Plivo Voice AI pricing (2026): telephony, inclusions, and a 10,000-minute example
Plivo Voice AI agents cost $0.03/minute excluding telephony. Its pricing page says the rate “Covers voice models, transcription, and orchestration.” It does not explicitly state whether the language model, or LLM, is included. Plivo pricing, accessed 2026-09-10.
Adding published US local telephony produces a floor of $0.0355/minute inbound or $0.0415/minute outbound, before number rental and any uncovered LLM charges. These are computable agent-plus-carrier floors, not confirmed complete AI costs. Plivo pricing and US voice pricing, accessed 2026-09-10.
How Plivo's pricing model works
Start with the agent minute, then add the telephony route and number rental. Keep recurring production costs separate from trial credits.
Plivo lists concurrent calls, its agent builder, simulation testing, human transfer, and a knowledge base as included features. That makes its published bundle broader than an orchestration-only fee. However, a feature's inclusion does not establish how every call leg or test minute is billed. Plivo pricing, accessed 2026-09-10.
The wording settles transcription and orchestration inclusion and names voice models. It does not settle LLM coverage, model-specific charges, or token allowances. Neither assuming a separate LLM bill nor declaring it included is justified by this page.
Plivo also publishes general starting telephony rates. Use the destination-specific US table for this workload; a general teaser does not establish the rate for your route.
What's included vs. billed separately
| Component | Published treatment |
|---|---|
| Voice AI agent | $0.03/minute; voice models, transcription, and orchestration covered |
| LLM | Inclusion not stated on the pricing page; extra cost, if any, not computable |
| Agent features | Builder, simulation testing, human transfer, knowledge base, and concurrent calls listed as included |
| Telephony | Billed separately from the agent |
| Audio streaming and noise cancellation | Included on the US telephony pricing page |
| Number rental | Local $0.50/month; toll-free $1.00/month |
| Trial | $10 in free credits; no credit card required |
| Telephony metering | 60-second minimum and increments; duration rounds up to the billing increment |
| Agent metering | Agent-minute increment not stated in the fetched documentation |
Sources: Plivo pricing, US voice pricing, and Calls API documentation, accessed 2026-09-10.
US telephony rates
| Route | Inbound per minute | Outbound per minute |
|---|---|---|
| Local calls | $0.0055 | $0.0115 |
| Toll-free calls | $0.0180 | $0.0060 |
| Browser SDK and SIP calls | $0.0033 | $0.0033 |
Source: Plivo US voice pricing, accessed 2026-09-10.
The SIP rate describes a different route from local PSTN calling. It should not replace the local rate when estimating calls to ordinary US phone numbers.
For an inbound SIP route, the published agent-plus-SIP floor is $0.0333/minute, calculated as $0.03 + $0.0033. External carrier charges may still exist. Plivo pricing and US voice pricing, accessed 2026-09-10.
Streaming inclusion is useful: this table does not require adding a separate Plivo audio-streaming charge. It does not make telephony free or answer the LLM question.
Worked example: 10,000 minutes a month
Use 2,000 calls × 5 connected minutes = 10,000 connected minutes/month, one primary included language, one local number, and no transfers, hold, or voicemail minutes. Assume no more than 10 concurrent calls; Plivo's agent concurrency limit is not published on the fetched page. This is illustrative planning arithmetic, not a quote.
Calculate inbound and outbound as separate scenarios, each using the whole workload:
| Monthly component | US local inbound | US local outbound |
|---|---|---|
| Agent: 10,000 × $0.03 | $300.00 | $300.00 |
| Telephony | 10,000 × $0.0055 = $55.00 | 10,000 × $0.0115 = $115.00 |
| Agent plus telephony | $355.00 | $415.00 |
| One local number | $0.50 | $0.50 |
| Published floor with number | $355.50 | $415.50 |
| Any uncovered LLM charges | Unknown; add if applicable | Unknown; add if applicable |
Arithmetic sources: Plivo pricing and US voice pricing, accessed 2026-09-10.
Each call lasts exactly the assumed connected duration. That avoids additional telephony rounding in this example. A real distribution of partial-minute calls can produce more billed minutes than connected minutes. The documented telephony increment does not establish the agent's increment. Calls API documentation, accessed 2026-09-10.
The table leaves trial credits unapplied because it models recurring usage. It also leaves recording and additional call legs outside the calculation. A final invoice total is not computable without resolving those choices and LLM coverage.
Gotcha checklist
- Confirm LLM inclusion in writing. Ask whether the selected agent configuration includes language-model usage and whether any token or model charges apply.
