI's features, pros and cons, pricing, and user reviews, comparing them with other platforms like Bland and Ringly.io to help you decide which solution best fits your business needs.

Air AI's features

• Infinite Memory – Air AI remembers every customer interaction, allowing it to reference past conversations and provide highly personalized support. This is especially valuable for businesses aiming to build long-term relationships and deliver tailored solutions. Unlike Bland, which also offers memory but mainly for organizing outbound campaigns, Air AI’s memory is designed for both inbound and outbound use cases, making it more versatile. Ringly.io matches this with real-time knowledge base updates but goes further by integrating your actual business content directly into calls.
• Natural Language Understanding (NLU) – With advanced NLU capabilities, Air AI accurately interprets complex queries, slang, or industry jargon. This ensures customers get relevant answers regardless of how they phrase their questions. While Bland supports flexible conversational pathways, its focus is on structured call flows rather than deep language comprehension. Ringly.io similarly leverages robust NLU but stands out by grounding responses in your own documentation—reducing the risk of inaccurate or generic replies.
• Multi-Channel Support – Air AI can interact with customers across various channels (phone, SMS, chat), providing a seamless experience no matter where the conversation starts. This flexibility benefits businesses looking to unify communications under one platform. Bland primarily focuses on phone calls with some SMS capability, while Ringly.io emphasizes phone and SMS integration specifically optimized for e-commerce workflows.
• Autonomous Actions & Integrations – The platform autonomously performs tasks like booking appointments or updating records during live calls by integrating with over 5,000 applications. This streamlines operations without manual intervention—a strength shared by both competitors; however, Ringly.io’s custom actions are purpose-built for e-commerce (like cart recovery and order status checks) and connect easily via Zapier/Make.com without coding.
• Realistic Human-Like Conversations – Leveraging advanced natural language processing (NLP), Air AI delivers conversations that closely mimic human agents in tone and flow—improving customer satisfaction during routine interactions. Bland also prioritizes voice realism but may lag behind in emotional nuance according to user feedback. Ringly.io provides customizable voices plus context-aware responses grounded in your brand’s style.
• Analytics & Insights – Detailed analytics dashboards let you track call outcomes, caller sentiment, conversion rates, and more—helping teams optimize performance over time. While all three platforms offer analytics tools (Bland includes post-call analysis; Ringly.io adds mood tracking and actionable suggestions), only Ringly.io ties insights directly back to sales impact through features like abandoned cart recovery analysis.
• Scalability & 24/7 Availability – Designed for high-volume environments, Air AI handles multiple simultaneous calls at any hour—ideal for growing businesses needing round-the-clock coverage without increasing headcount. Both competitors offer similar scalability; however, setup complexity can be higher on Air AI compared to the quick-start simplicity found in others.

Pros

• Human-like AI phone agents – Many users appreciate that Bland’s voicebots sound natural, helping improve customer engagement during calls.
• Comprehensive feature set – The platform offers a wide range of telephony features suitable for industries like healthcare, logistics, financial services, and more.
• Scalable solution – Businesses note that Bland can handle both small-scale pilots and larger enterprise deployments without major issues.
• Multi-bot management – Users value the ability to manage multiple bots or campaigns simultaneously within one dashboard.
• Prompt management tools – The platform provides robust prompt management options for customizing agent responses to fit different business needs.

Cons

• Call quality issues & latency – A recurring complaint is noticeable call delays (latency), which can disrupt conversations or even make some calls unusable; this has persisted despite ongoing feedback since 2023.
• Expensive pricing model – Several reviewers mention that costs add up quickly (e.g., $0.09/minute), making it less accessible for startups or high-volume operations; pricing transparency is also a concern.
• Steep learning curve & complexity – Setting up advanced features often requires developer support; no-code options are limited mainly to Zapier integrations rather than being built-in natively—this makes onboarding harder for nontechnical teams or early-stage companies.
• Opaque data practices & third-party dependencies – Some users express concerns about unclear server locations as well as reliance on third-party integrations for certain functionalities (which may impact reliability).
• Customer support delays during peak times – There are reports of slow response times from customer service when demand is high, leading to frustration if urgent help is needed.

