Retell AI vs Conduit: Voice-First Tool vs. Full Platform

When evaluating AI communication platforms for your business, the choice often comes down to scope: Do you need a specialized voice API, or a complete customer communication system?

Retell AI and Conduit represent two distinct approaches to AI-powered customer interactions. Retell focuses primarily on voice automation with developer-first tools, while Conduit delivers an end-to-end platform that unifies voice, SMS, email, socials and chat in a single operational system.

The Core Difference

Retell AI is a voice-first API platform built for engineering teams who want granular control over conversational AI. You get powerful voice capabilities, but you'll need to build or integrate everything else yourself - from managing SMS to coordinating follow-ups across channels.

Conduit is a full-stack conversational AI platform designed for operations teams. It handles voice calls, text messages, emails, and chat through a unified inbox where AI agents and human teams work side-by-side. Rather than just processing voice interactions, Conduit orchestrates entire customer journeys.

When Voice-Only Falls Short

Retell excels at what it does - voice automation with ~800ms latency, natural interruption handling, and flexible LLM integration. But in real-world business operations, voice is rarely isolated:

• A guest calls about check-in, then texts about parking
• A prospect requests info by phone, follows up via email
• A maintenance request starts on SMS, escalates to a call

With Retell, each channel requires separate tools, separate context, and manual coordination. Your team loses the thread between interactions, and automation breaks down at the handoffs.

Conduit maintains context across every channel. When a guest switches from phone to text, the AI agent already knows the conversation history, property details, and guest preferences. Everything flows through one unified system.

Platform Capabilities Compared

Communication Channels

Retell AI:

• Voice calls (inbound/outbound)
• SMS support
• No native integration with social platforms

Conduit:

• Voice calls (inbound/outbound)
• SMS, WhatsApp, email
• Web chat, Instagram DMs
• Unified inbox for all channels

Workflow Automation

Retell AI:

• Voice-specific workflows
• Custom webhooks and API integrations
• Requires external workflow tools

Conduit:

• Cross-channel workflow builder
• Event-driven automation (booking confirmations, maintenance requests, upsell sequences)
• Native task management and escalation
• Zapier/n8n-style workflow tools built in

Team Collaboration

Retell AI:

• Developer-focused
• Limited collaboration features
• Separate systems for agent handoff

Conduit:

• AI-native help desk
• Human agents work alongside AI in same inbox
• Contact-based threading (not ticket-based)
• Built-in knowledge hub and SOP management
• Real-time agent training and improvement

Industry Focus

Retell AI:

• Horizontal platform (any industry)
• Requires custom configuration
• Strong voice capabilities

Conduit:

• Horizontal platform with pre-configured templates for specific industries
• Integrated with a large number of partners
• Multimodal AI (voice, sms, email, etc.)

The Developer vs. Operations Trade-off

If you have a dedicated engineering team and need to build highly customized voice experiences, Retell's API-first approach makes sense. You get:

• WebSocket-based real-time streaming
• Custom LLM integration
• Granular control over call flows
• BYOC (Bring Your Own Carrier) telephony

But this flexibility comes at a cost: implementation time, ongoing maintenance, and the need for technical resources to manage integrations.

Conduit is built for operations teams who need to deploy fast and iterate continuously:

• No-code agent builder
• Pre-built integrations with major platforms (Salesforce, HubSpot, Notion, Shopify)
• 14-day trial with $2,000 in credits
• Managed implementation for enterprise customers

The platform automates 80% of inbound support out of the box, with teams able to refine and improve agents over time without writing code.

Security and Compliance

Both platforms meet enterprise standards:

Retell AI:

• SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR compliant
• Enterprise-grade security

Conduit:

• SOC 2 Type II certified
• HIPAA-compliant
• ISO 27018 (cloud privacy)
• HDS certification (health data hosting)

The Bottom Line

Choose Retell AI if you:

• Have engineering resources to build and maintain integrations
• Need mostly voice automation
• Want maximum flexibility over cost predictability
• Are building custom conversational experiences

Choose Conduit if you:

• Need complete customer communication automation
• Want AI and human agents working in one system
• Operate in hospitality, real estate, or property management
• Need to deploy fast without technical complexity
• Want predictable costs and continuous improvement

Beyond Voice: The Future of Customer Communication

The real question isn't whether voice AI works - it clearly does. The question is whether voice-first tools can keep up with how customers actually communicate.

Today's guests and customers expect seamless experiences across every channel. They start conversations on one platform and continue on another without repeating themselves. They expect instant responses whether they call, text, or email.

Retell gives you powerful voice capabilities. Conduit gives you a complete communication system that scales with your business while maintaining context, quality, and brand consistency across every interaction.

For businesses serious about automation that drives revenue - not just cost savings - the choice is clear: You need a platform, not just an API.

Ready to see the difference? Book a demo with Conduit to explore how unified AI communication can transform your operations, or start with a 14-day trial to test the platform with your real workflows.

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