Picking between Elevenlabs Conversational AI and Retell?
Let’s face it—sorting through endless features, confusing pricing, and mixed reviews can make your head spin. But deciding on the right tool shouldn’t be this stressful. By the end of this article, you’ll be able to choose with confidence and finally put your search to rest.
Key features and what sets them apart
Pricing—what you really get for your money
User reviews and real experiences
Who each tool is best for
And—best of all—a BETTER alternative you'll want to check out!
Ready to finally settle the Elevenlabs vs. Retell debate? Let’s dive in!
Why Ringly.io is the better choice ; )
Built for e-commerce
With experience in both AI and e-commerce, we set out become the best AI phone agent platform for online stores.
Stupid-simple user interface
Super easy to work with, and you can set up things even if you're not tech savvy. If you create a free account you can see it for yourself though!
Quick and easy setup
Pre-built AI phone agents and will have your online store automated in minutes- not hours.
Elevenlabs Conversational AI vs Retell – TL;DR
Product Area
ElevenLabs
Retell
Ringly.io
Voice Quality & Latency
Top-tier, super realistic, fast
Realistic, fast, smooth conversation
Very human, quick, business-tuned
Deployment & Ease of Use
Developer-friendly, quick via API
Low-code, pre-built templates
No-code, instant, ecom focused
Customizability & LLM Choice
Fully flexible, use any LLM
Flexible, supports many LLMs
Uses content/website, automatic sync
Sales & E-commerce Tools
Basic calls, outbound dialers
Manual setup for sales flows
Cart recovery, order tracking, upsell
Knowledge Base Integration
Manual updates, multi-source
Custom KBs, add manually
Instant, auto-updates from website
Pricing & Contracts
Tiered, can get expensive
Pay per minute, volume discounts
Transparent, pay-as-you-go, no contracts
User Reviews & Support
4.8/5, praised, slow support
No public reviews
4.8/5, live help, money-back
Elevenlabs Conversational AI - a quick overview
Founded in New York City in 2022 by Piotr Dąbkowski and Mati Staniszewski, ElevenLabs is a pioneering AI audio company specializing in conversational voice agents and ultra-realistic speech synthesis. With over one million users, ElevenLabs empowers businesses, developers, publishers, and creators to deploy lifelike AI voice agents that can handle thousands of calls per day across 31 languages. Their platform features advanced speech-to-text transcription, low-latency text-to-speech with over 5,000 voices, dynamic prompting for real-time personalization, interruption detection for natural conversations, and seamless integration with leading large language models.
ElevenLabs’ technology is trusted by major publishers like The New Yorker and The Washington Post as well as gaming studios worldwide. Recognized for its innovation by the open-source community on Hugging Face and widely praised for delivering some of the most human-like synthetic voices available today[6][10], ElevenLabs continues to set new standards in conversational AI. In the following section we’ll compare ElevenLabs’ features, pros/cons, pricing, and user reviews against Retell and Ringly.io.
Elevenlabs Conversational AI's features
Ultra-Low Latency, Human-Like Voice Interactions Elevenlabs delivers real-time, natural conversations with ultra-low latency and over 5,000 voices in 31 languages. This makes it ideal for businesses needing fast, lifelike voice agents across web, mobile, or telephony. While Retell also offers natural-sounding AI voices and Ringly.io supports customizable voices for phone agents, Elevenlabs stands out for its sheer variety and speed[1][2][3].
Flexible LLM Integration & Customization You can choose from top language models like Gemini, Claude, OpenAI—or bring your own—giving developers control over conversation quality. This flexibility is great for advanced use-cases or custom logic. Retell focuses more on ready-to-use integrations; Ringly.io’s strength lies in no-code setup that works instantly with your business content[2][3][4].
Turn-Taking & Interruption Handling Elevenlabs’ proprietary system manages conversational flow by detecting when a speaker finishes or interrupts—making interactions feel genuinely human even in noisy environments. Retell offers robust dialogue management but may not match this level of nuance; Ringly.io’s call handling is optimized around customer support flows rather than open-ended conversation[1][2][3].
Rapid Deployment & Developer Toolkits Agents can be deployed within minutes using SDKs (React, Javascript, Python, Swift) or APIs—ideal for teams wanting to build custom solutions quickly without months of development time. Retell provides similar developer tools but often requires more setup; Ringly.io emphasizes instant deployment with pre-built templates tailored to e-commerce needs[1][2][3].
