In short: Retell AI is a mature US platform for phone and chat agents. You pay per minute, $0.07 to $0.31 according to Retell, depending on the language model and voice. Retell holds SOC 2 Type 1 and Type 2 and offers a HIPAA BAA and a data processing agreement with standard contractual clauses. But Retell states itself that it does not currently operate services within the EU. For companies in Europe this means every call is a transfer to a third country that you have to assess and document. Per minute, Retell is cheaper than EchoCall. EchoCall fits when you need hosting in Germany, fixed plans in euros, a dashboard without developers or white label for your clients.
Last reviewed on 9 October 2026. Everything we say about Retell comes from Retell's pricing page, documentation and partner pages.
What Retell AI can do
Retell is not just a developer API. The platform comes with templates, an editor for conversation flows and tools for running agents in production. On its pricing page, Retell lists among other things: [1]
- Build: call transfer, appointment booking, knowledge base, navigating keypad menus.
- Deploy: batch calls, your business name as caller ID, verified phone numbers against spam flags.
- Monitor: post-call analysis, AI quality assurance, simulation testing before launch.
- Chat: chat agents, billed per message. The price overview says from $0.002, and the smallest model in the list costs $0.0005.
If you want to run your own language model, you connect it over a WebSocket interface. Retell then handles telephony, transcription and turn-taking. [2]
That is a strong package. The questions European companies ask are therefore rarely about features. They are about where the data is processed, the costs in euros and reselling under their own brand.
What Retell AI costs
Retell bills in US dollars per minute and builds the price from components. You start with $10 of credit. [1]
| Component | Price according to Retell |
|---|---|
| Voice infrastructure | $0.055 per minute |
| Voice | $0.015 per minute for most voices, up to $0.10 for premium voices |
| Language model | $0.0016 to $0.32 per minute on the standard tier, by model |
| Telephony | $0.015 per minute in the US via Twilio, own SIP trunk without a Retell fee |
| Knowledge base during the call | plus $0.005 per minute |
| Removing personal data | plus $0.01 per minute |
Monthly items come on top. A Retell phone number costs $2 a month, a verified number $10. 20 concurrent calls are free, each extra line costs $8 a month. Ten knowledge bases are free, each extra one costs $8. [1]
Many language models come in two tiers at Retell. The faster tier usually costs twice as much. [1] That is an honest hint that speed in voice agents is a question of the model, not just the platform.
Worked example: Retell and EchoCall at the same volume
We calculated two setups from the price list. The cheap one: Retell infrastructure, a standard voice, a small model at $0.0096 and US telephony, together about $0.095 per minute. The typical one: one of the models Retell marks as recommended, at $0.064, plus the knowledge base, together about $0.154 per minute. For German phone numbers, Retell only shows the telephony rate after you select the country, so we used the US rate. [1][9]
| Volume per month | Retell, our calculation from the price list | EchoCall |
|---|---|---|
| 500 minutes | about $47 to $77 plus $2 phone number | Basic: €150 |
| 1,500 minutes | about $142 to $231 plus $2 phone number | Professional: €450 |
So per minute, Retell is cheaper. We say that openly. With EchoCall you pay for a plan in euros and do not pay separately for the language model, voice and infrastructure. In most cases, though, the deciding question is not the price per minute but the one in the next section.
Retell and GDPR: what "no services in the EU" means
Retell is open about its data protection position. The platform runs on Amazon Web Services and relies on the AWS data processing addendum for GDPR. Retell states that it does not currently operate services within the European Union. [2]
What Retell offers: [2][3]
- A data processing agreement with standard contractual clauses for self-signing, at no fee.
- A retention period per agent between one day and two years. Without a setting, Retell keeps call data indefinitely.
- A storage mode per agent: everything, everything except personal data, or basic attributes only.
- Signed URLs for recordings, so not everyone with the address can listen.
What this means for companies in the EU: when a customer calls your Retell agent, the voice, the transcript and usually the phone number are processed outside the EU. That is not forbidden, but it is a transfer to a third country under Chapter V GDPR. You need a basis for it, in practice standard contractual clauses under Article 46 GDPR, and a documented assessment of the transfer. [4] Your privacy notice has to mention the transfer. [4]
If you want to use Retell anyway, do at least this:
- Sign the data processing agreement with standard contractual clauses.
