Exotel Alternatives in India: App, API and Call Centre Picks
Exotel alternatives by use case: small-team apps from ₹300 a month, voice APIs from ₹200 a number, and call-centre plans. Prices and GST, 23 Sep 2026.
If your team only needs a shared business number, the best Exotel alternatives are TalkEasy by GrowEasy (₹999 a month plus GST, unlimited users), Heyo Phone (from ₹300 a month plus GST) and Superfone (₹599 a month plus GST for 3 users), while developers who need a voice API should look at Plivo (₹200 a month per Indian number plus ₹0.38 a minute). For a call team that wants fixed plans instead of credits, Knowlarity (₹16,800 a year), MyOperator (₹5,000 a month billed yearly, with IVR) and Acefone (₹1,599 per user a month, 6-seat minimum, with APIs) are the closest like-for-like options.
Stay with Exotel if you use its APIs, multi-level IVR and missed-call service together, because every Exotel plan includes all three. The sections below are split by what you use Exotel for, with a cost table by team size and a switching checklist. For a broader list, see our comparison of virtual number providers in India.
What does Exotel cost?
Exotel sells prepaid packs: a rental fee plus call credit, valid for a fixed period (Exotel pricing, checked 23 Sep 2026).
| Pack | Price | Validity | Numbers and agents | Credit included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dabbler | ₹9,999 | 5 months | 1 number, 3 agents | 5,000 |
| Believer | ₹19,999 | 11 months | 2 numbers, 6 agents | 9,500 |
| Influencer | ₹49,499 | 11 months | 10 numbers, unlimited agents | 39,000 |
One credit is ₹1, and credits pay for calls, SMS and WhatsApp messages. Every pack includes a multi-level IVR, a live dashboard, call recording, a missed-call service, an auto dialer, call transfer and SMS and WhatsApp APIs. Calls are charged per minute by number type (landline, mobile or toll-free), and toll-free numbers carry higher activation fees and per-minute inbound charges (Exotel pricing FAQ). Exotel adds 18% GST to every invoice. AI voice agents are priced by its sales team.
Dabbler works out to about ₹2,000 a month before GST, of which ₹1,000 is call credit.
Why do teams look for an Exotel alternative?
- Monthly cost is hard to predict. Calls draw down credit at per-minute rates that depend on the number type, and those rates aren't on the plan page.
- Packs, not a monthly bill. You prepay for 5 or 11 months.
- Agent limits per pack. Dabbler covers 3 agents. Six agents means the ₹19,999 Believer pack, and unlimited agents the ₹49,499 Influencer pack.
- APIs you may not use. If your team only needs one shared number, recordings and call history, the voice, SMS and WhatsApp APIs bundled into every pack go unused.
When should you stay with Exotel?
- You build on its voice, SMS or WhatsApp APIs. They come with every plan.
- You want a multi-level IVR that non-developers can build. Exotel says its IVR builder needs no developer.
- You run missed-call campaigns or auto dialling, both included in every plan.
- You need many numbers and agents on one account: Influencer has 10 numbers and unlimited agents.
- You are a startup or non-profit. Startups get ₹6,000 of free SMS and call credit for six months, and non-profits get 15% extra credit.
Exotel alternatives at a glance
| Alternative | Type | Entry price (checked 23 Sep 2026) | GST | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exotel (baseline) | Cloud telephony + APIs | Dabbler: ₹9,999 for 5 months | +18% | APIs, IVR, prepaid |
| TalkEasy by GrowEasy | Small-team app | Pro: ₹999/month | Extra | Shared number, unlimited users |
| Heyo Phone | Small-team app | Lite: ₹300/month | Extra | 1 to 5 people |
| Superfone | Small-team app | ₹599/month, quarterly or longer | +18% | 3 users, mobile number |
| Plivo | Developer API | ₹200/number/month + ₹0.38/min | Not shown | Pay-as-you-go voice API |
| Tata Tele Smartflo | Call centre and API | Lite: ₹950/licence/month + ₹5,000 once | Not shown | Telco-run IVR, high volume |
| Acefone | Call centre and API | ₹1,599/user/month, 6-seat minimum | Not shown | APIs on the entry plan |
| Knowlarity | Cloud telephony | Advance: ₹16,800/year | Not shown | Yearly budgets, toll-free |
| MyOperator | Cloud telephony | Sedan: ₹5,000/month, billed yearly | Extra | IVR and WhatsApp for 10 |
| Bonvoice | Cloud telephony | User Based: ₹1,499/month | Not shown | Per-user, unlimited calls |
| Ozonetel | Call centre | Request pricing | Not shown | Quote-based contact centre |
How we compared: prices and features come from each provider's official pricing page, checked on 23 September 2026. We compiled them from those pages and did not test the products. Where a page doesn't mention GST ("Not shown"), budget 18% on top, the GST rate on telecom services.
