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What a voice agent really costs per month
Headline per-minute prices hide different things: some are a platform fee with models billed on top, some include everything but the phone line. This puts them on one bill, using each vendor's published prices.
Prices re-checked October 17, 2026 on each vendor's pricing page. How we verify
Calls are
Adding Twilio at $0.0085/min inbound to every platform. List prices only: no taxes, volume discounts, phone-number rental or add-ons.
| Platform | What the rate covers | Est. / month | Per min |
|---|---|---|---|
| LiveKit CloudBuild, then Ship · 5 concurrent sessions on Build, 20 on ShipAgent sessions (1,000 min free on Build; Ship $50/mo with 5,000 min, then $0.01/min) plus LiveKit's sample model stack: LLM $0.0014, STT $0.0075 and TTS $0.009 per minute | Agent sessions (1,000 min free on Build; Ship $50/mo with 5,000 min, then $0.01/min) plus LiveKit's sample model stack: LLM $0.0014, STT $0.0075 and TTS $0.009 per minute. Not included: Telephony; the high end adds the $0.01/min observability line from LiveKit's sample estimate. Source | $182–$232 | $0.036–$0.046 |
| UltravoxPay as you go · Up to 5 concurrent callsSpeech-native realtime model (no separate STT, LLM or TTS bill); first 30 min free | Speech-native realtime model (no separate STT, LLM or TTS bill); first 30 min free. Not included: SIP at 0.5¢/min plus your carrier. Source | $316 | $0.063 |
| BolnaPay as you go · Not listedSTT, LLM and voice when you use the bundled models (larger top-ups bring it to ~4.5¢/min) | STT, LLM and voice when you use the bundled models (larger top-ups bring it to ~4.5¢/min). Not included: Telephony and a per-minute platform fee, which the pricing page doesn't price. Source | $343+ fees | $0.069 |
| Retell AIPay as you go · 20 concurrent calls included$0.055/min voice infrastructure plus the voice and LLM you pick | $0.055/min voice infrastructure plus the voice and LLM you pick. Not included: Telephony (Retell US numbers $0.015/min; no Retell charge on your own SIP trunk) and add-ons. Source | $393–$1,593 | $0.079–$0.319 |
| UltravoxPro · No hard concurrency capsSpeech-native realtime model (no separate STT, LLM or TTS bill) | Speech-native realtime model (no separate STT, LLM or TTS bill). Not included: SIP at 0.48¢/min plus your carrier. Source | $417 | $0.083 |
| ElevenLabs AgentsAPI · Not listed on the API pricing pageElevenLabs speech models in one agent pipeline | ElevenLabs speech models in one agent pipeline. Not included: The LLM, passed through at the provider's published rate with no markup, plus telephony. Source | $443+ LLM | $0.088 |
| VapiNo package · 4 concurrent calls; Core $29/mo for 10$0.05/min hosting plus Deepgram, OpenAI and ElevenLabs at cost, per Vapi's own 1,000-minute estimate ($82–$129) | $0.05/min hosting plus Deepgram, OpenAI and ElevenLabs at cost, per Vapi's own 1,000-minute estimate ($82–$129). Not included: Carrier minutes (Vapi telephony/SIP itself is free); other model picks change the price. Source | $453–$688 | $0.090–$0.138 |
| Bland AIStart · 10 concurrent calls, 100 calls/dayLLM, transcription and voices in one rate | LLM, transcription and voices in one rate. Not included: Telephony on your carrier (or Bland's at pass-through cost). Source | $743 | $0.149 |
| Bland AIBuild · 50 concurrent calls, 2,000 calls/dayLLM, transcription and voices in one rate | LLM, transcription and voices in one rate. Not included: Telephony on your carrier (or Bland's at pass-through cost). Source | $942 | $0.188 |
- Bland Build vs Start: Build's $299/mo fee pays for itself above 14,950 min/mo ($0.12 vs $0.14/min). You're at 5,000, so Start is cheaper, unless you need its 50 concurrent calls.
- Ranges are real: Retell's $0.07–$0.31/min and Vapi's estimate swing on the LLM and voice you choose. Pick the model first, then compare.
- Concurrency caps: Ultravox pay-as-you-go stops at 5 calls at once, Vapi starts at 4 and LiveKit Build at 5. Busy lines need a paid plan.
- LiveKit's sample stack is lean: its model rates assume a small LLM. A bigger model or premium voice raises the per-minute cost.
Questions buyers ask
- Why is Vapi's $0.05/min not the real price?
- Vapi's $0.05/min is the hosting fee only. The transcriber, LLM and voice are passed through at cost; Vapi's own estimate for 1,000 minutes with Deepgram, OpenAI and ElevenLabs is $82–$129.
- Which voice agent platforms charge one all-in rate?
- Bland includes the LLM, transcription and voices in its per-minute rate ($0.14/min on Start). Ultravox's $0.05/min covers its speech-native model. Both still bill phone minutes separately.
- Does ElevenLabs Agents include the LLM?
- No. ElevenLabs Agents is $0.08/min, and ElevenLabs passes LLM usage through at the provider's published rate with no markup.
- How much do phone minutes add?
- At US list rates, inbound local minutes are $0.0052/min on Telnyx (Voice API plus SIP trunk), $0.0055 on Plivo and $0.0085 on Twilio.