Vapi vs Elevenlabs Conversational AI – Here's our pick

Vapi - a quick overview

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Founded in 2020 in San Francisco by Jordan Dearsley (CEO) and Nikhil Gupta (CTO), Vapi is a cutting-edge voice AI platform for developers. The company provides infrastructure that helps businesses deploy AI voice agents capable of natural-sounding conversations, with a focus on reducing latency to under one second. After securing $20 million in Series A funding led by Bessemer Venture Partners in December 2024, Vapi has positioned itself as a leader in the rapidly evolving voice AI ecosystem.

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Vapi's platform features a no-code Flow Studio for building interactive conversations, a unified telephony system for managing voice automations, and comprehensive analytics dashboards that track call metrics and performance indicators. With pricing starting at $0.05/minute, Vapi serves businesses across various industries including real estate, healthcare, and digital agencies, enabling them to scale voice operations without sending intrusive bots into calls. In the following section, we'll break down Vapi's features, pros and cons, pricing, and user reviews, comparing them with Elevenlabs Conversational AI and Ringly.io.

Vapi's features

• Turbo Latency Optimizations
  Vapi uses advanced GPU inference, smart caching, and low-latency audio streaming to deliver lightning-fast responses. This ensures smooth, real-time conversations—especially important for high-volume or customer-facing use cases. While Elevenlabs Conversational AI also focuses on natural speech quality, Vapi’s technical edge is speed and responsiveness. Ringly.io matches this with instant answers but adds business-specific automations out-of-the-box.
• Interruptions & Natural Conversation Flow
  Vapi’s voice bots recognize when users pause or interrupt, making interactions feel more human-like. This reduces frustration during calls compared to platforms that can’t handle interruptions gracefully. Elevenlabs also aims for natural dialogue but may require more setup for true conversational flow. Ringly.io takes it further by using your actual business content for contextually accurate responses.
• Proprietary Endpointing Model
  With a unique endpointing system, Vapi avoids cutting off users mid-sentence and maintains seamless conversation flow. This is a technical advantage over some competitors but doesn’t directly address business-specific needs like order lookups or cart recovery as Ringly.io does.
• Massive Scalability (1M+ Concurrent Calls)
  Built on Kubernetes clusters, Vapi can handle over one million concurrent calls—ideal for enterprises needing reliable scale. Elevenlabs supports large deployments too but may not match this level of concurrency natively. For most e-commerce businesses or SMBs (Ringly.io’s sweet spot), such massive scale isn’t typically required; instead, tailored workflows matter more.
• Function Calling & Advanced Automation Hooks
  Developers can enable their voicebots to book appointments, fetch data from APIs, fill forms—essentially perform complex backend actions in real time. Elevenlabs offers similar extensibility via API integrations. However, these require developer resources; Ringly.io provides pre-built templates and no-code automations focused on sales and support tasks right out of the box.
• WebRTC Streaming & Telephony Platform Integration
  Vapi leverages WebRTC—the same protocol used by Google Meet—for ultra-low latency audio streaming across web phones or traditional telephony systems. It simplifies deploying inbound/outbound call flows without extra infrastructure work. While this benefits developers building custom solutions from scratch, businesses looking for plug-and-play phone agents (like those offered by Ringly.io) might prefer ready-made integrations with Shopify or WooCommerce instead of building them manually.
• On-Premises Deployment Options
  For organizations needing strict control over data privacy and infrastructure performance (e.g., regulated industries), Vapi supports private/on-prem deployments. Neither Elevenlabs nor most SaaS-first platforms offer this flexibility natively; however, many SMBs prioritize ease-of-use over custom hosting—which is where fully managed solutions like Ringly.io excel.
• Multilingual Support
  Vapi enables creation of voice agents in 100+ languages including English, Spanish, German—and many others—broadening global reach without extra development effort. Elevenlabs also offers multilingual capabilities with high-quality voices. By comparison, Ringly.io covers 20+ languages optimized specifically around e-commerce scenarios rather than general-purpose translation alone.
• Private Internet Backbone
  To ensure consistent call quality worldwide—even during internet congestion—Vapi routes traffic through its own private backbone network rather than relying solely on public internet paths. This boosts reliability at scale—a feature less relevant if your primary need is seamless integration with existing online store workflows as provided by Ringly.io.
• No-Code Flow Studio & Customizability
  Non-technical users can build interactive conversation flows using drag-and-drop editors within Vapi’s dashboard—a rare find among developer-centric tools. You get deep customization: bring your own models/voices/backends/platforms as needed. While powerful for bespoke builds like those possible with Elevenlabs’ APIs too—it still requires configuration effort versus the “just works” approach found in purpose-built products like ours at Ringly.io that focus on immediate value delivery to online stores without coding barriers.

