Why wait on hold when a voice agent picks up instantly and gets you?
Call centers haven't changed much in decades, with long queues, scripted responses, and repetitive queries. But today's customers expect more. They want answers now, on the first try, in their language and with a human touch, even if it's not a human speaking. That's where AI voice agents are turning a broken experience into a competitive advantage.
Recent data supports the shift, indicating that 85% of customer service leaders plan to explore or pilot customer-facing conversational GenAI by 2025, according to a Gartner survey conducted in 2024. This includes voice agents designed to manage multi-turn, emotionally intelligent conversations, freeing up human agents while enhancing customer satisfaction.
Today's AI voice agents go far beyond robotic IVR menus. Built on a powerful combination of automatic speech recognition (ASR), natural language processing (NLP), large language models (LLMs), and expressive text-to-speech (TTS) technology, they can understand tone, emotion, and intent in real time. They don't just respond. They listen, adapt, and speak like a human would.
In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore:
- How AI voice agents work behind the scenes.
- Measurable benefits include faster resolutions, reduced costs, and higher CSAT scores.
- A 2025 comparison of the top 10 AI voice agent platforms, highlighting key features and pricing.
- And a deeper look at implementation tips and what makes one solution better than another.
If you're ready to build voice experiences that don't just talk but truly connect, this guide is your roadmap.
What Are AI Voice Agents?
AI voice agents are not just upgraded IVRs, they're autonomous digital assistants that listen, think, and speak like humans. AI voice agents leverage advanced speech technologies and large language models, enabling them to understand your words, interpret your intent, and respond conversationally in real time. Static phone menus or chatbots operate on rigid scripts, whereas AI-based voice agents can carry on fluid, multi-turn conversations and handle unexpected questions without breaking the flow.
These agents have redefined customer communication in support, sales, and service, particularly in high-volume industries where speed and empathy must coexist. Let's break down what makes AI voice agents different from legacy tools and how they function.
How Do AI Voice Agents Work?
AI voice agent companies operate by combining four core technologies: automatic speech recognition (ASR), natural language processing (NLP), large language models (LLMs), and text-to-speech (TTS) synthesis. These components form a pipeline that turns spoken queries into actions and spoken responses.
- ASR (Automatic Speech Recognition): Converts user speech into text in real-time. Modern ASR models are trained to recognise accents, slang, and even code-mixed languages like Hinglish.
- NLP + LLMs: Once transcribed, the text is processed by language models to extract meaning, context, and intent. This is where the "understanding" happens: what the caller wants, and how to help.
- Decision Logic: Contact center voice agents use predefined logic, external APIs, or reasoning engines to determine the next action, such as answering a query, fetching user data, or scheduling a callback.
- TTS (Text-to-Speech): The agent then delivers its response using natural, expressive voice synthesis. Modern TTS systems can mirror human tone, emotion, and even regional inflection.
Together, these steps happen in milliseconds, creating conversations that feel intuitive and alive.
Top 10 AI Voice Agent Companies in 2025
The AI voice agent market is booming, with dozens of platforms emerging to handle customer support, sales, onboarding, and more, all in natural, human-like speech. These companies offer varying degrees of customization, scalability, and performance, but a few stand out. Whether you're a startup or an enterprise, choosing the right provider depends on your goals, volume, and tech stack.
Here are the top 10 AI voice agent companies that are redefining voice automation, and SquadStack takes the lead for a reason.
SquadStack
SquadStack leads AI voice agents with its flagship Humanoid Agent made for India, and purpose-built for high-volume, high-context conversations. It offers deeply human-like interactions in regional Indian languages and real-time analytics designed to optimise performance. Backed by millions of calls and trusted by leading BFSI, Fintech, real estate, and healthcare brands, SquadStack is more than a voice bot; it's a revenue-generating assistant trained for outcomes.
What Makes SquadStack Different?
While many voice AI companies offer "natural-sounding" voices, SquadStack goes several layers deeper. Its agents combine emotional nuance, cultural fluency (e.g., code-switching in Hinglish), and real-world reasoning to adapt to unpredictable conversations. This results in higher call containment, faster resolutions, and better CSAT.
- AI agents that respond empathetically, not just accurately.
- A 60%+ reduction in call center costs compared to manual reps.
