Organizations utilizing AI-driven revenue intelligence have reported 29% higher sales¹ growth compared to their peers and a reduction in forecasting errors between 20 and 50%².

If you’re interested in implementing this tool, you might be wondering about Gong.io. Gong is a revenue intelligence platform—it uses AI to analyze your sales conversations and give you insights to help your team close more deals and improve CX.

In this guide, we’ll unpack Gong’s pricing structure, what’s included in each tier, what it really costs, and when it’s actually worth the investment. Plus, we’ll share how CloudTalk fits into the picture if you’re building out your sales tech stack.

Key takeaways:

  • Gong provides robust conversation analytics and forecasting tools, but its true cost can be difficult to pin down due to custom pricing and required add-ons.
  • Many core features—like forecasting, CRM integration, and custom reporting—aren’t included in Gong’s base pricing and may require separate modules or fees.
  • For teams looking for a more streamlined, cost-effective solution with built-in AI-powered features, CloudTalk can be a strong alternative—or even a complete replacement.

Get the most out of your Gong data with CloudTalk’s Gong integration.

Overview of Gong Plans and Pricing

Gong doesn’t follow the traditional tiered pricing model (like “Basic / Pro / Enterprise”). Instead, it offers a modular platform where you start with the Gong Foundation, then layer on additional applications based on your needs.

Below, we break down what each application offers, how it fits into overall Gong pricing plans, and which teams it’s best suited for.

Note:

While exact Gong subscription pricing isn’t public, understanding how these modules work will give you a much clearer picture of the Gong platform cost and what drives your final Gong license cost.

Feature

Foundation

Essentials

Forecast / Forecast Essentials

Engage

Data Cloud

Call recording & transcription

AI-powered conversation insights

Sakes team coaching tools

Deal pipeline visibility

Forecasting tools

Outreach automation

Data export to Business Intelligence tools

Thinking about Gong? Pair it with CloudTalk to get crystal-clear call recordings and better insights.

Gong Foundation

The Gong Foundation is the core platform every customer starts with. It includes the fundamental capabilities for call recording, transcription, AI-powered insights, and CRM integration.

This is the required base for all other modules, and is included in every Gong pricing plan, regardless of which applications you choose.

Foundation includes:

Note:

All teams must purchase the Foundation. While it alone won’t give you advanced forecasting, coaching, or outreach automation, it lays the groundwork for everything else.

Essentials

Essentials is focused on helping sales leaders improve rep performance through coaching and adoption tracking. It adds powerful tools to help you identify top-performer behaviors and reinforce them across the team.

That said, it’s not a forecasting solution or a pipeline management tool. If you need deal or revenue visibility, you’ll need to add Forecast or Forecast Essentials.

Essentials includes:

  • Coaching workflows and rep scorecards
  • Initiative adoption tracking
  • AI-driven performance feedback
  • Visibility into team activity
  • Sales playbook usage analytics

Note:

Essentials is frequently the first add-on for new customers. It’s a critical part of many teams’ Gong sales software pricing, especially for orgs focused on coaching, onboarding, and consistency.

Forecast Essentials

Forecast Essentials brings visibility into your pipeline and helps you stay on top of deal health. It’s a lighter forecasting solution meant for teams that want better intel—but aren’t ready for the full forecasting suite.

It’s important to note that this module focuses on visibility, not full forecasting workflows. For that, you’ll need to step up to the full Forecast module.

Forecast Essentials includes:

  • 360° pipeline views
  • Deal intelligence dashboards
  • Risk identification for key opportunities
  • Trend analysis for reps and teams

Note:

Forecast Essentials is ideal for frontline managers or sales enablement teams who want a clearer view of pipeline health without diving into forecast overrides or submission workflows. It’s a cost-effective way to add forecasting capabilities to your Gong pricing plan without committing to the full feature set.

Forecast

Forecast adds override capabilities, forecast submission tools, and weighted projections that help teams hit their numbers with more confidence.

Compared to Forecast Essentials, this module is far more robust and is usually reserved for revenue teams with mature forecasting processes.

Forecast includes:

  • Forecast override management
  • Multi-level forecast submissions
  • Weighted pipeline analysis
  • Forecast trend reporting
  • Custom forecast dashboards

Note:

With Gong Forecast, leaders can review rep forecasts, spot at-risk deals, and adjust targets—all based on real-time pipeline data. Forecast plays a major role in total Gong platform cost, especially for larger organizations that rely heavily on data to steer revenue targets.

Engage

Engage is Gong’s sales engagement solution, designed to automate multichannel outreach. It helps reps prioritize activities, build call and email cadences, and personalize messaging—all in one place.

It’s a powerful complement to other modules but doesn’t include forecasting or coaching features.

Engage includes:

  • Outreach automation workflows
  • Call + email cadences
  • Task management and prioritization
  • Performance insights on messaging
  • Contact touchpoint visibility

Note:

Best for mid-sized sales teams using separate components for email, calls, and task managers. But for teams already deep into tools like Outreach or Salesloft, adding Engage could feel like overlapping (and expensive) functionality.

