OpenPhn vs Retell.
Telephony + LLM for call centers.
Retell specializes in long-running call-center deployments — IVR, queue handoff, live agent assist. Strong if you're replacing a human call-center seat.
Stay on Retell when…
- ◆You're replacing inbound call-center seats at scale.
- ◆You need queue management, agent-assist, and live supervisor barge-in.
- ◆Your integration target is a CCaaS (Five9, Genesys, Talkdesk) not a software agent.
Switch to OpenPhn when…
- ◆You're NOT running a call center — you're running an agent that occasionally dials.
- ◆You want webhook-native outcomes, not CCaaS integration.
- ◆You want Python + TypeScript SDKs that feel like Stripe, not a telephony platform.
Line by line.
| CAPABILITY | OPENPHN | RETELL |
|---|---|---|
| CORE | ||
| Schema-first outcomes (you declare the JSON shape) | ● | ○ |
| Webhook-native with HMAC signatures + retries | ● | ◐ |
| First-class MCP server | ● | ○ |
| First-class OpenClaw / Hermes / n8n skills | ● | ○ |
| STACK | ||
| Bring-your-own telephony (Twilio / Vonage / Telnyx) | ● | ● |
| Python + TypeScript SDKs | ● | ○ |
| Streaming transcripts on the wire | ● | ● |
| COMPLIANCE | ||
| TCPA call-hour enforcement (server-side) | ● | ◐ |
| Suppression list scrubbing | ● | ◐ |
| SOC 2 Type II | In progress | ● |
| PRICING | ||
| Voice + extraction priced separately | ● | ◐ |
| No markup on carrier minutes | ● | ○ |
● full support · ◐ partial or with caveats · ○ not supported
Moving from Retell.
- 01
Keep Retell for inbound; move outbound to OpenPhn
If you're running a call center and ALSO need agent-driven outbound, the two coexist cleanly — Retell for the queue, OpenPhn for the outbound dials your agent triggers.
- 02
Map Retell's LLM-router config to outcome_schema
Where Retell uses LLM routing to branch the call tree, OpenPhn uses the objective + schema. Simpler mental model for most agent use cases.
- 03
Webhook consolidation
Point Retell's post-call webhook and OpenPhn's delivery webhook at the same endpoint. Route by `X-OpenPhn-Event` vs Retell's event header.
Retell has higher per-minute pricing (~$0.15/min voice) for lower-latency routing features that most agent use cases don't need. OpenPhn is cheaper because the platform does less — intentionally.
See the full OpenPhn pricing →