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CRM · head to head

Apptivo vs Balto

Apptivo logo

Apptivo

CRM

A bundle of around fifty business apps sold on one per-user subscription

From
On request
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: Apptivo the tiers gate the number of apps rather than only the depth, so a business that buys Lite at 15 US dollars because of the CRM and later needs an app in the 46-app Premium set faces a 67 per cent per-seat increase to unlock it.; 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: Apptivo covers CRM core, Balto covers Real-time prompts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apptivo and Balto actually diverge.

Attributes where Apptivo and Balto differ
AttributeApptivoBalto
Pricing modelPer user per monthquote
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Windows, macOS
CategoryCRMCustomer Support

Identical on both: starting price (On request), 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 Apptivo

  • CRM core
  • Invoicing and estimates
  • Project management
  • Field service
  • Help desk
  • Procurement and inventory
  • Custom apps and fields
  • Workflow automation

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.

Apptivo

  • A ten-person consultancy that wants CRM, project timesheets and invoicing on one subscription instead of stitching three tools togethernot Balto
  • A distributor needing quotes, purchase orders and stock levels against the same customer record without an integration projectnot Balto
  • A service business replacing a spreadsheet-driven help desk that also wants the ticket history visible on the sales contactnot Balto
  • A business already paying separately for CRM, invoicing and project tools that wants to cut vendor count and consolidate billingnot 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 Apptivo
  • An insurance enrolment team where a missed eligibility question means the application is rejected and the call has to be made againnot Apptivo
  • A high-turnover outbound floor where new starters need on-screen scaffolding for the first eight weeks instead of a supervisor sitting beside themnot Apptivo
  • A healthcare intake centre that needs auditable evidence that specific consent language was spoken on every recorded callnot Apptivo

Where each one falls short

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

Apptivo

  • The tiers gate the number of apps rather than only the depth, so a business that buys Lite at 15 US dollars because of the CRM and later needs an app in the 46-app Premium set faces a 67 per cent per-seat increase to unlock it.
  • Workflow automation is capped at 25 rules on both Lite and Premium, which is low for any business automating more than a basic sales process, and lifting it means jumping to Ultimate at 40 US dollars.
  • Each app is shallower than the dedicated product it replaces, so teams that outgrow one module end up buying a specialist tool anyway and lose the single-record advantage that justified the suite.
  • There is no free tier, only a 30-day trial, so evaluating the breadth properly against real data requires paying or rushing the trial window.
  • The interface is dense and inconsistent between apps because they were built over many years, which lengthens onboarding and produces persistent user complaints in teams that are not technically confident.

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

Apptivo

On request
  • Lite$15/month
    • 18 apps
    • 100 custom fields per app
    • 25 workflows
  • Premium$25/month
    • 46 apps
    • 250 custom fields per app
    • 25 workflows
  • Ultimate$40/month
    • All apps
    • 350 custom fields per app
    • 150 workflows
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • 500 custom fields per app
    • 300 workflows
    • 100 custom dashboards

Balto

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Apptivo if

  • You need crm core.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want invoicing and estimates.
Apptivo 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 Apptivo or Balto better?
Neither clearly leads. Apptivo starts at On request and Balto at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apptivo or Balto?
Apptivo starts at On request and Balto at On request.
Does Apptivo or Balto run on more platforms?
Apptivo runs on Web, iOS, Android. Balto runs on Web, Windows, macOS.
What is Apptivo best used for?
Apptivo is most often used for a ten-person consultancy that wants crm, project timesheets and invoicing on one subscription instead of stitching three tools together, a distributor needing quotes, purchase orders and stock levels against the same customer record without an integration project, a service business replacing a spreadsheet-driven help desk that also wants the ticket history visible on the sales contact, a business already paying separately for crm, invoicing and project tools that wants to cut vendor count and consolidate billing. Of those, a ten-person consultancy that wants crm, project timesheets and invoicing on one subscription instead of stitching three tools together and a distributor needing quotes, purchase orders and stock levels against the same customer record without an integration project are not what Balto is typically brought in for.
What can Apptivo do that Balto cannot?
Apptivo covers CRM core, Invoicing and estimates, Project management, Field service. Balto covers Real-time prompts, Real-Time Coaching, Playbook builder, Automated scoring.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Apptivo: Does Apptivo have a free plan?

No. There is a 30-day free trial; the cheapest ongoing plan is Lite at 15 US dollars per user per month billed annually.

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.

Apptivo: What is the real difference between Lite and Premium?

Mostly app count and dashboards: Lite opens 18 apps, Premium opens 46 with custom dashboards. Check which specific app you need before choosing on price.

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.

Apptivo: Is monthly billing more expensive?

Yes, by roughly a third. Lite is 15 annually versus 20 monthly, Premium 25 versus 30, Ultimate 40 versus 50.

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.

Apptivo: Are all fifty apps really included?

Only on the top tiers. The lower tiers include a subset, and the app list per tier is the thing to verify before buying.

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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