Quick answer: CloudTalk suits sales teams wanting a power dialler on any plan (US$15 add-on, included on Expert) and AI receptionist minutes from US$99 for 200. Dialpad suits teams wanting the lowest seat price (Connect Standard, US$15) and AI agents at US$1.99 a conversation. For AI that answers and follows up, start with Zian. As at 2 November 2026.
“CloudTalk vs Dialpad” is a choice between two cloud phone systems that both now sell AI voice agents. CloudTalk sells one product in three plans (Starter, Essential, Expert) plus add-ons; Dialpad sells Connect for business calling, Sell for sales teams, Support for contact centres and Resolve for AI agents. They split most sharply on which plan carries the dialler, and whether AI is billed by the minute or the conversation. Every vendor fact below comes from CloudTalk’s and Dialpad’s own pricing pages, help centres and release notes, read on 2 November 2026, in US dollars unless marked otherwise.
Where Zian fits next to CloudTalk and Dialpad
If the job is answering every call and then chasing every lead, choose the AI agent layer first and the phone system second. Zian AI is an AI sales and reception agents platform: its agents answer inbound calls 24/7 as an AI receptionist that qualifies callers, books appointments, transfers and takes messages, then follow up by voice, SMS, email, WhatsApp, Instagram DMs and Facebook Messenger.
The same agents handle answering machines and voicemail on calls, work in 30+ languages with voice cloning supported, and connect to HubSpot, Salesforce, HighLevel, Zapier and an API. Zian’s home page reports 28x more contact attempts and a 926% increase in follow-ups, and Zian has run outbound acquisition since 2017.
Zian is not the only AI receptionist here. CloudTalk’s AI Receptionist answers inbound calls 24/7 and books into Google or Outlook calendars; Dialpad says its AI Agents “can schedule or reschedule appointments directly where configured”, and its Digital Engagement channels cover WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram on Support plans. Their agents run on that vendor’s own phone system and are bought separately from the seat; Zian’s cover inbound answering and outbound follow-up across voice and messaging as one job.
The honest limit: Zian is in a partnership-application beta with no published prices; each of its three listed plans, including Intel + Widgets (Free Forever), starts with a partnership application. If you would rather have it run for you, LeadsNow.ai is the done-for-you option: a managed, pay-per-result AI appointment-setting service that runs on Zian, answers leads in under 60 seconds, 24/7, and has set 50,769+ appointments.
CloudTalk vs Dialpad: the shortlist
Rows 1 and 2 are our picks when calls must be answered and leads followed up without adding headcount. Rows 3 and 4 are not ranked against each other.
| # | Tool | What it is | AI receptionist | Entry price, as at 2 November 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zian AI | AI sales and reception agents platform | Yes: answers inbound calls 24/7, qualifies, books, transfers, takes messages; outbound calls, SMS, email, WhatsApp, Instagram DM and Messenger follow-up | No published prices; partnership-application beta; Intel + Widgets listed as Free Forever |
| 2 | LeadsNow.ai | Done-for-you AI appointment setting that runs on Zian | Managed for you; leads answered in under 60 seconds, 24/7 | Pay-per-result |
| 3 | CloudTalk | Cloud phone system in three plans, with dialler, conversation intelligence and AI Voice Agent add-ons | AI Receptionist: 50 minutes free for the first month, then bundles from US$99 a month for 200 minutes | Starter US$25 per user a month billed annually (US$34 monthly); 1-licence minimum |
| 4 | Dialpad | Four products: Connect, Sell, Support and Resolve (AI agents) | AI Agents: US$1.99 per voice conversation on its rates page; “Custom Pricing” on its pricing page | Connect Standard US$15 per user a month billed annually (US$27 monthly); no published seat minimum found |
CloudTalk vs Dialpad pricing, plan by plan
The table lists list prices from CloudTalk’s pricing page and Dialpad’s pricing page on 2 November 2026. CloudTalk’s machine-readable pricing file (updated 20 October 2026) says “Prices are listed in EUR; visitors outside Europe see the same figures in USD”. Dialpad’s currency figures sit in its page data behind the currency and Monthly/Annual toggles.
