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ToolGPA

CloudTalk vs Dialpad

We give CloudTalk a 2.4 GPA and Dialpad a 2.8, out of 4.0. Dialpad grades higher on value for money and ease of use. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and platforms.

Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.

CloudTalk

Cloud call center phone system with dialers and AI voice agents

Free trial · from $25/mo
Full detailscloudtalk.io

Dialpad

AI business phone with live call transcripts and call summaries

Free trial · from $15/mo
Full detailsdialpad.com

How we grade them

2.4GPACloudTalkFair2.8GPADialpadGood
Value for money
D$25 a head for five on Starter, billed yearly ($34 monthly), past this category's dearer quarter ($19.99). And Starter has no texting, phone menu or integrations: those start on Essential at $29, where the category's dearest tenth begins. Numbers are extra, from $6.
C$15 a head for five on Standard, billed yearly. That's just over this category's cheaper quarter ($14), and it includes the live transcripts and AI summaries. Monthly billing jumps to $27, and CRM links need Pro at $25.
Free plan and trial
CA 14-day free trial with no credit card needed and 50 AI Voice Agent minutes. No free plan.
CA 14-day free trial of Dialpad Connect, and no free plan. The listing doesn't say whether the trial needs a card.
Features
BNumbers in 160-plus countries, queues, IVR, a call flow builder, SMS, MMS and WhatsApp, power and parallel dialers, and AI voice agents. It covers the whole job, though AI transcripts and the parallel dialer are paid add-ons, and the power dialer is too below Expert.
BUnlimited US and Canada calls, texting, team messaging, video meetings, phone menus with several ways to route calls, and transcripts and summaries on every call. It covers the whole job. Fax and extra numbers are add-ons.
Ease of use
CNo App Store rating on record. You'll be building call flows, queues and routing before the team's up and running, which takes a while.
B4.6 from about 4,600 App Store ratings. Good, and a notch below the very best-rated phone apps here.
Platforms and integrations
AWeb, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android. From Essential there are 95-plus CRM and help desk integrations, such as Zoho CRM, Slack, Intercom and Front, plus an API and webhooks; Salesforce needs Expert.
AWindows and Mac apps, iPhone and Android, a web app, a Chrome extension and desk phones, plus Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Teams, Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk and Slack.
Best forcall centers that route calls through queuescalls that transcribe and summarize themselves

The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: CloudTalk and Dialpad. How we grade

Price against what you get

CloudTalk starts at $25 a month for each person and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Dialpad starts at $15 a month for each person and scores 3.3.

Dialpad scores higher and starts $10 a month lower. Of the other business phone systems on the chart, 5 score higher than CloudTalk for less, and none scores higher than Dialpad for less.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

C2.0B3.0A4.0$5$10$20$50More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessCloudTalkDialpad

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

  • The best score at each price
  • Has a free plan
  • No free plan
The full chart of business phone systems, and the best at every price

Where they differ

  • CloudTalk starts at $25 per user / month, billed annually ($34 billed monthly). Dialpad starts at $15 per user / month, billed annually ($27 billed monthly).
  • Only CloudTalk lists a Linux app.
  • Only Dialpad lists a browser extension.
  • Dialpad also covers team chat and video calls.
In commonWebmacOSWindowsiOSAndroidAI featuresTranscriptionBusiness phone lineBusiness texting

At a glance

CloudTalkDialpad
PricingFree trialFree trial
Starts at$25 per user / month, billed annually ($34 billed monthly)$15 per user / month, billed annually ($27 billed monthly)
Free planNoneNone
Free trial14-day free trial with 50 AI Voice Agent minutes, no credit card required14-day free trial of Dialpad Connect
Web
macOS
Windows
Linux
iOS
Android
Browser extension
Made byCloudTalkDialpad, Inc.
Price read fromcloudtalk.iodialpad.com
CheckedOct 17, 2026Oct 17, 2026

Who each one suits

CloudTalk

  • Support and sales teams that route calls through queues and IVR
  • Outbound teams that want power or parallel dialing
  • Companies calling the US and Canada a lot

Dialpad

  • Teams that want every call transcribed and summarized automatically
  • Small businesses starting on a low per-user price
  • Companies that may later add a contact center or sales dialer

Worth knowing

CloudTalk

  • Expert needs at least 3 users. Annual billing comes with a 12-month commitment, and CloudTalk gives no refunds for unused time.
  • Phone numbers are charged on top of the plan; a US number starts at $6 a month.
  • Texting starts on Essential, and WhatsApp, the Salesforce integration and phone support need Expert.
  • AI Voice Agents are a separate purchase from $99 a month for 200 minutes, after 50 free minutes in the first month.

