A CloudTalk alternative with the CRM built in.

What is CloudTalk, and who is it for?

CloudTalk is call center software. It says you can 'Make and receive calls using a powerful call center software that's connected to your favorite business tools, including CRM and helpdesk solutions.'

Starter, at $25 a user a month billed annually, includes unlimited calls across the US and Canada under fair usage, ring groups, call queues, queue callback and a visual call flow builder. Essential, at $29, adds IVR, skill-based routing and international SMS and MMS. Expert, at $49 with a 3-license minimum, adds the smart dialer, the preview and power dialer, live monitoring, WhatsApp and Salesforce. Annual billing comes with a 12-month commitment.

CloudTalk lists local numbers in 160+ countries and sells AI voice agents. US and Canadian customers also pay an 11% Compliance and Administrative Cost Recovery Fee on the software subscription. CloudTalk isn't a CRM; it connects to one.

When is CloudTalk the better choice?

CloudTalk is the better choice when you run a call center that takes inbound calls as well as making them, or when you call across many countries.

• You need a call center with inbound routing and outbound dialing in one tool: queues, IVR and skill-based routing, which TopReach doesn't have.
• You need local numbers in many countries; CloudTalk lists 160+.
• Your callers work at desks, keep their CRM, and want parallel dialing on up to 10 lines.
• You want AI voice agents to answer calls. TopReach's AI covers live transcripts and call summaries, not answering calls.
• You already pay for a CRM you're happy with. CloudTalk Expert at $49 a user a month billed annually, with the power dialer included, costs less per caller than a TopReach seat and phone license.

When does a CRM with a built-in dialer fit better?

A CRM with a built-in dialer fits better when most calls go out, the same team works the list and the pipeline, and you'd rather not maintain an integration between a call center and a CRM.

In TopReach, the call, the outcome, the follow-up and the deal sit on the same record. A rep builds a saved list, or a dynamic list that fills itself from rules, starts the dialer and works through it with the call script on the call screen.

When a call isn't answered, TopReach can drop a voicemail and then send a text or an email on the days you choose. Managers see conversations and outcomes per rep, with leaderboards, and can listen in, whisper or barge in on live calls.

How do the CloudTalk and TopReach dialers compare?

Both have a power dialer and a parallel dialer. On CloudTalk, the preview and power dialer is included on Expert or a $15 add-on, and the Parallel Dialer is a $39 add-on on every plan that can 'Dial up to 10 numbers at once', with answering machine detection and automatic voicemail drop. Both prices are per user a month, billed annually. Expert also includes a smart dialer.

On TopReach, power and parallel modes both come with the $99 phone license. Power mode calls one number after another, so whoever answers reaches a rep. Parallel mode rings several numbers at once and connects the rep to whoever picks up first.

When two people answer a parallel session at the same moment, one is dropped, and the more lines you ring, the more often that happens. In the US, the Telemarketing Sales Rule limits abandoned calls to 3% of answered calls per campaign over 30 days, and Canada's limit is 5%, so keep parallel mode for large cold lists and watch the rate.

Can you dial from your phone?

In TopReach, yes. The iPhone and Android apps run power and parallel sessions: pick a call list, tap Power or Parallel, and the next lead, the live call and the call script share one screen. Parallel shows when your workspace has it turned on. Calls go out over Wi-Fi or mobile data from your team's business numbers, and local presence works the same as on the web.

CloudTalk's mobile app, CloudTalk Go, makes and takes calls and manages contacts. Its help center says: 'Features like Smart Dialer, Power Dialer, Voicemail Drop, Call Automation, and notification preferences are only available on desktop.'

How does pricing compare for a calling team?

CloudTalk costs less per caller if you already have a CRM. TopReach includes the CRM and both dialer modes for every caller.

Take four callers and one manager who doesn't call. On TopReach with monthly billing, that's five seats at $55, four phone licenses at $99 and four numbers at $10: $711 a month, or $681 with the seats billed yearly, with the CRM included.

Four CloudTalk Expert licenses, with the power dialer included, are listed at $196 a month billed annually. Adding the Parallel Dialer for all four is $156 more: $352 a month on a 12-month commitment, before the 11% cost recovery fee, numbers and the CRM you connect it to. If your team keeps its CRM and dials from desks, CloudTalk will usually cost less.

What should you check before you switch?

Check how much of your phone work is inbound, where your reps dial from, and what you'd give up. A short list:

• Inbound: TopReach has no IVR, queues or routing. If customers call a main line that needs them, keep a call center for it.
• Commitment: CloudTalk's annual billing comes with a 12-month commitment, so check your renewal date before you move.
• Integrations: TopReach has no built-in integrations with other CRMs or helpdesks. It has a public API with keys and webhooks.
• Minutes: CloudTalk lists unlimited calls across the US and Canada under fair usage. A TopReach phone license includes 3,000 minutes a month per caller, with packs of 1,000, 5,000 or 10,000.
• Numbers: TopReach can move your existing numbers over, or you can buy local numbers at $10 a month each for local presence.
• Your data: export contacts from your CRM as a spreadsheet. TopReach finds the phone column on import and can merge duplicates.

What rules apply to outbound calling and texting?

Outbound calling and texting are regulated in both the US and Canada, whichever tool you use. This is general information, not legal advice.

• TCPA: autodialed or prerecorded calls and texts to cell phones generally need the person's prior express consent, and a dropped voicemail counts as a prerecorded message. Many states add their own mini-TCPA rules.
• National Do Not Call Registry: telemarketing calls must respect it. TopReach keeps your own do-not-call list and handles texting opt-outs, but it doesn't scrub numbers against the national registry.
• Telemarketing Sales Rule: covers telemarketing calls, including the 3% abandoned-call limit that parallel dialing can push against.
• Caller ID: the Truth in Caller ID Act bars sending misleading caller ID to defraud or cause harm, and carriers check calls with STIR/SHAKEN. Calling from local numbers you own is different from spoofing.
• Call recording: some US states require everyone on the call to consent before recording.
• Canada: the CRTC's rules include the National DNCL and a 5% abandoned-call limit, and CASL covers commercial texts and emails. Check with your counsel before you start.