Scalability & Enterprise Readiness The platform scales seamlessly to thousands of calls per day and includes enterprise features like SLAs, priority support, unlimited seats and volume discounts—suited for large organizations needing reliability at scale. While Retell supports high call volumes too (with analytics), Ringly.io shines in e-commerce automation rather than broad enterprise deployments[1][2].
Knowledge Base Integration Elevenlabs allows you to connect knowledge bases so agents answer questions based on up-to-date information—a must-have for accurate customer support. However, updating knowledge sources may require manual intervention compared to the automatic daily sync offered by Ringly.io’s phone agent which always stays current without retraining[4].
Omnichannel Voice Support Add voice capabilities across web apps (chatbots), mobile apps or traditional telephony systems via native Twilio integration—a flexible approach that fits diverse business needs. Both competitors offer multi-channel options; however Ringly.io specializes in phone-based automations tightly integrated with commerce platforms.
Outbound Sales Dialers & Appointment Scheduling Build outbound sales dialers that qualify leads at scale and schedule appointments through natural conversations—helpful for sales teams seeking automation beyond basic chatbots. Retell also enables appointment scheduling via AI calls; however only Ringly.io leverages abandoned cart recovery calls proven effective at boosting online store conversions.
In summary: Elevenlabs excels at developer flexibility and lifelike conversational experiences across channels—but lacks some specialized automations (like real-time order status checks or abandoned cart recovery) that are built into platforms like ours designed specifically around e-commerce pain points.[7]
Pros
Incredibly realistic, human-like voices – Users consistently praise the naturalness, emotional expressiveness, and high quality of generated speech. Many say it’s almost indistinguishable from a real person.
Advanced voice cloning – The platform can accurately clone voices with minimal audio samples (though longer samples improve results), making it popular for personalized content creation.
Easy to use interface – Most reviewers highlight how simple it is to get started with ElevenLabs; even non-technical users find the controls intuitive.
Multilingual support – With over 30 languages supported (and many accents), creators can reach global audiences easily.
Time-saving workflow & fast generation – Content creators appreciate how quickly they can generate professional-quality audio compared to manual recording or other tools; API integrations streamline production further.
Customizable personalities & character building – You’re able to create unique conversational agents with distinct personalities that maintain consistency throughout interactions.
Responsive customer support (via email) – While there’s no live chat, most users report helpful responses within 24 hours when issues arise.
Cons
Pricing concerns for heavy use or small teams – While some find business pricing fair compared to custom solutions, many note that credits are consumed quickly on larger projects or frequent edits. Unused credits don’t roll over month-to-month. For high-volume needs or startups on a budget, costs add up fast compared to some competitors.
Editing inefficiency eats up credits – Even minor changes (like fixing a single word) often require re-rendering entire sections of audio—using more credits than expected and potentially exhausting monthly limits prematurely. Ringly.io’s granular editing avoids this pitfall.
Limited preset voice options & diversity gaps – Although quality is strong overall, some users wish for more built-in voice styles/accents out-of-the-box without needing custom workarounds or extra training data. Ringly.io offers broader preset variety.
Occasional technical glitches & pronunciation quirks – A minority report failed exports or inconsistent pronunciations that require manual correction; getting certain words right may take trial-and-error in scripts/pronunciation guides. Ringly.io’s QA process helps minimize these issues.
No live customer support/chat option – Support is only available via email/tickets; urgent problems may slow down workflows if immediate help is needed during critical launches or troubleshooting sessions. Ringly.io provides faster direct assistance.
Founded in 2023 and headquartered in Saratoga, California, Retell AI is a cutting-edge company specializing in AI-powered voice agents that transform contact center operations. Its platform enables businesses to build human-like conversational phone agents using large language models (LLMs) combined with advanced speech technology for seamless, natural interactions.
Retell AI serves contact centers and small to medium-sized businesses handling high call volumes, such as telehealth providers. Key features include low-latency response times averaging 800ms, smart turn-taking for smooth conversations, easy integration with custom or open LLMs like Meta’s Llama 3, and low-code tools for building tailored voice experiences.
In the following section, we’ll explore Retell AI’s features, pros and cons, pricing models, and user reviews compared to Elevenlabs Conversational AI and Ringly.io to help you understand how these platforms stack up against each other.
Retell's features
Human-like Voice Interactions Retell’s AI agents deliver near real-time, natural conversations with advanced turn-taking and interruption handling, responding in as little as 800ms. This makes customer interactions feel smooth and authentic—on par with Elevenlabs’ low-latency conversational flow[6][10]. However, while both platforms excel at lifelike dialogue, Ringly.io takes it further by layering business-specific expertise and actionable workflows directly into calls.
