# AgentLine vs Bland Agent Phone Plan (2026): Open-source phone API or flat phone plan?

AgentLine and Bland's Agent Phone Plan start a cent apart, $20 against $19.99 a month. AgentLine's Individual plan includes 100 call minutes and charges $0.12 for each one after, while Bland gives an agent its own [AI phone number](https://www.bland.ai/ai-phone-number) with calls and texts to the US and Canada included under fair use. Other options sit in [AI agent phone plans compared](/compare/agent-phone-plan).

## Which is better, Bland or AgentLine?

For a person whose AI agent calls and texts businesses, Bland's Agent Phone Plan is a better fit than AgentLine as of November 2026, because one flat monthly price covers a dedicated US number and its calls and texts, with no minute allowance to track. AgentLine suits a developer who wants to read the code behind a phone line for agents, or run it on the developer's own servers, because AgentLine publishes that code under the MIT license.

<div class="cmp-usewhen"><div class="cmp-usewhen-own"><p><strong>Use Bland when</strong></p><ul><li>A person wants an AI agent to have its own US number that calls, texts, and takes calls</li><li>The bill should stay at $19.99 a month however long the calls run, within fair use</li><li>The agent lives in ChatGPT, Claude, Claude Code, or OpenClaw</li></ul></div><div><p><strong>Use AgentLine when</strong></p><ul><li>A developer wants to read, change, or run the phone software itself under the MIT license</li><li>An agent needs a Canadian or toll-free number</li><li>A team runs several agents and wants three or 12 numbers on one plan</li></ul></div></div>

| Feature | Bland Agent Phone Plan | AgentLine |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $19.99 after the first month | $20 Individual, $50, or $200 Startup |
| Call minutes | Included to the US and Canada, fair use, plus $10 of international calling credits with the first plan purchase | 100, 200, or 1,000 by plan, then $0.12 a minute |
| Texts | Included to the US and Canada, fair use | 400, 1,000, or 3,000 by plan, then $0.02 each |
| Number | One dedicated US local number | 1, 3, or 12 US or Canada numbers by plan, local or toll-free |
| Calls and texts, in and out | Yes, on one number | Yes, on one number |
| Free start | Outbound calls only, from a shared Bland number | 7-day trial on the first number, with 10 minutes and 10 texts |


## How do Bland and AgentLine compare?

The main difference between Bland and AgentLine is metering: Bland's Agent Phone Plan includes calls and texts in its monthly price under fair use, while AgentLine sells a monthly allowance of minutes and texts and bills each minute and text beyond it.

### Bland overview

Bland's Agent Phone Plan is a self-serve plan that gives an AI agent one dedicated US local number, provisioned when the plan starts. The agent places a call with a task, such as asking about a delivery window, and reports back with a transcript and summary. The same number sends texts, and when someone replies, Bland answers from the number toward the goal the agent gave it.

<div class="cmp-proscons cmp-proscons-own"><div class="cmp-proscons-pros"><p><strong>Pros</strong></p><ul><li>Calls and texts to the US and Canada included in one monthly price, under fair use</li><li>No per-minute or per-text charges on the plan</li><li>A dedicated US number that calls, texts, and takes calls</li></ul></div><div class="cmp-proscons-cons"><p><strong>Cons</strong></p><ul><li>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</li></ul></div></div>

### AgentLine overview

AgentLine, a product of Ovalpod Technologies, describes itself as an "Open-source AI phone agent platform" for US and Canada numbers that call and text. Open source means its code is public: under the MIT license, anyone may read it, copy it, change it, and run it, commercial use included, with no warranty. AgentLine also sells a hosted cloud, which is what its monthly plans pay for. Each number can be local or toll-free, and an owner can register a personal number and call the agent to hand it tasks. A person's existing number can't be used on AgentLine.

<div class="cmp-proscons" data-rival="agentline"><div class="cmp-proscons-pros"><p><strong>Pros</strong></p><ul><li>Code published under the MIT license</li><li>US or Canada numbers, local or toll-free</li><li>A free 7-day trial on the first number, with 10 minutes and 10 texts</li></ul></div><div class="cmp-proscons-cons"><p><strong>Cons</strong></p><ul><li>100 call minutes on the $20 plan, then $0.12 a minute in or out</li><li>Texts beyond the allowance cost $0.02 each, sent or received</li><li>With no plan minutes left, a call needs $0.50 in the prepaid wallet</li><li>The trial number is detached from the account unless the owner pays</li></ul></div></div>

## How much do Bland and AgentLine cost?

Bland's Agent Phone Plan costs $9.99 for the first month (once per account owner), then $19.99 a month, with calls and texts included under fair use, while AgentLine starts at $20 per month for 100 call minutes and 400 texts, then meters both. Bland has a longer page on a [flat monthly plan vs pay per minute](https://www.bland.ai/ai-phone-number/ai-phone-number-cost).

### Bland pricing

$9.99 for the first month (once per account owner), then $19.99 a month. Renews monthly on the card on file until cancelled. The plan includes unlimited voice minutes and SMS to US and Canada numbers, subject to fair use, and there's no trial, so the card is charged when the owner approves. 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. Cancel in Billing and Plans or through the API.

The plan's limits are one call at a time across the account, 20 calls an hour, 50 calls a day, 1,000 call minutes a day, 60 minutes at most per outbound call, 20 texts an hour, and 100 texts a day. While a call is live, a new caller hears a busy message. More calls at once need Bland's Build plan, on the [pricing page](https://www.bland.ai/pricing). Enterprise pricing is custom, set with Bland's sales team.

