Compare Synthflow, Bland AI, and Plivo on latency, pricing, and infrastructure. Discover why Plivo's owned telco network delivers superior reliability for enterprise voice agents.
- Synthflow offers a no-code workflow builder that gets you live quickly but relies on third-party infrastructure to operate.
- Bland AI specializes in automated outbound campaigns but requires developer setup.
- Plivo offers voice agents on owned global telecommunications infrastructure with both a no-code builder and full API access.
Quick Comparison
Synthflow Prioritizes Speed Over Flexibility
Key Limitations
- Dependent on third-party telephony infrastructure: All calls route through external carriers instead of a dedicated network. This can add latency and makes troubleshooting quality issues harder since you're working with external support teams.
- Costs can spiral beyond advertised rates: Plans include minute allocations with overages beyond those limits. If your call volume fluctuates or grows significantly, costs become harder to predict compared to flat per-minute models.
- Limited API access for advanced use cases: The drag-and-drop interface works great for simple flows but struggles with custom carrier setups, complex routing, or self-hosted models. You generally need enterprise contracts for advanced API features.
- No automated quality assurance: Testing relies on manual call reviews rather than automated agent evaluation. Teams must manually monitor performance without built-in QA scoring to identify hallucinations or failures.
Customer Feedback
- "Customer support is a complete JOKE!" — Trustpilot reviews
- "The pricing is on the high end and it can be costly." — G2
- "Synthflow rates aren't accurate, they hit me with a bait and switch after I paid." — Reddit
Bland AI Focuses on Outbound Calling Over Infrastructure
Key Limitations
- Built for mass outbound calling: The platform emphasizes high-volume campaigns. While powerful for blasting calls, it lacks the deep infrastructure control required for high-reputation enterprise communication.
- Uses third-party carrier networks: Bland AI doesn't own telecommunications infrastructure. It relies on third-party providers, meaning you have less control over call routing, audio quality, and delivery optimization.
- Limited knowledge base integration: Connecting agents to existing documentation often requires custom development. There is limited native sync capability for keeping agent knowledge current without manual file uploads.
Customer Feedback
- "The biggest drawback is the lack of a no-code interface and the high latency."
- "Terrible product - telemarketing should be a thing of the past."
- "Reliability concerns: Users report issues like dropped calls, dead-air silence, and AI agents failing to speak during live calls."
Plivo Helps You Get Better Outcomes with Voice
Plivo is the AI agent builder platform for voice-first, omnichannel experiences—built on a carrier-grade telephony network trusted by thousands of businesses worldwide. Whether you're a business leader who needs to launch fast or an engineering team building custom agents, Plivo meets you where you are.
1. Infrastructure We Control
Our Points of Presence span five continents, routing calls through our own network rather than reselling third-party carriers. This delivers:
- Sub-700ms latency
- 99.99% availability
- Real-time routing optimization based on jitter and voice quality scores
2. Pricing That Makes Financial Sense at Any Scale
- Pay-as-you-go: $0.05/min with no commitments
- Committed plans: Volume discounts available
- All-inclusive: Every feature included — transcription, language models, synthesis, and routing
- No surprise costs: No hidden infrastructure fees
3. Automated Testing Catches Problems Early
Built-in evaluation tools automatically test agents, score performance, and fix flows to improve reliability. While competitors rely on manual monitoring, our automated QA catches edge cases and hallucinations before they reach your customers.
4. Complete Channel Coverage from Day One
Handle all your customer communications through a single platform:
- Voice conversations
- Text messages (SMS)
- WhatsApp chats
- RCS messaging
- Chat
Agents maintain full conversation context when customers switch channels mid-interaction.
5. No-Code Builder
Vibe Agent lets non-technical teams build voice agents using plain-English descriptions. Describe your use case, and Vibe Agent configures the agent, establishes workflows, and connects integrations automatically—no engineering required.