Flexible AI Integration You can build voice agents using your preferred language models (like GPT or Claude), giving you freedom to tailor the intelligence behind your agent[6]. This flexibility matches Elevenlabs’ support for multiple LLMs[2], but Ringly.io stands out by combining this flexibility with deep e-commerce integrations and instant knowledge updates from your own content.
Comprehensive Agent Building Retell offers pre-built templates, stateful multi-prompt agents that remember context across turns, and tool calls for executing tasks during conversations[10]. These features help businesses automate complex workflows much like Elevenlabs. Still, Ringly.io differentiates itself by offering ready-to-use automations specifically designed for sales recovery and order management—areas where Retell requires more manual setup.
Multi-platform Deployment Deploy Retell’s voice agents across web apps, mobile platforms, or telephony services like Twilio and Vonage[6][10]. This broad compatibility is similar to what you get with Elevenlabs. In contrast, Ringly.io focuses on seamless integration with major e-commerce systems (Shopify/WooCommerce) out of the box—making it a faster fit for online retailers looking to automate phone support without technical hurdles.
Advanced Monitoring & Analytics Retell provides post-call analysis including sentiment tracking, task completion status, latency monitoring, and call summaries[6][10]. While this is comparable to analytics from both Elevenlabs Conversational AI and Ringly.io’s dashboard insights feature set[7], only Ringly.io translates these analytics into actionable suggestions that directly improve sales outcomes or customer satisfaction in real time.
Pre-built Templates & Rapid Prototyping With a library of templates for common use cases (customer service bots or appointment schedulers), Retell helps teams launch prototypes quickly without starting from scratch[10]. While this speeds up development compared to building custom flows on other platforms like Elevenlabs—which also offers SDKs—Ringly.io goes further by providing industry-specific templates optimized for immediate revenue impact (like abandoned cart recovery).
Real-time Data Privacy & Security Compliance Retell ensures HIPAA compliance so sensitive data stays protected—a must-have in regulated industries like healthcare or finance[10]. While security is a baseline expectation across all leading providers including Elevenlabs Conversational AI,[9] businesses focused on retail may find more value in how Ringly.io prioritizes secure integrations specifically tailored to commerce operations rather than general compliance frameworks.
In summary: Retell delivers robust human-like voice automation tools suitabl
Pros and Cons of Elevenlabs Conversational AI
Incredibly realistic, human-like voices – Users consistently praise the naturalness, emotional expressiveness, and high quality of generated speech. Many say it’s almost indistinguishable from a real person.
Advanced voice cloning – The platform can accurately clone voices with minimal audio samples (though longer samples improve results), making it popular for personalized content creation.
Easy to use interface – Most reviewers highlight how simple it is to get started with ElevenLabs; even non-technical users find the controls intuitive.
Multilingual support – With over 30 languages supported (and many accents), creators can reach global audiences easily.
Time-saving workflow & fast generation – Content creators appreciate how quickly they can generate professional-quality audio compared to manual recording or other tools; API integrations streamline production further.
Customizable personalities & character building – You’re able to create unique conversational agents with distinct personalities that maintain consistency throughout interactions.
Responsive customer support (via email) – While there’s no live chat, most users report helpful responses within 24 hours when issues arise.
Cons of Elevenlabs Conversational AI
Pricing concerns for heavy use or small teams – While some find business pricing fair compared to custom solutions, many note that credits are consumed quickly on larger projects or frequent edits. Unused credits don’t roll over month-to-month. For high-volume needs or startups on a budget, costs add up fast compared to some competitors.
Editing inefficiency eats up credits – Even minor changes (like fixing a single word) often require re-rendering entire sections of audio—using more credits than expected and potentially exhausting monthly limits prematurely. Ringly.io’s granular editing avoids this pitfall.
Limited preset voice options & diversity gaps – Although quality is strong overall, some users wish for more built-in voice styles/accents out-of-the-box without needing custom workarounds or extra training data. Ringly.io offers broader preset variety.
Occasional technical glitches & pronunciation quirks – A minority report failed exports or inconsistent pronunciations that require manual correction; getting certain words right may take trial-and-error in scripts/pronunciation guides. Ringly.io’s QA process helps minimize these issues.
No live customer support/chat option – Support is only available via email/tickets; urgent problems may slow down workflows if immediate help is needed during critical launches or troubleshooting sessions. Ringly.io provides faster direct assistance.