Data Cloud

Data Cloud is Gong’s solution for exporting your sales data to external tools like Snowflake, Tableau, or other BI platforms. It’s not a revenue-facing feature—it’s built for data and ops teams who need deeper analysis and integration across the business.

This add-on is especially relevant when comparing Gong revenue intelligence pricing with other enterprise-grade tools. It’s how you access custom analytics beyond what Gong provides natively.

Data Cloud includes:

  • Data export to external BI tools
  • Full data lake access
  • Support for custom dashboards
  • Historical trend analysis
  • Enablement for company-wide reporting

Note:

Best for teams with advanced RevOps or data analysts who want to export Gong data into BI tools like Tableau or Snowflake for deeper, cross-platform insights.

Agents illustration

Connect CloudTalk with Gong to turn every sales call into actionable insights—automatically.

CloudTalk vs. Gong Comparison Table

While Gong is known for its powerful revenue intelligence capabilities, it’s not built to handle live sales calls natively. That’s where CloudTalk comes in—as either a complementary tool or a more affordable alternative, depending on your team’s needs.Below is a comparison of CloudTalk vs. Gong from a value-for-money perspective:

CloudTalk vs. “Ameyo” Comparison Table

Feature

CloudTalk

Gong

Primary Function

Cloud-based business phone system and call center platform

Revenue intelligence and conversation analytics

Pricing

Starts at $25 per user/month

Custom pricing (typically $100–$150 per user/month)

Call Handling

Yes — includes VoIP, routing, IVR, live answering, and queuing

No — requires third-party telephony platforms

Yes — call recording, tags, sentiment, and agent performance tools

Yes — advanced transcription, AI-driven insights

35+ native integrations (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive)

Deep CRM integrations (esp. Salesforce)

AI Capabilities

Basic AI (e.g., Smart IVR, call tagging)

Advanced AI analytics, rep coaching, deal tracking

Use Case Fit

Ideal for teams that need a reliable voice platform with analytics

Ideal for teams that already have a dialer and want analytics on top

Note:

Best Value Fit: CloudTalk offers essential sales calling features at a fraction of Gong’s pricing, making it a strong alternative—or a powerful partner if you’re already using Gong.

CloudTalk Integrates with Gong—But Also Does the Job on Its Own

If you’re already using Gong and love the analytics, CloudTalk integrates seamlessly—feeding high-quality call data into Gong so your insights are always up to date.

But here’s the thing: CloudTalk also offers many of the same capabilities in-house—like real-time call analytics, performance tracking, and CRM syncing.

So if you’re tired of juggling multiple platforms (and paying for all of them), CloudTalk might not just be your dialer—it might be your all-in-one revenue tool.

Key Benefits of CloudTalk

  • Transparent Pricing: Clear, publicly available pricing plans starting at 19 per user/month—no guesswork, no hidden fees.
  • Extensive Integrations: Seamless integration with 35+ CRM and helpdesk systems, including Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zendesk.
  • Advanced Features: Access to over 100, including AI-powered analytics, call monitoring, and smart & power dialers for outbound campaigns.
  • Intelligent Call Routing & IVR: IVR and drag-and-drop call flow designer included even in entry-level plans—no custom development needed.
  • Omnichannel & Cloud-First Architecture: CloudTalk is fully cloud-based, with tools like SMS, internal chat, and CRM syncing across platforms.
  • Built-in Voice Platform: Unlike Gong, CloudTalk is the call platform—no need for third-party dialers.

CloudTalk’s AI conversation intelligence drastically improved our efficiency. We’ve cut call quality analysis time from 2 hours to 20 minutes a day and reduced wrongly targeted leads by 24%, enabling us to focus on strategic growth while maintaining consistency across markets.

Quote Icon
Sara Konickova, Sales Ops Manager at Capitalo

CloudTalk Plans and Pricing

CloudTalk offers flexible pricing plans to accommodate various business needs:

  • Lite (Available in America): 19/user/month; includes unlimited inbound & intracompany calls, click-to-call, and integrations with CRMs and helpdesk tools.​
  • Essential: 29user/month; adds features like advanced analytics, real-time client dashboard, and workflow automation.​
  • Expert: 49/user/month; offers additional capabilities such as power dialer, Salesforce integration, and unlimited call queuing.​
  • Custom: Tailored solutions to meet specific business requirements; pricing upon request.​

Ditch the expensive analytics stack—CloudTalk gives you call quality, performance insights, and CRM sync in one platform.

Uncovering Gong’s Hidden Charges

On the surface, Gong pricing sounds simple: a per-user subscription to unlock powerful revenue intelligence. But dig a little deeper, and things start to add up—fast.

