OCGPT-Live · Cartesia · Compare · Checked Oct 27, 2026
OpenAI GPT-Live 1 vs Cartesia Managed Agents pricing: which is cheaper?
At 1,000 minutes a month, OpenAI GPT-Live 1 costs $54.55 and Cartesia Managed Agents costs $44.00 on our stack, a difference of $10.55 in favor of Cartesia Managed Agents, before GPT-Live's backend model tokens and Cartesia's LLM usage. Checked Oct 29, 2026 (GPT-Live) and Oct 30, 2026 (Cartesia).
Monthly cost at four volumes
| Volume | GPT-Live | Cartesia |
|---|---|---|
| 500 min/mo | $27.85 | $22.00 |
| 1,000 min/mo | $54.55 | $44.00 |
| 5,000 min/mo | $268.15 | $220.00 |
| 10,000 min/mo | $535.15 | $440.00 |
Our calculation from list prices: 3-minute inbound calls, 10 at once, one US number. A green dot marks the cheaper side. Change the scenario.
What each one bills for
| Item | GPT-Live | Cartesia |
|---|---|---|
| How it bills | Pick your providers | Bundled rate |
| Headline rate | $0.05/min session time | $0.03/min call time |
| All-in per minute at 1,000 | $0.0546/min | $0.044/min |
| Concurrency | Build 50, Launch 300, Grow 500 | 8 to 60 calls by plan |
| Free to start | None | Free plan with $1 of agent minutes |
| Telephony | Bring your own telephony | Cartesia number, or bring Twilio or SIP |
| LLM | Billed separately; gpt-6-luna suggested | Billed separately |
Where the money goes at 1,000 minutes
Platform & linesBundled AI rateLLMTranscriberVoicePhone
OOpenAI GPT-Live 1
$54.55 /mo at 1,000 min
- GPT-Live 1 session time$50.00
- Telephony: Twilio Elastic SIP, US local inbound$3.40
- Twilio local number$1.15
- Concurrency for 10 calls (Build includes 50)$0.00
Backend model tokens and tool calls are billed separately and are not in this total, so the real cost is higher.
CCartesia Managed Agents
$44.00 /mo at 1,000 min
- Managed Agents call time (voices and transcription included)$30.00
- Telephony: Cartesia-provided phone number$14.00
- Concurrency for 10 calls (Pro includes 12)$0.00
LLM usage during calls is billed separately and is not in this total, so the real cost is higher. Voices and transcription are included in the agents rate. Assumption: one Cartesia-provided phone number at Cartesia's per-minute rate. Plan fees and prepaid agent dollars are not subtracted.
FAQ
Is GPT-Live cheaper than Cartesia?
At 1,000 minutes a month, OpenAI GPT-Live 1 costs $54.55 and Cartesia Managed Agents costs $44.00 on our stack, a difference of $10.55 in favor of Cartesia Managed Agents, before GPT-Live's backend model tokens and Cartesia's LLM usage. Checked Oct 29, 2026 (GPT-Live) and Oct 30, 2026 (Cartesia).
How much does GPT-Live cost per minute?
OpenAI GPT-Live 1 lists $0.05/min (session time). All-in on our stack it works out to $0.0546 a minute at 1,000 minutes a month, or $54.55.
How much does Cartesia cost per minute?
Cartesia Managed Agents lists $0.03/min (call time). All-in on our stack it works out to $0.044 a minute at 1,000 minutes a month, or $44.00.
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