| Plan | Annual billing, per user a month | Monthly billing, per user a month | Seat minimum | What the plan is for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CloudTalk Starter | US$25 | US$34 | 1 | Phone system with call flows and recording (1-month retention); no SMS; power dialler as add-on |
| CloudTalk Essential | US$29 | US$39 | 1 | Adds IVR and skill routing, international SMS/MMS, voicemail drop, APIs and 95+ standard integrations |
| CloudTalk Expert | US$49 | US$69 | 3 | Adds power dialling, smart dialer, campaigns, WhatsApp inbox, Salesforce, live monitoring and 24/7 phone support |
| Dialpad Connect Standard | US$15 | US$27 | None found | Business calling, meetings, messaging, real-time transcripts and AI call summaries |
| Dialpad Connect Pro | US$25 | US$35 | None found | Adds CRM integrations, 24/7 support and automatic recording |
| Dialpad Sell Essentials | US$39 | US$49 | None found | Sales seat: unlimited US and Canada minutes, AI transcripts, coaching teams |
| Dialpad Sell Advanced | US$59 | US$70 | None found | Adds local presence and voicemail drop (Reach Booster) and Live Coach |
| Dialpad Sell Premium | US$79 | US$95 on the Monthly toggle, but its FAQ says Premium is “available on annual plans only” | None found | Adds quality management; the plan for Dialpad Dialer |
| Dialpad Support Essentials | US$89 | US$109 | None found | Contact centre seat with omnichannel routing and Power Dialer; Advanced US$119, Premium US$149 annual |
Three limbs change those numbers. First, CloudTalk says “Customers billed in the United States or Canada also pay CloudTalk’s Compliance and Administrative Cost Recovery Fee of 11% of the software subscription (in Canada from 2 December 2026)”; its US fees article calls it “a CloudTalk fee: it is not a tax”. Second, Dialpad warns that “The price you see on the website may differ from your actual price due to regional pricing and currency based on your country.” Third, neither vendor refunds much: CloudTalk “bills in advance and doesn’t offer refunds or credits for partial months, unused time, or plan changes”, and Dialpad’s refund FAQ refunds only a cancellation “within 3 days of the transaction date”, on monthly or annual card billing; after that, annual plans “do not qualify for a refund”.
Annual billing saves most on Dialpad’s entry plan. CloudTalk advertises “≈ 30% off”; its figures work out to 25.6% to 29.0%, with a “12-month commitment”. Dialpad’s work out to 44.4% on Connect Standard and 15.7% to 28.6% on its other listed plans; Sell Advanced and Premium and Support Advanced and Premium are bought through “Talk to sales”.
Australia, the UK and Europe. CloudTalk keeps the same figures in euros or US dollars and varies the calling allowance by billing country: an Australian account gets 500 Australian outbound minutes per user on Starter, 1,000 on Essential and unlimited on Expert, each with unlimited calls to the US and Canada; a UK or EU account gets 500 domestic minutes on Starter and unlimited domestic calls on Essential and Expert, subject to fair use. Dialpad’s Australian pricing page lists Connect Standard at A$20 annual (A$32 monthly), Sell Essentials A$49, Sell Advanced A$79 and Sell Premium A$99; in pounds, Connect Standard is £12 and Sell Essentials £29; in euros, €15 and €39, all annual.
Which plan has the power dialler on CloudTalk and Dialpad?
CloudTalk sells the dialler as an add-on to every plan; Dialpad ties each dialler to a specific product.
| Dialler mode | CloudTalk | Dialpad |
|---|---|---|
| Click-to-call | All plans | All plans (calling from the app and CRM integrations) |
| Sequential power dialling (one line) | Power add-on US$15 per user a month, on Starter and Essential; included on Expert; 14-day trial | Power Dialer on Support Essentials, Advanced and Premium; marked “N/A” on all three Sell plans; AutoReach partner dialler for Support, Sell and Connect Pro or Enterprise, price not published |
| Parallel or progressive (several lines per agent) | Parallel add-on US$39 per user a month on any plan, plus a Parallel Calling seat per agent; up to 5 lines (help centre) or up to 10 (pricing page) | Dialpad Dialer, progressive, “N:1 lines per agent”, for Sell Premium licences, with a Contact Center and outbound calling credits |
| Voicemail detection and drop | Automatic detection and drop with the Parallel add-on; manual voicemail drop on Essential and Expert, and with the Power add-on on any plan | Voicemail drop in Reach Booster: included on Sell Advanced, Premium and Support; paid add-on on Sell Essentials; voicemail detection in Dialpad Dialer |
| Campaigns | Campaign management on Expert; new AI Sales Dialer from 28 September 2026, enabled account by account | Dialer campaigns with calling windows, attempt limits and Do Not Call scrubbing |
| Dialler minutes | Parallel add-on fair use: 10,000 minutes per user in the US and Canada, 5,000 outside | Unlimited domestic minutes “excludes dialer minutes” |
On CloudTalk, the AI Sales Dialer plans article says the Power add-on is “Included in the Expert plan at no extra cost”. On parallel lines CloudTalk’s pages disagree: the pricing page says “Dial up to 10 numbers at once”, while the parallel mode article says up to 5 and adds “Up to 10 parallel calls can be enabled on request for some accounts.” Its pricing file also labels Expert’s power dialler “(add-on)” while the plan card says “Included”. An older June 2026 feature-pricing page still says “Power Dialer at $25 per user monthly”; we use the current pricing page. The new dialler “is being rolled out account by account”.