Pricing - Bland vs Air AI

Note: The pricing information below is accurate at the time of writing and may be subject to change. For the most up-to-date pricing, please visit each company's pricing page.

Bland pricing

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Air AI pricing

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Ringly.io pricing

Ringly.io delivers the perfect balance of affordability and features. Unlike competitors who force you into expensive tiers, Ringly.io includes all core features even in its free plan. The simple, transparent pricing scales based on your actual usage, with no surprise fees.

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Online customer reviews: Bland vs Air AI

Bland

"Extremely impressed"
Casper Boutens (Reviewer)
Extremely impressed by Bland, the team is improving their product every week, they offer great support and all by all great phone calls made by their AI...

"Doesn't work at all"
Albert Salgueda (Reviewer)
Doesn't work at all. I call and it doesn't speak, it gets interrupted... still not there...

"If I could give 0 stars I would... WORST I've ever seen in my life!"
Thiana mambru (Reviewer)
Poor customer service according to multiple users.

"Still a poor product. Unresponsive and not helpful customer support"
luolly Sanfilippo (Reviewer)
More feedback pointing to unresponsive support.

"Can’t really recommend it... far from what you have heard in the demo"
Timo Brug (Reviewer)
Disappointing real-world performance compared to demos.

Air AI

After an extensive search across G2, Capterra, Product Hunt, Trustpilot, and other review aggregators, there are currently no online reviews available for Air AI on any major platform.

There are no online reviews available so people should be careful.

In summary:

Bland: Has mixed to negative feedback with specific praise for innovation but repeated criticism of reliability and customer service.

Air AI: No verifiable user feedback exists yet; prospective buyers should proceed cautiously due to this lack of transparency.

What users are saying about Ringly.io:

Ringly.io is known for its simplicity, and a focus on e-commerce, with features like abandoned cart recovery and order status lookups. It has a 4.8 star rating from 12 reviews on Product Hunt and other platforms.

"it stands out significantly ahead" - Bertrand, Director. We are at the initial stage of testing and have made only a few calls so far. Consequently, I have rated the product with four stars for now. However, I must express that the product has shown significant promise. When compared to competitors, it stands out significantly ahead.

"This is such a great product" - Jim Miranda, Founder. This is such a great product. I have been with you for less than a week and already closed 3 deals with it."

"It really sounds like a human" - Laix, Founder. Tried Ringly.io today and the quality of the phone calls surprises me! It really sounds like a human, and it reacts really fast. Will need to deploy it in action to see the full capabilities.

"How to automate customer service? -> Ringly.io" - Sidra Husnain, Founder.

Bland vs Air AI: Which is best for you?

Who Bland is best for…

• Large organizations with in-house dev teams – If you have technical staff who can handle complex setup and custom integrations, Bland’s feature set and scale potential can be powerful.
• Enterprise sales and outreach teams – Bland is good for massive call campaigns where speed and call batching matter more than personalization or specific business context.
• Industries like healthcare and finance – It suits structured call flows, appointment booking, and survey-type interactions common in these fields.
• Teams prioritizing API flexibility – If your business needs live function calling mid-call and deep API access, Bland offers robust options for control—though you’ll need developer help.

Who Air AI is best for…

• Sales-driven businesses focused on long conversations – Air AI shines in handling natural, in-depth chats, making it useful for lead qualification, B2B outreach, and client onboarding.
• Tech-savvy teams seeking omnichannel AI – Air AI supports chat, SMS, phone, and more, perfect for businesses managing communication across multiple touchpoints.
• Companies with larger budgets – With prices up to $0.32/minute and a high one-time license fee, it’s aimed more at mid-to-large companies with money to invest upfront.
• Internal training or roleplay use-cases – Its API outbound roleplay is unique, helping teams simulate customer scenarios for training or virtual agents.

