Bland AI
Phone-first AI calling platform with one bundled per-minute rate covering STT, LLM and TTS, conversational 'pathways', and plan-based daily/hourly call caps.
Overview
Best for: Outbound and inbound phone automation where a single bundled rate is easier than managing providers.
At a glance
Bundled rate $0.14 (free Start), $0.12 (Build $299), $0.11 (Scale $499); carrier minutes and $0.015 per outbound attempt extra. Concurrency 10/50/100. A $29.99 Agent Phone plan (1 concurrent) also exists. Default max_duration 30 min (configurable).
Phone (Bland numbers or BYO Twilio/SIP), web widget
Same
Not verified.
No verified number.
Not verified.
Not verified in this research (ask Bland for SOC 2/HIPAA terms).
Features
- pathways (conversation graphs)
- voice cloning
- transfers
- knowledge bases
- SMS (Enterprise)
- recording
- BYO telephony
- telephony
Pricing
| What | Price | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Connected minute (Start / Build / Scale) | $0.14 / $0.12 / $0.11 | per minute |
| Transfer time | $0.05 / $0.04 / $0.03 | per minute |
| Outbound minimum | $0.015 | per call |
| Failed call (Bland telephony) | $0.015 | per call |
| SMS | $0.02 | per message |
| Telephony | Pass-through (Bland's Twilio) or your carrier | per minute |
| Plans | $0 / $299 / $499 | per month |
$0.11-$0.14 bundled AI rate plus pass-through carrier minutes (roughly $0.004-$0.014). Short or failed outbound attempts cost $0.015 each regardless.
Free tier: Start plan: free, no card, 2 credits + an inbound number.
Source: docs.bland.ai
Setup
- Sign up (Start plan) and get an API key.
- Write a task prompt or build a pathway in the dashboard.
- POST /v1/calls with phone_number and task (or pathway_id); poll or receive webhooks for transcripts and recording_url.
Endpoint
POST https://api.bland.ai/v1/callsAuthentication
authorization: <API key> (Bearer prefix optional)
Quick start javascript
// Place a Bland AI call
const res = await fetch("https://api.bland.ai/v1/calls", {
method: "POST",
headers: { authorization: process.env.BLAND_API_KEY, "Content-Type": "application/json" },
body: JSON.stringify({
phone_number: "+14155550123",
task: "You are an AI assistant from Acme Dental confirming tomorrow's 3pm appointment. Say you are an AI. If they want to reschedule, offer Thursday or Friday.",
first_sentence: "Hi, this is Acme Dental's AI assistant calling about your appointment.",
voice: "Karen",
max_duration: 5, // minutes; default is 30
record: true,
}),
});
console.log(await res.json());Written from the current docs. Check the vendor's SDK version before you ship.
Warnings
Prices rose in Dec 2025
Older blogs quote $0.09/min; current rates are $0.11-$0.14/min depending on plan, plus transfer minutes.
$0.015 per outbound attempt
No-answers, busy and failed calls on Bland telephony each cost $0.015; a 10,000-number campaign with 70% no-answer adds about $105 before any talk time.
Hard daily and hourly caps
Start allows 100 calls/day; Build 2,000/day and 1,000/hour. Plan campaigns around caps, not just concurrency.
Default max_duration is 30 minutes
A stuck call (voicemail loop, hold music) can run up to 30 minutes at the full rate; lower it.
Telephony wording is inconsistent
Marketing page says pass-through telephony billed separately; billing docs show SIP termination absorbed. Check an invoice early.
Plus 12 warnings that apply to all platforms and telephony APIs. See category warnings.
Limits
- Daily caps 100 / 2,000 / 5,000 calls; hourly caps 100 / 1,000 / 1,000
- Concurrency 10 / 50 / 100
- International calls need at least $5 credit purchase or auto-recharge
- Agent Phone numbers call US/Canada only
Models and products
| Name | Status |
|---|---|
| Start | GA |
| Build | GA |
| Scale | GA |
| Agent Phone | GA |
| Enterprise | GA |
Docs and sources
Docs
Sources used
- bland.ai/pricing
- docs.bland.ai/platform/billing
- docs.bland.ai/api-v1/post/calls
- docs.bland.ai/changelog/06_09_2025
Exact telephony pass-through rates; compliance attestations; phone number price.