Bland vs Speko vs Vapi vs Retell AI: which agent phone plan should you use?

Bland, Speko, Vapi, and Retell AI all support AI-assisted phone calling but target different users and pricing models: Bland offers a flat Agent Phone Plan that connects an existing assistant to a dedicated number for calls, incoming callbacks, and included texting, while Speko, Vapi, and Retell focus more on developer-built voice agents with separately priced telephony, voice, model, and messaging components. For a light-use scenario of one number and 60 US calling minutes, published estimates range from about $6.90 to $9.30 for the component-based services before most texting costs, compared with Bland’s $19.99 monthly price after a $9.99 introductory month; Retell’s texting-enabled estimate is about $27.70. The comparison emphasizes that incoming calls, two-way texting, registration requirements such as US 10DLC, setup complexity, call-volume limits, and the availability of a developer can matter as much as per-minute rates. Bland is positioned for users who want an existing AI assistant to handle practical phone and text tasks with minimal setup, whereas Speko supports coding assistants making outbound calls, Vapi requires building an assistant, and Retell is aimed at businesses creating voice agents. Compatibility varies by AI platform, with ChatGPT requiring custom connectors with write actions and Grok Bot support needing confirmation, while Bland’s service supports several MCP, API, and app-specific connection methods.

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