In summary: Vapi stands out as a highly customizable platform built primarily for developers who want full control over every aspect of their AI phone agent—from infrastructure scaling to function calling and language support—with robust technical features throughout. For teams seeking rapid deployment focused specifically on e-commerce automation (cart recovery calls/order status/SMS follow-ups) without heavy lifting or coding requirements though—that’s where our product delivers unmatched simplicity and ROI right away.

Vapi Pros and Cons

• Intuitive for Developers – Users consistently praise how easy it is to get started with Vapi, especially for developers looking to quickly build, test, and deploy voicebots.
• Affordable Pricing – Many reviewers highlight that Vapi offers transparent pricing that is generally lower than alternatives in the market.
• Highly Customizable & Flexible – The platform allows deep customization of voice assistants with robust API access and a wide range of models to fine-tune conversations.
• Natural-Sounding Voices & Low Latency – Users are impressed by the natural quality of generated voices as well as smooth, low-latency interactions during calls.
• Excellent Support Team – Multiple reviews mention responsive customer support that helps resolve issues quickly—an important factor when deploying mission-critical applications.

Cons

• Limited Web Deployment Options – There’s currently no embeddable widget for web deployment; integration over the web must be done programmatically rather than via a simple embed option. (Ringly.io offers seamless web embedding out-of-the-box.)
• No Chat Texting Feature – Unlike some competitors such as Synthflow or Ringly.io, there’s no way to interact with your assistant via text chat during testing; all tests must use phone or browser calls which can consume credits unnecessarily.
• Overwhelming Model Options for Beginners – While flexibility is a plus for advanced users, beginners may find the array of model choices and fine-tuning options intimidating or confusing at first.
• Lackluster Predefined Templates – Some users wish there were more ready-to-use templates to help them get started faster without building everything from scratch. (Ringly.io provides an extensive template library.)
• Phone Number Limitations & Interface Issues – You can only purchase U.S. or Canadian numbers natively through Vapi; buying numbers elsewhere requires importing via Twilio/Vonage. Additionally, some find the phone number purchasing interface unintuitive compared to other platforms.
• No Batch Campaigns/Mass Outbound Features – Reviewers note that if you need batch outbound calling campaigns (e.g., sales outreach), these features are missing in Vapi’s current offering—a gap filled by some competitors like Ringly.io or Synthflow AI bots built specifically for outbound use cases.

These insights should give you a balanced view into what actual users love about working with Vapi—and where they run into friction—so you can make an informed decision about whether it fits your needs.

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Elevenlabs Conversational AI - a quick overview

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ElevenLabs, founded in 2022 by Piotr Dąbkowski and Mati Staniszewski in New York City, is a pioneering AI audio research and deployment company. It specializes in creating natural-sounding speech synthesis software using deep learning. The company aims to make content universally accessible in any language and voice. ElevenLabs has quickly gained traction, reaching over one million users and partnering with major publishers and media companies.

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ElevenLabs targets developers and enterprises looking to create AI agents for support, sales, and education. Its platform offers customizable conversational AI agents with features like real-time voice customization and compatibility with various large language models. In the following section, we will explore ElevenLabs' features, pros and cons, pricing, and user reviews, comparing them with other conversational AI platforms like Vapi and Ringly.io.