Small-team alternatives: you mainly need a shared number
TalkEasy by GrowEasy
Price: ₹999 a month plus GST for unlimited users and contacts, with 3 hours of talktime a day. Extra hours cost ₹49 plus GST.
What you gain over Exotel: one flat price whatever the headcount, where Exotel needs the ₹49,499 Influencer pack for unlimited agents. The number runs in the TalkEasy app alongside each person's SIM, and calls route by team, department or availability. TalkEasy transcribes each recorded call and writes a summary with the customer's requirement, objections and next follow-up, and with missed-call automation on, it calls back missed callers automatically, 24x7. Call analytics show total calls, answer rate, missed calls, average talk-time and peak calling hours, per agent.
What you give up: APIs, an IVR menu, SMS, WhatsApp and toll-free numbers, none of which TalkEasy's plans list. CRM integration comes only with Enterprise, priced on request, and the app is on Google Play for Android.
Heyo Phone
Price: Lite ₹300 or Pro ₹600 a month plus GST, billed monthly.
What you gain over Exotel: a monthly bill with unlimited minutes, so no credit to track, plus a WhatsApp Business number on both plans and an IVR with 2 departments on Pro.
What you give up: published plans stop at 5 users, numbers are fixed DIDs whose digits you can't choose, and there's no refund when you cancel.
Superfone
Price: ₹599 a month plus 18% GST for 3 users, paid quarterly (₹2,120 with GST) or longer. Extra users cost ₹200 a month.
What you gain over Exotel: a virtual mobile number, unlimited outgoing calls on half-yearly and yearly plans, and a published AI Receptionist price (₹9,000 for 6 months plus GST, 1,800 AI minutes, 10 languages). Exotel's AI voice agents are quoted by sales.
What you give up: a 1-level IVR instead of multi-level, a 2-hour daily outgoing cap on quarterly plans, and refunds (Superfone says it has none). See TalkEasy vs Superfone for a side-by-side.
Developer and API alternatives
Plivo
Plivo charges ₹200 a month per Indian number and ₹0.38 a minute for inbound and outbound domestic calls, billed in 30-second pulses. Browser and WebRTC calls cost ₹0.25 a minute, call recording is free with 90 days of storage, and transcription costs ₹0.81 a minute. New accounts get $10 of free credit, and Indian numbers need identity documents first. Compared with Exotel, there's no pack or validity period, but you build the IVR and app yourself.
Tata Tele Business Services (Smartflo API and OBD)
Smartflo's API click-to-call is usage-billed on top of a monthly platform fee of ₹25,000, ₹1,00,000 or ₹5,00,000, plus ₹20,000 one-time. Its unlimited outbound dialling costs ₹1,200 per concurrent line a month. This suits businesses with call volumes well beyond a small team.
Acefone
Acefone's Professional plan (₹1,599 per user a month, 6-seat minimum) lists APIs and webhooks with logs and retries, API documentation and CRM integrations such as LeadSquared and HubSpot. It also includes unlimited calling within India and 1 DID. It's the cheapest published route in this list to APIs with unlimited calling, at ₹9,594 a month for 6 seats.
MyOperator's SUV plan also includes webhooks and API access, at ₹15,000 a month billed yearly for 10 users.
Call-centre and IVR alternatives
- Knowlarity: Advance is ₹16,800 a year for 1 virtual number, 5 users, 10 channels and 1,200 free minutes a month. Toll-free plans start at ₹21,000 a year, and a missed-call number costs ₹5,000 a month with 2 lakh free missed calls.
