DialSwarm vs Retell AI
Updated October 2026
Retell AI is a voice AI platform for building phone agents. DialSwarm is a finished AI SDR and AI reception product for salespeople. Both make and answer calls with AI. The difference is how you set them up and how you pay.
Prices below come from Retell's public pricing page, checked on October 17, 2026.
The short version
Retell is a flexible, usage-based platform with no platform fee. Its pricing page lets you choose among many language models and voices, priced per minute. DialSwarm suits sales teams that want AI to call consented leads, qualify them and warm transfer ready people to a rep, without building anything.
Comparison table
| DialSwarm | Retell AI | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Finished AI SDR and AI reception product | Voice AI platform for building phone agents |
| Plans | Starter, Growth, Team, pay as you go | Pay as you go and Enterprise |
| Entry price | 10 free calls, no card | Pay as you go from $0, no platform fee |
| Usage price | Connected calls only. See dialswarm.com/pricing | $0.07 to $0.31 per minute |
| Seat plans | Connected calls only. See dialswarm.com/pricing | Enterprise is custom pricing |
| What you pay for | Connected calls only | Per minute: voice infra ($0.055), model, voice and telephony ($0.015 on a Retell number), plus add-ons |
| Concurrency | Not a pricing line | 20 concurrent calls free, then $8 each per month |
| Transfers | Warm transfer to a rep included | Supported. Retell says the AI agent fee stops after transfer and only telephony continues |
| CRM | HubSpot sync today | Webhooks and API access |
| Setup | Upload leads, set schedule, go | Pre-built agent templates. Retell says signup to live agent takes minutes |
How they price
Retell bills by the minute, to the nearest second. Its page lists a range of $0.07 to $0.31 per minute on pay as you go. The number is built from parts: Retell voice infrastructure at $0.055 a minute, a voice (from $0.015 a minute for several providers, more for some ElevenLabs voices), a language model (rates vary widely by model) and telephony at $0.015 a minute on a Retell US number. Add-ons such as knowledge base, denoising, guardrails and PII removal each add a small per-minute charge. Phone numbers are $2 a month.
Two details worth knowing. Retell says you are only charged for connected calls, and failed calls are not billed. Once a call is transferred, the AI agent fee stops and only telephony continues.
DialSwarm bills connected calls only, so unanswered dials don't count. You get 10 free calls with no card, and current plans are on the pricing page. You don't pick a model or voice provider.
Which costs less depends on how long your calls run and which model and voice you choose on Retell. DialSwarm gives you one number per connected call.
Setup and daily use
Retell offers pre-built agent templates, simulation testing, call analytics, transcripts, webhooks and API access. Its page says you can go from signup to a live agent in minutes. You choose the model and voice that drive your per-minute cost.
DialSwarm starts from the sales job. You upload your lead list, choose a call schedule with retries (Fast, Steady, Persistent or custom), set voicemail rules and write your qualifying questions. The agent never claims to be human, says it's an AI when asked, qualifies the lead and warm transfers ready people to a rep's phone. Follow-up tasks, call history and opt-in recordings are built in. You can also copy your own voice, with spoken consent and admin approval, so the agent sounds like you.
The human in the loop
DialSwarm is built on one idea: salespeople don't want an AI that replaces them, but they will train an AI version of themselves to do the tedious part. So reps can listen in live and coach the agent mid call by typing or talking. When a lead is ready, the call goes to a person.
Reception
DialSwarm's AI reception answers your line after hours or when you miss a call, takes clear messages, flags urgent ones and learns your business from your website. You can forward missed calls from your cell.
Consent and compliance
Under the TCPA, the FCC treats AI-generated voices as artificial voices, so prior express consent is required. DialSwarm only calls people who agreed to be called, never claims to be human and honors stop requests. Retell lists safety guardrails and PII removal as optional add-ons.
Who should pick Retell instead
- You want to choose your own model and voice. Retell's page lists dozens of language models and several voice providers, each with its own per-minute price.
- You want to tune cost by model. Retell's range runs from $0.07 to $0.31 a minute depending on your choices. DialSwarm has one price per connected call.
- You need enterprise compliance terms. Retell's Enterprise plan lists custom MSA and DPA terms, custom SSO and role-based access control, and the page says Retell is SOC 2 certified and HIPAA-ready. DialSwarm does not offer those today.
- You also want chat agents. Retell's page prices chat agents per AI message.
- You need concurrency on demand. Retell includes 20 concurrent calls and sells more at $8 each a month.
- You want webhooks and API access on every plan. Retell lists both. DialSwarm syncs HubSpot only today, plus API, webhooks, Zapier and Make.
Bottom line
Retell is a usage-priced voice AI platform with published component rates. DialSwarm is a ready-made AI SDR for salespeople who want hours of their day back. Start with 10 free DialSwarm calls, no card, and compare.
Sources
- Retell AI pricing: https://www.retellai.com/pricing (accessed 2026-10-17)
- FCC, TCPA applies to AI-generated voices: https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-confirms-tcpa-applies-ai-technologies-generate-human-voices (accessed 2026-10-17)
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