Elevenlabs Conversational AI vs Retell – Who's #1 for Shopify?

See how Elevenlabs Conversational AI and Retell compare to each other (and to Ringly.io) to help you decide what is the best platform for your Shopify store.
Last updated on
November 29, 2025
Maurizio Isendoorn, Co-Founder at Ringly.io
Ruben Boonzaaijer
Co-Founder

Picking between Elevenlabs Conversational AI and Retell?

By the end of this article, you’ll be able to choose with confidence and finally put your search to rest.

  • Key features and what sets them apart
  • Pricing—what you really get for your money
  • User reviews and real experiences
  • Who each tool is best for
  • Which is best for Shopify

Ready to finally settle the Elevenlabs vs. Retell debate?

Why Ringly.io is the better choice ; )

Built for e-commerce

With experience in both AI and e-commerce, we set out become the best AI phone agent platform for online stores.

Stupid-simple user interface

Super easy to work with, and you can set it up without being tech savvy. If you create a free account you can see it for yourself though!

Quick and easy setup

Our pre-trained AI phone support agent and will have your online store automated in minutes.
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Elevenlabs Conversational AI vs Retell – TL;DR

Product Area ElevenLabs Retell Ringly.io
Voice Quality & Latency Top-tier, super realistic, fast Realistic, fast, smooth conversation Very human, quick, business-tuned
Deployment & Ease of Use Developer-friendly, quick via API Low-code, pre-built templates No-code, instant, ecom focused
Customizability & LLM Choice Fully flexible, use any LLM Flexible, supports many LLMs Uses content/website, automatic sync
Sales & E-commerce Tools Basic calls, outbound dialers Manual setup for sales flows Cart recovery, order tracking, upsell
Knowledge Base Integration Manual updates, multi-source Custom KBs, add manually Instant, auto-updates from website
Pricing & Contracts Tiered, can get expensive Pay per minute, volume discounts Transparent, pay-as-you-go, no contracts
User Reviews & Support 4.8/5, praised, slow support No public reviews 4.8/5, live help, money-back

Elevenlabs Conversational AI - a quick overview

Founded in New York City in 2022 by Piotr Dąbkowski and Mati Staniszewski, ElevenLabs is a trailblazer in AI audio technology, specializing in ultra-realistic voice generation and conversational AI.

ElevenLabs’ core features include low-latency text-to-speech models supporting over 29 languages, advanced turn-taking logic for natural conversations, customizable SDKs (Python/TypeScript), a vast Voice Library with thousands of voices contributed by creators worldwide, and seamless integration across web and telephony platforms.

Elevenlabs Conversational AI's features

  • Ultra-Low Latency
  • High-Quality Voice
  • (RAG) Knowledge Access
  • Multimodal Interaction (Voice + Text)
  • Multilingual Support
  • Customizable Personas

Pros and Cons of Elevenlabs Conversational AI

Pros:

  • Incredibly natural-sounding voices
  • Powerful voice cloning
  • Wide variety of voices & accents
  • Easy-to-use interface
  • Time-saving & scalable
  • Flexible integration options
  • Helpful customer support

Cons:

  • Pronunciation inconsistencies
  • Voice tone/inflection control limitations
  • Occasional robotic/synthetic output
  • Cost concerns & credit system frustrations
  • Processing delays & technical glitches
  • Learning curve for advanced features

Retell AI – Overview

Retell homepage screenshot
Retell homepage screenshot

Founded in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2023 by Todd Li, Evie Wang, Bing Wu, Weijia Yu, and Zexia Zhang, Retell AI is crushing it as the go-to platform for lightning-fast AI voice agent creation.

Features:

  • Voice AI API and Agent Builder
  • Built-in LLM Testing
  • Call Transfer Features
  • SIP Trunking Connectivity
  • Batch Calling Campaigns
  • Multilingual Support

Pros:

  • Natural-sounding voice agents
  • Quick response time
  • Easy setup and deployment
  • Cost-effective pricing
  • Excellent integrations
  • Responsive development team
  • Highly customizable

Cons:

  • UI improvements needed
  • Voice variety limitations
  • API changes without notice
  • Slow customer support
  • Account blocking issues
  • Platform still evolving

Pricing - Elevenlabs Conversational AI vs Retell

Note: The pricing information below is accurate at the time of writing and may be subject to change. For the most up-to-date pricing, please visit each company's pricing page.