Since Gong pricing plans are custom, many teams don’t realize they’ll be facing extra costs until they’re already deep in the sales process. Based on user reviews³ and here are some of the most frequently cited hidden charges that drive up the Gong software cost:

  • User licenses beyond the initial base (every additional seat costs extra)
  • Add-ons like Forecasting or Pipeline Intelligence
  • Premium integrations, especially with Salesforce or custom CRMs
  • Onboarding, training, or implementation services
  • Additional charges for data exports (via Data Cloud)

For companies comparing Gong.io pricing with alternatives, it’s worth asking: are you paying for insights, or for the infrastructure to get them?

Gong’s Best Features

There’s a reason Gong has become the poster child for revenue intelligence software—it’s packed with features designed to help sales teams work smarter, not just harder. But with that power comes a price tag, and teams comparing Gong alternatives pricing should consider not just what Gong offers—but whether those features justify the Gong platform cost.

Here are some of Gong’s standout features, along with a quick look at what you’re getting for your investment:

  • Conversational intelligence with AI-driven insights: Gong transcribes and analyzes every sales call, surfacing trends like talk ratios, objection handling, and top-performer behaviors.
  • Deal Boards and forecasting: Visual tools show which deals are at risk, how likely they are to close, and what reps need to do to move them forward. (But deeper forecasting features are often locked behind add-ons.)
  • Sales coaching features: Managers can leave feedback, track rep performance, and use Gong’s AI to highlight teachable moments across calls.
  • Real-time call transcription: Gong automatically transcribes conversations and highlights action items, next steps, and key moments. It’s fast, accurate, and searchable.
  • CRM integration (Salesforce, HubSpot, and more): Syncs with leading CRMs to log activity, enrich contact data, and map conversations to pipeline stages—though full integration options may come with added costs.

What Gong Lacks

While Gong delivers insights, it doesn’t replace your dialer—and many of its most useful features (like forecasting or CRM syncing) come at a premium. For teams focused on agility, transparency, and value, solutions like CloudTalk offer more flexibility without the layered costs.

Gong Add-Ons

If you’re budgeting based on Gong pricing plans, don’t forget to factor in these popular add-ons:

  • Forecasting Module
    Provides visibility into pipeline health, forecasting accuracy, and win-rate trends over time.
  • Deal Boards: Visual tools to manage deal progress, highlight risks, and track movement across stages.
  • Security & Compliance Add-ons: Optional compliance features like SOC2, HIPAA, and data retention controls for enterprise use cases.
  • CRM Integrations: Deep, often premium-level integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics, and others.
  • Custom Reporting: Build advanced, tailored dashboards to surface the metrics your team cares about most.

Gong Pros and Cons

pros & cons

Pros:

  • Advanced Conversational Intelligence
    Gong uses AI to analyze sales calls, surfacing key insights like talk ratios, objection handling, and competitor mentions.
  • Comprehensive Deal Tracking
    Deal boards provide real-time pipeline visibility and help identify at-risk opportunities.
  • Seamless CRM Integration
    Deep integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other CRMs enable smooth data syncing and streamlined workflows.
  • AI-Powered Forecasting
    Gong leverages hundreds of buying signals to improve forecast accuracy and help teams hit their numbers.
  • Enterprise-Grade Security
    Gong supports SOC2 Type II, GDPR, and HIPAA compliance for companies in regulated industries.

Cons:

  • High Overall Cost
    Between per-user licenses and add-ons, the total Gong platform cost can be significantly higher than alternatives.
  • Complex Pricing Structure
    Custom quotes, gated features, and add-on modules can make it hard to know what you’re really paying for.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    While powerful, Gong’s interface and analytics tools can take time for teams to fully adopt.
  • No Native Calling Functionality
    Gong analyzes calls, but doesn’t make them—you’ll need a separate voice provider (like CloudTalk) for actual dialing.
  • Extra Charges for Key Features
    Add-ons like Forecasting, CRM integrations, or Data Cloud may drive up your Gong license cost depending on your needs.

Gong vs. CloudTalk: CloudTalk Takes the Lead on Pricing

Gong is great for analyzing conversations—but it’s pricey, and it doesn’t actually handle your calls. CloudTalk does both.

With transparent pricing, built-in calling features, and powerful VoIP + call center tools, CloudTalk is a smarter fit for growing teams who need to act fast, not overanalyze.

Why choose CloudTalk?

  • Simple per-user pricing
  • VoIP and call center in one
  • Built-in analytics and CRM sync
  • Easy to onboard, scale, and budget for

And if you still like what Gong offers…

CloudTalk integrates with Gong. But it also offers many of the same insights—plus the voice platform Gong lacks.

So whether you’re simplifying your stack or starting fresh, CloudTalk might just cover all your sales software needs.

Dashboard illustration

Sources:

  1. PRnewswire.com
  2. Mckinsey.com
  3. G2.com
Natalie Asmussen
Natalie Asmussen
7 Apr 2025