On Dialpad, its feature comparison, updated 22 October 2026, lists “Power Dialer — Dialpad” on the three Support plans and “N/A” on Sell. Its Dialpad Dialer is “available to: Organizations with Dialpad Sell Premium licenses”, and the Dialer setup article adds “Outbound calling credits available for Dialer usage”. The AutoReach article describes a partner preview and power dialler enabled through your Customer Success Manager; we could not find a published AutoReach price, as at 2 November 2026. For how sequential and parallel dialling compare for an SDR team, see our PhoneBurner vs Nooks comparison of power and parallel dialling.
In one line: a two-person sales team can power-dial on CloudTalk for US$25 + US$15 = US$40 a user a month on annual billing, while Dialpad’s own diallers sit on Sell Premium at US$79 or Support Essentials at US$89, and its AutoReach partner dialler is priced separately.
CloudTalk AI vs Dialpad AI: minutes or conversations
Both sell AI that helps people on calls and AI agents that take calls themselves, and bill the agents in different units.
| AI feature | CloudTalk | Dialpad |
|---|---|---|
| AI receptionist (inbound) | AI Receptionist: 50 minutes free for the first month; US$99 for 200 minutes, US$199 for 500, US$299 for 1,000, US$699 for 2,500 a month | AI Agents on a Department, Main Line or Contact Center: US$1.99 per voice conversation (rates page); “Custom Pricing” and a pool of AI Agent Credits (pricing page) |
| AI agent for outbound and workflows | AI Specialist: US$349 for 1,000 minutes, US$749 for 2,500, US$1,249 for 5,000; pricing page says it is “for outbound calls and advanced, end-to-end workflows” | Greeting Skill supports “outbound appointment reminders” and “outbound bot conversations”; same per-conversation rate |
| What a billable unit is | A minute from a prepaid monthly bundle; “Any usage beyond this prepaid amount is charged from credit” | A closed session with at least one customer response in which the AI “looks up information or performs a task at least once” |
| Languages | “70+ languages and accents” | Agentic AI Agents “available in English with other languages coming soon” |
| Booking | Google Calendar or Outlook; the skill “books into exactly one calendar” | Connectors including Google Calendar/Workspace, Outlook and Calendly |
| AI on human calls | AI Conversation Intelligence add-on, US$9 per user a month | Real-time transcripts and AI Recaps on every plan; Live Coach included on Sell Advanced |
| AI on messaging | We could not find a CloudTalk AI agent for SMS or WhatsApp on its pricing page | AI Agents on digital channels, US$0.99 per digital conversation |
The Bundle Break-Even. Divide Dialpad’s US$1.99 per voice conversation by CloudTalk’s effective per-minute rate on a fully used bundle. The answer is the average AI call length at which the two cost the same. Shorter calls favour CloudTalk’s bundle; longer calls, or many calls in which the AI performs no task, favour Dialpad.
| CloudTalk AI Receptionist bundle | Effective rate if fully used | Break-even call length against US$1.99 |
|---|---|---|
| 200 minutes, US$99 | US$0.495 a minute | 4.02 minutes |
| 500 minutes, US$199 | US$0.398 a minute | 5.00 minutes |
| 1,000 minutes, US$299 | US$0.299 a minute | 6.66 minutes |
| 2,500 minutes, US$699 | US$0.280 a minute | 7.12 minutes |
Three limbs cut against the table. Unused minutes still cost the bundle price: a half-used 1,000-minute bundle is US$0.598 a minute. We could not find a published CloudTalk rate for minutes above a bundle, as at 2 November 2026; its pricing plans article says Voice Agent overages are charged but gives no rate (its rate-card pointer covers calls outside your package), and its AI voice agent pricing page quotes “~$0.35–$0.50/min depending on your bundle”. On Dialpad, “A conversation is billed even if it includes a transfer to an agent”, and Resolve shows “Custom Pricing”, so a quote can differ from the published rate. Dialpad’s AI Agent article also says its “Agentic AI Chatbot is currently in an Early Adopter Program and is not yet available to all users”; that sentence covers the digital chatbot, not voice. For Dialpad’s receptionist against RingCentral’s, see our Dialpad vs RingCentral AI receptionist comparison.
