Retell AI vs Thoughtly:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Retell AI had more branded searches than Thoughtly among AI voice agents worldwide. Retell AI had about 60,500 branded searches, while Thoughtly had 1,300. Retell AI made up 49.8% of all AI voice agent searches we track, and Thoughtly accounted for 1.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about AI voice agents, Retell AI appeared in all five answers and Thoughtly in none.
Who do people search for more?
Retell AI, about 47 searches for every 1 for Thoughtly
Who does AI mention more?
Retell AI, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Retell AI, the only one of the two named
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Top AI voice agents in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Retell AI appeared in all five answers. Thoughtly did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Retell AI5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Bland AI5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Vapi4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Synthflow4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Voiceflow2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Air AI0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Thoughtly0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about AI voice agents
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which AI voice agent platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best AI voice agent platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best AI voice agent platform for customer calls?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“ai voice agent platforms”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“ai phone agent”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Retell AI or Thoughtly more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Retell AI and Thoughtly by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven AI voice agents we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Retell AI, Thoughtly. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Retell AI | Vapi | Voiceflow | Bland AI | Synthflow | Air AI | Thoughtly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 37.8% | 16.9% | 25.3% | 8.1% | 7.6% | 2.8% | 1.5% |
| Nov 2025 | 38.9% | 17.4% | 26% | 8.2% | 6.4% | 1.9% | 1.2% |
| Dec 2025 | 43.3% | 15.9% | 23.7% | 7.5% | 5.8% | 2.6% | 1.1% |
| Jan 2026 | 44.7% | 16.4% | 20% | 9.6% | 6% | 2.2% | 1.1% |
| Feb 2026 | 44.5% | 16.3% | 19.9% | 11.3% | 4.9% | 2.2% | 0.96% |
| Mar 2026 | 42.3% | 18.9% | 18.9% | 10.8% | 5.7% | 2.5% | 0.91% |
| Apr 2026 | 43.6% | 19.5% | 19.5% | 9.1% | 4.8% | 2.6% | 0.94% |
| May 2026 | 43.5% | 23.8% | 15.9% | 9% | 4.8% | 2.1% | 0.94% |
| Jun 2026 | 42.4% | 19% | 19% | 10.8% | 4.6% | 3.1% | 1.1% |
| Jul 2026 | 44.2% | 19.8% | 16.2% | 11.2% | 4.8% | 2.6% | 1.2% |
| Aug 2026 | 52.6% | 15.8% | 15.8% | 8.9% | 3.8% | 2.1% | 0.92% |
| Sep 2026 | 49.8% | 14.9% | 14.9% | 12.8% | 3.6% | 3% | 1.1% |
How has the Retell AI and Thoughtly comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Retell AI was ahead of Thoughtly in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Retell AI’s share of searches among AI voice agents worldwide moved from 37.8% to 49.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 60.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Thoughtly’s share of searches among AI voice agents worldwide moved from 1.5% to 1.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.4K to 1.3K.
How did search popularity change for AI voice agents worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Retell AI lost share of searches among AI voice agents worldwide, from 52.6% to 49.8%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Thoughtly worldwide fell 45.8% over 12 measured months, from 2.4K to 1.3K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Retell AI’s and Thoughtly’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among AI voice agents
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