Top 9 of 17 alternatives
9 AudioCodes Live Hub alternatives (2026)
The closest alternatives to AudioCodes Live Hub in October 2026 are ElevenLabs Agents, TelEcho and Retell AI.
9 agents compared · 4 with a free plan · prices checked 2 September–24 October 2026
Reviewed by The Agents Index editorial team.
AudioCodes Live Hub and its alternatives at a glance
| Agent | Best for | Starts at | Better than AudioCodes Live Hub at | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AudioCodes Live Hub | From $0.05/minute source | 24 September 2026 | ||
| ElevenLabs Agents | Developers and product teams who want ElevenLabs' voice quality and cloning as the foundation of their agent, and are comfortable assembling the rest of the stack themselves. | Free, then $6/month source | Agent permissions, Claude | 18 October 2026 |
| Retell AI | Product and engineering teams that want a low-latency, human-sounding phone agent with flexible model and telephony choice. | From $0.07/minute source | Claude, In your editor | 23 September 2026 |
| LiveKit Agents | Engineering teams that want to own their voice-agent stack end to end, self-hosted or on LiveKit Cloud, without being locked into one vendor's API. | Free, then $50/month source | Claude, Open models | 2 September 2026 |
| OpenAI Realtime API | Engineering teams building a voice agent from scratch who want to go directly to OpenAI's own speech-to-speech model (no orchestration platform, no per-minute markup) and are comfortable being single-vendor on OpenAI. | From $10/1m audio input tokens source | Agent permissions | 23 October 2026 |
| Vapi | Engineering teams that want maximum control to build custom voice agents on their own choice of model, voice and telephony. | From $0.05/minute source | Claude, Open models | 3 September 2026 |
| Bland | Security-conscious enterprises in regulated industries that want a compliant, infrastructure-owned voice platform with deterministic call flows. | Free, then $0.14/minute source | In your editor, On the command line | 18 October 2026 |
| Cartesia | Engineering teams that want an open-source voice-agent SDK with real LLM choice, built on speech models several rival platforms in this category already license as a component. | Free, then $5/month source | Claude, In your editor | 2 September 2026 |
Shortlist
Closest alternatives to AudioCodes Live Hub
The ones people open most here come first, then the closest matches. How we rank
- 01
ElevenLabs Agents
Hosted platform for building voice and chat agents, with telephony, SDKs and a choice of LLM.
From FreeWhy it's on this listAgent permissions · YesTool use is gated per MCP server and per tool: always ask, fine-grained (auto-approved, requires approval, disabled), or no approval at all.Source ↗
Where it improves on AudioCodes Live Hub
- +Claude · YesAnthropic models are natively selectable in agent settings; a few older Claude models drop out in EU data-residency workspaces.Source ↗
- +Open models · YesOpen-weight models run two ways: ElevenLabs-hosted Qwen in the native model list, or Llama and Mixtral through a custom LLM endpoint such as Together AI, Groq or SambaNova.Source ↗
Trade-offs against AudioCodes Live Hub
- −Admin controls · PartlyGuardrails constrain what an agent may say and per-tool approval constrains what it may do, but Guardrails is in Alpha and enabling MCP servers is not restricted to admins.Source ↗
- −Data residency · PartlyUS by default; EU, India and Singapore exist as separate Enterprise workspaces with their own accounts, API hosts and reduced model choice, and processing may still leave the region.Source ↗
- 02
TelEcho
Conversational AI platform for voice and messaging agents that run customer calls and update connected systems.
From $0.07/minuteWhy it's on this listAgent permissions · YesScope is bounded at setup rather than per action: guardrails, escalation and handoff conditions, business hours and response policies are configured before an agent goes live, and no per-step approval prompt is described.Source ↗
Trade-offs against AudioCodes Live Hub
- −Open models · NoNo open-weight option is offered anywhere: the calculator's five LLM choices are all OpenAI, and the vendor's complete sub-processor inventory names OpenAI as the only LLM provider that touches customer data.Source ↗
- −Model choice · PartlyYou choose the telephony carrier, the STT engine, the TTS voice and the execution pipeline, but every LLM option in the calculator comes from one vendor, so model choice stops at OpenAI.Source ↗
- −API access · PartlyA Voice Agent API exists and carries an uptime commitment, and webhooks, custom REST integration and Enterprise metrics-export APIs are advertised, but the site publishes no endpoint reference, no docs route and no key-issuing flow.Source ↗
- 03
Retell AI
Pay-as-you-go platform for building, testing and running AI phone, chat and SMS agents.