Dialpad

  • CRM integrations need the Pro plan or above, as do 24/7 support and managing more than one office.
  • Extra local or toll-free numbers and internet fax are optional add-ons on every plan.
  • The contact center (Dialpad Support, from $89 per user a month) and sales dialer (Dialpad Sell, from $39) are separate products.
  • Monthly billing costs more: $27 instead of $15 for Standard and $35 instead of $25 for Pro.

Key features

CloudTalk

Numbers in 160+ countries
Local numbers in more than 160 countries, plus toll-free numbers and porting. A US number costs from $6 a month on top of the plan.
Call flow designer and IVR
A visual call flow builder, ring groups and queues on every plan; IVR, skill-based and time-based routing start on Essential.
Power and parallel dialers
A power dialer is included on Expert or $15 per user a month on other plans; a parallel dialer that rings up to 10 lines is $39 per user a month.
SMS, MMS and WhatsApp
Texting from the Essential plan, and inbound and outbound WhatsApp on Expert.
AI Conversation Intelligence
An add-on with call transcripts, summaries, topic tracking, sentiment and call scoring, from $9 per user a month billed annually.
AI Voice Agents
AI receptionists and specialist agents that answer and place calls in 70+ languages, sold as monthly minute bundles.

Dialpad

Business calling
Every user gets a direct line with unlimited calling in the US and Canada, voicemail transcribed to email, call forwarding and changeable caller ID.
Live transcripts and AI Recaps
Calls are transcribed in real time, and AI Recaps summarize each call and meeting with decisions and action items once it ends.
Texting and team messaging
Business SMS and topic-based team messaging with threads and file sharing sit in the same app as calls.
Call routing
Departments with phone menus, simultaneous ringing, round-robin and longest-idle routing, and open, closed and holiday hours.
Dialpad Meetings
Video meetings inside the same workspace. Dial-in numbers, larger meetings and toll-free meeting lines are add-ons.
Apps on every device
Desktop apps for Windows and Mac, iOS and Android apps, a progressive web app, a Chrome extension and certified desk phones.

Plans

CloudTalk

  • Starter$25

    per user / month, billed annually ($34 billed monthly)

    Unlimited US and Canada calls (fair use), free inbound calls, call recording, ring groups, call queues and a visual call flow builder. No SMS or integrations.

  • Essential$29

    per user / month, billed annually ($39 billed monthly)

    Adds IVR and skill-based routing, business hours, SMS and MMS, agent reporting, 95+ CRM and help desk integrations, the API and webhooks.

  • Expert$49

    per user / month, billed annually ($69 billed monthly)

    Minimum 3 users. Adds the power dialer, WhatsApp, VIP queues, live monitoring, wallboards, Salesforce integration and phone support.

Dialpad

  • Standard$15

    per user / month, billed annually ($27 billed monthly)

    Unlimited US and Canada calling, texting, team messaging, video meetings, real-time transcripts and AI call summaries.

  • Pro$25

    per user / month, billed annually ($35 billed monthly)

    Adds CRM and helpdesk integrations, 24/7 support, management of several offices and automatic recording on shared lines.

  • EnterpriseCustom

    Adds single sign-on, user access controls, unlimited office locations and a 99.9% uptime commitment. Sold through sales.

Ways to pay less

CloudTalk

  • Annual discount

    About 30% off with annual billing

    CloudTalk's pricing page says paying annually saves the equivalent of 3+ months, about 30%: Starter is $25 a month billed annually against $34 monthly.

Dialpad

  • Annual discount

    Lower price with annual billing

    Dialpad's pricing page lists Standard at $15 per user a month billed annually against $27 billed monthly, and Pro at $25 against $35.

  • Nonprofit

    30% off for nonprofits

    Through the Nonprofit Support Program, selected nonprofits in the US or Canada may get 30% off Dialpad billed annually, on up to 50 seats.

  • Startups

    Dialpad for Startups

    Dialpad for Good offers free seats and discounts to startups through partner accelerators, incubators and investors.

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