Best alternatives to SoundHound for restaurant voice AI

SoundHound powers voice AI for major chains like Chipotle, Jersey Mike's, White Castle, and Five Guys. Their platform handles drive-thru automation, phone ordering, and in-car ordering across thousands of locations.

SoundHound works well with large QSR chains. Their recent partnerships and product updates show they are focused on serving big, multi-location brands.

For independent restaurants and small groups looking at voice AI, it is useful to know where a company puts its focus. Vendors that work mainly with enterprise brands usually shape their pricing, support, and features around those larger clients.

Many independent operators prefer platforms built for smaller teams and everyday restaurant needs.

If you're comparing SoundHound with other voice AI options, here’s what to look at.

What SoundHound does well

SoundHound's technology works. Their Polaris speech recognition model delivers strong accuracy. The platform integrates with major POS systems. They handle billions of interactions annually across multiple industries.

For enterprise QSR chains needing consistent automation across drive-thru lanes, mobile apps, kiosks, and phone systems, SoundHound's breadth makes sense. That's their target market.

There’s nothing wrong with the tech. It just comes down to whether it makes sense for smaller operations.

Where independent restaurants hit friction

Enterprise pricing and complexity:

Setup fees reaching $1,500 plus integration costs according to industry analysis. Pricing structures built for multi-location chains, not single restaurants. Implementation requires dedicated IT resources and weeks of setup time.

The deflection issue:

Some SoundHound implementations deflect phone callers to online ordering links via SMS rather than completing orders during calls. This works for enterprise chains prioritizing low-cost digital channels.

But customers calling restaurants expect to place orders by phone. Many ignore text links and call competitors instead. The interaction feels disconnected.

Feature mismatch:

Drive-thru optimization features that don't apply to dine-in-focused restaurants. In-car ordering capabilities that independent operators don't need. Text-to-order and scan-to-order channels are adding complexity without value.

One restaurant owner put it simply: "We just needed phone orders handled. The platform wanted to sell us features we'd never use."

What makes a good SoundHound alternative

Focus on what solves your actual phone problem.

1. Complete phone order processing:

Orders finish during the call. Payment processes without sending links. Customers hang up with confirmed orders, not instructions to complete transactions elsewhere.

2. Restaurant-specific focus:

Voice AI Built for restaurant phone operations, not adapted from automotive AI. Features optimized for food ordering complexity like modifications and dietary restrictions. Integration tested with restaurant POS systems specifically.

3. Transparent pricing:

Clear monthly costs without hidden fees. Pricing that scales with your needs, not enterprise minimums. Set-up costs disclosed upfront.

4. Fast deployment:

Implementation in days, not weeks. Menu configuration that doesn't require professional services teams. Staff training measured in minutes.

Testing and launching your restaurant AI assistant should be simple and fast, not something that drags on for months.

Top SoundHound alternatives for restaurants

Here are the platforms restaurant owners actually evaluate.

1. Certus AI

Certus AI’s restaurant call center focuses exclusively on restaurant phone operations. The platform answers every call instantly, takes orders with 97% accuracy, and processes payments during conversations.

Key differentiators:

• Failsafe backup ordering automatically calls your restaurant to manually place orders with staff if POS integration fails. This prevents revenue loss during technical issues.
• Lifetime conversational context remembers returning customers by phone number and voice, including past orders and preferences.
• 45+ POS platform integrations including Toast, Square, Clover, and others.
• Setup takes five days without disrupting operations.
• Restaurants using Certus report recovering $70,000-$400,000 annually from captured missed calls. One pizza restaurant went from missing 60 calls daily to capturing every order, generating $400,000 in additional revenue.
• Voice AI ROI indicators restaurants should track show Certus delivers measurable impact on missed call recovery, average order values, and labor efficiency.
• The platform handles intelligent upselling that increases average order values 15-20%. Multi-language support includes automatic detection for South Asian, East Asian, and Caribbean accents.

Best for: Independent restaurants and small chains focused on phone order revenue.

2. Slang AI

Slang AI targets quick-service restaurants with voice AI for phones and drive-thru. The platform handles phone answering, order taking automation, and drive-thru lane management.

POS integration with major platforms. Natural language processing for customer conversations. Setup reportedly takes moderate complexity with $500 setup fees.

Best for: QSR operations needing both phone and drive-thru automation.

3. Hostie AI

Hostie AI positions itself as "AI for restaurants, made by restaurants" with hospitality focus. The platform offers native integrations with Toast, Square, and Oracle POS systems.

20-language support for diverse customer bases. Reservation management and customer inquiry handling. Analytics tailored to hospitality metrics. Tiered pricing accommodating different restaurant sizes.

Best for: Restaurants in tourist areas or diverse metropolitan markets needing multilingual support.

How alternatives compare on key features

Real cost considerations when buying voice AI for restaurants

Comparing restaurant voice AI alternatives requires looking beyond monthly subscription pricing.

Total implementation costs:

Setup fees range from $0 to $1,500. Integration professional services potentially adding $2,000-$5,000. Staff training time. Testing period before deployment.

Ongoing operational costs:

Per-call or per-minute charges that spike during busy periods. Overage fees if call volume exceeds plan limits. Additional charges for PCI compliance features. Support costs for troubleshooting.

Restaurant automation trends in 2026 show independent operators generating $3,000-$18,000 additional monthly revenue per location from voice AI, according to Q3 2025 industry data. The platform you choose determines whether you capture that opportunity.

Making the switch from SoundHound

If you're currently using SoundHound and considering alternatives, evaluate what's not working.

Are you paying for features you don't use? Is implementation complexity creating operational friction? Do customers get frustrated with text-link deflection? Are costs exceeding the value received?

Test alternatives thoroughly:

Place complex orders during demo calls to verify accuracy. Confirm POS integration with your specific voice AI system. Review contract terms for setup time and cancellation policies. Talk to restaurants currently using the alternative platforms.

Compare restaurant voice AI systems based on your specific operational needs, not just feature lists.

Which alternative fits your restaurant?

Choose based on what you actually need.

If phone orders drive significant revenue: Certus AI's exclusive phone focus delivers deep functionality where it matters. Complete order processing, fail-safe backup, and conversational memory optimize the channel to generate revenue.

If you need drive-thru and phone: Slang AI covers both channels for QSR operations without enterprise complexity.

If multilingual support is critical: Hostie AI's 20-language capability serves diverse markets effectively with restaurant-specific features.

If enterprise scale is genuinely required: SoundHound remains the leader for large QSR chains needing omnichannel consistency across thousands of locations.

47% of restaurants plan to increase automation to address staffing shortages, according to the National Restaurant Association. But automation doesn't mean enterprise complexity. It means solving the specific problem costing you money: missed calls, wrong orders, and lost revenue.

Your phone problem needs the right restaurant voice AI solution

Phone orders represent immediate revenue waiting to be captured. The platform you choose determines whether those calls turn into confirmed orders or missed opportunities.

AI voice assistant, Certus AI focuses exclusively on perfecting restaurant phone operations. The system answers every call instantly, takes orders with 97% accuracy, processes payments during conversations, and integrates seamlessly with 45+ POS platforms. Failsafe backup ordering prevents revenue loss during technical issues.

Setup takes five days. Your phone number stays the same. Staff training is minimal. The only thing that changes is every call gets answered and every order gets captured accurately. Sounds too good to be true? Book a demo with Certus AI and discover why independent restaurants choose our focused phone solutions over enterprise platforms.