---
title: Retell vs. Telnyx [2026 Fact Sheet]
canonical: https://telnyx.com/the-best-retell-alternative
---
# Retell vs. Telnyx \[2026 Fact Sheet\]

[View as page](https://telnyx.com/the-best-retell-alternative)

# #1 Retell Alternative on an Owned Network

When calls break on a stitched stack, no one owns the fix.

Retell wires together someone else's LLM, speech engine, and Twilio telephony: multiple vendors, multiple bills, and finger-pointing when calls fail. Telnyx owns the network, the GPUs, and the AI platform end to end. One provider, one bill.

[SIGN UP](https://telnyx.com/sign-up)[TALK TO AN EXPERT](https://telnyx.com/contact-us)

14,000+ INDUSTRY-LEADING COMPANIES choose telnyx

## Retell vs Telnyx

### Architecture

## Telnyx

Owns the carrier network, GPU infrastructure, and AI platform end to end. A single owned stack.

## Retell

Orchestration layer that stitches together third-party LLM, STT, TTS, and telephony providers it doesn't own.

### Telephony and SIP

### Speech stack (TTS + STT)

### LLMs

### Voice AI latency

### Compliance

### Billing

## Simple pricing. One bill.

A Retell deployment bills per component: voice engine, LLM, TTS, Twilio telephony, and per-number fees, each from a different vendor. Telnyx bundles STT, standard TTS, and orchestration into one rate on one contract. Customers typically save \~45% consolidating onto the full-stack platform.

[SEE PRICING](https://telnyx.com/pricing)

$0.05Per minute, STT + standard TTS included

DEVELOPER EXPERIENCE

## Migrate from Retell in three steps

Low lift. Use the built-in import tool to bring your Retell agents directly into Telnyx: system prompts, tools, and flow logic carry over automatically. Port your numbers, point traffic at one owned stack, and drop the Twilio middle layer entirely.

[READ THE DOCS](https://developers.telnyx.com)

Python

```
from telnyx import Telnyx

client = Telnyx(api_key="YOUR_TELNYX_API_KEY")

agent = client.ai.assistants.create(
    name="support-agent",
    model="Qwen/Qwen3-235B",
    instructions="You are a helpful support agent.",
    voice="Telnyx.Natural-HD",
)
```

AGENT PLATFORM

## Infrastructure for AI agents. Every primitive, one platform.

From carrier network to co-located GPU compute, Telnyx owns every layer your agents need to run voice AI and inference in real time. No Frankenstack. No rented infrastructure. One control plane for inference, voice AI, and global communications. Configure once, deploy globally.

Loading...

## Ready to switch from Retell?

[TALK TO AN EXPERT](https://telnyx.com/contact-us)[SIGN UP](https://telnyx.com/sign-up)

## FAQ

### How does Telnyx voice AI pricing compare to Retell?

Telnyx bundles STT, standard TTS, and orchestration at $0.05 per minute on one contract, with LLMs on Telnyx-owned GPUs and telephony priced separately. A Retell deployment bills per component: voice engine, LLM, TTS, Twilio telephony, and per-number fees, each from a different vendor. Customers typically save \~45% consolidating onto Telnyx.

### What's the voice latency on Telnyx vs Retell?

Telnyx co-locates GPU-accelerated STT, LLM, and TTS with the voice infrastructure that carries the call, keeping the round trip short and predictable. Retell's audio traverses separate STT, LLM, TTS, and telephony providers, so latency depends on the multi-vendor routing path.

### Does Telnyx own its voice network, or does it route through Twilio like Retell?

Telnyx is the carrier: native enterprise SIP trunking and direct PSTN on a private global IP network. Retell doesn't own a carrier and routes calls through Twilio or a SIP trunk you supply.

### Which LLMs can I run on Telnyx?

Open-weight models like Qwen3-235B and Kimi-K2.5 hosted on Telnyx-owned GPUs, plus OpenAI and BYOK options. Retell relies on third-party LLMs only, billed separately per provider.

### Can I migrate my Retell agents to Telnyx?

Yes. Telnyx has a built-in import tool for Retell agents: bring them over directly, with system prompts, tools, and flow logic carried across. You can also recreate agents via the AI Assistants API and SDKs (Python, Node, and more). Port your numbers or keep your SIP trunk pointed at Telnyx, and drop the Twilio middle layer entirely.

### Why are customers commonly choosing Telnyx over Retell?

Customers switching from Retell to Telnyx typically cite latency and the cost of stitching together multiple vendors. Retell is an orchestration layer on top of third-party telephony and speech providers, which adds a network hop between every component. When Ultradoc, a healthcare AI platform, evaluated Retell alongside ElevenLabs and Twilio, their CEO reported "ridiculously long response times" where callers would wait a full second before hearing back. On Telnyx, STT, LLM inference, TTS, and call control run on one owned stack. The latency drop is structural, not incremental. Read the [Ultradoc customer story](https://telnyx.com/customer-stories/ultradoc).

[Start building](https://telnyx.com/sign-up)