- Choose the actual route. Local, toll-free, and SIP prices describe different calling paths. Separate inbound from outbound volume before multiplying.
- Inspect billed duration. Telephony rounds in 60-second increments. Many short calls can change the effective cost per connected minute. Plivo Calls API, accessed 2026-09-10.
- Keep streaming and carrier usage distinct. Included streaming removes that separate line item; the underlying phone call still bills.
- Check transfer and testing behavior. Included features do not establish that every resulting minute or additional call leg is free.
- Confirm agent capacity. The page lists concurrent calls without a numeric agent limit. SIP trunking capacity is not evidence of agent capacity.
- Separate trial and ongoing costs. Credits help evaluation; they do not reduce the recurring unit rate. Include number rental in monthly budgets.
For a broader budgeting checklist, see AI phone agent cost and the voice AI cost breakdown.
How ThunderPhone prices differ
ThunderPhone explicitly includes speech recognition, the language model, and voice in each engine rate. Usage is prepaid, with no subscription, seat, or platform fee.
| Engine | Per minute | 10,000 engine minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Spark | $0.02 | $200 |
| Bolt | $0.05 | $500 |
| Storm | $0.09 | $900 |
Telephony remains separate. Premium voice or language paths add up to $0.03/minute, non-stacking; longer prompts and other selected add-ons can also change the rate. ThunderPhone meters in quarter-minute increments with a 0.25-minute minimum. The builder shows the configured all-in rate before launch. ThunderPhone pricing, accessed 2026-09-10.
Keep Plivo telephony and use ThunderPhone Spark
A Plivo customer can keep the Plivo number and carrier service, then connect the agent to ThunderPhone Spark through manual SIP. ThunderPhone charges no import or monthly fee for that imported number; Plivo continues billing carrier usage and rental.
Using the same local-call assumptions gives these combined floors:
| Component | US local inbound | US local outbound |
|---|---|---|
| Spark plus Plivo carrier, per minute | $0.02 + $0.0055 = $0.0255 | $0.02 + $0.0115 = $0.0315 |
| 10,000 minutes | $255.00 | $315.00 |
| With one Plivo local number | $255.50/month | $315.50/month |
Sources: ThunderPhone pricing and Plivo US voice pricing, accessed 2026-09-10.
These floors assume the listed local carrier charge and no additional billed SIP leg. The published pages do not settle whether a particular manual-SIP configuration stacks another leg; confirm the route before budgeting. Selected ThunderPhone add-ons remain extra.
Plivo's own agent keeps carrier and agent purchasing together. Spark offers explicit LLM inclusion and a lower published engine rate, with manual SIP setup to manage.
See ThunderPhone versus Plivo, the cheapest AI voice agent guide, voice AI pricing comparison, and voice AI price index. Engine details are in ThunderPhone pricing explained.
FAQ
How much does Plivo Voice AI cost?
The agent costs $0.03/minute before telephony. Local US agent-plus-carrier floors are $0.0355 inbound and $0.0415 outbound, with LLM inclusion unconfirmed. Plivo pricing and US voice pricing, accessed 2026-09-10.
Does Plivo's agent rate include the LLM?
The pricing page does not explicitly say. It names voice models, transcription, and orchestration. That wording does not establish language-model inclusion or a separate LLM price.
Is audio streaming included, and how are minutes rounded?
Streaming is included with telephony; telephony uses 60-second rounding. The agent-minute increment is not stated. US voice pricing and Calls API, accessed 2026-09-10.
Does Plivo offer free credits?
Plivo advertises $10 in free credits without a credit card. These are evaluation credits, not an ongoing allowance assumed in this guide. Plivo pricing, accessed 2026-09-10.
Can I keep my Plivo number with ThunderPhone?
Yes, through ThunderPhone's manual SIP connection. Plivo remains the carrier; ThunderPhone runs the agent. Follow the Plivo integration guide and confirm all billed carrier legs.
Sources and freshness
- Plivo pricing, accessed 2026-09-10.
- Plivo US voice pricing, accessed 2026-09-10.
- Plivo Calls API documentation, accessed 2026-09-10.
- ThunderPhone pricing, accessed 2026-09-10.
- ThunderPhone internal references: Plivo integration, Plivo comparison, cheapest agent guide, pricing comparison, price index, phone agent costs, cost breakdown, and pricing explainer; reference date accessed 2026-09-10.
This page is documentation-based; no account, invoice, or live call was tested. Unresolved items include LLM coverage, agent metering and capacity, and route-specific additional SIP charges. The fetched Plivo pricing FAQ answer was unavailable, so it cannot resolve these questions.