### Answer Retell AI uses a pay-as-you-go pricing model for AI Voice Agents at $0.07+ per minute, with no platform fees. [(1) ]() [(2) ]() This is the standard pricing structure for the voice agent service. Based on the available documentation, there isn't a way to completely avoid per-minute voice costs for Retell AI voice agents. The pricing model is usage-based by design. However, there are a few things to note: - All accounts include a 60-minute free trial [(3) ]() - The base setup includes 60 free minutes [(2) ]() - If you're looking for text-based interactions instead, AI Chat Agents are priced at $0.002+ per message rather than per-minute voice costs [(1) ]() If you're looking to reduce costs rather than eliminate them entirely, switching to chat agents where appropriate could significantly lower expenses compared to voice interactions. For specific pricing discussions or enterprise arrangements, you may want to reach out directly via [Contact Sales]() .

​ To learn more, see the sources I considered: [[1] ](https://www.retellai.com/resources/voice-ai-platform-pricing-comparison-2025) [[2] ](https://www.retellai.com/resources/inbound-vs-outbound-callers-pricing-comparison-2025) [[3] Intelligent Voice Bot for Call Centers](https://www.retellai.com/voice-bot-for-call-centers) ​

Feel free to tag @AI Evy with additional questions. I also appreciate feedback, it helps me improve.

### Answer The voice engine (TTS) cost is part of Retell AI's pricing structure and cannot be avoided for voice agents. Here's what the documentation shows: Voice Engine Pricing: - ElevenLabs voices: $0.07 per minute [(1) ]() - OpenAI/Deepgram voices: $0.08 per minute Is it a fixed price? Yes, the voice engine pricing is fixed. [(2) ]() Lower-cost alternatives mentioned: A support response mentioned that Retell could potentially integrate lower-cost TTS options like MiniMax Speech-02 or OpenAudio S1. [(3) ]() However, a follow-up in that same thread noted these are not currently available as selectable options in the standard Retell AI platform interface—only ElevenLabs, Cartesia, and OpenAI are listed. If reducing voice costs is a priority, you may want to reach out to Retell directly via [Contact Sales]() to discuss whether custom TTS integrations are possible for your use case.

​ To learn more, see the sources I considered: [[1] ](https://www.retellai.com/resources/inbound-vs-outbound-callers-pricing-comparison-2025) [[2] Costs for Voice AI agents](https://discord.com/channels/1186424376300679209/1443261452822642718) [[3] VOICE GENERATION ALTERNATIVE SUPPORT](https://discord.com/channels/1186424376300679209/1394267063270379522) ​

Feel free to tag @AI Evy with additional questions. I also appreciate feedback, it helps me improve.