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CRM · head to head

Agile CRM vs Balto

Agile CRM logo

Agile CRM

CRM

All-in-one CRM, Marketing, and Service Software

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Balto logo

Balto

Customer Support

Real-time guidance that prompts contact centre agents mid-call rather than scoring them afterwards

From
On request
Free plan
No

The short version

  • Only Agile CRM has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Agile CRM limited to 10 free users with basic features only; Balto the prompts only work if agents read them, and on floors with fast handle-time targets agents learn to ignore the panel, which turns an expensive live system into an ordinary after-the-fact scorer.
  • They diverge on capability: Agile CRM covers Contact management, Balto covers Real-time prompts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Agile CRM and Balto actually diverge.

Attributes where Agile CRM and Balto differ
AttributeAgile CRMBalto
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Windows, macOS
CategoryCRMCustomer Support
Founded2009Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Agile CRM

  • Contact management
  • Lead scoring
  • Email automation
  • Marketing automation
  • Service desk
  • Web forms
  • Analytics
  • Zapier

Only in Balto

  • Real-time prompts
  • Real-Time Coaching
  • Playbook builder
  • Automated scoring
  • Balto AI Suite
  • Compliance checklists
  • Dialler and CCaaS integrations

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Agile CRM

  • Managing customer relationships and contactsnot Balto
  • Automating sales workflows and pipeline trackingnot Balto
  • Running email marketing campaigns and lead generationnot Balto
  • Building helpdesk and customer support systemsnot Balto

Balto

  • A debt collection floor that must read a required disclosure on every call and wants the prompt to fire rather than a scorecard to record the failure afterwardsnot Agile CRM
  • An insurance enrolment team where a missed eligibility question means the application is rejected and the call has to be made againnot Agile CRM
  • A high-turnover outbound floor where new starters need on-screen scaffolding for the first eight weeks instead of a supervisor sitting beside themnot Agile CRM
  • A healthcare intake centre that needs auditable evidence that specific consent language was spoken on every recorded callnot Agile CRM

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Agile CRM

  • Limited to 10 free users with basic features only
  • Email and phone support included starting at $8.99 tier
  • CRM analytics features require additional per-usage pricing for email counts

Balto

  • The prompts only work if agents read them, and on floors with fast handle-time targets agents learn to ignore the panel, which turns an expensive live system into an ordinary after-the-fact scorer.
  • Playbooks are trigger-phrase driven and need continuous maintenance as products, scripts and objections change, so the tool quietly degrades unless someone owns it as a standing job.
  • Real-time transcription on noisy lines and strong accents misfires, producing prompts that fire on the wrong cue and train agents to distrust the panel entirely.
  • It is voice-first, so a contact centre where most volume has moved to chat and messaging gets far less from it than the per-agent price implies.
  • No pricing is published and there is no self-serve tier, so evaluating it means a sales cycle plus a technical integration into your telephony before you can judge whether agents will actually use it.

Pricing, plan by plan

Agile CRM

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 10 users
    • 1
    • 000 Contacts & Companies
  • Starter$8.99/monthly
    • 10
    • 000 Contacts & Companies
    • 3 Plugins
  • Regular$29.99/monthly
    • 50
    • 000 Contacts & Companies
    • 50+ Plugins/Integrations
  • Enterprise$47.99/monthly
    • Unlimited Contacts & Companies
    • 50+ Plugins
    • Dedicated Account Rep

Balto

On request
  • Balto$undefined/year
    • Real-time agent guidance
    • Real-Time Coaching for supervisors
    • Automated call scoring

Which should you pick?

Choose Agile CRM if

  • You need contact management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want lead scoring.

Choose Balto if

  • You need real-time prompts.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want real-time coaching.

Questions people ask

Is Agile CRM or Balto better?
Neither clearly leads. Agile CRM starts at Free and Balto at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Agile CRM or Balto?
Agile CRM has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Agile CRM and On request for Balto.
Does Agile CRM or Balto run on more platforms?
Agile CRM runs on Web. Balto runs on Web, Windows, macOS.
Can I use Agile CRM for free?
Yes. Agile CRM has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Balto starts at On request.
What is Agile CRM best used for?
Agile CRM is most often used for managing customer relationships and contacts, automating sales workflows and pipeline tracking, running email marketing campaigns and lead generation, building helpdesk and customer support systems. Of those, managing customer relationships and contacts and automating sales workflows and pipeline tracking are not what Balto is typically brought in for.
What can Agile CRM do that Balto cannot?
Agile CRM covers Contact management, Lead scoring, Email automation, Marketing automation. Balto covers Real-time prompts, Real-Time Coaching, Playbook builder, Automated scoring.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Agile CRM: How much does Agile CRM cost?

Agile CRM offers a free plan for up to 10 users with basic CRM, sales, and helpdesk features. Paid plans start at $8.99/user/month for the Starter tier and go up to $47.99/user/month for Enterprise with unlimited contacts and custom features. Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20241226213740/https://www.agilecrm.com/pricing

Source
Balto: How is this different from Gong or Chorus?

Those analyse calls after they end. Balto changes the call while it is happening by prompting the agent live, which matters for compliance and much less for post-hoc coaching.

Agile CRM: Can I upgrade or downgrade my plan at any time?

Yes, you can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel your plan at any time directly from Agile CRM's online dashboard, with no penalties or long-term contracts required.

Source
Balto: Does it need my telephony vendor to cooperate?

Yes. It needs a live audio stream, so it integrates at the CCaaS or dialler layer with Five9, Genesys, Amazon Connect and similar. An unsupported platform is a blocker, not a config change.

Agile CRM: What is the uptime guarantee for paid plans?

Agile CRM offers a 99.5% uptime guarantee on all paid plans, ensuring your system is available 99.5% of the time. The platform is hosted on Google and Amazon cloud infrastructure for reliability.

Source
Balto: What does it cost?

Balto does not publish pricing. Expect a quoted per-agent annual contract, with the rate depending on seat count and which modules you licence.

Balto: Will it work for chat teams?

Not well. The product is built around live voice, and text channels are not where its strength is.

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