6 Allo alternatives in 2026 for giving an AI agent its own phone number
Samuel Oram-Jones, 10 min read
An AI agent asked to request an appointment change has to dial out, and Allo's AI doesn't. Allo says of its AI receptionist: "Today it answers calls, it does not place them." Six Allo alternatives give an agent a number it can call from, led by Bland's Agent Phone Plan. Prices are as of November 2026, and the wider field is in AI agent phone plans compared.
Why do people look for Allo alternatives?
People look for Allo alternatives, Bland's Agent Phone Plan among them, when the caller they have in mind is an AI agent rather than a sales team. Allo is a business phone system for small teams, sold per seat to the people who answer and place calls.
Allo's AI Receptionist is a paid add-on, billed per agent, that answers calls. Outbound calls on Allo are placed by people, and Allo's Power Dialer, a $50 a month add-on for the whole team, works a call list for them. Allo's Business plan is $32 a seat a month billed yearly, or $45 monthly, with a number on every seat. Sending texts needs Business, and texting US and Canadian numbers also needs a one-time A2P 10DLC registration (the US carrier registration for business texting), which Allo charges $24 for. Allo sells seats "to people through a checkout", so an agent can't open an account, and Allo's terms don't permit accounts registered by bots.
On Business and Ultra, Allo runs an MCP server (MCP is the open standard that lets an assistant such as Claude use outside tools). Allo's tools read calls and transcripts, send an SMS, configure the AI receptionist, and add numbers to the Power Dialer queue, and none of them places a call.
What should I check in an Allo alternative?
Anyone weighing Bland or another Allo alternative should check whether an AI agent places calls itself, whose number it uses, whether that number texts, how the agent connects, and whether the price is flat or metered.
The number can belong to the agent, be shared with other customers, or be the person's own, and texting can need a registration before the first message goes out. An agent can connect through a connector in ChatGPT or Claude, through an MCP server, or through code a developer writes, and the price can be flat or metered by the minute and the text.
What are the best Allo alternatives?
The best Allo alternatives for an AI agent are Bland's Agent Phone Plan, ClawCall, AgentPhone, Dial, Hail, and Twilio, in that order for one agent running one person's errands.
Allo, the starting point
Allo is a business phone system with "a shared business number for the whole team, AI that answers and writes up every call, and the follow-up actions landing in your CRM", in Allo's words. Allo sells Business and Ultra seats, with Solo coming soon, national calls are unlimited, and Allo records and transcribes every call by default. Allo suits a small team whose people answer the phone, with an AI receptionist that answers calls. The Allo review and Bland vs Allo go further.
1. Bland Agent Phone Plan
Bland's Agent Phone Plan is a self-serve plan that gives an AI agent one dedicated US local number for calls and SMS. The agent places a call and returns a transcript and summary, takes calls on the same number, and sends texts, and Bland answers replies from the number toward the goal the agent was given. Calls and texts reach US and Canada numbers, unlimited subject to fair use. The first plan purchase also includes an extra $10 of international calling credits, so the agent can make international calls, and the plan includes live call transfer to the owner and voice cloning. The agent asks about a late checkout or requests an appointment change, then reports back.
The plan suits a person who wants the AI they already use to call and text from its own number. ChatGPT, Claude, Claude Code, Codex, and OpenClaw connect through Bland's MCP server for phone calls. In ChatGPT, a person turns on developer mode for apps and connectors, adds Bland's MCP server as a custom connector, and signs in with Bland (give ChatGPT a phone number has the steps), and buyers should check their ChatGPT plan can add a custom connector with write actions before subscribing. Bland isn't partnered with or endorsed by OpenAI or Anthropic. An agent can also start its own signup: it shows the owner a link and a code, and the owner approves in a browser.
