Retell vs Poly AI: Who's the Best For You

Retell - a quick overview

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Retell AI was founded in 2023 by Todd Li, Evie Wang, Bing Wu, Weijia Yu, and Zexia Zhang. The company is based in California, with locations in Saratoga and Redwood City. Retell AI specializes in providing a conversational speech API for language learning models, enabling developers to create human-like conversational experiences. Their solutions are particularly useful for real-time communication and customer service domains, catering to mid-market to enterprise customers.

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Retell AI's platform allows businesses to build AI-powered voice agents that can handle customer calls and tasks efficiently. The company's focus on seamless conversational exchanges makes it a valuable tool for businesses seeking to enhance customer service.

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In the following section, we’ll explore Retell AI’s features, pros and cons, pricing, and user reviews, comparing them with Poly AI and Ringly.io. This comparison will help you understand where each product excels and which might be the best fit for your business needs.

Retell's Features

• AI Call Center Builder
  Retell provides a platform for creating AI-powered call centers, allowing businesses to automate customer interactions. It is particularly useful for companies seeking to streamline their support processes without extensive technical expertise. However, it lacks the deep e-commerce focus and pre-built templates offered by Ringly.io, which makes setup faster and more tailored.
• Customizable AI Agents
  Users can design agents with specific workflows and conversational styles. This flexibility benefits developers who want granular control over agent behavior. While this is a strength for tech-savvy users, it may feel overly complex compared to Ringly.io’s user-friendly interface designed for non-technical users.
• Multi-Language Support
  Retell supports multiple languages, enabling global customer engagement. However, its language variety is still expanding compared to competitors like Poly AI or Ringly.io, which already offer robust multi-language capabilities with seamless transitions during calls.
• Sentiment Analysis & Adaptive Responses
  The platform includes sentiment detection that adjusts responses based on caller emotions—ideal for improving customer satisfaction in sensitive scenarios. While effective in theory, its practical application may not match the refined emotional intelligence seen in Ringly.io’s AI agents.
• Integration Capabilities with CRMs and Tools
  Retell integrates with popular tools like Salesforce and HubSpot but requires more manual setup than Ringly.io’s plug-and-play integrations with Shopify and WooCommerce—critical features for e-commerce businesses aiming to save time.

While Retell offers solid foundational features suitable for general use cases or developer-heavy teams, it falls short of delivering the specialized automation capabilities that make Ringly.io stand out as an all-in-one solution tailored specifically for e-commerce needs.

Pros

• Ease of Use - Users frequently praise Retell for its intuitive interface that simplifies building, integrating, and managing voice AI solutions.
• Fast Deployment - The platform enables businesses to create customized voice agents quickly, significantly reducing time-to-market.
• High Responsiveness - The support team is noted for being highly responsive to feature requests, sometimes implementing changes within hours.
• Cost Efficiency - Unlike competitors with platform fees, Retell charges only API costs, making it a budget-friendly option without sacrificing quality.
• Seamless Integration - Its ability to integrate with tools like OpenAI and Twilio ensures smooth operations while delivering natural-sounding voice interactions.

Cons

• Limited Scalability in Agents - Some users report restrictions on the number of agents that can be deployed simultaneously.
• Occasional Latency Issues - While generally efficient, there are occasional delays in response times during high-demand periods.
• Customization Limitations - A few reviewers mention limited options for customizing certain features such as male voices or other specific preferences.
• Unreliable Vendor Perception by Some Users - A minority expressed concerns about vendor reliability due to unresponsiveness or unmet expectations on basic feature requests.
• Rapid Feature Changes Can Be Disruptive – As a cutting-edge startup constantly evolving its offerings weekly, some users find it challenging to keep up with frequent updates or changes in functionality.

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Poly AI - a quick overview

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PolyAI was founded in 2017 in London by Nikola Mrkšić, Tsung-Hsien Wen, and Pei-Hao Su. The company specializes in developing AI-powered voice assistants for enterprises, focusing on enhancing customer service experiences. PolyAI's solutions are particularly beneficial for industries with high customer interaction volumes, such as e-commerce, healthcare, and telecommunications.

