PVapi · PolyAI · Compare · Checked Oct 27, 2026
Vapi vs PolyAI Dialog-RSN-1 API pricing: which is cheaper?
At 1,000 minutes a month, Vapi costs $110.80–$157.90 and PolyAI Dialog-RSN-1 API costs $24.55 on our stack, a difference of at least $86.25 in favor of PolyAI Dialog-RSN-1 API, before PolyAI's text tokens (valid only until Nov 19, 2026). Checked Oct 27, 2026 (Vapi) and Oct 29, 2026 (PolyAI).
Monthly cost at four volumes
| Volume | Vapi | PolyAI |
|---|---|---|
| 500 min/mo | $69.90–$93.45 | $12.85 |
| 1,000 min/mo | $110.80–$157.90 | $24.55 |
| 5,000 min/mo | $438.00–$673.50 | $118.15 |
| 10,000 min/mo | $847.00–$1,318.00 | $235.15 |
Our calculation from list prices: 3-minute inbound calls, 10 at once, one US number. A green dot marks the cheaper side; Vapi is a range from its own calculator. Change the scenario.
What each one bills for
| Item | Vapi | PolyAI |
|---|---|---|
| How it bills | Pick your providers | Pick your providers |
| Headline rate | $0.05/min hosting | $0.02/min connected minute |
| All-in per minute at 1,000 | $0.1108–$0.1579/min | $0.0246/min |
| Concurrency | 4 / 10 / 30 | 2 until a card, then 10 |
| Free to start | $5 credits | $100 before Nov 19, 2026 |
| Telephony | No Vapi fee; your carrier bills you | Not included |
| LLM | $0.0077–$0.0452/min | Text tokens billed separately |
Where the money goes at 1,000 minutes
Platform & linesBundled AI rateLLMTranscriberVoicePhone
Vapi
$110.80–$157.90 /mo at 1,000 min
- Hosting$50.00
- STT (Deepgram)$9.50
- LLM (OpenAI, Vapi calculator range)$7.70
- TTS (ElevenLabs, Vapi calculator range)$14.60
- Telephony (Vapi fee $0; carrier not included)$0.00
- Concurrency for 10 calls: Core plan $29 (10 concurrent)$29.00
PPolyAI Dialog-RSN-1 API
$24.55 /mo at 1,000 min
- Dialog-RSN-1 connected minutes$20.00
- Voice output (free until Nov 19, 2026)$0.00
- Telephony: Twilio Elastic SIP, US local inbound$3.40
- Twilio local number$1.15
- Concurrency for 10 calls (10 included after a card is added)$0.00
Text tokens are excluded, so the real cost is higher. Voice output is free until Nov 19, 2026; the price after that is not published. This total is valid only until Nov 19, 2026.
FAQ
Is Vapi cheaper than PolyAI?
At 1,000 minutes a month, Vapi costs $110.80–$157.90 and PolyAI Dialog-RSN-1 API costs $24.55 on our stack, a difference of at least $86.25 in favor of PolyAI Dialog-RSN-1 API, before PolyAI's text tokens (valid only until Nov 19, 2026). Checked Oct 27, 2026 (Vapi) and Oct 29, 2026 (PolyAI).
How much does Vapi cost per minute?
Vapi lists $0.05/min (hosting). All-in on our stack it works out to $0.1108–$0.1579 a minute at 1,000 minutes a month, or $110.80–$157.90.
How much does PolyAI cost per minute?
PolyAI Dialog-RSN-1 API lists $0.02/min (connected minute). All-in on our stack it works out to $0.0246 a minute at 1,000 minutes a month, or $24.55.
More comparisons
All comparisons · Rankings at your volume · How prices are checked