Want the calls answered and the leads chased by AI? Zian’s agents answer inbound calls 24/7 as an AI receptionist, place outbound calls, and follow up by SMS, email, WhatsApp, Instagram DMs and Facebook Messenger, with HubSpot, Salesforce, HighLevel and Zapier integrations. Apply For Partnership
What 5 and 20 seats cost a month on CloudTalk and Dialpad
This worked bill uses list prices as at 2 November 2026, in US dollars, at annual-billing rates per month, before taxes, USF fees and calls outside each plan’s allowance. Shape A is a business phone line with CRM sync; Shape B is a sales team with a built-in dialler. Both add an AI receptionist taking 300 inbound calls a month at 3 minutes each (900 minutes), every call billable on Dialpad. CloudTalk’s 11% fee is applied to seat licences only; if add-ons count as the “software part of your subscription”, it is higher.
| Line | Calculation | 5 seats a month | 20 seats a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| A: CloudTalk Essential seats | US$29 × seats | US$145.00 | US$580.00 |
| A: CloudTalk 11% fee (US/Canada billing) | 11% × seat line | US$15.95 | US$63.80 |
| A: CloudTalk AI Receptionist, 1,000-minute bundle | Smallest bundle covering 900 minutes | US$299.00 | US$299.00 |
| A: CloudTalk total | Sum of the three lines | US$459.95 | US$942.80 |
| A: Dialpad Connect Pro seats | US$25 × seats | US$125.00 | US$500.00 |
| A: Dialpad AI Agents | 300 conversations × US$1.99 | US$597.00 | US$597.00 |
| A: Dialpad total | Sum of the two lines | US$722.00 | US$1,097.00 |
| B: CloudTalk Expert seats (power dialler included) | US$49 × seats | US$245.00 | US$980.00 |
| B: CloudTalk 11% fee (US/Canada billing) | 11% × seat line | US$26.95 | US$107.80 |
| B: CloudTalk AI Conversation Intelligence | US$9 × seats | US$45.00 | US$180.00 |
| B: CloudTalk AI Receptionist, 1,000-minute bundle | As above | US$299.00 | US$299.00 |
| B: CloudTalk total | Sum of the four lines | US$615.95 | US$1,566.80 |
| B: Dialpad Sell Premium seats (Dialpad Dialer, annual only) | US$79 × seats | US$395.00 | US$1,580.00 |
| B: Dialpad AI Agents | 300 conversations × US$1.99 | US$597.00 | US$597.00 |
| B: Dialpad total | Sum of the two lines, before Dialer calling credits | US$992.00 | US$2,177.00 |
On these inputs CloudTalk’s monthly bill is lower in both shapes: US$459.95 against US$722.00 for 5 seats in Shape A, and US$1,566.80 against US$2,177.00 for 20 seats in Shape B. The AI line explains most of the Shape A gap: 900 minutes cost US$299 as a CloudTalk bundle and US$597 as 300 Dialpad conversations. That flips with longer calls: at an average of 7 minutes, 300 calls need 2,100 minutes, which is a US$699 CloudTalk bundle against the same US$597 on Dialpad. And if only 200 of the 300 calls trigger a task on Dialpad, its AI line falls to US$398.
The rows do not match feature for feature. Dialpad Sell Premium includes AI scorecards, playbooks and Live Coach that the CloudTalk rows do not price; Dialpad includes transcripts and AI Recaps on every seat, which is why Shape B adds CloudTalk’s US$9 Conversation Intelligence add-on; and Dialpad Dialer calls draw on outbound calling credits left out here. On monthly billing the seat lines rise to US$39 and US$69 a user on CloudTalk and US$35 on Dialpad Connect Pro; Sell Premium is annual only. If you only need basic calling, Dialpad Connect Standard at US$15 is US$10 a user cheaper than CloudTalk Starter at US$25. For how other AI receptionists price the same calls, see our guide to what an AI receptionist costs a small business.