- Deployed in live production with 98% uptime and failover support.
Key Features
SquadStack's Humanoid Agent is equipped with enterprise-ready voice tech and human-like conversational intelligence.
- Emotional and cultural intelligence: Detects tone, sentiment, hesitation, and inflection; uses culturally adapted phrasing (e.g., "acha," "thoda wait kijiye").
- Multilingual fluency at scale: Supports Hindi, English, Hinglish, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, Kannada, and more.
- Real-time QA + Analytics: Dashboard with live recordings, sentiment graphs, contact rate, resolution %, and agent benchmarking.
Use Cases
SquadStack is optimised for both inbound and outbound automation across multiple verticals.SquadStack is commonly used for:
- Outbound sales & qualification (cold-to-warm transitions, follow-ups).
- Customer support (order issues, FAQs, post-purchase care).
- Loan & insurance collections (auto-reminders, NPA recovery, negotiation).
- Appointment & demo scheduling (with CRM sync).
- Customer verification & KYC calls.
Pricing
SquadStack follows a performance-based pricing model tailored to call volume, use-case complexity, language support, and the number of agent personas. Their clients typically see:
- 40–60% lower operational cost.
- Up to 3x increase in productivity (calls per hour per agent).
- Custom pricing is available for POCs, pilots, or full-scale deployments.
Why SquadStack Is the Top Voice Agent Platform
Unlike plug-and-play tools with basic intent mapping, SquadStack's agents are trained on industry-specific call data and tuned weekly by a hybrid team of AI trainers and QA specialists. Their "human-in-the-loop" (HITL) system ensures accuracy, brand tone compliance, and continual improvement.
- Used by top insurance, finance, and health-tech companies in India.
- Partners with Zoho, Salesforce, Razorpay, and LeadSquared for integrations.
- Deployed with 99.9% accuracy in sales-call identification and lead status.
2. Zendesk
Zendesk, widely known for its helpdesk and CRM tools, has expanded into the voice AI space through its Sunshine Conversations platform and integrations with leading voice AI partners. While Zendesk doesn't build its proprietary voice agents, it enables businesses to deploy intelligent voice bots and AI agents across channels using its ecosystem. Its voice capabilities are typically used to streamline support workflows and deflect Tier-1 inquiries through automation.
Key Features
Zendesk provides the orchestration layer and flexibility to embed AI voice agents into enterprise-grade CX workflows.
- Sunshine Conversations: Unified API to connect bots (voice/chat) to support flows.
- Native integrations with Cognigy, PolyAI, Ada, and others for deploying voice agents.
- Zendesk Talk: Enables voice call handling and routing inside the agent console.
- Agent assist AI: Provides live agents with real-time suggestions during calls.
- Omnichannel orchestration: Seamlessly transitions between voice, chat, email, and social.
Use Cases
Popular for automating first-contact resolution in large CX teams, enhancing agent productivity with AI assist, and enabling IVR deflection in retail, SaaS, and telecom.
Pricing
Voice capabilities are available either as part of the Zendesk Suite or as add-ons. Bot integration and automation features are priced based on API usage, channel volume, and the terms of the bot partner.
3. ElevenLabs
ElevenLabs delivers ultra-realistic voice creation through a robust suite of TTS, cloning, dubbing, and conversational AI tools. Since launching in 2023, it has raised over $180 million and achieved "unicorn" status with a $3.3 billion valuation. Known for its human-like nuance, pauses, inflection, and emotion, it also supports instant and professional cloning workflows, making it a top choice for content creators, developers, and enterprises seeking personality-rich voice agents.
Key Features
It offers a compelling mix of voice customisation, quality control, and ethical safeguards for both individuals and businesses.
- Human-like TTS: Voice-quality rated 9.5/10 in independent reviews; supports 32+ languages.
- Voice Cloning (IVC & PVC): Clone with as little as 30 sec or up to 30 minutes of audio; instant and professional tiers.
- AI Dubbing Studio: Translates speech into 20+ languages while preserving voice identity.
- Voice Isolator & Scribe: Separates voice from noise; transcribes with timestamps and speaker IDs.
- Enterprise-grade API & compliance: SOC2, GDPR-compliant with enterprise SLAs and developer SDKs.
