Bolna provides an end-to-end, open-source framework for building LLM-powered voice AI agents. It orchestrates conversations by integrating various Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), Large Language Model (LLM), and Text-to-Speech (TTS) providers via WebSockets, enabling developers to quickly create voice-first conversational assistants.

How It Works

Bolna acts as an orchestration layer, managing the flow of data between different AI services. It leverages a modular design to support a wide array of providers for ASR (e.g., Deepgram), LLMs (e.g., OpenAI, Mistral via LiteLLM), and TTS (e.g., AWS Polly, ElevenLabs). The platform handles real-time audio streaming and conversation state management, allowing for flexible and scalable voice agent development.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Install/Run: Local setup uses Docker. Build images with docker-compose build --no-cache bolna-app <twilio-app | plivo-app> and run with docker-compose up bolna-app <twilio-app | plivo-app>.
• Prerequisites: Requires Docker, ngrok for tunneling, and API keys for chosen ASR, LLM, and TTS providers (e.g., DEEPGRAM_AUTH_TOKEN, OPENAI_API_KEY, TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID).
• Resources: Local setup involves four Docker containers.
• Docs: Hosted Docs

Highlighted Details

• Supports integration with telephony providers like Twilio and Plivo for initiating phone calls.
• Utilizes LiteLLM for seamless integration with numerous LLM providers.
• Actively seeking maintainers.
• Development philosophy prioritizes open-source contributions before exposing hosted APIs.

Maintenance & Community

• Actively seeking maintainers.
• Community support available via Discord.
• Discord

Licensing & Compatibility

• The repository is open-source. Specific license details are not explicitly stated in the README, but the project aims for broad adoption. Compatibility for commercial use or closed-source linking would require clarification on the exact license.

Limitations & Caveats

The README notes that hosted APIs and the no-code UI playground are currently closed source. The project is actively looking for maintainers, which may indicate a potential risk to ongoing development velocity.