Lightning Dialer Plans & Pricing: Full Guide for 2025

Are you considering Salesforce Lightning Dialer (AKA Sales Dialer) for your business communications needs? Before you commit to any calling solution, it’s essential to understand exactly what you’re getting—and what you might be missing out on.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down Lightning Dialer’s pricing structure, analyze its features, and compare it with CloudTalk’s more robust and cost-effective solution.

Key Takeaways

• Salesforce Lightning Dialer requires purchasing three separate plans (Inbound, Outbound, and Minutes) to get full functionality
• Starting costs begin at $45 per user/month plus minutes ($5 for Inbound + $25 for Outbound + $15 for 1,000 minutes)
• Lightning Dialer is limited to US and Canada calling, with no international number options
• Hidden fees may include additional costs for advanced features like call monitoring and call queuing
• CloudTalk offers more comprehensive features at a lower starting price ($19/user/month), including international numbers in 160+ countries

Overview of Lightning Dialer Plans and Pricing

Salesforce Lightning Dialer (also called Salesforce Sales Dialer) functions as an add-on feature for Salesforce CRM, providing basic telephony capabilities directly within the Salesforce platform. 

Unlike most VoIP providers that offer comprehensive packages with all features included, Lightning Dialer divides its functionality into separate plans that you’ll need to purchase individually.

Lightning Dialer’s pricing structure is split into three distinct components:

1. Inbound Plan ($5 per user/month) – For receiving calls
2. Outbound Plan ($25 per user/month) – For making calls
3. Minutes Plan ($15 for 1,000 minutes per organization per month) – Actual talk time

This means that to fully utilize the dialer for both receiving and making calls, you’ll need to purchase all three plans 

This will bring your starting costs to at least $45 per user/month plus minutes.

Here’s a breakdown of what each Lightning Dialer plan (AKA Sales Dialer) includes:

Inbound Plan

Wondering how to handle those incoming customer calls directly in your Salesforce dashboard? The Lightning Dialer Inbound plan is where you’ll start. This is the component that lets you receive calls, but remember—you’ll still need the other plans to make a complete calling solution.

Outbound Plan

Ready to start making calls to your prospects and customers? You’ll need the Outbound plan for that. This is where most of your Lightning Dialer budget will go, as it contains the core functionality your sales team needs to reach out to contacts directly from your Salesforce environment.

Minutes Plan

Got the Inbound and Outbound plans? Great, but you’re not quite ready to talk yet! You’ll also need to purchase actual minutes through the Minutes plan. Think of this as the fuel for your calling engine—without minutes, your other plans won’t get you anywhere.

Other Plans

Looking for more options? Unfortunately, that’s all folks! Salesforce doesn’t offer any other specialized dialer plans beyond these three essential components. But wait—if you need more functionality, you’ll have to dig deeper into your budget for these add-ons:

• Advanced Call Analytics: Starting at $50 per user/month
• Call Queuing: Starting at $50 per user/month
• Enhanced Call Monitoring: Starting at $50 per user/month

CloudTalk vs. Lightning Dialer Comparison Table

Still on the fence about which calling solution is right for your business? Let’s cut to the chase. When you compare CloudTalk and Lightning Dialer side by side, the value difference becomes crystal clear.

For every dollar you spend, CloudTalk delivers substantially more features, flexibility, and global reach than Lightning Dialer. Don’t just take our word for it—see for yourself:

Did you notice how Lightning Dialer’s advertised starting price of $5/user/month quickly balloons to $45+ when you add all the necessary components? That’s before you even consider the add-ons you’ll need for basic call center functionality.

Let’s see why CloudTalk is the most solid choice:

CloudTalk’s Key Advantages

What makes CloudTalk the smarter choice for your business? Here are the game-changing benefits that our customers love:

1. True All-Inclusive Pricing: Tired of being nickel-and-dimed? With CloudTalk, what you see is what you get. One simple plan includes everything you need—no hidden costs or surprise add-ons. You’ll know exactly what you’re paying from day one.
   
2. Global Business Without Borders: Got international customers or team members? CloudTalk gives you numbers in over 160 countries and worldwide calling capabilities. Lightning Dialer keeps you confined to just the US and Canada, severely limiting your global reach.
   
3. Productivity-Boosting Dialer Technology: Want to supercharge your sales team? CloudTalk’s Power Dialer and Smart Dialer technologies can increase your agent productivity by up to 300% by automating the calling process and eliminating manual dialing. Lightning Dialer offers nothing comparable.
   
