Flat-rate vs per-minute dialer pricing: which is cheaper at 3,000, 5,000 and 8,000 minutes?

All figures are per agent a month at published list prices, billed monthly, before taxes and surcharges. Connected minutes are talk time: an agent who talks three hours a day for 22 days connects about 3,960 minutes.

A flat seat and one EmberDial license cost the same at 50 × (seat price minus $99) connected minutes a month. Above that, the flat seat costs less; below it, per-minute does. Annual billing lowers the seat price and so the break-even.

EmberDial publishes monthly prices; annual pricing, payment terms and commitment are confirmed separately in writing.

A flat seat often leaves out things a per-minute license includes. Our comparison pages add each competitor's published upgrades and add-ons that match what every EmberDial license includes: local numbers (three per agent in this example), number reputation, and transcripts with call reviews. Items a competitor prices by quote, or doesn't list, are named instead of guessed.

The same matched setup is the starting point of the cost check on each comparison page, where you can remove lines you don't need.

Three different counts hide behind "minutes," and each changes the comparison.

In EmberDial: Answered inbound and outbound calls to US local and mobile numbers count, including calls answered by voicemail. Ringing and practice sessions don't count. During a transfer or conference, each answered external call leg counts for its own duration. International, premium, toll-free inbound and other high-cost routes need a separate quote. Taxes, surcharges, billing increments and rounding are confirmed in your written order. More in the glossary under connected minute.

Flat prices usually include calling, but "unlimited" often comes with a fair-use policy. Here is what each competitor publishes about its calling minutes.

A fair-use limit matters most at the top of the range. A policy that excludes call centers or telemarketing can apply to an outbound sales floor whatever its talk time, so ask the vendor in writing whether your calling fits.

Some flat plans include a set number of minutes per user, then charge for the rest. CloudTalk's default is 3,000 outbound minutes per user a month, with extra minutes charged from credit (CloudTalk pricing, fair usage policy), checked October 7, 2026. That is why the table marks its cost at 5,000 and 8,000 minutes as "plus minutes past 3,000".

To compare a plan with an allowance:

• Find the allowance per user and whether it is pooled across the team.
• Find the rate above it, and whether calling stops or keeps billing.
• Price your heaviest month, not your average one.

EmberDial includes no minutes, so every connected minute is billed at $0.02 from the first one.

1. Start from reports. Your current dialer or phone system reports talk time per agent. Use that, not dials or logged-in hours.
2. Or work it out. Hours on the phone a day × 60 × calling days a month. The table below assumes 22 calling days.
3. Count people dialing at once. Concurrent licenses cover simultaneous callers, so add up talk time per license, not per person.
4. Use a busy month. Flat seats don't change with volume; a per-minute bill does.

Then enter your licenses, minutes and any quote in the dialer cost calculator to see your own break-even. Dial mode matters too: see power vs predictive dialing.