A person can try Bland for free. That try covers outbound calls only, from a shared Bland number: no dedicated number, no texting, no incoming calls.

### AgentLine pricing

AgentLine sells three monthly plans. Individual is $20 per month with one US or Canada number, 100 call minutes, and 400 texts. A $50 plan has three numbers, 200 minutes, and 1,000 texts, and Startup is $200 per month with 12 numbers, 1,000 minutes, and 3,000 texts.

Beyond the allowance, AgentLine charges $0.12 a minute for calls in either direction, billed per second after a one-minute minimum, with unanswered calls free. Each extra text, sent or received, costs $0.02, and each extra number $3 a month. That usage comes out of a prepaid wallet, which needs $0.50 for a call once plan minutes run out. The first number is free for a 7-day trial with 10 minutes and 10 texts, for an account that has never paid, and is detached afterwards unless the owner recharges or picks a plan.

### Value comparison

On monthly billing, before a single call, Bland's $19.99 is a cent under AgentLine's $20. The gap grows with use: 300 call minutes a month costs $44 on AgentLine's Individual plan, which is $20 plus 200 minutes at $0.12, and 600 minutes costs $80. On Bland, both months cost $19.99, well inside 1,000 call minutes a day.

An agent that waits 40 minutes on hold with an airline, then calls three plumbers for quotes, can spend half of AgentLine's monthly 100 minutes in an afternoon, and calls in draw on the same allowance.

## How does each one connect to ChatGPT, Claude, or OpenClaw?

Bland's Agent Phone Plan connects to ChatGPT, Claude, and OpenClaw through Bland's hosted MCP server, while AgentLine connects agents such as Claude Code, OpenClaw, Codex, and Cursor through its own hosted MCP server, a skill file, or its REST API. MCP, the Model Context Protocol, is an open standard that lets an AI assistant plug into an outside tool.

### Setting up Bland

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, and ChatGPT then places outbound calls and reads results. The plan is bought in the Bland dashboard. A ChatGPT user should check that their ChatGPT plan can add a custom connector with write actions before subscribing, and Bland's page on how to [give ChatGPT a phone number](https://www.bland.ai/ai-phone-number/chatgpt-phone-calls) walks through the steps.

In the Claude app, a person adds a custom connector under Settings, Connectors, pointing at Bland's MCP server, then signs in with Bland. Claude Code takes one command to add the server, then a sign-in with Bland or an API key. OpenClaw adds Bland's MCP server under mcp.servers in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json, with the key in the BLAND_API_KEY environment variable, or signs itself up from Bland's docs. Codex and other assistants have steps on Bland's [agent setup page](https://www.bland.ai/ai-phone-number/agents). Bland isn't partnered with or endorsed by OpenAI or Anthropic.

### Setting up AgentLine

AgentLine's hosted MCP server takes an AgentLine API key and gives an agent 35 tools, and AgentLine also offers a skill file, a REST API, and a Python SDK. AgentLine's agent list includes Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenClaw, and Hermes. An agent can sign itself up by following AgentLine's skill: it gets an API key through a code sent by email and buys a number, while funding the account stays the owner's step.

## Why is Bland the best AgentLine alternative for an AI agent?

Bland is the best AgentLine alternative for a personal AI agent because Bland's Agent Phone Plan includes calls and texts to the US and Canada in one flat monthly price, so nobody counts minutes, tops up a wallet, or prices a long hold. The agent gets a dedicated US number that calls, texts, and takes calls, and it connects from the AI a person already uses.

AgentLine's open code suits a developer who wants to host a phone line. A person who wants an assistant to request an appointment change or ask about a late checkout is buying the line itself, and Bland sells it at one price. Bland's pages on a [phone number API for AI agents](https://www.bland.ai/ai-phone-number/phone-number-api-for-ai-agents) and an [MCP server for phone calls and SMS](https://www.bland.ai/ai-phone-number/phone-call-mcp-server) go further, and [Bland vs ClawdTalk vs AgentLine vs Hail](/blog/bland-vs-clawdtalk-vs-agentline-vs-hail) sets AgentLine beside two more phone lines.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bland better than AgentLine?

For a personal AI agent, Bland is better than AgentLine, because one monthly price covers a dedicated US number, calls, and texts. AgentLine suits a developer who wants open-source code, Canadian or toll-free numbers, or several numbers on one plan.

### Is Bland cheaper than AgentLine?

Yes, on monthly billing after the first month, Bland's $19.99 is a cent under AgentLine's $20 Individual plan, and the gap grows with every minute past AgentLine's 100. Bland's Agent Phone Plan is $9.99 for the first month (once per account owner), then $19.99 a month. On AgentLine's Individual plan, 300 call minutes a month comes to $44.

### Can AgentLine send texts from its number?

Yes, every AgentLine number sends and receives SMS on the same number it calls from. The $20 Individual plan includes 400 texts a month, sent and received, and each one after that costs $0.02.

### Does AgentLine work with Claude Code and OpenClaw?

Yes, AgentLine works with Claude Code and OpenClaw through its hosted MCP server with an API key, its skill file, or its REST API. Bland's Agent Phone Plan connects to both through Bland's hosted MCP server.

### What does open source mean for AgentLine?

Open source means AgentLine's code is public under the MIT license, so anyone can read it, change it, and run their own copy, including for commercial use. AgentLine's paid plans are for its hosted cloud.

### How long do Bland and AgentLine keep call transcripts?

AgentLine keeps call transcripts and texts for 90 days, then clears them automatically, and an owner can delete them sooner. Bland's privacy policy says information is kept "as long as necessary to provide you with the Service" and sets no fixed period.