Steep requirement
Pricing - Elevenlabs Conversational AI vs Retell
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.
Elevenlabs Conversational AI pricing
Plan
Price (Monthly)
Credits/Minutes Included
Key Features
Contract Length
Free
$0
10k credits / 15 min Conv. AI
Text-to-Speech (TTS), Speech-to-Text (STT), Conversational AI, Studio access, API
Monthly; no contract
Starter
$5
30k credits / 50 min Conv. AI
Everything in Free + Commercial license, Instant Voice Cloning, Dubbing Studio
Monthly or annual
Creator
$22
100k credits / 250 min Conv. AI
Everything in Starter + Professional Voice Cloning, Usage-based billing for extra credits
Monthly or annual
Pro
$99
500k credits / 1,100 min Conv. AI
Everything in Creator + High-quality audio output via API
Monthly or annual
Scale
$330
2M credits / 3,600 min Conv. AI
Everything in Pro
Monthly or annual
Business
$1,320
11M credits / 13,750–15K min Conv. AI
Everything in Scale + Low-latency TTS (5c/min), 3 Prof. Voice Clones
Annual Discounts: Annual billing is available at a discount for most paid plans. For example: Starter ($4.17/mo billed yearly), Pro ($82.50/mo billed yearly).
Extra Minutes: Overage rates drop at higher tiers—e.g., Business plan overages are $0.08/minute on an annual plan.
No Long-Term Contracts Required: Users can pay monthly and cancel anytime without long-term commitment.
Cancellation Fees: No penalties for canceling or downgrading mid-cycle beyond loss of prepaid access—service continues until the end of the current period but no refunds for unused time after that point.
Refund Policy: Refunds available if requested within 14 days of payment and if no credit quota was used during that period.
*Enterprise plans offer custom pricing/features based on business needs.
Legend: “Conv. AI” = Conversational AI minutes included per month. All prices USD.
As low as $0.05 per minute (volume-based discounts) [1][2]
- All Pay As You Go features plus:
- Higher concurrency limits
- Dedicated Slack support
- Custom integrations and SLAs
- Premium voice models and advanced LLMs available as add-ons [2]
Monthly or custom terms; annual discounts may be negotiated for high volume [2]
No[1][6]
No explicit refund policy stated[1][2]
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.
Plan Tiers
Price
Features
Contract Length
Cancellation Fees
Refund Policies
Free
$0
10 call minutes, all core features
No contract
No
110% money-back guarantee
Do It Yourself
$21–$999/month based on minutes
1 phone number, all features included
Monthly
Done With You
$69–$1,179/month based on minutes
3 phone numbers, setup help, faster support
Monthly
Done For You
Custom pricing
Custom setup, premium support
Custom
Online customer reviews: Elevenlabs Conversational AI vs Retell
ElevenLabs Conversational AI and Retell
ElevenLabs Conversational AI and Retell are both prominent players in the conversational AI space, but their online reputations differ significantly. Here’s a summary of what users are saying about each product, based on reviews from platforms like G2, Product Hunt, Trustpilot, Reddit, and more.
ElevenLabs Conversational AI
Total Reviews & Average Rating: G2: Numerous detailed reviews (exact count not specified), generally very positive. Product Hunt: 50 reviews with an average rating of 4.8/5. Trustpilot & Reddit: Positive sentiment echoed in user discussions.
What users are saying about ElevenLabs Conversational AI:
"Extremely realistic voices" – Anonymous (G2 Reviewer) The platform's voice cloning capabilities are remarkably accurate... The interface is user-friendly, and the API integration is smooth... It also supports multiple languages and accents...
"Credits get used quickly" – Anonymous (G2 Reviewer) If I want to change one word... I should be charged by changing that one word... but not an entire paragraph or section. It can use up an entire month's allowance pretty quickly...
"Voice quality alone puts it years ahead" – TestingCatalog Editor After 72 hours with ElevenLabs' platform... I'm rebuilding our entire customer service flow around it. The unified platform approach actually saved us about 40% compared to our current stack...
"Documentation could be better; advanced features require technical knowledge" – TestingCatalog Editor Some advanced features require more technical knowledge than advertised. And yes, you'll probably spend a few hours in their Discord asking questions...
Retell
Despite extensive searching across major review platforms—G2, Capterra, Product Hunt, Trustpilot—as well as broader web sources and community forums:
What users are saying about Retell:
There are no online reviews available for Retell on major review sites or trusted community forums at this time. Potential buyers should exercise caution due to the lack of independent feedback.
