Skaala
$29/mo
From $29/mo in the US, £25/mo in the UK, 299 SEK/NOK in Nordic markets
- AI receptionist + booking + CRM + payments in one platform
- Local phone number included — one per team on every plan
- 70+ languages supported in the same conversation
Competitor comparison
Skaala vs Retell AI. The full picture.
How Skaala compares to Retell AI — features, pricing, and where each one fits best.
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The short answer
Retell AI (retellai.com) is a developer platform for building custom voice AI agents, with published usage-based pricing of $0.07–$0.31/min plus telephony. For technical teams building bespoke voice applications, that model is genuinely powerful. Skaala is a ready-made AI receptionist plus operations platform — no coding, fixed plans, local number per team, booking and CRM included.
Feature Comparison
What's included, what's missing, what's extra.
| Feature | Skaala | Retell AI |
|---|---|---|
| AI-telefonsvar / AI call answering | Plug-and-play | Build yourself |
| Utviklerplattform / Developer platform | Not available | Included |
| Lokalt telefonnummer inkludert | 1 per team, alle planer | Add via telephony |
| Svensk + norsk + engelsk + 70+ språk | Included | Configurable |
| Innebygd booking / Built-in booking | Included | Build yourself |
| Innebygd CRM / Built-in CRM | Included | Build yourself |
| Stripe-betalinger / Stripe payments | Included | Build yourself |
| Web-widget for nettsted | Included | Build yourself |
| GDPR / EU data residency | Included | Configurable |
| Developer API | Coming soon | Included |
| Pricing model / Prismodell | Fixed monthly + included minutes | Usage-based: LLM + TTS + voice infra + add-ons stack to $0.07-$0.31/min |
| Trial / Prøveperiode | 7-day trial (payment method at signup) | $10 free signup credits (effective trial, no commitment) |
| Compliance | GDPR (EU infrastructure) | SOC 2, HIPAA-ready (custom BAA), PII redaction, custom SSO, RBAC |
| Concurrency / Samtidighet | Not capped | 20 concurrent calls free, +$8/extra-concurrency/mo |
Pricing and what's included
Two different ways to handle customer calls and intake — compare what you actually get for the monthly cost.
Retell AI
Retell AI
Developer platform for voice AI (usage-based)
Public pricing snapshot
- Retell AI usage-based: $0.07–$0.31/min headline range — composed of LLM (GPT-4.1 $0.045, Claude 4.5 Sonnet $0.08, Gemini 2.5 Flash $0.035 per min) + TTS ($0.015 platform / $0.040 ElevenLabs) + Retell voice infra $0.055/min + optional add-ons (Knowledge Base +$0.005, PII removal +$0.01, Branded Call +$0.10/outbound).
- Chat agents from $0.002/msg.
- $10 free signup credits (effective trial).
- 20 concurrent calls free, +$8/concurrency/mo above.
- Phone number $2/mo (Retell) or $10/mo (verified).
Sources and full assumptions are listed below.
Sources checked
Last verified: 2026-05-15
Retell AI publishes usage-based voice AI per retellai.com/pricing (verified 15 May 2026). The $0.07–$0.31/min headline is a range — the real per-minute cost is composed: LLM (GPT-4.1 $0.045/min, Claude 4.5 Sonnet $0.08/min, Gemini 2.5 Flash $0.035/min) plus TTS ($0.015/min for Retell platform / $0.040/min for ElevenLabs) plus Retell voice infra $0.055/min plus add-ons (Knowledge Base +$0.005, PII removal +$0.01, Advanced denoising +$0.005, Branded Call +$0.10/outbound). Example: GPT-4.1 + Retell TTS + voice infra ≈ $0.115/min before add-ons. Chat agents from $0.002/msg. Phone number $2/mo (Retell) or $10/mo (verified). Concurrency: 20 concurrent calls free, +$8/extra-concurrency/mo. $10 free signup credits act as the effective trial. Compliance: SOC 2 certified, HIPAA-ready with custom BAA, PII redaction, custom data retention, custom SSO, RBAC. It is a developer platform — you build the agent; total cost and operations ownership sit with your team. Skaala Essential is 299 NOK/mo (50 minutes included) and Business is 1,499 NOK/mo; in the US, Skaala starts at $29/mo. Both Skaala plans include one local number per team, booking, CRM, and a 7-day trial (payment method at signup). Both models are legitimate — Retell for technical teams, Skaala for business users.