The plan costs $9.99 for the first month (once per account owner), then $19.99 a month, and renews monthly on the card on file until cancelled. Cancel in Billing and Plans or through the API. There is no trial on the plan, but a person can try it for free. That try covers outbound calls only, from a shared Bland number: no dedicated number, no texting, no incoming calls. The plan allows one call at a time, 50 calls a day, and 100 texts a day. More calls at once need Bland's Build plan, on the pricing page, and Enterprise pricing is custom, set with Bland's sales team. The AI phone number page has the rest.
Pros
- A dedicated US number that calls and texts, in and out
- One flat monthly price with no per-minute or per-text charges
- The agent can start its own signup, and the owner approves it
- Connects from ChatGPT, Claude, Claude Code, Codex, and OpenClaw
Cons
- Built for one agent running one person's errands, one call at a time, so a team placing calls at volume needs Bland's Build plan or Enterprise
2. ClawCall
ClawCall is a finished AI calling agent: "It dials, waits on hold, talks to whoever answers, and brings back the result." ClawCall suits a person who wants calls placed to US businesses and doesn't need texts sent from a number. ChatGPT connects through an official ClawCall plugin, Claude through a custom connector, and OpenClaw through a ClawHub skill. Every account places one outbound call at a time, to US +1 numbers only.
Unlimited is $8.99 a month on shared ClawCall numbers, Unlimited Reserve is $14.99 a month with a dedicated US caller-ID number, and Unlimited Reserve Plus is $18.99 a month and adds inbound calls. ClawCall charges nothing per minute, and "Unlimited means fair use". The free trial covers 30 calls or 30 minutes, whichever comes first, with no card. Bland vs ClawCall compares the two directly.
Pros
- Flat monthly plans with no per-minute charges
- A free trial with no card
- Confirms it is an AI when asked, and users can't switch that off
Cons
- Doesn't send texts from a number
- The cheapest plan calls from shared numbers
- Calls in only on Unlimited Reserve Plus or a connected Twilio number
3. AgentPhone
AgentPhone is a developer telephony API that, in AgentPhone's words, "gives your AI its own phone number", with each number attached to a single agent in the US or Canada. AgentPhone suits a developer who wants to wire numbers, webhooks, and per-minute billing into an agent it builds itself, through SDKs, a REST API, or a hosted MCP server that works with Claude Code, Cursor, OpenClaw, and Windsurf.
AgentPhone sells no plans. A US or Canadian local number is $3.00 a month, voice is $0.13 a minute with a developer's own agent or $0.22 hosted, and SMS is $0.02 a segment either way. Outbound US texting needs 10DLC registration, a one-time $25 for a sole proprietor or standard brand. Worked from AgentPhone's published prices, 100 hosted call minutes and 100 single-segment texts in a month come to $27.00 with the number. Bland vs AgentPhone has more.
Pros
- A number per agent at $3.00 a month
- iMessage lines at $150 a month inbound-only, or $250 to send too
- Calls placed over MCP always open by identifying the agent as an AI
Cons
- Every minute and text is metered
- Outbound US texts need 10DLC registration first
- Outbound calls need a real payment method on file
4. Dial
Dial sells "Calls, SMS, WhatsApp and iMessage for AI agents. One API, one CLI, one MCP server." Dial suits a developer whose agent needs several messaging channels on one number. Claude, Cursor, and ChatGPT connect to Dial's remote MCP server with a browser sign-in.
A Virtual number is $3.00 a month and needs 10DLC registration, which takes up to 3 days and carries a one-time fee. A Local number is $35.00 a month and texts from day one. Calls are billed per minute by default, at $0.13 self-hosted or $0.22 managed, and US texts on a Virtual number are $0.02. New accounts get $5 of credit, capped at 5 minutes per call until the first top-up. Bland vs Dial goes deeper.