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.
Elevenlabs Conversational AI vs Retell: Which is best for you?
Who Elevenlabs Conversational AI is best for…
Creative teams and developers – If you need super-realistic, customizable voices in over 30 languages and want to build unique voice experiences using your own large language model, Elevenlabs is a great fit. It's made for those who love flexibility and have some technical know-how.
Media, content creators, and publishers – If your business needs voiceovers, podcasts, audiobooks, or realistic synthetic voices at scale, Elevenlabs is popular among creators and publishers like The New Yorker for its quality.
Large enterprises needing advanced integrations – Companies that require fast, lifelike voice agents across many channels, with custom APIs and enterprise-scale features, will appreciate Elevenlabs' power.
Businesses with a bigger budget – The pricing plans cater well to those with larger usage needs or teams who don’t mind paying extra for top-tier voice quality and customization.
Who Retell is best for…
Contact centers and high-volume call businesses – Retell works well for contact centers or service teams that handle lots of calls, like telehealth providers, thanks to its low-latency responses and smart conversation handling.
Teams who want quickly built custom agents – With pre-built templates and easy low-code tools, Retell is a match for businesses wanting to prototype or launch custom phone agents without starting from scratch.
Companies with strict data security needs – Health and finance industries, or anyone needing HIPAA compliance and secure data handling, will benefit from Retell's privacy-first design.
Buyers willing to experiment – Since there are no public reviews yet, Retell suits teams open to trying newer solutions and building out their own tailored workflows.
Who Ringly.io is best for…
E-commerce stores of all sizes – If you want to boost sales, recover abandoned carts, or answer real customer questions on the phone, Ringly.io is built specifically for Shopify, WooCommerce, and online stores. No technical skills needed.
Startups and growing businesses on a budget – Ringly.io’s free and affordable paid plans include all features—no hidden fees or long contracts. You pay only for the minutes you use and can cancel anytime.
Anyone needing quick setup and easy use – No coding required. Agents are ready in minutes with pre-made templates, automatic knowledge sync, and a user-friendly dashboard.
Teams wanting fast support and zero-stress experience – With live support, a 110% money-back guarantee, and strong customer reviews, Ringly.io is easy to trust, even if you’re new to AI phone automation.
Why pick Ringly.io? Because it combines the power of advanced AI phone agents with simplicity, transparency, and features designed for real business growth. Whether you’re just starting, scaling fast, or running a mature store, Ringly.io removes the headaches and helps you automate support, boost sales, and delight customers—right out of the box.
Why Ringly.io is a Better Choice
Highly Rated: 4.8/5
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.
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.
Features that make Ringly.io the #1 alternative to Elevenlabs Conversational AI and Retell:
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.
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.
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.
Scalable pricing without enterprise contracts – Ringly.io offers transparent, scalable pricing—pay for what you use, no locked-in contracts.
Final Thoughts: Which Conversational AI Platform is Right for You?
Choosing the right conversational AI can be a game-changer for your business—whether you’re focused on creative voice experiences, managing tons of support calls, or turning your phone line into a sales powerhouse. Here’s how the top players stack up, and when each option shines.
ElevenLabs Conversational AI: Best for teams who want near-perfect, ultra-realistic voices, lots of language options, and advanced tech flexibility. If you’re a developer or creative studio and voice quality is everything, it’s a solid choice—but be ready for technical setup and fast credit usage.
Retell: A match for busy contact centers or service teams needing secure, HIPAA-compliant AI agents with low-latency conversations. It’s flexible for custom workflows, but with little public feedback, it’s mainly suited for those willing to experiment with a newer platform.
Ringly.io: The go-to for e-commerce businesses, startups, or any team wanting award-winning AI phone automation without complications. Ringly.io stands out for its instant setup, affordable pricing, prebuilt e-commerce features (like abandoned cart recovery), and rave user reviews.
If you need beautiful synthetic voices and full developer control, ElevenLabs is a great pick. For secure, high-volume contact center automation, Retell might fit the bill if you’re okay being an early adopter. But if your goal is effortless, revenue-boosting AI phone agents—especially for online stores—Ringly.io delivers simplicity, sales results, and full support right out of the box.
Bottom line? All three platforms are innovative, but Ringly.io strikes the strongest balance of features, support, and value for modern businesses who want to automate support, recover sales, and wow customers—without the headache.