Use Cases
Widely used in audiobooks, voice dubbing, podcast narration, and now in conversational API apps for customer support and interactive agents.
Pricing
Premium with basic TTS; paid plans from ~$22/month. Enterprise tiers offer cloning, dubbing, analytics, and SLA-backed reliability.
4. Deepgram
Deepgram has built a reputation as the most accurate and developer-friendly speech recognition platform in the AI ecosystem. Its foundation lies in end-to-end deep learning models trained on billions of audio minutes, enabling it to outperform traditional transcription APIs in terms of speed, latency, and accuracy, particularly in real-world, noisy environments. Many AI voice agents use Deepgram's ASR engine under the hood, making it a quiet but powerful force in the voice AI landscape.
Key Features
Designed for maximum precision and flexibility, Deepgram supports voice agent backends at scale.
- End-to-end deep learning ASR: Not reliant on phoneme-based models; trains directly on raw audio for 98%+ accuracy.
- Domain-specific language models: Customizable for finance, healthcare, retail, etc., with built-in keyword boosts.
- Real-time transcription with <300ms latency.
- Diarization & punctuation tagging: Identifies speakers and adds smart formatting.
- Noise resilience: Performs in echoey, overlapping speech scenarios like customer service calls or warehouses.
Use Cases
Used by voicebot platforms, compliance-heavy industries (BFSI, healthcare), and support teams looking to transcribe calls for analysis and QA automation.
Pricing
Pay-as-you-go model; tiered pricing for standard, enhanced, or ultra-real-time ASR with volume discounts.
5. VoiceSpin
VoiceSpin is a full-stack AI telephony platform that combines traditional call center software with intelligent voice automation. Built especially for SMBs and mid-sized enterprises, it provides integrated dialing systems, CRM-ready workflows, and agentless AI voice tools, allowing businesses to transition to hybrid support without replacing their entire infrastructure.
Key Features
VoiceSpin provides plug-and-play tools that simplify launching AI-powered campaigns.
- Integrated AI Dialer: Automatically connects voice agents with target leads or customers, optimising call attempts.
- Drag-and-drop conversation builder: Design custom flows using templates or visual builders.
- Native CRM integrations: Connects with Salesforce, Zoho, Pipedrive, and more for real-time data syncing.
- Multilingual agent capability: Built-in speech understanding for 15+ languages.
- Call analytics and reporting: Tracks metrics such as average handling time, abandonment rate, and success percentage.
Use Cases
Popular among outbound sales teams, retention campaigns, and appointment scheduling teams needing blended AI + live rep setups.
Pricing
Starts at approximately $19 per user per month. Voice AI usage is billed additionally based on connected minutes and agent usage.
6. Synthflow
Synthflow focuses on accessibility by offering a no-code AI voice agent builder specifically designed for non-technical users and startups. With its intuitive visual interface, pre-built templates, and powerful conversation logic, it enables the rapid prototyping and deployment of voice agents across various industries. What sets Synthflow apart is its speed; most users can launch a functioning voicebot within a single workday.
Key Features
It is ideal for lean teams or marketers who need voice automation without waiting on engineering.
- No-code builder with logic branching: Use visual workflows to define conversation paths, actions, and fallbacks.
- Real-time simulation & testing: Debug and preview voice flows before deploying live.
- CRM & Webhook integration: Easily connect to existing systems or databases.
- Interrupt handling & error recovery: Smart fallback for unexpected user inputs.
- Pre-built templates for 10+ industries: Healthcare, real estate, e-commerce, services, and more.
Use Cases
Used for appointment reminders, customer callbacks, event RSVPs, support FAQ deflection, and onboarding follow-ups.
Pricing
Subscription plans are based on the number of agents, integrations, and monthly call volume. Custom pricing is available for enterprise usage.
7. Cognigy
Cognigy is an enterprise-grade conversational AI platform that supports voice, chat, and messaging across global businesses. Its Voice Gateway module enables streamlined deployment of advanced voice agents for both inbound and outbound communication. Enterprises opt for Cognigy for its unmatched flexibility in building complex, multichannel workflows, omnichannel orchestration, and for its adherence to strict compliance standards, all delivered through a secure, scalable infrastructure.
Key Features
This platform combines powerful voice capabilities with generative AI designed for high-security environments.