4. Work-From-Anywhere Mobility: Need to take calls on the go? CloudTalk’s full-featured mobile apps for iOS and Android keep you connected wherever you are. Lightning Dialer has no mobile options, tethering you to your desk.

Short Overview of CloudTalk’s Plans and Pricing

CloudTalk offers streamlined pricing with three comprehensive plans:

1. Starter Plan: $25 per user/month – Perfect for small teams needing essential phone features
2. Essential Plan: $29 per user/month – Ideal for growing sales and support teams
3. Expert Plan: $49 per user/month – Comprehensive solution for call centers and larger teams
4. Custom: Quote-based for teams with specific needs.

All plans include features like unlimited inbound calls, international numbers, IVR, call recording, and integrations with popular CRM systems, including Salesforce.

Experience how CloudTalk transforms business communications with our interactive demo!

Uncovering Lightning Dialer’s Extra Charges

While Lightning Dialer’s base pricing might initially seem affordable, there are several additional costs to consider:

• Multiple Plan Requirement: The need to purchase separate Inbound, Outbound, and Minutes plans means your actual starting cost is $45 per user/month plus minutes.
  
• Limited Call Geography: With calling restricted to the US and Canada, international businesses will need to purchase additional services.
  
• Add-On Functionality: Essential call center features like call monitoring, call queuing, and advanced analytics all require expensive add-ons, often starting at $50 per user/month each.
  
• Salesforce CRM Requirement: Lightning Dialer is only available to Salesforce CRM customers, meaning you must also pay for Salesforce licenses (starting at $25 per user/month for Sales Cloud Essentials).
  
• No Toll-Free Numbers: The inability to provide toll-free numbers means potential additional costs for alternative solutions. 

Lightning Dialer’s Best Features

Okay, let’s be fair—if you’re already heavily invested in the Salesforce ecosystem, Lightning Dialer does have some things going for it. After all, there must be a reason you’re considering it, right? Here are the features where Lightning Dialer actually shines:

1. Native Salesforce Integration: If you live and breathe Salesforce all day, this is Lightning Dialer’s biggest selling point. Your calls will be automatically logged to the right records, and your team can take notes directly in the Salesforce interface they’re already familiar with. No switching between applications means less friction in your workflow.
2. Local Number Selection: Want to boost your answer rates? Lightning Dialer lets your team select local phone numbers, which can make prospects more likely to pick up. After all, wouldn’t you be more inclined to answer a call from your area code than from some random location?
3. Prerecorded Voicemail Drops: The ability to leave prerecorded voicemail messages can save time for sales teams conducting high-volume outreach campaigns.

Lightning Dialer Add-ons

• Advanced Analytics: Enhanced reporting capabilities ($50+ per user/month)
• Call Queuing: For managing inbound call volume ($50+ per user/month)
• Enhanced Call Monitoring: For training and quality assurance ($50+ per user/month)

Lightning Dialer Pros and Cons

Choosing a calling solution is a big decision for your business. Let’s break down what Lightning Dialer does well and where it falls short, with some helpful context to guide your decision:

Lightning Dialer vs. CloudTalk Dialer: CloudTalk Takes the Lead on Pricing

Still trying to decide? Let’s cut to the chase on why CloudTalk is the smarter choice for your business:

The Cost Difference Is Dramatic

With Lightning Dialer, you’re looking at a minimum investment of $45 per user/month ($5 + $25 + $15) plus additional minutes as needed. And that’s before you add any of those essential $50+ add-ons for features like call queuing or monitoring.

CloudTalk gives you all the essentials starting at just $19 per user/month—less than half the price of Lightning Dialer’s complete package. Even our most advanced Expert plan at $50/user matches Lightning Dialer’s basic price but includes dozens more features.

The Feature Gap Is Enormous

Lightning Dialer locks you into a North American-only calling ecosystem with no mobile access, limited integrations, and no advanced dialer technology.

CloudTalk unleashes your team with:

• Global reach across 160+ countries
• Powerful mobile apps for true work-from-anywhere flexibility
• Advanced dialer technologies that can triple agent productivity
• 35+ integrations (including Salesforce) to connect your entire tech stack
• Essential call center features included without expensive add-ons

The Growth Potential Is Unmatched

As your business expands, Lightning Dialer becomes increasingly expensive and restrictive, forcing you to purchase more add-ons and manage separate minute packages.

CloudTalk grows with you through simple, tiered plans designed specifically for scaling businesses. From startups to enterprise call centers, CloudTalk provides the features you need without the complexity or cost of Lightning Dialer.

The verdict is clear: CloudTalk delivers more features, more flexibility, and more value for your money than Lightning Dialer. Why pay more for less?