- Set a retention period instead of leaving storage unlimited.
- Choose the storage mode without personal data where you do not need it.
- Prepare a transfer impact assessment and agree it with your data protection adviser.
- Tell callers they are talking to an AI. Article 50 of the EU AI Act has required this since 2 August 2026, whatever the provider. [5]
EchoCall runs its platform on IONOS servers in Frankfurt and Karlsruhe, Germany, in ISO 27001 certified data centres. You find the data processing agreement under Article 28 GDPR and the list of subprocessors on the GDPR page. [10]
How fast does a Retell agent respond?
We deliberately give no figure here. How fast a voice agent responds depends on the language model, the voice, the telephony and the route to the data centre. Retell sells a faster tier for many models at a higher price, which shows how much the model drives response time. [1]
Vendor figures therefore help you little. Measure it yourself:
- Same prompt, same model on both platforms, as far as possible.
- 20 test calls from your own network, from one mobile and one landline connection.
- Analyse the recordings: the time from the end of your sentence to the agent's first syllable.
- Compare the average and the slowest value. Callers remember the slow answers.
SOC 2 and HIPAA: Retell and Vapi compared
| Evidence | Retell AI | Vapi | EchoCall |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOC 2 | Type 1 and Type 2 [2] | according to Vapi's website [7] | no report of its own, ISO 27001 data centres [10] |
| HIPAA with BAA | BAA for self-signing, no fee [2] | add-on, $2,000 a month [7] | not built for HIPAA |
| Operations in the EU | no services in the EU at present [2] | EU region with Premier [7] | hosted in Frankfurt and Karlsruhe [10] |
If you process health data in the United States, Retell is strong here because the BAA comes at no extra cost. If you serve callers in Europe and want a US provider with an EU region, read our Vapi alternative comparison. Vapi offers its EU region with the Premier package. [7]
White label: Retell's partner program and EchoCall PartnerNet
Retell runs a partner program for agencies, developers and technology providers that build solutions on Retell. According to Retell, partners get referred customers, a listing in the partner directory, co-marketing and early access to new features. [6] A client portal under your own brand is not described on that page.
With EchoCall, reselling under your own brand is part of the platform. [11]
| PartnerNet tier | Monthly | Price per voice minute | White label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay as you go | €0 | from €0.19 | partial in the hub with your logo, or full through the open-source portal |
| Growth Partner | €299 | from €0.18 | partial in the hub with your logo, or full through the open-source portal |
| SaaS Titan | €1,499 | from €0.11 | full white label with your own domain, €2,500 setup, waived on a 12-month term |
EchoCall's open-source portal is licensed under Apache 2.0 and runs with Docker on your own server. Your clients see only your brand, your prices and your invoices. Hosting providers can also connect EchoCall through the WHMCS plugin.
Affiliate programs: Retell and EchoCall
Retell pays affiliates 15 percent of a referred customer's revenue, monthly, for twelve months from that customer's signup. The cookie lasts 90 days. [8] EchoCall pays 20 percent recurring for as long as the referred customer stays, with no twelve-month limit. Payouts go via PayPal from €50. [12]
Other Retell alternatives
- Vapi: a similar pricing model, but with its own EU region in the Premier package. More control for developers, more to build yourself. Our comparison: Vapi alternative 2026.
- EchoCall: a ready dashboard, hosting in Germany, plans in euros, phone, website chat and reception in one account, white label for partners.
- Enterprise platforms: for large contact centres with their own IT team, see our comparisons with Parloa and Cognigy.
When Retell is the better choice
- You mainly call in the United States and need US numbers, verified numbers and branded caller ID.
- You need a HIPAA BAA and do not want to pay extra for it.
- You have developers who want to connect their own language model or use simulation testing.
- Price per minute decides and the transfer to the US has been cleared for your data.
When EchoCall is the better alternative
- Hosting in Germany: your agents run on IONOS servers in Frankfurt and Karlsruhe, with a data processing agreement under Article 28 GDPR.
