# Voice & chat agents

> “Build an AI phone or chat agent”. Ranked by expert consensus and what people use now; affiliate links never change the order.

Voice agents differ mostly in who builds them and how calls are billed. Vapi and Retell AI suit developers and agencies: both bill per minute, and Retell adds phone numbers, call transfer and batch calling. Synthflow builds no-code phone agents for high call volumes, from $30,000 a year. ElevenLabs supplies lifelike voices in many languages, and Quickchat AI trains a chat assistant on your own knowledge base for website chat and WhatsApp.

Last checked: 2026-10-02

## Ranking

1. **[ElevenLabs](https://suiteintent.com/t/elevenlabs?m=GB)**: AI text to speech with lifelike voices. · Best for: Narration and dubbing in many languages · Free plan · 17% ([Deals](https://suiteintent.com/deals/elevenlabs))
2. **[Vapi](https://suiteintent.com/t/vapi?m=GB)**: Build phone and web voice agents in code. · Best for: Custom call flows you control end to end · Free plan
3. **[Retell AI](https://suiteintent.com/t/retell?m=GB)**: Build AI voice agents that answer phone calls. · Best for: Agencies building phone agents for clients · Free plan
4. **[Synthflow](https://suiteintent.com/t/synthflow?m=GB)**: No-code AI voice agents for phone calls. · Best for: Contact centres handling high call volume · From $30,000/yr
5. **[Quickchat AI](https://suiteintent.com/t/quickchat?m=GB)**: Build human-like AI assistants for customers. · Best for: Support teams wanting answers in their own voice · Pricing on request

## Side by side

| Tool | Price | Ease of use (1-5) | Team size |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ElevenLabs | Pricing on request, 2 months free on annual | 4 | solo, small team, growing team |
| Vapi | Free plan | 2 | small team, growing team |
| Retell AI | Free plan | 3 | small team, growing team |
| Synthflow | From $30,000/yr | 3 | growing team, large team |
| Quickchat AI | Pricing on request | 4 | solo, small team, growing team |

## Why these picks

- Prices last checked: 2026-10-02
- Ranked by expert consensus and what people use now; affiliate links never change the order.

## Head to head

- [ElevenLabs vs Murf: the AI voice for your podcast](https://suiteintent.com/compare/elevenlabs-vs-murf)

## Rules that apply

- [EU AI Act: chatbot and AI content labels](https://suiteintent.com/compliance/eu-ai-act-chatbots): Using a chatbot or AI images on your site in the EU? See what Article 50 of the AI Act asks of you, who must label what, and the dates that apply.

## MCP setups

- [Create voiceovers for your videos](https://suiteintent.com/mcp/voiceovers-elevenlabs)

## Questions

### Can a small business afford an AI phone agent?

Vapi and Retell AI both have a free plan to test and then charge per minute, so a quiet line costs little. Retell has no monthly fee on top of the minutes. Synthflow starts at $30,000 a year and targets businesses and agencies with heavy call volume. For a salon or clinic, per-minute pricing usually fits better.

### Do I need a developer to set up a voice agent?

For Vapi, yes: you pick the speech-to-text, LLM and voice providers and connect your own tools in code. Retell AI also targets developers and agencies, with testing tools to check calls before going live. Synthflow builds agents without code and connects to calendars and a CRM. Quickchat AI lets you train a chat assistant on your knowledge base without programming.

### Can the agent hand a call over to a person?

Yes, and you should plan for it. Retell AI offers call transfer, and Synthflow passes the call to a person when needed. Quickchat AI hands a chat to a human for questions it cannot answer. Decide in advance which topics go straight to your team, such as complaints or payments.

### Do I have to tell callers they are talking to an AI?

The EU AI Act requires that people know when they are interacting with an AI system, unless it is obvious. Say it in the greeting, which also sets expectations. If the agent records calls, mention that too, since recording rules differ by country. Keep the option to reach a person one step away.

### Will the voice sound natural in Spanish, German or Italian?

ElevenLabs produces lifelike speech in many languages and powers voice agents through its API. Vapi lets you choose the voice provider, so you can plug in the one that sounds best in your language. Test a real script with local names, addresses and numbers before launch. Callers forgive an accent faster than a mispronounced street name.