6. Code Your Agents
Engineering teams get complete control with Plivo's modular Voice AI stack and SDKs in seven languages plus iOS and Android mobile libraries. Integrate into your existing stack, customize every aspect of agent behavior, and build exactly what you need.
7. Use What You Need — Modular by Design
Plivo's Voice AI stack is modular. Choose your level of integration:
- Full platform: STT, LLM, TTS, and telephony pre-configured and ready to go
- Agentic STT only: Noise cancellation, interruption handling, and turn detection — plug in alongside your preferred LLM
- Audio streaming: Stream raw audio to your own models
- SIP trunking: Bring your own AI stack, use Plivo for reliable connectivity
You decide where Plivo ends and your stack begins. No vendor lock-in.
8. Agentic STT — Purpose-Built for Voice AI
Unlike generic speech-to-text, Plivo's Agentic STT is designed specifically for AI agent conversations:
- Noise cancellation: Filters background noise in real-time
- Interruption handling: Detects and manages cross-talk naturally
- Turn detection: Knows when the caller has finished speaking
One model handles what competitors need three separate services to achieve.
9. Connect to Systems You Already Use
Over 200 integrations work immediately through MCP and API connectivity:
- CRM: Salesforce, HubSpot
- Support: Zendesk
- E-commerce: Shopify
- Scheduling: Calendly
- Communication: Slack
Need custom development? Access server-side SDKs in seven languages plus iOS and Android mobile frameworks.
Feature Comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Which platform is best for non-technical teams?
- Synthflow: Offers drag-and-drop builders for simple flows but limits advanced customization.
- Bland AI: Requires developer expertise to configure agents.
- Plivo: Vibe Agent lets non-technical teams build agents using plain-English descriptions. Need advanced features? Switch to full API access on the same platform.
How do pricing models compare?
- Synthflow: Tiered plans with overages that become unpredictable at volume.
- Bland AI: Pricing isn't publicly transparent.
- Plivo: $0.05/min or committed plans with discounts. All features included — transcription, models, synthesis, routing. No hidden fees.
What's the difference between owned infrastructure and third-party carriers?
Synthflow and Bland AI route calls through external providers, adding latency and limiting troubleshooting control. Plivo operates its own network across five continents with direct carrier relationships in 190+ countries. This delivers:
- Sub-700ms latency
- Complete debugging control
Can these platforms handle multichannel customer experiences?
- Bland AI: Voice-only.
- Synthflow: Limited multichannel through integrations.
- Plivo: Natively handles voice, SMS, WhatsApp, RCS, and chat from one platform with full context preservation across channels.
How does automated testing work?
Synthflow and Bland AI require manual call reviews to validate performance. Plivo's evaluation playground automatically:
- Tests agents
- Scores performance
- Identifies issues before production
This reduces risk and accelerates deployment.
What kind of support do I get?
- Synthflow: Email and Slack on higher tiers.
- Bland AI: Limited support with reported slow response times.
- Plivo: Email and Slack on standard plans, with premium phone and chat support available. All customers get migration assistance and engineering access.
How long does migration take?
Most teams complete migrations within two to four weeks with our dedicated support:
- Technical consultation
- Workflow recreation
- Parallel testing
Customers with three or more months remaining on current contracts get their first three months with Plivo free.
Does Plivo support global deployments?
Yes. Compliance certifications include:
- SOC 2 Type II
- HIPAA
- GDPR
- PCI DSS
- TRAI/DLT for India
Infrastructure spans five continents with carrier relationships in 190+ countries.
Can I connect Plivo to my existing tools?
Over 200 integrations work immediately:
- Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, Shopify, Calendly, Notion, Google Workspace
Custom development supported via SDKs in seven languages plus mobile frameworks.
What is Agentic STT?
Agentic STT is Plivo's purpose-built speech-to-text model for voice AI agents. It combines noise cancellation, interruption handling, and turn detection in one model—capabilities that typically require multiple services from other providers.
Build voice agents that scale without limits
Ready to experience the difference owned infrastructure makes? Book a demo to see Plivo in action.
