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OpenAI Realtime API vs PolyAI
OpenAI Realtime API is positioned as speech-to-speech API for developers implementing their own voice application. PolyAI is positioned as enterprise dialog-agent platform with a builder, developer tooling and system integrations.
OpenAI Realtime API is positioned as speech-to-speech API for developers implementing their own voice application. PolyAI is positioned as enterprise dialog-agent platform with a builder, developer tooling and system integrations. Start by deciding who owns the missing layers, then inspect the documented differences below.
Developer Frameworks and Enterprise Platforms are different product categories. An underlying engine or framework is not a complete substitute for a deployed agent workflow.
8 jointly documented catalog fields. This measures evidence coverage, not equivalent quality or an overall winner.
Test opening hours, booking conflicts and an unanswered transfer.
Start where the records differ.
Values and evidence states are compared together. Shared facts follow the differences; Unknown never means No.
| Decision point | OpenAI Realtime API | PolyAI |
|---|---|---|
| Billing modelDifferent records | component-stack | per-minute |
| Billing unitDifferent records | 1 million text/audio/image tokens; transcription separately metered | Voice agent minute |
| Bring your modelDifferent records | Unknown | Yes |
| HIPAA pathDifferent records | Unknown | Yes |
| Bring your telephonyShared state | Yes | Yes |
| Warm transferShared state | Unknown | Unknown |
Your requirements & next steps
Your requirements
Ready-made / AI receptionist · Strict evidence mode
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Realtime model tokens plus input transcription, tools and carrier/hosting; not GPT-Live session-minute billing.
Sales-led per-minute contract rate, not a public numerical rate.
Cached audio/text and image inputs have separate rates. Rate is not per-minute.
Commercial rate, commitment and workload exceptions require quote; no fabricated all-in ceiling.
Model scope fixed to GPT-Realtime-2, not all voice models.
Published unit; precise fee and minimum quote unresolved.
Published Realtime token rates do not establish these account/contract terms. GPT-Live duration billing and unrelated fine-tuning discounts must not be imported.
Commercial rate, commitment and workload exceptions require quote; no fabricated all-in ceiling.
Published Realtime token rates do not establish these account/contract terms. GPT-Live duration billing and unrelated fine-tuning discounts must not be imported.
No included minute allowance published in reviewed page.
Published Realtime token rates do not establish these account/contract terms. GPT-Live duration billing and unrelated fine-tuning discounts must not be imported.
Sales-led per-minute service and build credits are documented; no public complete rate/commitment, recurring free entitlement or provider cost inclusions established.
Repeated context, cache behavior and turn count affect token charges.
Sales-led per-minute service and build credits are documented; no public complete rate/commitment, recurring free entitlement or provider cost inclusions established.
Not yet researched against this buyer-critical field standard.
Not yet researched against this buyer-critical field standard.
Full bill requires measured model/token/cache/tool/carrier usage; conversation minutes alone are insufficient.
Commercial rate, commitment and workload exceptions require quote; no fabricated all-in ceiling.
Full bill requires measured model/token/cache/tool/carrier usage; conversation minutes alone are insufficient.
Commercial rate, commitment and workload exceptions require quote; no fabricated all-in ceiling.
Anyone with this link can view the encoded decision criteria.
Vendor documentation establishes a claim. Public model benchmarks are separate context, not measurements of these platforms.
Open saved comparison ↗What to verify together.
OpenAI Realtime API
A token rate cannot be compared directly with a bundled call-minute price.
GPT-Realtime-2 audio input $32/M, audio output $64/M; text input $4/M, output $24/M · V3.3 evidence review · GPT-Realtime-2 input audio tokens only; output/audio/text/cache have different rates; not 2.1 rate evidence
Excluded / confirm: Complete cost cannot be established from this reference. Full bill requires measured model/token/cache/tool/carrier usage; conversation minutes alone are insufficient. · Input transcription, tool/backend calls, carrier and application infrastructure
Realtime model tokens plus input transcription, tools and carrier/hosting; not GPT-Live session-minute billing.
PolyAI
The public pricing page gives a billing basis, not a numeric quote.
Custom quote / current rate unresolved · V3.3 evidence review · Contract-defined minute billing; no public numeric quote
Excluded / confirm: Complete cost cannot be established from this reference. Commercial rate, commitment and workload exceptions require quote; no fabricated all-in ceiling. · Provider, carrier and custom contract terms require separate verification
Sales-led per-minute contract rate, not a public numerical rate.
The evidence overlap.
Both records have documented values for Product type, Technical setup, Pricing model, OpenAI models, MCP tools, Function / tool calling, Checked within 30 days, Retained price snapshot. Matching availability does not measure behavior under your call conditions.
Run the same booking, tool failure and unsuccessful human-transfer cases. Record both outcomes and billable units before signing a deployment agreement.
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