- Multichannel support: Connects web, mobile, SMS, and voice channels seamlessly
- Low-code flow editor: Build complex conversational logic without heavy engineering.
- Speech capabilities: Supports TTS, STT, continuous speech, and TMF/barge-in controls.
- Generative responses: Dynamic answers via LLMs integrating knowledge and context.
- Enterprise compliance: GDPR, HIPAA, SOC frameworks with on-prem/cloud options.
Use Cases
Deployed for secure customer onboarding, proactive support, IT helpdesk automation, and outbound campaigns across basic to complex voice flows.
Pricing
Starts at approximately $2,500 per month for platform access, plus usage-based fees (per concurrent line, per call, or per endpoint).
8. Bland AI
Bland AI is the go-to infrastructure-level provider for developers and large organisations needing complete control over voice agents. Unlike platforms that rely on external APIs, Bland self-hosts its transcription, LLMs, and TTS models to maintain ultra-low latency and high reliability, making it ideal for enterprises requiring powerful, in-house-grade voice call automation.
Key Features
Built for low-latency voice agent applications requiring depth and performance.
- Infrastructure-level control: Self-hosted models ensure performance and reliability.
- Function calling & data integrations: Built-in API/function hooks, decisions, and live data fetch.
- Scalable call capacity: Supports hundreds of thousands of calls per minute.
- Low-latency responses: Enterprise-grade response times from an in‑house stack.
- Scripting and guardrails: Graph tools, safety layers, and custom logic.
Use Cases
It is ideal for automated support calls, lead qualification, outbound campaigns, and any scenario needing rapid, enterprise-grade voice automation.
Pricing
Pay-as-you-go, infrastructure-level pricing; high-end enterprise deployment with custom cost models (estimated similar to competitors at $0.05–0.10/min + infra costs).
9. PolyAI
PolyAI offers voice agents that mimic real human conversation dynamics, handling interruptions, drifting topics, and unstructured dialogue seamlessly within call center environments. Backed by Cambridge‑engineered dialogue tech and a $500M+ valuation, it's now a go-to enterprise platform for voice-first customer service, capable of launching in weeks and handling 80%+ of calls before escalating.
Key Features
This platform emphasises fluent dialogue, deep integration, and scalable deployment.
- Proprietary voice-LLM stack: In-house ASR, LLM, TTS for consistent performance.
- Interruption and memory handling: Manages changing topics, pauses, and transfers.
- Rich analytics & uptime: 99.9% SLA, mature dashboards, and live improvements.
- Multilingual NLU: Launches in weeks and adds new languages quickly.
- Secure operations: Proactive maintenance, compliance, and 24/7 support.
Use Cases
Adopted by travel, hospitality, banking, public transport, and retail to deflect queries, handle reservations/payments, and manage account services.
Pricing
Priced per minute; contracts typically start at ~ US$150K/year for enterprise deployments, including support and maintenance.
10. Retell AI
Retell AI is designed for engineering-led teams seeking flexibility and control in deploying production-grade voice agents. It offers detailed traffic handling and call logic with low-code flexibility. One client even replaced eight human agents with a single voice agent. Retell supports BYOC telephony, real-time streaming, interruption management, and bespoke LLM integration.
Key Features
Engineered for technical stacks, prioritizing customization and integration.
- BYOC telephony & LLM engine plug-and-play.
- Call logic granularity: Multiple branches, hooks, and fallback logic.
- Streaming & barge-in capable: Real-time responses and interruption handling.
- Knowledge sync & IVR navigation: Auto-updates from KB sources, DTMF support.
- Low-code for dev teams: Custom workflows with engineering control.
Use Cases
Ideal for dev-centric support bots, engineering workflows, inbound/outbound call programs, and compliance-heavy automation.
Pricing
Pay-as-you-go: ~$0.01–0.20/min depending on engine and telephony; usage-based, scalable with technical teams.
How are AI Voice Agents Different from Traditional IVRs or Chatbots?
Legacy IVRs prompt you to "press 1 for sales" and struggle to understand natural speech. Chatbots, while useful in typed conversations, often struggle with tone, voice variation, and real-time backtracking. AI voice agents are built for voice-first, human-style interactions.