Elevenlabs Conversational AI pricing

Plan Price (Monthly) Credits/Minutes Included Key Features Contract Length
Free $0 10k credits / 15 min Conv. AI Text-to-Speech (TTS), Speech-to-Text (STT), Conversational AI, Studio access, API Monthly; no contract
Starter $5 30k credits / 50 min Conv. AI Everything in Free + Commercial license, Instant Voice Cloning, Dubbing Studio Monthly or annual
Creator $22 100k credits / 250 min Conv. AI Everything in Starter + Professional Voice Cloning, Usage-based billing for extra credits Monthly or annual
Pro $99 500k credits / 1,100 min Conv. AI Everything in Creator + High-quality audio output via API Monthly or annual
Scale $330 2M credits / 3,600 min Conv. AI Everything in Pro Monthly or annual
Business $1,320 11M credits / 13,750–15K min Conv. AI Everything in Scale + Low-latency TTS (5c/min), 3 Prof. Voice Clones Monthly / annual (discounted)
Enterprise* Custom Pricing Custom allocation Custom terms: volume discounts, SLA/BAA support, Priority support, & Custom contracts Custom
  • Annual Discounts: Annual billing is available at a discount for most paid plans. For example: Starter ($4.17/mo billed yearly), Pro ($82.50/mo billed yearly).
  • Extra Minutes: Overage rates drop at higher tiers—e.g., Business plan overages are $0.08/minute on an annual plan.
  • No Long-Term Contracts Required: Users can pay monthly and cancel anytime without long-term commitment.
  • Cancellation Fees: No penalties for canceling or downgrading mid-cycle beyond loss of prepaid access—service continues until the end of the current period but no refunds for unused time after that point.
  • Refund Policy: Refunds available if requested within 14 days of payment and if no credit quota was used during that period.

*Enterprise plans offer custom pricing/features based on business needs.

Legend: “Conv. AI” = Conversational AI minutes included per month. All prices USD.

Retell pricing

Plan / Model Price (USD) Key Features Contract Length Cancellation Fees Refund Policies
Pay As You Go $0.07-$0.31 per minute* - 10 concurrent calls
- 60 free minutes
- 10 free Knowledge Bases
- Modular add-ons for voices, LLMs, telephony
- Multilingual support
- Emotional understanding & interruption handling[2][5]
Monthly (no long-term contract required)[1][6] No[1][6] No explicit refund policy stated[1][2]
Custom/Enterprise As low as $0.05 per minute (volume-based discounts) [1][2] - All Pay As You Go features plus:
- Higher concurrency limits
- Dedicated Slack support
- Custom integrations and SLAs
- Premium voice models and advanced LLMs available as add-ons [2]
Monthly or custom terms; annual discounts may be negotiated for high volume [2] No[1][6] No explicit refund policy stated[1][2]

Ringly.io pricing

Ringly.io has simple, usage-based pricing with no hidden fees or long-term commitments. Test drive it risk-free for 14 days, then scale up or down on month-to-month terms—or book a demo for fully tailored enterprise support.

Plans Price Included Contract Cancellation
Start 99,- /mo ✓ 250 call minutes, then $0.36/min
Monthly Anytime Start 14-day free trial →
Grow (Most popular) 349,- /mo ✓ 1,000 mins, then $0.19/min
✓ Self-learning
✓ AI knows your customers
✓ 30-day onboarding
Monthly Anytime Start 14-day free trial →
Scale 1099,- /mo + setup fee ✓ Custom price/min
✓ Custom agent & integrations
✓ Slack channel
Custom Custom Book your demo →

Compare plans →

Online customer reviews: Elevenlabs Conversational AI vs Retell

ElevenLabs Conversational AI and Retell

ElevenLabs Conversational AI and Retell are both prominent players in the conversational AI space, but their online reputations differ significantly. Here’s a summary of what users are saying about each product, based on reviews from platforms like G2, Product Hunt, Trustpilot, Reddit, and more.

ElevenLabs Conversational AI

Total Reviews & Average Rating:
G2: Numerous detailed reviews (exact count not specified), generally very positive.
Product Hunt: 50 reviews with an average rating of 4.8/5.
Trustpilot & Reddit: Positive sentiment echoed in user discussions.

What users are saying about ElevenLabs Conversational AI:

"Extremely realistic voices"Anonymous (G2 Reviewer)
The platform's voice cloning capabilities are remarkably accurate... The interface is user-friendly, and the API integration is smooth... It also supports multiple languages and accents...

"Credits get used quickly"Anonymous (G2 Reviewer)
If I want to change one word... I should be charged by changing that one word... but not an entire paragraph or section. It can use up an entire month's allowance pretty quickly...

"Voice quality alone puts it years ahead"TestingCatalog Editor
After 72 hours with ElevenLabs' platform... I'm rebuilding our entire customer service flow around it. The unified platform approach actually saved us about 40% compared to our current stack...

"Documentation could be better; advanced features require technical knowledge"TestingCatalog Editor
Some advanced features require more technical knowledge than advertised. And yes, you'll probably spend a few hours in their Discord asking questions...

Retell

Despite extensive searching across major review platforms—G2, Capterra, Product Hunt, Trustpilot—as well as broader web sources and community forums:

What users are saying about Retell:

There are no online reviews available for Retell on major review sites or trusted community forums at this time. Potential buyers should exercise caution due to the lack of independent feedback.