ElevenLabs Conversational AI's Features

• Fine-tuned ASR Model - ElevenLabs offers specialized Automatic Speech Recognition that accurately transcribes caller dialogue, providing a solid foundation for voice interactions. While Vapi also offers transcription capabilities, ElevenLabs' ASR is specifically fine-tuned for conversational contexts, potentially offering better accuracy than generic solutions. Ringly.io's real-time transcription feature goes a step further by enabling immediate analysis of customer interactions for improved service quality.
• Multiple LLM Integration - Choose from Gemini, Claude, OpenAI and more, or bring your own language model to power your voice agents. This flexibility mirrors Vapi's "bring your own models" approach but with specific named partnerships. Ringly.io's knowledge base integration offers a different advantage by directly incorporating your business content rather than relying solely on general AI models, ensuring more accurate business-specific responses.
• Low-Latency Text-to-Speech - Access over 5,000 voices across 31 languages with human-like quality and minimal delay. This extensive voice library significantly outpaces Vapi's offerings while maintaining comparable low latency. The multilingual support enables global business operations similar to Ringly.io's 20-language capability, though ElevenLabs offers broader language coverage for international markets.
• Turn-Taking and Interruption Detection - Their custom service creates natural conversation flow by allowing callers to interject without breaking the system's rhythm. This sophisticated feature matches Vapi's interruption handling capabilities, creating more human-like interactions. Ringly.io's smart AI call transfer system complements this by knowing exactly when human intervention is needed, providing seamless handoffs when AI reaches its limits.
• Scalable Infrastructure - The platform can handle thousands of calls daily with consistent performance. While impressive, this scalability is comparable to both Vapi and Ringly.io's offerings. However, Ringly.io's e-commerce focus provides specialized scaling for retail operations with features like abandoned cart recovery that can handle increasing volumes while maintaining high conversion rates.
• Tool Integration - Both server and client-side tools allow for extended functionality beyond basic conversation. Similar to Vapi's tool calling feature, this enables data fetching and actions on external systems. Ringly.io takes this concept further with its custom actions feature that connects to business tools through no-code solutions like Make.com or Zapier, requiring minimal technical expertise to implement complex workflows.
• Knowledge Base Support - Store and access information to make agents more knowledgeable about specific topics. While useful, this appears less developed than Ringly.io's knowledge base integration that automatically updates with website changes and uses actual business content to answer questions accurately without training.
• Monitoring and Analytics - Built-in monitoring tools track agent performance and conversation quality. This matches Vapi's analytics capabilities but lacks the depth of Ringly.io's AI call analysis that provides mood detection, searchable transcripts, and AI-generated improvement suggestions that continuously enhance customer experience.
• Pricing Structure - Offers a free plan to get started and a Business plan at $0.08 per minute with volume discounts. This transparent pricing is competitive with Vapi's $0.05/minute starting rate, though both lack Ringly.io's performance guarantee of "no money saved after 90 days = 110% money back" that demonstrates confidence in ROI.

Next, let's look at Elevenlabs Conversational AI's pros and cons. We studied dozens of reviews from real Elevenlabs Conversational AI users from platforms like G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius. Then we identified commonalities and summarized the main pros and cons of Elevenlabs Conversational AI based on real user feedback for you here:

Pros

• Exceptionally Realistic Voice Quality – Users consistently praise the naturalness, emotion, and clarity of the voices generated by ElevenLabs. Many say it feels like working with real voice actors.
• User-Friendly Interface – The platform is described as intuitive, easy to navigate, and accessible even for beginners or those without technical backgrounds.
• Diverse Voice Library & Multilingual Support – There’s a wide variety of voices (accents, ages, genders) across more than 30 languages. This makes it suitable for global projects.
• Impressive Voice Cloning Feature – The voice cloning tool is highlighted as accurate and simple to use; some users even mention using it for passive income opportunities.
• Saves Significant Time on Content Creation – Fast generation times allow creators to quickly produce high-quality audio content for various uses like audiobooks or onboarding agents.
• Responsive Customer Support & Regular Updates – Most reviewers note positive experiences with support teams and appreciate frequent improvements to the platform.

Cons

• Pricing Concerns & Credit Usage Limits – Several users feel that credits are consumed quickly during longer projects; unused credits don’t roll over month-to-month. Some also report unexpected charges or billing issues.
• Lack of Live Customer Support Options – While email support is responsive, there’s no live chat or phone option available if urgent help is needed.
• Bugs & Occasional Glitches in Output Quality – Users have reported random noises in output audio files (like whispering), failed exports, inconsistent volume levels, or abrupt accent changes at times.
• User Interface Can Be Confusing in Places – Some mention that certain menus aren’t always clear or intuitive when searching for specific features.
• Lack of Built-in Templates/Presets – A few reviewers wish there were more ready-made templates to speed up setup depending on their use case.
• No Plug-and-Play Integrations/Automation Features – Some users want easier ways to connect ElevenLabs directly into their workflow pipelines via webhooks/APIs without custom development.
• Certain Pronunciation Issues Persist – Getting specific words pronounced correctly can be challenging in some cases.