- Dynamic, not static: They adjust responses based on context, with no rigid menu trees.
- Emotion-aware: Able to detect urgency, confusion, or frustration in a caller's tone.
- Multi-turn memory: They remember earlier parts of the conversation, improving continuity.
- Interruption handling: Users can interrupt or change topics, and the agent adjusts accordingly.
These capabilities give voice agents a leap forward in both usability and scalability.
Where Are AI Voice Agents Being Used?
AI voice agents are being deployed across industries such as banking, healthcare, and e-commerce. They're particularly effective in high-volume or repetitive call environments where speed, accuracy, and customer satisfaction are critical.
Common applications include:
- Customer support: Automating FAQs, order tracking, issue resolution, and call triaging.
- Sales enablement: Outbound prospecting, AI-based lead qualification, follow-ups, and callbacks.
- Collections & reminders: Loan recovery, EMI reminders, appointment confirmations.
- Verification calls: Identity checks, KYC calls, and service onboarding.
- Internal helpdesks: IT support, HR bots, and employee services in large enterprises.
Whether for frontline conversations or backend routing, AI voice agents are now integral to modern customer operations.
Key Features of AI Voice Agents
AI voice agent companies aren't just making talking machines; they're making intelligent, adaptable, and competent tools that can work on human interactions at scale. What separates them from generic voice bots is not just voice generation but the seamless orchestration of multiple AI systems working together. These agents are designed to understand, reason, and respond, just like a human rep would, but with faster turnaround and 24/7 reliability.
Below are the most critical features that define modern AI voice agents:
Natural Language Understanding (NLU)
At the heart of any AI voice agent is the ability to understand what a caller means, not just what they say. NLU allows the agent to process slang, accents, idioms, and even non-linear sentences, which is imperative in multilingual markets like India.
- Understands complex user intent beyond keywords.
- Handles mixed-language input like Hinglish.
- Interprets tone, emotion, and urgency in the user's voice.
- Supports context switching during the conversation.
Real-Time Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR)
ASR is what instantly turns spoken audio into text. Unlike legacy systems that struggle with clarity, modern AI agents use deep learning models trained on millions of honest conversations.
- High accuracy even in noisy or low-bandwidth conditions.
- Trained for local accents and informal phrases.
- Optimized for latency, usually under 500ms.
- Supports full-sentence and interrupted speech recognition.
LLM-Powered Conversational Intelligence
Large Language Models (LLMs) enable AI agents to reason, generate responses, and comprehend the flow of conversation. This is where the agent moves beyond answering FAQs and begins to behave like a thinking assistant.
- Generates personalised, dynamic responses.
- Maintains memory across multiple conversation turns.
- Adjusts tone and response based on sentiment.
- Can integrate with CRM or backend systems to fetch live data.
Barge-In & Interruption Handling
Unlike basic bots, effective AI voice agents allow users to interrupt and still recover naturally. This is crucial in sales or support conversations where the customer may clarify or change topics mid-sentence.
- Allow users to interrupt without disrupting the flow.
- Uses predictive logic to adapt to new input instantly.
- Innovative fallback mechanisms if the conversation derails.
Multilingual & Code-Switching Support
One-size-fits-all doesn't work in voice. AI voice sales agents can switch between languages within a single sentence (e.g., "Mujhe loan ke baare mein info chahiye") and personalise the tone for each region.
- Supports major global languages + regional dialects.
- Seamless language-switching within the same conversation.
- Train on cultural phrases and local expressions.
- It is beneficial in the BFSI, edtech, and healthcare sectors.
Live Monitoring & Real-Time Analytics
What's the point of automation if you can't measure its performance? Modern voice agents come with built-in dashboards that track every aspect of the call journey.
- Live call monitoring and sentiment tagging.
- Call containment rate, CSAT proxy scoring, drop-off analytics.
- Benchmarking against human reps.
- Recordings + transcripts for QA and audit trails.
Top Benefits of Using AI Voice Agents in Business
AI voice agents are transforming the way businesses communicate with their customers. These innovative systems can listen, understand, and speak just like humans, and they never sleep. Whether you run a fast-growing startup or a large enterprise, AI voice agents can help you answer more calls, solve problems faster, and create better experiences for your customers.