Pros
- Calls, SMS, WhatsApp, and iMessage on one number, with iMessage paid and WhatsApp in beta
- A Local number texts from day one
- Remote MCP server for Claude, Cursor, and ChatGPT
Cons
- Calls billed per minute by default
- A Virtual number waits up to 3 days for 10DLC registration
- New signups can be paused, and a coupon code may be needed
5. Hail
Hail offers to "Give your AI assistant a phone number and an email inbox", and Hail is open source under the AGPL license, self-hosted or on Hail's cloud. Hail suits someone who wants prepaid, metered calls and texts with an email inbox on the side. Hail's MCP server has setup guides for 7 clients, Claude, ChatGPT, and Codex CLI among them, and an assistant can create a workspace that the owner then claims and funds. A shared outbound line doesn't take calls in.
Hail has no subscription, and credit starts at $1. Voice is $0.10 a minute, in or out. A dedicated number starts at $0.50 a month for calls only, or $1.15 for calls and texts, and a US text is $0.018. US text registration "takes days and is extra".
Pros
- Numbers from $0.50 a month
- Open source, with a hosted option
- An AI line on inbound calls by default
Cons
- Every minute and text is metered
- A new workspace starts at $0, with no free credit
- US texting registration takes days and costs extra
6. Twilio
Twilio is a carrier and communications API for developers building their own apps. Bland is an official Twilio partner, and Twilio is the better fit for a team that wants to build its own voice agent product and own every part of the call. Twilio's MCP server is a read-only public beta that searches docs and API specs, and it can't place a call or send a text.
A US local number is $1.15 a month. Local calls are $0.0140 a minute to make and $0.0085 to receive, SMS is $0.0083 a segment plus carrier fees, and Conversation Relay, Twilio's speech layer for a developer's own app, is $0.07 a minute. US business texting needs A2P 10DLC registration, with one-time and monthly fees. Bland vs Twilio covers the build-or-buy question.
Pros
- Carrier prices per minute and per text
- Numbers in over 100 locales
- A $15 free trial
Cons
- A developer builds the AI and the call logic on Conversation Relay
- Twilio's MCP server can't place a call or send a text
- US texting needs 10DLC registration with one-time and monthly fees
Which Allo alternative should I pick?
For an AI agent that has to place calls and send texts for one person, Bland's Agent Phone Plan is the Allo alternative to pick, because the agent gets a dedicated US number that dials out, answers, and texts at one flat monthly price, set up from the AI the person already uses.
ClawCall fits a person who only needs calls to US businesses. AgentPhone and Dial fit a developer who will build the agent and pay by the minute by default, Hail fits someone happy to prepay with an email inbox included, and Twilio fits a team building its own phone product.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Allo alternative?
Bland's Agent Phone Plan is the best Allo alternative for an AI agent, because Allo's AI answers calls and doesn't place them, while Bland's plan gives the agent its own US number that calls out, takes calls, and texts.
Is there a cheaper Allo alternative?
Yes, Bland's Agent Phone Plan costs less than one Allo Business seat. Worked from published prices, one Allo Business seat billed monthly comes to $540 for a year before any add-on, and Bland's plan comes to $229.88 for its first 12 months. ClawCall starts lower at $8.99 a month, for calls only.
Which Allo alternative includes texting?
Bland's Agent Phone Plan includes texting in and out inside its flat price, while sending texts on Allo needs a Business or Ultra seat. AgentPhone, Hail, and Twilio bill texts per message or segment, Dial bills them per message on a Virtual number, and ClawCall doesn't send texts from a number.
Which Allo alternative works with ChatGPT or Claude?
Bland's Agent Phone Plan works with both through a custom connector and a sign-in with Bland, and places calls from either. ClawCall connects through a ChatGPT plugin and a Claude custom connector, Dial's remote MCP server works with Claude and ChatGPT, and Hail has setup guides for both.
Can Allo's AI place outbound calls?
No, Allo's AI Receptionist answers calls and doesn't place them, and Allo's MCP server has no tool that places a call. Outbound calls on Allo are placed by people on the team, with the Power Dialer add-on working a call list.
Can an AI agent sign itself up for an Allo alternative?
Yes, an agent can start its own signup on Bland, and the owner approves it in a browser, while Allo sells seats only to people. AgentPhone, Hail, and ClawCall also let an agent start an account.