SMS, WhatsApp and international numbers
CloudTalk says its local numbers cover “160+ countries”, against Dialpad’s “international local numbers in over 50 countries”. Messaging is billed differently:
- CloudTalk SMS: international SMS/MMS from Essential, not on Starter. Its messaging pricing article says messages “are not included in your subscription” and are charged per message from credit: inbound SMS US$0.008 per fragment, outbound by country.
- CloudTalk WhatsApp: Expert or Custom plan with “at least 3 users”, at “a fixed rate of $0.01 per message, for both inbound and outbound messages”.
- Dialpad SMS: 250 outbound SMS pooled per account plus inbound SMS on Connect and Sell; paid on Support. Its 30 September release notes say “Send up to 50 SMS messages at once”, but its Bulk Messaging article limits bulk sends to US-based companies on an Enterprise plan paying by invoice.
- Dialpad WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram: Digital Engagement channels, included on Support and a paid add-on on Sell; bulk WhatsApp to 50 recipients costs extra.
We could not find Instagram or Messenger as a CloudTalk channel on its pricing page, AI voice agent pages or 443 English help-article titles, as at 2 November 2026; WhatsApp appears on all of them.
Calls outside your allowance are charged per minute on both. CloudTalk bills them from prepaid credit “per started minute”. Dialpad’s International Services FAQ contradicts its pricing page: the FAQ says “Dialpad Sell and Dialpad Support users are charged for local, as well as international calls”, while the pricing page lists “Unlimited domestic (US & CAN) minutes” on Sell Essentials.
Integrations, trial and contract terms
| Criterion | CloudTalk | Dialpad |
|---|---|---|
| CRM integrations | None on Starter; 95+ standard CRM, helpdesk and ATS integrations from Essential (HubSpot, Pipedrive, Zoho, Zendesk); Salesforce ecosystem on Expert | Pricing page lists CRM integrations from Connect Pro; its HubSpot and Salesforce Lightning articles list Connect users too; Pipedrive only through Zapier |
| APIs and AI tooling | APIs, webhooks and the CloudTalk MCP server from Essential | Its Sell and Support FAQs say “Premium plans include Admin and Reporting APIs” |
| Free trial | 14 days, “without a credit card”, with 50 AI Voice Agent minutes | 14 days; its sign-up article says “You’ll enter a payment method” |
| Contract | Monthly, cancel anytime; annual “comes with a 12-month commitment” | Monthly or annual; Premium annual only |
| Refunds | Billed in advance, “generally non-refundable” | Only within 3 days of a card payment, monthly or annual; none later in an annual term |
| Support | 24/7 chat and email on all plans; phone on Expert | 24/7 support on Connect Pro; 24/7 phone support on Sell Advanced and Premium, with an Enterprise SLA on Premium |
What changed at CloudTalk and Dialpad in the last 90 days
We read every release note we could find for 4 August to 2 November 2026. CloudTalk’s developer changelog has 17 entries from 20 August to 2 November 2026. Its rebuilt AI Sales Dialer went live alongside the old one from 28 September 2026; its MCP server accepted sign-in from Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini on 23 October; and on 2 November outbound VoiceAgent calls began matching the dialled number to a CloudTalk contact. Outbound VoiceAgent calls start through the CloudTalk API, typically from HubSpot workflows, Zapier or Make.
Dialpad published ten release notes from 14 August to 13 October 2026. The largest, on 30 September, added full Dialpad AI support in Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish and Salesforce Contacts as a Dialer lead source. The new languages cover Dialpad AI features such as transcripts; its agent setup guide, updated 30 October 2026, still says Agentic AI Agents are “available in English with other languages coming soon”.
Pick CloudTalk if, pick Dialpad if: the decision table
Read it by the constraint that binds you. If none binds, the worked bill decides on price.