If you're comparing solutions like Ringly.io alongside ElevenLabs Conversational AI: while both deliver high-quality synthetic voices with strong customization options out-of-the-box, a key difference lies in integration flexibility—Ringly.io offers direct plug-and-play automation features that help teams streamline workflows without extra development effort—a benefit not always present with other providers.

Pricing - Vapi vs Elevenlabs Conversational AI

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.

Vapi pricing

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Elevenlabs Conversational AI pricing

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Ringly.io pricing

Ringly.io delivers the perfect balance of affordability and features. Unlike competitors who force you into expensive tiers, Ringly.io includes all core features even in its free plan. The simple, transparent pricing scales based on your actual usage, with no surprise fees.

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Online customer reviews: Vapi vs Elevenlabs Conversational AI

Vapi

"Fantastic tool for customization" – Kalo Y., Reviewer
Vapi is a fantastic tool for those seeking deep customization... smooth, low-latency conversations and impressive flexibility... affordable pricing and scalability make it great for businesses looking to scale their call operations efficiently...

"Awful support!" – Anonymous Reviewer
Awful support! I'm trying to close my account for two days... Why not add a simple cancel plan link or delete or unsubscribe?... Support is non-existent and documentation is extremely poor...

ElevenLabs Conversational AI

"Unmatched natural voices" – G2 User
I love how natural and realistic the AI voices sound... emotion, tone, clarity are unmatched compared to other tools I’ve tried... feels like working with real voice actors but with the speed of AI...

"Pricing can be a barrier" – G2 User
While the quality is top-tier, pricing can be a barrier for small creators or startups... real-time voice generation still feels slightly limited compared to batch processing...

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.

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

Who Vapi is best for…

• Developer Teams & Tech-Savvy Businesses
  Vapi shines for teams who want full control and customizability over their AI voice agents. If you love to tweak, integrate APIs, adjust model settings, and build something unique from the ground up, Vapi delivers tons of flexibility.
• Companies Needing Large-Scale Phone Automation
  With the ability to handle over a million calls at once, Vapi is a great fit for enterprises that need to automate a huge number of phone calls for things like appointment reminders, call routing, or multilingual support.
• Industries With Strict Security or Custom Hosting Needs
  If your organization requires on-premises deployment for privacy or compliance reasons (like healthcare or finance), Vapi offers options others don’t.
• Teams With Developer Resources
  You’ll get the most value if you have access to software engineers who can set up advanced automations, create custom integrations, and maintain your voice agents.

Who Elevenlabs Conversational AI is best for…

• Content Creators & Media Teams
  ElevenLabs is loved by creators, publishers, and businesses who want ultra-realistic voices for audiobooks, podcasts, tutorials, or media dubbing across lots of languages.
• Organizations Prioritizing Voice Realism & Language Variety
  If sounding exactly like a real person (with access to 5,000+ unique voices) or working in 30+ languages is critical, ElevenLabs really stands out.
• Teams Who Need Easy, No-Fuss Voice Cloning
  It’s a top choice for anyone wanting to create custom voices quickly—no technical background required.
• Experimenters With Moderate Call Volumes
  If you want to pilot conversational AI on a smaller scale, ElevenLabs’ free and starter plans are low-risk ways to try advanced features.

Who Ringly.io is best for…

• eCommerce Stores of All Sizes
  Whether you’re just starting your shop or running a growing online business, Ringly.io is built for you. It’s made to help with key e-commerce tasks like recovering abandoned carts, answering order questions, and boosting sales calls—right out of the box.
• Businesses That Want Instant Results—No Coding Needed
  Ringly.io is perfect if you want to get going fast. You don’t need to hire developers or spend time tweaking settings. Plug it in, and your AI phone agent is ready to help customers in minutes.
• Anyone Who Loves Simple, Transparent Pricing—and Real ROI
  With clear, usage-based pricing (including a generous free plan), you only pay for what you use. Plus, Ringly.io uniquely offers a 110% money-back guarantee if you don’t see savings in 90 days.
• Teams Who Want All Features, All the Time
  Don’t worry about locked features or missing critical tools. Every Ringly.io plan—free or paid—comes with the full feature set: web embed, SMS integration, deep analytics, mood detection, and more.

