Voice AI Unit Economics: $0.02–0.03/Min, 55–76% Voice Margins
Voice AI unit economics come down to voice-processing cost per minute against plan price. Loqui Auris measured its voice-processing cost at about $0.02–0.03 per minute (real conversations, July 2026); at that cost, a $19.99/month subscription with 300 minutes included keeps a 55–70% gross margin on voice-processing cost alone, even if every minute is used. The path to higher margins is engineering-driven — open-source TTS models and enterprise pricing lower the cost floor.
Last updated: · Voice cost measured July 2026
What Margin Does Each Subscription Tier Earn?
At the measured $0.02–0.03 per minute, every paid tier keeps a positive margin on voice-processing cost even if every included minute is used. The table counts voice-processing cost only.
| Tier | Price | Margin on voice cost |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | N/A (acquisition cost) |
| Lite | $4.99/mo | 64-76% |
| Everyday | $9.99/mo | 64-76% |
| Pro | $19.99/mo | 55-70% |
| Creator | $39.99/mo | 55-70% |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom |
How Does Voice AI Cost Compare to Human Agents?
Human Phone Agent
- $0.71-2.14 per minute
- $50,000-70,000/year per agent
- 40 calls/day capacity
- 8-hour shifts, training required
- Inconsistent quality
Loqui Auris Voice AI
- About $0.02–0.03 per minute (measured, July 2026)
- Many conversations at once
- 24/7 availability, zero training
- Consistent quality every time
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Frequently Asked Questions
Voice AI gross margins depend mostly on voice-processing cost per minute against plan price. At Loqui Auris's measured voice-processing cost of about $0.02–0.03 per minute for its standard voices (July 2026), a paid plan's included minutes carry roughly 55-76% gross margins on voice-processing cost alone, even if every included minute is used. The richest voices cost more per minute, so they use included minutes faster.
Voice AI subscriptions typically include a set number of minutes per month at a fixed price. Loqui Auris plans range from $4.99/month (60 minutes) to $39.99/month (600 minutes). The key to profitability is that most users under-utilize their included minutes, creating a favorable blended margin.
Yes — voice AI is profitable at $0.02 per minute: at $0.02/minute voice-processing cost with a $19.99/month Pro plan (300 minutes of standard voices), the maximum voice-processing cost is $6.00 — a 70% gross margin on voice-processing cost. At $0.03 per minute, the top of Loqui Auris's measured range for standard voices, the same plan keeps 55%. Premium voices cost more per minute, which is why they count for more of the included minutes.
Voice AI sits inside a conversational AI market projected to reach $32+ billion by 2028. Voice AI specifically addresses customer support ($15B+), healthcare ($3B+), education ($2B+), and consumer assistants ($5B+). The shift from text-first to voice-first interaction expands the addressable market significantly.
Voice AI at about $0.02–0.03 per minute costs a small fraction of human phone support at $0.71-2.14/minute. A single human agent handling 40 calls/day at 7 minutes each costs $50,000-70,000/year.
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Voice measured at about $0.02–0.03/min (July 2026). No vendor lock-in.
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