Voice and receptionist bots
Vapi: what it does, cost and setup
Developer platform for voice AI agents.
Checked 2026-10-24
| Cost | $0.05/min Vapi hosting plus transcriber, model and voice costs passed through at no markup. $5 free credits to start. Pro package $999/mo minimum. |
|---|---|
| Free tier | Yes |
| Open source | No |
| Runs on | Cloud, API |
| Source | vapi.ai |
What Vapi does
Vapi lets developers build voice agents by picking a transcriber, model and voice, with testing and simulation before calls reach customers, per its pricing page.
How to set up Vapi
- Sign up and use the $5 free credit.
- Pick a transcriber, model and voice and note each per-minute cost.
- Use the one included phone number for testing.
- Run simulated calls before going live.
Vapi vs alternatives
Vapi vs Retell AI
Vapi exposes each provider cost separately. Retell gives an all-in per-minute range and more free concurrency (20 against 4).
Vapi alternatives
- Retell AI: Build your own AI phone agent, billed per minute. (Pay as you go, $0.07 to $0.31 a minute depending on model and voice. 20 concurrent calls included. Phone numbers $2/mo.)
- Goodcall: AI receptionist billed per unique caller, not per minute. (Starter $79/mo for 100 unique callers. Free demo agent.)
Vapi FAQ
How much does Vapi cost?
$0.05 a minute for Vapi hosting, plus the transcriber, model and voice you choose at cost. New accounts get $5 in free credits.
How many concurrent calls does Vapi allow?
Four on the free start with no success package, 10 on Core and 30 on Pro, per its pricing page.
Is Vapi good for non-developers?
It is built for developers. A finished receptionist like Rosie or Goodcall is easier if you do not want to build.
Sources
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