What users are saying about Ringly.io:

Ringly.io is known for its simplicity, and a focus on e-commerce, with features like abandoned cart recovery and order status lookups. It has a 4.8 star rating from 12 reviews on Product Hunt and other platforms.

"it stands out significantly ahead" - Bertrand, Director. We are at the initial stage of testing and have made only a few calls so far. Consequently, I have rated the product with four stars for now. However, I must express that the product has shown significant promise. When compared to competitors, it stands out significantly ahead.

"This is such a great product" - Jim Miranda, Founder. This is such a great product. I have been with you for less than a week and already closed 3 deals with it."

"It really sounds like a human" - Laix, Founder. Tried Ringly.io today and the quality of the phone calls surprises me! It really sounds like a human, and it reacts really fast. Will need to deploy it in action to see the full capabilities.

"How to automate customer service? -> Ringly.io" - Sidra Husnain, Founder.

Elevenlabs Conversational AI vs Retell: Which is best for you?

Who Elevenlabs Conversational AI is best for…

  • Creative teams and developers – If you need super-realistic, customizable voices in over 30 languages and want to build unique voice experiences using your own large language model, Elevenlabs is a great fit. It's made for those who love flexibility and have some technical know-how.
  • Media, content creators, and publishers – If your business needs voiceovers, podcasts, audiobooks, or realistic synthetic voices at scale, Elevenlabs is popular among creators and publishers like The New Yorker for its quality.

Who Retell is best for…

  • Contact centers and high-volume call businesses – Retell works well for contact centers or service teams that handle lots of calls, like telehealth providers, thanks to its low-latency responses and smart conversation handling.
  • Teams who want quickly built custom agents – With pre-built templates and easy low-code tools, Retell is a match for businesses wanting to prototype or launch custom phone agents without starting from scratch.

Who Ringly.io is best for…

  • Shopify brands that need phone support

Why Ringly.io is a Better Choice

Highly Rated: 4.8/5

Best for Shopify stores looking for the best way to offer 24/7 AI phone support at a fraction of the cost.

How it went when I tried setting up Ringly:

After I installed the Shopify app, the only thing I had to do was to upload my data to the knowledge base. (website was uploaded automatically)

After I did that, I could already speak to my agent via a web call.

Setting it live was as simple as picking a phone number with my area code from the dashboard. I was able to connect the number with 1 click. (The number is also free and included)

There was not really anything else to the setup.

They claim that out of the box, their agents resolve an average of 73% of support calls. They back that up with data from over 2,100 active Shopify stores.

Signup -> onboarded took only 4 minutes and 12 seconds. Most of that time was spent waiting for the knowledge to be uploaded.

Over the first 2 weeks I used it (14-day free trial), it resolved 76% of my calls on its own.

The rest of the calls were escalated to a support ticket by my agent.

(update: the more calls you get, the smarter it gets. As of today, my resolution rate is 79%.)

Standout Features (pros):

  • Very easy setup (almost none)
  • Pay on results pricing

Pricing is on a results basis; you don't pay until your agent has at least a 60% resolution rate

Shopify integration is native. It will allow your agent to solve order status and refund requests on the phone.

Reviews are overall very positive, mainly because of the results-based pricing. If you don't pay unless you get results, every customer gets results.

Cons:

  • Phone support only

What’s unique about Ringly is that it is the first AI phone support tool built for Shopify.

Editors note: Ringly.io opened 5 spots for Shopify stores to pay $0 until AI resolves 60% of your support calls. You can book a call to claim it.

Final Thoughts: Which Conversational AI Platform is Right for You?

Choosing the right conversational AI can be a game-changer for your business—whether you’re focused on creative voice experiences, managing tons of support calls, or turning your phone line into a sales powerhouse. Here’s how the top players stack up, and when each option shines.

  • ElevenLabs Conversational AI: Best for teams who want near-perfect, ultra-realistic voices, lots of language options, and advanced tech flexibility. If you’re a developer or creative studio and voice quality is everything, it’s a solid choice, but be ready for technical setup and fast credit usage.
  • Retell: A match for busy contact centers or service teams needing secure, HIPAA-compliant AI agents with low-latency conversations. It’s flexible for custom workflows, but with little public feedback, it’s mainly suited for those willing to experiment with a newer platform.
  • Ringly.io: The go-to for Shopify brands wanting award-winning AI phone automation without complications.

If you need beautiful synthetic voices and full developer control, ElevenLabs is a great pick. For secure, high-volume contact center automation, Retell might fit the bill if you’re okay being an early adopter. But if your goal is effortless, revenue-boosting AI phone agents—especially for online stores—Ringly.io delivers simplicity, sales results, and full support right out of the box.

Ready to see the difference for yourself? Get started with Ringly.io for free →

Want to compare other players in the market? Check out our other comparisons:

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