- Predictable costs in euros: plans from €75 for 250 minutes, €0 setup, unlimited agents, API in every plan. [9]
- No developers needed: you set up the agent, knowledge base, phone number and handover to your team in the dashboard.
- More than the phone: website chat with handover to your team and Presence at reception in the same account.
- Reselling: PartnerNet, open-source portal and WHMCS plugin for agencies and hosting providers.
Switching from Retell to EchoCall in five steps
- Copy prompt and flow. Take the prompt and greeting. Translate a conversation flow from Retell's editor into clear instructions in the prompt.
- Recreate functions as webhooks. Retell functions that call your server become webhook integrations in EchoCall.
- Load your knowledge. Upload documents or let EchoCall read your website.
- Connect a phone number. Book a number in the dashboard or connect your own Twilio or SIP trunk.
- Test in parallel. With 30 voice minutes of starting credit, measure response time and handovers before you switch.
Frequently asked questions about Retell AI and Retell alternatives
Is Retell AI GDPR compliant?
Retell describes itself as GDPR compliant and relies on the AWS data processing addendum for this. You can sign its own agreement with standard contractual clauses at no fee. Because Retell does not currently operate services in the EU, you have to assess and document the transfer to a third country yourself.
Does Retell AI have servers in the EU?
No. Retell states in its documentation that it does not currently operate services within the European Union. If you want a US provider with an EU region, look at Vapi and its Premier package. If you want hosting in Germany, look at EchoCall.
How much does Retell AI cost per minute?
According to its pricing page, $0.07 to $0.31 per minute for voice agents, depending on model and voice. On top come $2 per phone number a month and, from the 21st concurrent line, $8 per line a month. For chat agents the price overview says from $0.002 per message, and the smallest model in the list costs $0.0005.
Does Retell AI have SOC 2 and HIPAA?
Yes. Retell states SOC 2 Type 1 and Type 2 and describes itself as HIPAA compliant. You can sign the Business Associate Agreement yourself at no fee. The reports are in Retell's Trust Center.
Is Retell AI available as white label?
Retell has a partner program with referred customers, a directory listing and co-marketing. A client portal under your own brand is not described there. With EchoCall, white label is part of the PartnerNet partner program or available through the open-source portal.
What is Retell AI's affiliate commission?
Retell pays 15 percent of a referred customer's revenue for twelve months, with a 90-day cookie and monthly payouts. EchoCall pays 20 percent recurring for as long as the customer stays.
How fast does a Retell agent respond?
That depends mainly on the chosen language model, the voice and the telephony. Retell offers a faster tier for many models at roughly twice the price. Measure with 20 test calls from your own network instead of relying on vendor figures.
What is the best Retell alternative for companies in Europe?
It depends on your team. With developers and a need for an EU region, Vapi with its Premier package is an option. Without developers, and if you want hosting in Germany, plans in euros or white label for your clients, EchoCall fits.
Sources
- Retell AI, pricing with line items, retrieved 6 October 2026, chat prices and recommended models checked again on 9 October 2026: retellai.com/pricing
- Retell AI Docs, Security and compliance: docs.retellai.com
- Retell AI Docs, Data Retention Policy: docs.retellai.com
- Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), Chapter V and Article 13: eur-lex.europa.eu
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (AI Act), Article 50: eur-lex.europa.eu
- Retell AI, Solution Partner Program: retellai.com/partners-program
- Vapi, home page, pricing and EU region: vapi.ai, vapi.ai/pricing, docs.vapi.ai
- Retell AI, affiliate program: retellai.com/affiliate
- EchoCall pricing: echocall.de/en/pricing
- EchoCall GDPR, DPA and subprocessors: echocall.de/en/gdpr. IONOS on the ISO/IEC 27001 certification of its data centres (in German): ionos.de/sicherheit
- EchoCall PartnerNet: echocall.de/en/partnernet
- EchoCall affiliate program: echocall.de/en/affiliates
All links were checked on 6 October 2026. Retell's chat prices and Vapi's EU region were checked again on 9 October 2026. Third-party prices may change. The provider's current price list applies.