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PolyAI's conversational AI agents are designed to handle calls in multiple languages, making them suitable for businesses with diverse customer bases. The company has gained recognition for its innovative approach, including being named in the 2021 CB Insights AI 100 List and having its CEO, Nikola Mrkšić, featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe.

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In the following section, we’ll explore PolyAI’s features, pros and cons, pricing, and user reviews, comparing them with other AI solutions like Retell and Ringly.io. This comparison will help identify where each product stands and why PolyAI might be the better choice for your business.

Poly AI's Features

• Advanced Conversational AI
  Poly AI uses proprietary ConveRT models optimized for natural, real-time dialogue. These models ensure coherent and engaging conversations, making it ideal for customer service in industries like retail, banking, and telecom. While Retell focuses on voice agents with human-like interaction capabilities and Ringly.io excels in task-specific automation (e.g., abandoned cart recovery), Poly AI’s strength lies in its adaptability across diverse conversational contexts.
• Diverse Character Creation
  Users can create or choose from millions of characters tailored to specific needs—ranging from business personas to entertainment avatars. This feature is particularly beneficial for businesses seeking highly personalized customer interactions or immersive experiences. In contrast, Retell lacks this level of customization, while Ringly.io focuses more on practical business solutions rather than creative personalization.
• Multi-Language Support
  With advanced NLP capabilities powered by Amazon SageMaker, Poly AI supports multiple languages and dialects globally. This makes it a strong contender for international businesses compared to Retell’s limited language options and Ringly.io’s focus on English-centric e-commerce integrations.
• Cloud-Based Deployment
  Offered as a cloud solution compatible with mobile phones, PCs, web browsers, and enterprise applications worldwide. This flexibility allows seamless integration into existing systems but may lack the deep e-commerce platform integrations that make Ringly.io stand out in retail environments.
• Unrestricted Free Dialogue
  Unlike competitors that may impose content restrictions or structured workflows (like Retell's pre-built templates), Poly AI enables open-ended conversations without filters. While this fosters creativity and user engagement in non-business settings, it might not align with the precision-focused use cases where Ringly.io excels (e.g., order status updates).

Pros

• Ease of Use - Users frequently praise Retell for its intuitive interface that simplifies building, integrating, and managing voice AI solutions.
• Fast Deployment - The platform enables businesses to create customized voice agents quickly, significantly reducing time-to-market.
• High Responsiveness - The support team is noted for being highly responsive to feature requests, sometimes implementing changes within hours.
• Cost Efficiency - Unlike competitors with platform fees, Retell charges only API costs, making it a budget-friendly option without sacrificing quality.
• Seamless Integration - Its ability to integrate with tools like OpenAI and Twilio ensures smooth operations while delivering natural-sounding voice interactions.

Cons

• Limited Scalability in Agents - Some users report restrictions on the number of agents that can be deployed simultaneously.
• Occasional Latency Issues - While generally efficient, there are occasional delays in response times during high-demand periods.
• Customization Limitations - A few reviewers mention limited options for customizing certain features such as male voices or other specific preferences.
• Unreliable Vendor Perception by Some Users - A minority expressed concerns about vendor reliability due to unresponsiveness or unmet expectations on basic feature requests.
• Rapid Feature Changes Can Be Disruptive – As a cutting-edge startup constantly evolving its offerings weekly, some users find it challenging to keep up with frequent updates or changes in functionality.

Pricing - Retell vs Poly 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.

Retell pricing

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Poly 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: Retell vs Poly AI

Retell AI

Retell AI is a conversational AI platform specializing in voice agents. It has received 8 reviews on Product Hunt with an average rating of 4.5 stars and multiple reviews on G2, where it holds a 4.6-star average rating.

What users are saying about Retell AI:

"Exceeds expectations" - Emanuel Termure, Verified Reviewer
"I’ve been using Retell AI for a while now, and I can confidently say it’s one of the most game-changing platforms I’ve worked with... The real-time performance is unmatched, and the support team is phenomenal..."