Let's take a closer look at how AI voice agents bring value to modern businesses and why more companies are using them every day.
Instant Responses Without Hold Time
With AI voice agents, there's no waiting. Calls are answered immediately, regardless of the time of day or the number of callers. This means customers receive help the moment they need it, without having to hold on to music or wait in long queues.
AI voice agents handle hundreds of customer support conversations simultaneously and never become tired. That means faster service and happier customers.
- Responds instantly, 24/7, including weekends and holidays.
- No waiting in queues or navigating confusing menus.
- Maintain consistent response times, even during peak hours.
Lower Customer Support Costs
Hiring and training customer support teams can be expensive, especially when call volumes are high. AI voice agents help reduce these costs by automating routine conversations.
By answering common questions, guiding customers through processes, or even completing full transactions, AI voice agents reduce the need for large support teams without affecting service quality.
- Reduces staffing and training costs.
- Reduces reliance on full-time support teams.
- Offers a scalable, cost-effective solution for growing businesses.
Consistent, Friendly Customer Experiences
AI voice agents are always polite, calm, and focused. They don't get frustrated, forget scripts, or make mistakes. This means that every caller receives the same high-quality service, regardless of when they call or how busy things become.
They can also adapt their tone, understand customer sentiment, and respond in a natural, human way.
- Always polite, professional, and consistent.
- Understands tone and adjusts responses accordingly.
- Builds trust by consistently providing reliable and friendly service.
High First-Call Resolution Rates
AI voice agents are designed to solve problems, not just transfer calls. By connecting to your systems, they can check orders, reschedule appointments, provide status updates, and more without requiring human intervention.
This means customers get what they need in one call, and support teams can focus on more complex or sensitive cases.
- Handles complete requests from start to finish.
- Reduces transfers to human agents.
- Improves first-call resolution and customer satisfaction.
Multilingual and Local Language Support
Today's customers expect service in their language. AI voice agents can speak multiple languages and even understand code-mixed speech, such as Hinglish or Spanglish.
This helps businesses connect better with diverse audiences and provide a more personalised experience.
- Supports major global languages and local dialects.
- Switches between languages in the same conversation.
- It makes every customer feel seen and understood.
Better Compliance and Script Accuracy
In industries such as banking, insurance, collections, or healthcare, saying the right thing is crucial. AI voice agents follow scripts perfectly and consistently deliver the approved message, no matter the situation.
They also log every call, which makes it easier to review conversations for quality or compliance purposes.
- Ensures agents follow the rules and regulations.
- Reduces the risk of human error or miscommunication.
- Keeps records of every interaction for audits and reviews.
Real-Time Insights and Performance Tracking
AI voice agents don't just answer calls; they collect valuable data from every conversation they facilitate. Businesses can use this information to understand customer needs, track performance, and improve service quality.
This makes it easy to spot trends, refine scripts, and deliver better experiences over time.
- Call data, transcripts, and sentiment analysis are available instantly.
- Tracks key metrics like resolution time, call duration, and CSAT.
- It helps businesses continuously improve their voice strategy.
Easy to Scale as You Grow
As your business grows, so do your support needs. AI voice agents can scale instantly, with no hiring, onboarding, or delays. Whether you need to double your call volume or expand to new regions, AI voice agents are ready.
This flexibility makes them ideal for both small businesses and fast-growing enterprises.
- Scales to handle thousands of calls at once.
- It is easy to expand to new markets or launch new services.
- There is no extra cost or complexity when scaling up.
Conclusion
The rise of AI voice agents marks a significant shift in how businesses communicate with their customers. What used to be a slow, frustrating phone experience is now becoming fast, intelligent, and surprisingly human. These systems can understand intent, speak in multiple languages, and solve problems at scale, freeing up teams to focus on what matters: complex cases and human connection.
From improving response times to lowering support costs, the benefits are clear. Whether you're in e-commerce, fintech, healthcare, or B2B services, AI voice agents can help you deliver faster, smarter, and more consistent service. As customer expectations continue to rise, staying ahead with voice technology is no longer a nice-to-have; it's essential.
Ready to upgrade your voice experience?
If you're looking to deploy a powerful AI voice agent that feels human, scales instantly, and integrates seamlessly, SquadStack is built for it.
Book a free demo and experience it live.