Why choose Ringly.io? For most online businesses—and especially for e-commerce—Ringly.io stands out as the all-in-one phone automation platform that balances easy setup, powerful automations, and affordable pricing. You don’t need tech skills to get amazing, human-like customer service on autopilot. If you want to save time, recover more revenue, and wow your customers, Ringly.io is the overall smart choice that simply works.

Why Ringly.io is a Better Choice

Highly Rated: 4.8/5

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Founded in 2024 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, by Maurizio Isendoorn and Ruben Boonzaaijer, Ringly.io is revolutionizing e-commerce customer service with AI phone agents. Designed for online businesses, Ringly handles customer calls on autopilot—solving support issues, recovering abandoned carts, and even boosting sales—at just 20% of the cost of human agents.‍

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With 1,300+ customers, Ringly.io is the go-to solution for e-commerce stores looking to scale without scaling their support team. With award-winning technology (BubbleCon 2024's "Most Innovative App"), Ringly.io transforms your phone system into a revenue-driving powerhouse—without the headaches of traditional call centers.‍

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Features that make Ringly.io the #1 alternative to Vapi and Elevenlabs Conversational AI:

No-code setup, instant results – Ringly.io is ready to go in minutes. Just add your website, docs, or text—no engineering required—and your AI phone agent instantly understands your business. It even updates automatically as your website changes.‍‍‍

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AI-powered sales & support – Ringly.io does both inbound and outbound calls. Recover 35%+ of abandoned carts with automated follow-up calls, provide real-time order tracking from Shopify, and convert more customers with personalized AI-driven conversations—not just reactive support.‍‍

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Advanced analytics for smarter decisions – Ringly.io gives you real-time call data, customer intent tracking, and performance reports—helping you optimize support and sales strategies.‍‍‍

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Scalable pricing without enterprise contracts – Ringly.io offers transparent, scalable pricing—pay for what you use, no locked-in contracts.‍

Conclusion: Which Voice AI Platform Should You Choose?

Choosing the right voice AI platform depends on your business needs, technical resources, and long-term goals. After comparing Vapi, ElevenLabs Conversational AI, and Ringly.io side by side, here are the top takeaways for each solution—and when you should consider each one.

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• Vapi is built for developers and enterprises who want deep control, scalability, and the ability to customize every aspect of their AI phone agents. If you have technical talent and highly specific requirements (or need on-premises deployment), Vapi gives you powerful tools—but it can be complex for beginners, and lacks some ready-made e-commerce automations or plug-and-play features.
• ElevenLabs Conversational AI is ideal for teams that value hyper-realistic synthetic voices, voice cloning, and easy multilingual production—especially content creators and businesses working across media or educational projects. While it’s user-friendly and feature-rich, it may require more manual setup to connect with sales/support workflows or business systems, especially if you need specialization for e-commerce.
• Ringly.io is the best fit for online businesses who want instant results and hands-off setup—no developers required. With everything included (even on the free plan!), e-commerce automations, deep analytics, and a transparent guarantee, Ringly.io stands out as the solution that just works right out of the box. If you want to save time, capture more revenue, and deliver top-notch phone support without complexity or hidden costs, Ringly.io is an easy, reliable choice.

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Main Takeaways

• Vapi: Maximum flexibility, ideal for developer teams at large organizations, but can be overwhelming for small businesses and lacks instant business automations.
• ElevenLabs: Unmatched voice realism and language support, great for content/media use, but fewer no-code sales or support tools and less focus on specialized business workflows.
• Ringly.io: Purpose-built for e-commerce, effortless to use, all features included, and immediate ROI with a unique money-back guarantee—no technical know-how needed.

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Ultimately, if your priority is fast, seamless setup and getting concrete business outcomes (like recovering lost sales or delivering delightful support), Ringly.io offers the superior all-in-one platform—easy, effective, and loved by customers worldwide. You don’t need to be a developer, and you’re backed by a 110% guarantee if you don’t save time or money. For most growing online stores and modern businesses, Ringly.io is the smart alternative that puts your phone support and sales on autopilot—so you can focus on what matters most.

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Ready to see the difference?
Start for free with Ringly.io and experience a better way to automate your phone agents.

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