"Not reliable as a vendor" - Anonymous, G2 Reviewer
"The product feels like others on the market — we would switch instantly if there were no switching costs... These guys are not dependable."

PolyAI

Unfortunately, there are no online reviews available for PolyAI from platforms like G2, Capterra, Product Hunt, or Trustpilot at this time. This lack of user feedback makes it difficult to assess its strengths or weaknesses comprehensively. Users should exercise caution when considering this product due to the absence of verified customer experiences.

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.

Retell vs Poly AI: Which is best for you?

Who Retell is best for…

• Tech-savvy teams – If your developers love building from scratch and want deep control over call flows and logic, Retell is a great pick.
• Mid-sized to large businesses – Especially those who already use tools like Salesforce and want to enhance their support with custom AI agents.
• Companies focused on real-time voice interactions – Retell is strong in natural-sounding, live conversations for customer service teams.
• Budget-conscious businesses – Retell’s pay-as-you-go pricing with low per-minute rates offers flexibility for smaller budgets.

Who Poly AI is best for…

• Large enterprises with global customers – Especially in industries like healthcare, telecom, or finance where multilingual support and conversational range matter.
• Businesses that want highly customized or creative voice agents – Poly AI’s avatar and dialogue options give you lots of flexibility—but may be more than you’ll need for day-to-day operations.
• Businesses needing fully open-ended conversations – If your calls aren’t always “task-based,” and you want the AI to guide varied, complex conversations, Poly AI excels here.
• Organizations ready for long-term contracts – Poly AI’s pricing is custom and requires commitment, making it more suitable for teams with bigger budgets and longer timelines.

Who Ringly.io is best for…

• E-commerce businesses of all sizes – Whether you're just starting out or managing thousands of orders a day, Ringly.io is tailored for Shopify, WooCommerce, and more.
• Teams that want fast results without technical hassle – Ringly.io's plug-and-play setup and templates (like abandoned cart recovery or order status updates) save hours of time.
• Small teams with big goals – With a generous free plan, friendly pricing, and all features included from the start, Ringly.io is perfect for lean teams aiming to grow quickly.
• Anyone who wants to sound human on the phone – Ringly.io’s voice truly sounds like a person, reacts instantly, and keeps customers engaged like a real agent would.

Why Ringly.io is the more complete choice: While Retell and Poly AI shine in their own ways, Ringly.io brings it all together—affordable pricing, effortless setup, smart automation, and ready-to-go features built for real business impact. If you're looking for an all-in-one AI phone agent that works out of the box and delivers fast results, Ringly.io is hard to beat.

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 Retell and Poly 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.‍

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right AI voice agent solution depends on your business goals, technical resources, and the kind of customer experience you want to deliver. After digging deeply into Retell, Poly AI, and Ringly.io, some clear trends have emerged—especially when it comes to ease of use, pricing transparency, and real-world performance.

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• Retell: Best for developer-first teams looking to build custom voice agents and willing to do more of the setup themselves. It’s flexible and affordable, but may require more technical know-how and offers less plug-and-play functionality.
• Poly AI: Ideal for global enterprises with large budgets, long-term plans, and diverse language needs. It offers unmatched customization and conversation freedom—but can be overkill (and overpriced) for leaner e-commerce teams.
• Ringly.io: The easiest and most effective option for e-commerce businesses that want AI phone agents that just work. It’s fast to launch, designed specifically for sales and support tasks, and delivers value from day one.

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Why Ringly.io stands out: Both Retell and Poly AI have their strengths—but Ringly.io blends simplicity, speed, and smart automation in a way that just makes sense for modern online stores. No steep learning curves. No lengthy contracts. Just real, human-sounding AI agents that help close sales, support your customers, and grow your brand—on autopilot.

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Still not sure? Try Ringly.io's free plan today and see for yourself how much your support and sales team can accomplish—without lifting a finger.

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

• Retell vs Bland
• Retell vs Synthflow
• Retell Alternatives
• Poly vs Bland
• Poly Alternatives

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