- MyOperator: Sedan is ₹5,000 a month for 10 users, billed yearly, with an IVR, unlimited incoming and outgoing calls and WhatsApp chat. It replaces Exotel's credit model with a fixed yearly cost. See the MyOperator alternatives if you're weighing both.
- Tata Tele Smartflo Lite: ₹950 per licence a month plus ₹5,000 one-time, 3-month minimum, with a 5-level IVR and unlimited calling within India under a 5,000-minute fair-use limit per user a month (pooled).
- Bonvoice: User Based is ₹1,499 a month for 1 user with unlimited incoming and outgoing calls. Standard is ₹3,000 a month for 10 users with incoming calls only.
- Ozonetel: CA Lite and CloudAgent are quote-only for India. CA Lite lists a free DID number, missed-call alerts, CRM integration and click to call, with free setup.
- Airtel IQ Business Connect: no rate card, but its FAQ says plans start around ₹1,500 to 2,500 per user a month, with multi-level IVR and toll-free options.
What will 3, 5 or 10 agents cost each month?
Monthly list price before GST, on the cheapest plan that fits the headcount, with yearly and multi-month plans shown as a monthly equivalent. Prices include each plan's bundled minutes or credit.
| Provider and plan | 3 agents | 5 agents | 10 agents | Calls included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exotel Believer or Influencer | ₹1,818 | ₹1,818 | ₹4,500 | ₹9,500 or ₹39,000 credit per pack |
| TalkEasy Pro | ₹999 | ₹999 | ₹999 | 3 hrs/day, then ₹49/hr |
| Heyo Phone Pro | ₹600 | ₹600 | Not offered | Unlimited minutes |
| Superfone Business Phone | ₹599 | ₹999 | ₹1,999 | Unlimited outgoing on 6- or 12-month plans |
| Knowlarity Advance or Premium | ₹1,400 | ₹1,400 | ₹2,850 | 1,200 or 5,000 free min a month |
| MyOperator Sedan | ₹5,000 | ₹5,000 | ₹5,000 | Unlimited in and out |
| Tata Tele Smartflo Lite | ₹2,850 | ₹4,750 | ₹9,500 | Unlimited in India (fair use) |
| Acefone Professional | ₹9,594 | ₹9,594 | ₹15,990 | Unlimited in India |
For 3 agents, Exotel's 5-month Dabbler pack costs about ₹2,000 a month with a smaller upfront payment than Believer. Exotel costs less than MyOperator, Tata and Acefone at every size here, and Knowlarity costs less than Exotel. The small-team apps cost least, with trade-offs: TalkEasy includes 3 hours of talktime a day (then ₹49 an hour plus GST) and its plans list no API.
Switching from Exotel: what to plan for
- List every Exophone and where it's printed: ads, Google listing, invoices.
- Map your integrations. Anything that calls Exotel's APIs or webhooks has to be rebuilt on the new provider's API. A tool without an API can't replace that part.
- Rebuild IVR flows and missed-call campaigns in the new tool, or turn them into routing rules if it has no IVR.
- Check automated calling against TRAI's rules. Promotional calls must come from a registered 140-series number. TRAI's September 2026 amendment also treats calls placed by software without a person dialling, including artificial-voice calls, as "A2P calls" that must be declared to your telecom operator in advance, or they count as spam. Those parts start 60 days after Gazette publication (TRAI). If your team runs auto-dialled campaigns, read our telecalling app guide.
- Move your numbers. Mobile numbers port between licensed operators under TRAI's portability regulations. For landline or toll-free numbers, keep the old number running alongside the new one until customers have switched.
- Finish KYC early. DoT requires KYC of every user on a business connection (PIB), so keep your GST certificate, PAN and signatory ID ready.
- Time the cut-over to your pack's validity end date, and run both setups in parallel for a week.
Using Exotel only for a shared number?
If your team uses Exotel for one business number, recordings and call history rather than APIs, TalkEasy Pro is ₹999 a month plus GST with unlimited users. See how the TalkEasy business number works.
Last reviewed 23 September 2026.