| If this is your situation | Pick | Why, from the vendors’ pages |
|---|---|---|
| Calls go unanswered after hours, and leads need calling back and chasing across voice and messaging | Zian; LeadsNow.ai if you want it run for you | AI agents answer inbound calls 24/7 and follow up by voice, SMS, email, WhatsApp, Instagram DMs and Messenger |
| One or two reps who need a power dialler | CloudTalk Starter or Essential + Power add-on | US$15 add-on on a 1-licence plan; Expert needs 3 licences; Dialpad’s diallers sit on Support or Sell Premium |
| Reps who want parallel dialling with voicemail detection | CloudTalk + Parallel add-on | US$39 per user on any plan, up to 5 lines by default; Dialpad Dialer is progressive on Sell Premium with a Contact Center |
| The lowest seat price for business calling | Dialpad Connect Standard | US$15 a user annual against CloudTalk Starter at US$25, with 250 pooled outbound SMS (Starter has no SMS) |
| An AI receptionist on short calls (under about 4 to 7 minutes) | CloudTalk | Bundle minutes cost US$0.28–US$0.495 each when used up; see the Bundle Break-Even |
| An AI receptionist on long calls, or calls that often end without a task | Dialpad | US$1.99 per conversation, billed only when the AI looks something up or performs a task |
| An AI agent speaking languages other than English | CloudTalk | “70+ languages and accents”; Dialpad’s agentic agents are English for now |
| Live AI coaching and AI scorecards inside the seat price | Dialpad Sell Advanced or Premium | Live Coach included on Sell Advanced; quality management on Sell Premium |
| A contact centre with WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger queues | Dialpad Support | Digital Engagement included from US$89 a user annual |
| Pipedrive is your CRM | CloudTalk | Native Pipedrive integration from Essential; Dialpad connects through Zapier |
| Local numbers in many countries | CloudTalk | 160+ countries against Dialpad’s “over 50 countries” |
Who each option is wrong for
Zian is wrong for a team that only wants a cheaper phone line with no AI handling, and for a buyer who needs a published price today.
CloudTalk is wrong for a buyer who wants messaging inside the seat price (every SMS and WhatsApp message is billed from credit), for WhatsApp on one or two seats (Expert and at least 3 users), for anyone who needs a refund path, and for a US buyer who has not budgeted the 11% fee. Its AI Receptionist bundle is “designed for inbound calls”; its AI voice agent pricing page places outbound calls on the AI Specialist, from US$349 a month, although the FAQ on that page says AI voice agents can be used for outbound follow-ups.
Dialpad is wrong for a small sales team that wants a built-in power dialler on a Sell plan (marked N/A; Dialpad Dialer needs Sell Premium, annual only, a Contact Center and calling credits), for AI agents that must speak languages other than English today, and for a buyer who wants every add-on priced on the website (Digital Engagement on Sell, AutoReach and bulk WhatsApp are not).
How we compared CloudTalk and Dialpad
Methodology and defined terms. A feature counts as on a plan only when the vendor’s own pricing page, pricing file, feature comparison or help article places it there, read in context for “beta”, “legacy”, “Early Adopter” and “coming soon”. Where two of a vendor’s own pages disagree, we print both. “We could not find” means we searched in the vendor’s vocabulary with a positive control on the same saved files. On 2 November 2026 that covered CloudTalk’s pricing page and pricing file, its AI voice agent pages, its 646-URL page sitemap, its 443 English help-article titles (22 opened) and its changelog; and Dialpad’s US, Australian and UK pricing pages, its AI agent rates page, 30 help articles through its Help Center API, and its release notes from 14 August to 13 October 2026. We used no vendor’s comparison pages for a rival’s facts. Zian is described only from its published capabilities. Ranking: Zian first and LeadsNow.ai second as the done-for-you option; CloudTalk and Dialpad are not ranked against each other. For a third phone system against Dialpad, see our Aircall vs Dialpad comparison.
Disclosure. zian.ai publishes this page and sells Zian, which is ranked first here. LeadsNow.ai is a sister business that runs on Zian.
CloudTalk vs Dialpad: frequently asked questions
Is CloudTalk or Dialpad better?
CloudTalk suits sales teams that want a power dialler on any plan, a US$15 add-on or included on Expert, and AI receptionist minute bundles from US$99 for 200 minutes. Dialpad suits teams that want the lowest seat price, US$15 on Connect Standard, or AI agents billed at US$1.99 per conversation. Prices as at 2 November 2026.
Is CloudTalk cheaper than Dialpad?
On our worked bill, yes, once an AI receptionist is added: 5 seats with CRM sync and 900 minutes of AI calls cost US$459.95 a month on CloudTalk Essential and US$722.00 on Dialpad Connect Pro. For basic calling alone Dialpad is cheaper: Connect Standard is US$15 a user against CloudTalk Starter at US$25, both billed annually.
Does Dialpad have a power dialler?