Who Ringly.io is best for…

• Businesses of any size, especially e-commerce – Whether you’re a startup or a large online store, Ringly.io comes ready to help with support, abandoned cart recovery, and more—all optimized for e-commerce workflows.
• Non-technical teams who want quick results – Ringly.io offers no-code setup, built-in templates, and free minutes to test right away—no devs or integrations required to get started.
• Teams that want clarity and fairness in pricing – With usage-based pricing, a generous free plan, and a clear refund policy, Ringly.io makes sure you pay only for what you use—no hidden fees.
• Anyone wanting all-in-one simplicity – Ringly.io doesn’t leave anything behind a paywall. From setup to insights, everything’s included from day one to help you deliver better service, automatically.

In short: Bland works best for teams that need full control and have the resources to manage it. Air AI is great if you're after deep, realistic conversations and multichannel reach—but it comes at a price. Ringly.io is the easiest to start with, the most affordable, and built specifically for real business outcomes—especially for e-commerce. That’s why it’s often the go-to choice for brands that want to grow faster, serve better, and automate smarter—without needing a developer just to get started.

Why Ringly.io is a Better Choice

Highly Rated: 4.8/5

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Founded in 2024 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, by Maurizio Isendoorn and Ruben Boonzaaijer, Ringly.io is revolutionizing e-commerce customer service with AI phone agents.Designed for online businesses, Ringly handles customer calls on autopilot—solving support issues, recovering abandoned carts, and even boosting sales—at just 20% of the cost of human agents.‍

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With 1,300+ customers, Ringly.io is the go-to solution for e-commerce stores looking to scale without scaling their support team. With award-winning technology (BubbleCon 2024's "Most Innovative App"), Ringly.io transforms your phone system into a revenue-driving powerhouse—without the headaches of traditional call centers.‍

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Features that make Ringly.io the #1 alternative to Bland and Air AI:

No-code setup, instant results – Ringly.io is ready to go in minutes. Just add your website, docs, or text—no engineering required—and your AI phone agent instantly understands your business. It even updates automatically as your website changes.‍‍‍

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AI-powered sales & support – Ringly.io does both inbound and outbound calls. Recover 35%+ of abandoned carts with automated follow-up calls, provide real-time order tracking from Shopify, and convert more customers with personalized AI-driven conversations—not just reactive support.‍‍

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Advanced analytics for smarter decisions – Ringly.io gives you real-time call data, customer intent tracking, and performance reports—helping you optimize support and sales strategies.‍‍‍

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Scalable pricing without enterprise contracts – Ringly.io offers transparent, scalable pricing—pay for what you use, no locked-in contracts.‍

Conclusion: Which AI Call Platform is Right for You?

There’s no doubt all three platforms—Bland, Air AI, and Ringly.io—bring unique strengths to the table. But which one is best for your business depends on what you need today, and how fast you want to move.

If you’re building complex internal systems and have a whole dev team ready to customize functionality, you might lean toward Bland. If your goal is hyper-personalized, human-like sales conversations and you're okay with higher costs, Air AI could be a fit.

But if you're a growing business (especially in e-commerce) that wants results fast, without a steep learning curve or bloated price tag—Ringly.io is the smart choice.

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Key Takeaways

• Bland is built for large-scale enterprises with technical teams. Great for outbound campaigns and control, but has a much higher setup barrier and ongoing support concerns.
• Air AI is a powerful platform for long, human-like engagements—especially in sales—but its pricing and lack of independent reviews make it riskier for early adopters.
• Ringly.io offers the best of both worlds: instant setup, built-in smart workflows, and real-world results like abandoned cart recovery—all with honest pricing and rave reviews.

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So who wins? All three tools have their strengths—but if you're looking for real impact, fast onboarding, and long-term scalability without the complexity, Ringly.io quietly leads the pack.

That’s why hundreds of e-commerce teams rely on it every day—and why Ringly.io is quickly becoming the go-to voice for businesses who are ready to grow smarter.

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Want to compare other players in the market? Check out our other comparisons:

• Air AI alternatives
• Bland AI alternatives