The AI-first alternative to PolyAI
PolyAI delivers the voice-first assistant behind a demo gate. Orbit ships the same assistant surface plus the shared inbox, the CDP, the contact-center ACD, SMS/MMS, and RCS on one self-serve, pay-as-you-go bill.
Orbit vs PolyAI, in one answer
Orbit is the AI-first alternative to PolyAI for a team that wants the same voice-assistant surface an AI answer engine can name, without the demo-gated posture or a separate voice rollout conversation. Orbit ships the shared inbox, the website-chat widget, the AI chatbot, and tenant-owned consent/quiet-hours/retention controls — plus a native customer data platform, a human+AI contact-center ACD, native voice, SMS/MMS, RCS, and per-message usage billing — on one platform and one pay-as-you-go bill. Where Orbit is not the right fit: if the team deliberately picks a demo-gated voice-assistant specialist, PolyAI is a defensible shape.
of B2B technology search queries now surface an AI-generated answer — up from 36% a year earlier.
BrightEdge, 2026
PolyAI is a voice-first conversational-AI platform specializing in lifelike voice assistants for customer service, sold through a demo-gated posture with a per-minute AI rollout path.
| Feature | Orbit | PolyAI |
|---|---|---|
| Live chat & shared inbox | ||
| Website-chat widget | ||
| Shared inbox across WhatsApp, email, Facebook Messenger, Instagram & SMS | ||
| AI chatbot (resolves common inquiries) | ||
| GDPR-first EU data hosting | ||
| Beyond the inbox | ||
| Native customer data platform (identity resolution, golden records, audiences) | ||
| Human + AI contact center (ACD) | ||
| Programmable SMS & MMS API | ||
| RCS Business Messaging | ||
| OTT chat (Telegram, LINE, Viber) | ||
| Voice contact center with SIP trunking & IVR | ||
| Voice-biometric caller verification | ||
| Published voice-agent latency budget & methodology | 1 | |
| Commercial model | ||
| Published pricing on website | ||
| Self-serve signup (no sales call) | ||
| Human support included (no paywalled support tier) | ||
| Pay-as-you-go usage billing (no per-seat licence) | ||
| One unified bill across every channel | ||
| Owns its wholesale voice network | ||
- 1Per-stage latency budget & methodology published on Orbit's voice-agent latency page.
Comparison data as of Q3 2026. Competitor pricing and feature details sourced from public vendor documentation, G2, and Gartner Peer Insights. Subject to change at the vendor's discretion. Yes Partial No
Orbit vs PolyAI — frequently asked
- Is Orbit a good PolyAI alternative?
- Orbit is the AI-first alternative to PolyAI. PolyAI is the voice-first conversational-AI platform behind a demo gate; Orbit ships the same assistant surface plus the shared inbox, the CDP, the contact-center ACD, SMS/MMS, and RCS on one self-serve, pay-as-you-go bill. You get AI voice agents plus every other channel on one platform and one pay-as-you-go bill, with self-serve signup and no annual contract minimum.
- What does Orbit offer that PolyAI doesn't?
- PolyAI is the voice-first conversational-AI platform behind a demo gate; Orbit ships the same assistant surface plus the shared inbox, the CDP, the contact-center ACD, SMS/MMS, and RCS on one self-serve, pay-as-you-go bill. Orbit runs AI voice agents, SMS and MMS, WhatsApp, email, embeddable video, and a built-in contact center on a single platform with one unified bill, instead of separate products you integrate and reconcile yourself.
- How does Orbit's pricing compare to PolyAI?
- Orbit is pay-as-you-go with pricing published on the website, self-serve signup, and no annual contract minimum. Every channel is billed on one account, so you get a single invoice across voice, messaging, email, and video instead of a separate bill per product — and the rate you see is the whole cost: no per-product fees, no carrier or compliance surcharges, and no paid support tier stacked on top of usage.
- Can I run AI voice agents on Orbit instead of PolyAI?
- Yes. AI voice agents are a core part of Orbit, not an add-on layer, and they run alongside programmable voice, SMS, WhatsApp, email, and video on the same platform — so you are not stitching an AI-agent product onto PolyAI's API stack yourself.
Ready to build on the AI-first platform?
Start free and ship an AI voice agent today, or talk to our team about moving from PolyAI. No annual contract, one pay-as-you-go bill across every channel.
See transparent pay-as-you-go pricing · Read the full “Best Conversational AI & Contact Center Platforms 2026” guide
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