Retell costs $15/mo.
These cost $0.
2 free alternatives to Retell, checked for license, recent activity and real adoption. Each one tells you the catch, so you can switch with your eyes open.
The top-rated free, open-source replacement for Retell is LiveKit (Open Source Open Source). Across this category, 1 self-hostable tool is available (including Dograh). Switching a 5-person team saves up to $900/year compared to Retell's $15/mo subscription.
The catch: Community-driven open source project without dedicated enterprise SLAs.
Retell vs Free Alternatives
Quick side-by-side comparison · $0/mo vs $15/mo
| Alternative | Type | License | Where It Runs | Stars | Head-to-Head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LiveKit | open source | Open Source | Local | ★ 22.1k | Retell vs LiveKit → |
| Dograh | open source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 6k | Retell vs Dograh → |
The picks
2 open source · ranked by fit
- 01
LiveKit
open sourceOpen SourceLocal22.1knov 2026Build, test, deploy, and scale voice and video AI agents with an open source framework, inference gateway, telephony integrations, and full observability.
The catch vs RetellCommunity-driven open source project without dedicated enterprise SLAs.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- desktopcross-platformone-click install
- install
- Clone https://github.com/livekit/livekit or deploy with Docker Compose
- setup
- Download the native package or installer for your operating system.
- your data
- All application data lives locally on your own machine.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 02
Dograh
open sourceOpen SourceSelf-host6knov 2026Open-source voice agent platform that lets you plug in your own STT, LLM, and TTS models, deploy on-prem or in your VPC, and build agents via MCP or a visual workflow builder.
The catch vs RetellRequires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Retell.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Clone https://github.com/dograh-hq/dograh or deploy with Docker Compose
- setup
- Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- your data
- All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
Retell Head-to-Head Comparisons (2027)
Side-by-side trade-off breakdowns · 2 free alternatives
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers · Retell open-source replacements
What is the best free alternative to Retell?+
The top free alternative to Retell is LiveKit (open source, Open Source). Build, test, deploy, and scale voice and video AI agents with an open source framework, inference gateway, telephony integrations, and full observability. Other popular Retell replacements include Dograh.
Can I self-host a free replacement for Retell?+
Yes. Of the 2 free alternatives to Retell, 1 can be self-hosted on your own server or local machine: Dograh (Open Source).
How much does switching from Retell to a free alternative save?+
Retell starts at $15/month per seat ($180/year). Switching a 5-person team to a free alternative like LiveKit saves $900 per year in software subscription fees.
Should I vibe-code or build my own Retell clone from scratch?+
Our build verdict for Retell is NO (use a free alternative, save the tokens). Instead of paying recurring SaaS fees for Retell or rebuilding it from scratch, deploy one of the 2 battle-tested open-source alternatives like LiveKit.
What is the catch when switching from Retell to LiveKit?+
Community-driven open source project without dedicated enterprise SLAs.
