LiveKit vs Retell AI: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between LiveKit and Retell AI? Both are popular ai voice agents tools. Below we compare them on pricing, free tiers, features, and pros & cons so you can pick the right fit for your stack.
Quick verdict
LiveKit is the safer pick if budget matters — it has a free tier, while Retell AI does not. Choose Retell AI when its specific features justify the cost.
LiveKit vs Retell AI — Side by Side
| LiveKit | Retell AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | AI Voice Agents | AI Voice Agents |
| Pricing | Free · paid from $50/mo | Usage-based |
| Starting price | Free tier available | Pay-as-you-go |
| Free tier | — | |
| Rating | 4.6 | 4.5 |
| Best for | AI Voice Agents — voice-ai, webrtc | AI Voice Agents — voice-ai, phone-agents |
Pros & Cons
- Open source and self-hostable
- Full control over the media pipeline
- Free cloud tier with 1,000 minutes
- You write the agent in code
- Model providers billed separately
- Self-hosting real-time media is real ops work
- Transparent per-component billing
- No platform fee
- $10 free credit and no contract
- Add-ons stack up per minute
- Premium voices cost almost 3x standard
- Less low-level control than LiveKit
Key Features Compared
LiveKit
- 5,000 agent minutes
- 20 concurrent sessions
Retell AI
- $10 free credits to start
- Visual agent builder
- Phone and web calls
Choose LiveKit if…
- You want to start free — LiveKit has a free tier and Retell AI does not.
- Open source and self-hostable
- Full control over the media pipeline
- Free cloud tier with 1,000 minutes
Choose Retell AI if…
- Transparent per-component billing
- No platform fee
- $10 free credit and no contract
Frequently Asked Questions
Is LiveKit better than Retell AI?⌄
LiveKit is the safer pick if budget matters — it has a free tier, while Retell AI does not. Choose Retell AI when its specific features justify the cost.
What is the difference between LiveKit and Retell AI?⌄
LiveKit — Open-source real-time media server and Agents framework for building voice AI. Self-host free, or use LiveKit Cloud. Retell AI — Voice agent platform with no platform fee: each component (voice infra, TTS, LLM, telephony) is billed separately per minute. Both are ai voice agents tools; the comparison table above breaks down pricing, free tiers, and what each is best for.
LiveKit vs Retell AI: which is cheaper?⌄
LiveKit pricing: Free · paid from $50/mo. Retell AI pricing: Usage-based. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change.
Which is rated higher, LiveKit or Retell AI?⌄
In our catalog, LiveKit rates 4.6 out of 5 and Retell AI rates 4.5 out of 5, so LiveKit has a slight edge on reviews.
See more options in our guide to the best ai voice agents tools for startups.
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