Softwr

Telecommunications · head to head

Aircall vs Balto

Aircall logo

Aircall

Telecommunications

Cloud phone system for modern business

From
$30/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
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
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Aircall a minimum of 3 users on the published plans, rising to 25 on the Custom tier; 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: Aircall covers Cloud phone, Balto covers Real-time prompts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aircall and Balto actually diverge.

Attributes where Aircall and Balto differ
AttributeAircallBalto
Starting price$30/monthOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, DesktopWeb, Windows, macOS
CategoryTelecommunicationsCustomer Support
Founded2014Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Aircall

  • Cloud phone
  • IVR
  • Call routing
  • Power dialer
  • Analytics
  • Call recording
  • Integrations
  • Salesforce

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.

Aircall

  • Cloud phone system for sales and support teamsnot Balto
  • Call routing, IVR and shared numbersnot Balto
  • Logging calls against CRM records through integrationsnot Balto
  • Power dialling outbound lists on the Professional tiernot Balto
  • SMS and MMS alongside voicenot 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 Aircall
  • An insurance enrolment team where a missed eligibility question means the application is rejected and the call has to be made againnot Aircall
  • A high-turnover outbound floor where new starters need on-screen scaffolding for the first eight weeks instead of a supervisor sitting beside themnot Aircall
  • A healthcare intake centre that needs auditable evidence that specific consent language was spoken on every recorded callnot Aircall

Where each one falls short

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

Aircall

  • A minimum of 3 users on the published plans, rising to 25 on the Custom tier
  • Essentials is limited to 3 teams; unlimited teams need Professional
  • Salesforce CTI, the power dialer and advanced analytics all require Professional
  • SSO, API support and an SLA are Custom tier only
  • AI voice and messaging agents are separate add-ons billed per minute or per conversation on top of the seat price

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

Aircall

$30/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Aircall review.

Balto

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Aircall if

  • You need cloud phone.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want ivr.
Aircall review

Choose Balto if

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

Questions people ask

Is Aircall or Balto better?
Neither clearly leads. Aircall starts at $30/month and Balto at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aircall or Balto?
Aircall starts at $30/month and Balto at On request.
Does Aircall or Balto run on more platforms?
Aircall runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop. Balto runs on Web, Windows, macOS.
What is Aircall best used for?
Aircall is most often used for cloud phone system for sales and support teams, call routing, ivr and shared numbers, logging calls against crm records through integrations, power dialling outbound lists on the professional tier. Of those, cloud phone system for sales and support teams and call routing, ivr and shared numbers are not what Balto is typically brought in for.
What can Aircall do that Balto cannot?
Aircall covers Cloud phone, IVR, Call routing, Power dialer. Balto covers Real-time prompts, Real-Time Coaching, Playbook builder, Automated scoring.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Aircall: What is the minimum cost to start with Aircall?

Aircall requires a 3-license minimum on annual billing, making the real entry price $90 per month ($30 per user times 3 users) for the Essentials plan, not the advertised $30 per user.

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.

Aircall: Does Aircall include AI call features in base plans?

No, AI Voice Agents and AI Assist Pro are separate add-ons billed on top of base plans. The Essentials and Professional plans include call recording and analytics but not AI features.

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.

Aircall: How many countries can I create phone numbers in?

Aircall supports creating local phone numbers in 100 or more countries, enabling businesses to appear local to customers regardless of location.

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.

Aircall: What is Aircall's uptime guarantee?

Aircall guarantees 99.95 percent uptime with seven global data centers and system redundancy on every level.

Source
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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