From $0.07/minuteWhy it's on this listClaude · YesClaude models are selectable as the agent's conversation model and priced per minute for voice and per message for chat, alongside GPT and Gemini options.Source ↗
Where it improves on AudioCodes Live Hub
- +In your editor · PartlyThere is no editor plugin for building calls, but the hosted MCP server lets IDE-based assistants such as Cursor create, publish and inspect Retell agents from inside the editor.Source ↗
- +Getting out · YesFiltered call and chat history exports to CSV including transcripts, and list/get APIs cover the same data; purchased credits never expire but are non-refundable once bought.Source ↗
Trade-offs against AudioCodes Live Hub
- −On the command line · NoThe docs enumerate every way to drive Retell: dashboard, REST API, Node/Python SDKs and MCP server. No command-line tool is among them.Source ↗
- −Bring your own key · PartlyYou can bring your own model server and your own telephony carrier over SIP, but there is no documented way to supply your own OpenAI or Anthropic keys for Retell's built-in models.Source ↗
- −Seat model · NoNothing is charged per user: the published rate card meters minutes, messages and monthly items like phone numbers and concurrency, so team size does not change the bill.Source ↗
- 04
LiveKit Agents
Open-source Python and Node.js framework for voice AI agents, with LiveKit Cloud hosting, telephony and observability.
From FreeWhy it's on this listClaude · YesAnthropic plugin for Python and Node.js, using your own Anthropic API key. Claude is not among the models served through LiveKit Inference, so it is a plugin-only path.Source ↗
Where it improves on AudioCodes Live Hub
- +Open models · YesOpen-weight models are the recommended default in LiveKit Inference (Gemma 4 31B, GPT OSS 120B, DeepSeek), and the Ollama plugin runs models locally.Source ↗
- +On the command line · YesThe lk CLI creates projects, deploys agents and manages LiveKit Cloud; agents can also be run and talked to locally in console mode.Source ↗
Trade-offs against AudioCodes Live Hub
- −Done-for-you service · NoYou run the software: an open-source SDK plus a self-serve cloud. Enterprise adds a designated solutions engineer, which is support, not a build-for-you engagement.Source ↗
- −MCP server · PartlyThe agent is the MCP client: it consumes tools from remote HTTP or local stdio MCP servers, Python only. LiveKit does not expose a running agent as an MCP server for another agent to query.Source ↗
- −Bring your own key · PartlyProvider plugins run on your own account, key and billing, and self-hosted agents run in your own cloud. Bringing your own key to traffic routed through LiveKit Inference is not supported.Source ↗
- 05
OpenAI Realtime API
Speech-to-speech API for voice agents, with tools, MCP and WebRTC or WebSocket transport.
From $10/1m audio input tokensWhy it's on this listAgent permissions · YesPermissioning is explicit and developer-held: function tools exist precisely so approval checks and private system access stay in your application, while MCP tools let the API call a remote server for you.Source ↗
Trade-offs against AudioCodes Live Hub
- −Done-for-you service · NoYou run software: the vendor's guide tells the buyer to build the agent, create ephemeral client secrets from their own server and host the frontend, with no build-and-run service offered.Source ↗
- −Runs autonomously · PartlyThe session handles audio turns, interruptions, tool calls and handoffs without a human prompting each step, but the vendor's own guidance keeps approval checks, guardrails and blocking in the developer's application.Source ↗
- −Claude · NoOnly OpenAI's own realtime snapshots are supported; the vendor's complete per-endpoint model inventory for /v1/realtime names six gpt-realtime models and no third-party model.Source ↗
- 06
Vapi
Developer platform for building, testing and deploying voice AI agents that make and receive phone calls.
From $0.05/minuteWhy it's on this listClaude · YesClaude is selectable as the assistant's LLM, on Vapi's integration or your own Anthropic account.Source ↗
Where it improves on AudioCodes Live Hub
- +Open models · YesOpen-weight models reach the pipeline through Groq, Together AI, Mistral, DeepSeek and OpenRouter, or a self-hosted server.Source ↗
- +In your editor · PartlyNo agent runtime in the editor; `vapi mcp setup` teaches Cursor, Windsurf and VSCode the Vapi API so you can build from the IDE.Source ↗
Trade-offs against AudioCodes Live Hub
- −Seat model · NoNothing is priced per seat: the plan table meters call minutes and concurrent lines only, and members are invited with RBAC roles.Source ↗
- −Opt out of training · PartlyThe privacy policy reserves call content for model training and names no toggle; the $1,000/month ZDR add-on is the only documented way to stop it being kept at all.Source ↗
- −Data residency · PartlyUS is the default region; the EU region is frozen to existing accounts and new EU residency is enterprise-only, so regional control comes from your own buckets and models.Source ↗
- 07
Bland
Enterprise voice AI platform for inbound and outbound phone agents, running on Bland's own self-hosted models.
