Calliyo vs Exotel: which is right for your team?
Exotel is an indian cloud telephony pioneer offering virtual numbers, voice apis, ivr, and call-centre tooling, popular with consumer support teams. Calliyo is a SIM-based call management CRM built for Indian SMEs. They solve different parts of the same problem — here’s how they compare on price, features, and fit.
Calliyo
- Category
- SIM-based Call Management CRM
- HQ
- India · Workforce Next Pvt. Ltd.
- Pricing
- ₹99/user/month annual · ₹150 monthly
- Best for
- Indian SME outbound sales, telecalling, field teams
Exotel
- Category
- Cloud telephony / IVR
- HQ
- Bengaluru
- Pricing
- Per-minute call rates + monthly platform fee + per-number rental. Plans typically start ~₹3,000/month.
- Best for
- Mid-market — D2C, fintech, edtech support teams
Source: www.exotel.com
How does Calliyo compare to Exotel?
Side-by-side, on the things that matter.
| Feature | Calliyo | Exotel |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ₹99-125/user/month (annual) | Platform fee + per-minute |
| Typical monthly cost (10 agents, 10K mins) | ~₹990-1,250 | ~₹15,000-30,000+ |
| SIM-based calling | ||
| Works offline | ||
| IVR / call menus | ||
| Virtual phone numbers | ||
| AI follow-up reminders | ||
| Auto-dialer | yes (Teams plan) | |
| Setup time | 5 minutes | 1–3 days |
| Best fit | Outbound sales, telecalling, field teams | Inbound support, IVR-driven flows |
When to pick which
Pick Calliyo when…
- You make outbound sales calls all day and per-minute pricing eats your margin.
- Your team works in low-network areas (field sales, tier-2/3 cities) where VoIP drops.
- You want predictable per-user pricing rather than a metered bill.
- You don't need an IVR menu — you just need calls tracked and followed up on.
Pick Exotel when…
- You run an inbound support centre with a phone tree and need IVR routing.
- You need a virtual number for branding (e.g., 1-800-style) instead of agents' personal SIMs.
- Your callers need predictable hold-and-transfer experiences across agents.
Frequently asked questions
Should I pick Calliyo or Exotel?
If your team is mostly outbound (sales, telecalling, follow-ups), Calliyo is usually 60–80% cheaper and easier to set up. If you need an IVR phone tree, virtual numbers, or inbound call routing, Exotel is the better fit.
How much can I save vs Exotel?
Most outbound teams making 50-200 calls/agent/day save ₹10,000–₹25,000 per month for a 10-seat team — Exotel charges per minute, Calliyo charges per user. Run our comparison: 10 users × 10K minutes/month is roughly ₹990 (Calliyo annual) vs ₹15K-30K (Exotel).
Does Calliyo replace Exotel's IVR?
No. Calliyo doesn't have an IVR phone-tree builder. If you need a caller to press 1 for sales, 2 for support, you'll keep Exotel for the inbound flow and use Calliyo for the outbound team.
Can I use both Calliyo and Exotel together?
Yes — run Calliyo for the outbound sales team and keep Exotel for inbound IVR. They don't conflict because Calliyo uses SIM cards while Exotel uses virtual numbers.
Is call quality better on SIM than on Exotel's VoIP?
On 4G/5G with strong signal, both are good. In tier-2/3 India and field locations with patchy coverage, SIM-based calling has a higher connect rate and clearer audio because it falls back to 2G/3G voice.
Try Calliyo free for 14 days
No credit card. No sales call. Set up in 5 minutes on your team’s existing SIMs.
More comparisons
- Calliyo vs KaleyraCalliyo vs Kaleyra: side-by-side comparison of pricing, features, setup, and fit. See when SIM-based CRM beats enterprise CPaaS for Indian SMEs.
- Calliyo vs KnowlarityCalliyo vs Knowlarity compared for Indian teams — pricing, IVR, virtual numbers, setup, and call quality. Find the right fit for outbound vs inbound.
- Calliyo vs MyOperatorCalliyo vs MyOperator — side-by-side feature, pricing, and fit comparison. See why outbound Indian SME teams prefer SIM-based CRM over cloud telephony.
- Calliyo vs ServetelCalliyo vs Servetel compared on pricing, features, and team fit. See where SIM-based outbound CRM beats hosted PBX — and where Servetel still leads.