Where Skaala is a sensible choice
What you actually get beyond Retell AI.
Two different products, two different audiences
Retell is a developer platform for teams building custom voice applications. Skaala is a ready-made AI receptionist for service businesses. Both are legitimate choices — pick based on whether you have a development team.
Predictable fixed pricing
Skaala prices with minutes included and a fixed monthly fee. Retell prices $0.07–$0.31/min plus telephony — predictable for developers who know their volume, less suited to SMBs that want a locked monthly cost.
Local number included
Both Skaala plans include one local phone number per team. Retell — telephony is added separately per retellai.com.
Booking, CRM, and payments in one product
With Retell, you build workflows yourself. Skaala delivers booking, CRM, and Stripe payments ready-made. Skaala offers a 7-day trial.
Deep dive
Skaala vs Retell AI — how to compare the two
Retell AI and Skaala solve the same fundamental problem in diametrically different ways — and both are legitimate choices for the right audience. Retell AI (retellai.com) is a developer platform for building custom voice AI agents, with usage-based pricing of $0.07–$0.31/min plus telephony. Skaala is a ready-made AI receptionist plus integrated operations platform: the AI agent answers, books, updates CRM, handles Stripe payments, and syncs with Google Calendar and Outlook — in English, Swedish, Norwegian, and 70+ other languages. Last checked 13 May 2026.
The pricing model is the most visible difference. Retell's per-minute model is predictable for developers who know their call volume and build custom logic — it is honestly a strength, not a weakness. Skaala prices with minutes included (50 in Essential, more in Business) and a fixed monthly fee, suited to service businesses that want a ready-made product without engineering work. Both Skaala plans include one local number per team, booking, CRM with contact scoring, Stripe payments, calendar sync (Google + Outlook), Zapier (5,000+ apps), a web widget, and a 7-day trial (no lock-in). See our pricing page.
Who fits Retell AI better? Technical teams with in-house developers building custom voice applications, needing granular control over agent logic, or integrating voice AI into a broader proprietary platform. That is a fully legitimate audience. Who fits Skaala better? Service businesses that want (a) a ready-made product that works the same day, (b) built-in booking, CRM, and Stripe payments, (c) one local number per team, (d) languages beyond English, and (e) no lock-in. Both are legitimate choices — pick based on your real audience and need. Skaala offers a 7-day trial that can be cancelled at any time.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Skaala and Retell AI?
Retell AI is a developer platform for building custom voice AI agents — it is honestly the right choice for technical teams that need granular control and build bespoke voice applications. Skaala is a ready-made AI receptionist plus operations platform: the AI agent answers, books, updates CRM, and handles payments without coding. Facts checked 13 May 2026.
How do the pricing models differ?
As of 13 May 2026, Retell AI publishes usage-based voice AI at $0.07–$0.31/min plus telephony and add-ons. Skaala Essential is 299 NOK/mo (50 minutes included) and Business is 1,499 NOK/mo; in the US, Skaala starts at $29/mo. Both models have legitimate strengths — Retell's model scales predictably for developers.
When does Retell AI fit better?
If you have an in-house engineering team, need granular control over agent logic and voice configuration, or build custom voice applications that do not fit a standard product — Retell AI is a strong, honest fit. It is not a deficiency; it is a different audience.
When does Skaala fit better?
If you run a service business, want a ready-made AI receptionist that works the same day, need built-in booking, CRM, and Stripe payments, and do not want to build and maintain a voice app yourself — Skaala is the right fit. Both are legitimate choices.
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See also
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