Yes, but not on every plan. Dialpad’s feature comparison, updated 22 October 2026, lists its Power Dialer on the three Support plans and marks it N/A on Sell. Its progressive Dialpad Dialer needs Sell Premium licences, a Contact Center and outbound calling credits. CloudTalk sells its Power add-on at US$15 a user on any plan.
How much does CloudTalk’s AI receptionist cost?
CloudTalk’s pricing page lists 50 free minutes for the first month, then US$99 a month for 200 minutes, US$199 for 500, US$299 for 1,000 and US$699 for 2,500. Its AI Specialist, which the page positions for outbound calls and workflows, starts at US$349 for 1,000 minutes. Minutes above a bundle are charged from credit, according to CloudTalk’s What uses credit article.
How much do Dialpad AI Agents cost?
Dialpad’s AI Agent rates page lists US$1.99 per voice conversation and US$0.99 per digital conversation, drawn from a pool of AI Agent Credits. A conversation is billable only when the customer responds and the AI looks up information or performs a task. Its pricing page shows the Resolve product as “Custom Pricing”, so ask for a quote.
Do CloudTalk and Dialpad offer a free trial?
Yes, both offer 14 days. CloudTalk says you can start “without a credit card” and includes 50 AI Voice Agent minutes. Dialpad’s sign-up article says you will enter a payment method before the 14-day trial starts.
Can an AI agent replace the phone system?
Not usually. An AI agent sits on top of the phone line: it answers, qualifies, books and follows up, and hands the call to a person when needed. CloudTalk and Dialpad each sell their own AI voice agent. Zian runs AI agents that answer inbound calls 24/7 and follow up by voice, SMS, email, WhatsApp, Instagram DMs and Facebook Messenger.
Ready to put AI on your inbound calls and your follow-up? Zian’s agents answer calls 24/7 as an AI receptionist and book appointments from inbound and outbound conversations across voice, SMS, email, WhatsApp, Instagram DMs and Facebook Messenger, in 30+ languages. Apply For Partnership
Where every figure on this page comes from
| Figure | Who published it | Link | Date read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter US$25/US$34, Essential US$29/US$39, Expert US$49/US$69; minimum licences 1, 1, 3; Power US$15, Parallel US$39, Conversation Intelligence US$9; AI Receptionist 50 free minutes, US$99/200, US$199/500, US$299/1,000, US$699/2,500; AI Specialist US$349/1,000, US$749/2,500, US$1,249/5,000; “≈ 30% off” annual; 12-month commitment; 11% fee; no refunds; 14-day trial without a card; calling allowances by country; 160+ countries; “up to 10” parallel lines | CloudTalk | cloudtalk.io/pricing | 2 November 2026 |
| Prices in EUR shown as the same figures in USD; Expert power dialler labelled “(add-on)” | CloudTalk | cloudtalk.io/pricing.md | 2 November 2026 |
| AI Receptionist “designed for inbound calls”; AI Specialist “for outbound calls”; “~$0.35–$0.50/min” | CloudTalk | AI Voice Agent Pricing | 2 November 2026 |
| 70+ languages and accents; inbound and outbound 24/7 | CloudTalk | AI Voice Agent | 2 November 2026 |
| Power Dialer at $25 per user monthly (older page) | CloudTalk | Feature pricing | 2 November 2026 |
| Power add-on included on Expert; Parallel up to 5 lines; fair use 10,000 and 5,000 minutes; account-by-account rollout | CloudTalk (help centre) | AI Sales Dialer: Plans, add-ons | 2 November 2026 |
| Up to 10 lines on request | CloudTalk (help centre) | Parallel mode (2+ lines) | 2 November 2026 |
| Parallel Calling seat per agent | CloudTalk (help centre) | Parallel Calling seats | 2 November 2026 |
| New AI Sales Dialer from 28 September 2026 | CloudTalk (help centre) | Introducing the AI Sales Dialer | 2 November 2026 |
| Outbound VoiceAgent calls started through the API | CloudTalk (help centre) | VoiceAgents for Outbound Calls | 2 November 2026 |
| Google or Outlook booking; one calendar | CloudTalk (help centre) | Appointment Booking Skill | 2 November 2026 |
| Messaging billed from credit; inbound SMS US$0.008 per fragment; WhatsApp Expert, 3 users, US$0.01 per message | CloudTalk (help centre) | SMS, MMS, and WhatsApp Pricing | 2 November 2026 |
