Which AI voice agent type fits you?
Answer seven questions about your calls and your team. The selector tells you which type of AI voice product fits best: an AI receptionist, a voice agent platform, contact-centre voice AI, an outbound calling tool, a voice AI API or an open-source framework.
How we calculated this
We check the rules in order and stop at the first one that is true. First we check if the agent must run on your own servers. Then we check for patient health information, outbound-only calls and an existing contact centre. Then we look at your volume, your industry and your team.
The volume lines are our rules of thumb, tied to public plan caps. Bland AI lists a cap of 100 calls a day on Start and 2,000 calls a day on Build (bland.ai/pricing, fetched 2026-10-29). We use about 3,000 calls a month (100 a day for 30 days) as the line for a small-office product, and 60,000 calls a month (2,000 a day for 30 days) as the line where an engineering team should look at building on APIs.
The health data rule follows HIPAA: a vendor that handles protected health information for a covered entity must sign a business associate contract (45 CFR 164.504(e), eCFR, fetched 2026-10-29). The outbound rule follows FCC Declaratory Ruling FCC 24-17, released 2024-02-08, and 47 CFR 64.1200 (fetched 2026-10-29).
The result is a starting point for your shortlist. It does not rank vendors. Check each vendor's own pages for its features, prices and compliance papers.
Method checked on 2026-10-29.
A starting point for your shortlist, not legal or compliance advice. Check consent, privacy and health data rules with your lawyer for each country you serve.
Questions
- What is the difference between an AI receptionist and a voice agent platform?
- An AI receptionist is a ready-made product for answering calls, taking messages and booking appointments. You set it up in a dashboard. A voice agent platform is a toolkit: you set the prompt, voice, tools and numbers, often with a developer.
- Do I need a BAA for an AI phone agent?
- Yes, if you are a US covered entity, such as a clinic or health plan, and the agent hears protected health information. The vendor must sign a business associate contract that meets 45 CFR 164.504(e) before any patient call.
- Can an AI agent make outbound calls in the US?
- Yes, with consent. The FCC ruled in FCC 24-17 that AI-generated voices count as an artificial or prerecorded voice under the TCPA. Calls need the prior express consent of the called party, and telemarketing calls need prior express written consent.
- When should I use an open-source framework?
- Use one when the agent must run on your own servers or you want full control of each part of the call, and you have engineers to build and run it.
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