From FreeWhy it's on this listIn your editor · YesAn MCP server puts agent building inside Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code and Codex; the agent itself still runs on calls.Source ↗
Where it improves on AudioCodes Live Hub
Trade-offs against AudioCodes Live Hub
- −Multi-agent · PartlyWarm transfer runs a second proxy-agent leg alongside the primary agent, but that is call handoff, not general orchestration.Source ↗
- −Claude · NoClaude never runs the call: Bland states no third-party AI provider is in the call path at all.Source ↗
- −GPT · NoOpenAI models are named as exactly what Bland does not use; inference stays on Bland's own speech and language models.Source ↗
- 08
HeyRik
Build, clone and deploy AI phone agents that answer inbound calls and run outbound calling campaigns.
From ₹999/monthWhy it's on this listFree tier · YesYou can sign up and place calls without talking to sales or entering a card: the Free Trial plan gives 30 phone-call minutes plus unlimited web-call minutes.Source ↗
Trade-offs against AudioCodes Live Hub
- −Multi-agent · NoOne agent handles one call and one campaign; the vendor inventory of what an agent can do ends at transferring to a person, and the 78-operation API exposes no agent-to-agent handoff or orchestration primitive.Source ↗
- −Model choice · PartlyYou choose a performance tier from a stack HeyRik manages and reads back through the API, rather than picking a named model; the vendor operates the conversational intelligence itself.Source ↗
- −On the command line · NoNo command-line tool is published; the docs show curl examples against the REST API, which is a code sample rather than a terminal product the vendor ships.Source ↗
- 09
Cartesia
Real-time speech models and a managed runtime for production phone and web voice agents.
From FreeWhy it's on this listClaude · YesAnthropic Claude models are named in the SDK's supported-models table and used in its examples.Source ↗
Where it improves on AudioCodes Live Hub
Trade-offs against AudioCodes Live Hub
- −Done-for-you service · NoSelf-serve software: you build and deploy the agent yourself; sales contact exists for Enterprise terms, not for building it for you.Source ↗
- −Multi-agent · NoSystem tools enumerate three slots: end call, DTMF, and transfer to an E.164 phone number. An agent therefore hands off to a number, not to another Cartesia agent.Source ↗
- −Bring your own key · PartlyNo bring-your-own LLM key: Cartesia bills the LLM itself. You can bring your own carrier via SIP trunking and host the agent's reasoning code yourself.Source ↗
What to watch for
- AudioCodes Live HubInbound call rates vary widely by destination country (US from $0.0074/min, Alaska from $0.0716/min, international often higher); total cost depends on where callers reach Live Hub.
- ElevenLabs AgentsCovers the voice + LLM-orchestration layer, not a turnkey ops product, CRM/helpdesk workflows, observability and compliance UI are yours to build.
- Retell AITrue per-minute cost is the sum of stacked components, so budgeting requires modelling model, voice, and telephony together.
- LiveKit AgentsA framework, not a no-code or dashboard-first builder. Expect to write and deploy real code, unlike this category's more configured rivals.
- OpenAI Realtime API60-minute maximum session duration.
- VapiTrue per-minute cost is the sum of several passed-through services, so the headline platform fee understates spend.
- BlandVoice cloning across the full 40+ language set and the lowest per-minute rates are effectively Enterprise-tier features.
- CartesiaLine's voice-agent runtime cannot be self-hosted — only the underlying Sonic/Ink models can, on an Enterprise contract.
Side by side
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Which agents actually ship. New agents and articles, by email, at most once a week.
Questions buyers ask
What are the best alternatives to AudioCodes Live Hub?
ElevenLabs Agents, TelEcho and Retell AI are the closest. They share the most of AudioCodes Live Hub's features.
What is the cheapest alternative to AudioCodes Live Hub?
ElevenLabs Agents, LiveKit Agents and Bland and 1 more have a free plan. The lowest paid plan is HeyRik, from ₹999/month (about $11). Price checked on 10 September 2026.
Which agents here have a free plan?
4 of the 9: ElevenLabs Agents, LiveKit Agents, Bland and Cartesia.
When were these prices checked?
Between 2 September 2026 and 24 October 2026, each read on the maker's own pricing page.
Sources and method
Closest first: most of AudioCodes Live Hub's features, then the fewest gaps. How we rank
Every price here was read on the maker's own pricing page.
- AudioCodes Live Hub: audiocodes.com/livehub/pricing, checked 24 September 2026
- ElevenLabs Agents: elevenlabs.io/pricing/agents, checked 2 September 2026
- TelEcho: telecho.io/pricing, checked 16 September 2026
- Retell AI: retellai.com/pricing, checked 23 September 2026
- LiveKit Agents: livekit.com/pricing, checked 24 October 2026
- OpenAI Realtime API: developers.openai.com/api/docs/pricing, checked 23 October 2026
- Vapi: vapi.ai/pricing, checked 3 September 2026
- Bland: bland.ai/pricing, checked 18 October 2026
- HeyRik: heyrik.com/pricing, checked 10 September 2026
- Cartesia: cartesia.ai/pricing, checked 24 October 2026
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