| 11% Compliance and Administrative Cost Recovery Fee, “not a tax” | CloudTalk (help centre) | US taxes, charges and fees | 2 November 2026 |
| VoiceAgent usage above prepaid package charged from credit; per started minute | CloudTalk (help centre) | What uses credit? | 2 November 2026 |
| Voice Agent overages charged; no overage rate given | CloudTalk (help centre) | Understanding pricing plans | 2 November 2026 |
| Generally non-refundable | CloudTalk (help centre) | How to change or cancel your subscription | 2 November 2026 |
| 17 changelog entries, 20 August to 2 November 2026 | CloudTalk | Changelog | 2 November 2026 |
| Connect US$15/US$27, US$25/US$35; Sell US$39/US$49, US$59/US$70, US$79/US$95; Support US$89/US$109, US$119, US$149; AUD, GBP and EUR figures; Premium annual only; “Custom Pricing”; 14-day Connect trial; “over 50 countries”; price “may differ” | Dialpad | dialpad.com/pricing | 2 November 2026 |
| Australian page carries the same price data | Dialpad | dialpad.com/au/pricing | 2 November 2026 |
| US$1.99 voice, US$0.99 digital per conversation | Dialpad | AI Agent rates | 2 November 2026 |
| AI Agents “can schedule or reschedule appointments directly where configured” | Dialpad | AI Receptionist | 2 November 2026 |
| Power Dialer on Support, N/A on Sell; Reach Booster; 250 outbound SMS; Digital Engagement by plan; dialler minutes excluded (updated 22 October 2026) | Dialpad (help centre) | Feature Comparison | 2 November 2026 |
| Dialpad Dialer for Sell Premium; N:1 lines | Dialpad (help centre) | Dialpad Dialer | 2 November 2026 |
| Dialer needs a Contact Center and outbound calling credits | Dialpad (help centre) | Setup Dialpad Dialer | 2 November 2026 |
| AutoReach for Support, Sell, Connect Pro or Enterprise; via Customer Success Manager | Dialpad (help centre) | Dialpad + AutoReach | 2 November 2026 |
| Billable AI conversation conditions; billed after transfer | Dialpad (help centre) | AI Agent Conversations Credits | 2 November 2026 |
| Voice targets; outbound Greeting Skill; English only; calendar connectors | Dialpad (help centre) | Create an Agentic AI Agent | 2 November 2026 |
| Agentic AI Chatbot in an Early Adopter Program | Dialpad (help centre) | AI Agent | 2 November 2026 |
| WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram channels | Dialpad (help centre) | Digital Channels | 2 November 2026 |
| Bulk WhatsApp to 50; additional cost | Dialpad (help centre) | Bulk WhatsApp Messaging | 2 November 2026 |
| Bulk Messaging eligibility (US Enterprise, invoice) | Dialpad (help centre) | Bulk Messaging | 2 November 2026 |
| 14-day trial; payment method entered | Dialpad (help centre) | Sign Up for Dialpad | 2 November 2026 |
| “A minimum user requirement applies” for invoiced contracts | Dialpad (help centre) | Billing FAQs | 2 November 2026 |
| Refund within 3 days, monthly or annual; no refund later in an annual plan | Dialpad (help centre) | Cancellation and Refund FAQs | 2 November 2026 |
| HubSpot and Salesforce Lightning for Connect, Sell and Support; Pipedrive through Zapier | Dialpad (help centre) | HubSpot; Salesforce; Pipedrive | 2 November 2026 |
| Sell and Support users charged for local calls; domestic set by office country | Dialpad (help centre) | International Services FAQs | 2 November 2026 |
| New AI languages, bulk SMS of 50, Digital Outbound Agent SMS, Salesforce Contacts in Dialer (30 September 2026) | Dialpad (release notes) | Release Notes 26.09.30 | 2 November 2026 |
| Outlook schedule sync (4 September 2026); fax previews (13 October 2026) | Dialpad (release notes) | 26.09.04; 26.10.13 | 2 November 2026 |
| 28x more contact attempts; 926% increase in follow-ups; outbound acquisition since 2017 | Zian AI | zian.ai home page (counters); since 2017 is a first-party Zian statement | 2 November 2026 |
| Pay-per-result; leads answered in under 60 seconds, 24/7; 50,769+ appointments | LeadsNow.ai | leadsnow.ai | 2 November 2026 |
| Bundle Break-Even, worked monthly bill and annual-saving percentages | zian.ai, computed from the rows above | This page | 2 November 2026 |