The Balto alternative without the 50-seat floor
Balto coaches contact-center agents in real time and makes sense at around 50 agents on an annual contract. Merdial coaches live too — about 300 ms from objection to answer — from one seat, month to month.
- 1 seatMinimum to buy
- $0Free plan, no card
- ~300msObjection to answer
Choose Balto if you run a large contact center where script adherence is a compliance requirement and you need an established security report. Choose Merdial if you want real-time coaching for a sales team without a 50-agent minimum, with every call scored against your own rubric.
Merdial and Balto, compared
| Feature | Merdial | Balto |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $0, then $39/month | ~$100/agent/month |
| Minimum to buy | 1 seat | ~50 agents |
| Contract | Monthly, cancel any time | Annual |
| Live in-call coaching | Yes, on every tier | Yes |
| What a call produces | An approved lead | Script adherence |
| Captures diallers, Zoom, Teams and Meet | Yes | Check with the vendor |
| Built for | Sales teams, from one seat | Contact centers |
| SOC 2 report | Not yet | Check with the vendor |
Competitor figures were researched on 6 September 2026 from published pricing pages, marketplace listings and buyer-reported contract data. Vendors in this category mostly do not publish list prices, so several are ranges — check with the vendor before you decide.
An honest answer
- You are a team of 1 to 10, or want to start with one seat
- You want the answer on screen while the prospect is still talking
- Each client or campaign needs its own definition of qualified
- You want to pay monthly, with no annual contract
- You run a large contact center where script adherence is a compliance matter
- You need a vendor with an established security report for procurement
- You have 50+ agents and an annual budget
Straight answers
Is Merdial cheaper than Balto?
For most small teams, yes. Merdial is $0 on one seat, $39 a month for Solo and $59 per user a month for Team, month to month. Balto is typically ~$100/agent/month with a minimum of ~50 agents.
Can Merdial replace Balto?
For live coaching and scoring every sales call — on any dialler, Zoom, Teams or Google Meet — yes, for teams of any size. If your security review needs a SOC 2 report today, Balto is the safer buy: Merdial does not have one yet.
Does Merdial work on Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet calls?
Yes. Merdial captures the call wherever it happens — a dialler, a softphone, Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet — and transcribes, coaches and scores it the same way.
Is the free plan a trial?
No. Free is 10 hours of talk time every month on one seat, with every call scored, live in-call coaching and the objection library. It does not expire and it does not ask for a card.
Related
- CompareCompareMerdial against Gong, Chorus, Balto, Cresta and Observe.AI, honestly.
- FeaturesReal-time coachingThe answer that closed before, on screen about 300 ms after the prospect objects — on any dialler.
- PricingPricingFree on one seat, Solo at $39 a month, Team at $59 per user, Custom for 11+ seats.
