A parallel dialer calls several numbers at once and connects your rep to the first person who answers. On cold lists where connect rates run 5–10%, that turns an hour of dial tones into an hour of conversations. The catch: almost every vendor sells parallel dialing as a standalone product on top of your CRM — usually $200–500 per rep per month.
The short list
1. Inkris — the only pick with parallel dialing included in the CRM
Inkris builds the parallel dialer into the CRM itself. The $99/mo telephony licence covers both the power dialer and the parallel dialer, on top of a $55/mo platform seat. When a call connects, the rep sees the full lead record — because the dialer and the CRM are the same product. No integration, no second bill.
Best for: small outbound teams (2–20 reps) that want one system and a predictable bill.
Trade-off: no AI research sidekick like Nooks bundles; Inkris spends that budget on including the dialer.
2. Nooks — best AI-assisted dialing floor, at a price
Nooks pairs multi-line dialing with an AI assistant and a virtual salesfloor. It is genuinely slick, and priced like it — commonly cited in the hundreds per rep per month, plus the CRM underneath and the integration between them.
3. Orum — best for large SDR orgs
Orum is enterprise-grade parallel dialing with strong connect-rate tooling. Same structural story: a separate platform, integrated back into Salesforce or HubSpot, at enterprise pricing.
4. PowerDialer.ai — best standalone budget option
PowerDialer.ai bundles several dial modes at a lower price than Nooks/Orum. Still a standalone dialer: your CRM remains a separate purchase and a separate tab.
5. Close — parallel-style dialing on the top tier
Close's multi-line Predictive Dialer is solid but reserved for its highest plan, and it dials from within Close only.
Comparison table
| Tool | Parallel dialing | CRM included | Rough cost per rep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inkris | Included in telephony licence | Yes — native | $55 + $99 |
| Nooks | Core product | No | $$$ + CRM |
| Orum | Core product | No | $$$ + CRM |
| PowerDialer.ai | Core product | No | $$ + CRM |
| Close | Top tier only | Yes | $149+ |
What about compliance?
Parallel dialing is legal in Canada and the US when used responsibly, but the rules that govern all outbound calling still apply — DNC list scrubbing, calling-hour restrictions, and consent rules for automated dialing to mobile numbers. Whatever tool you pick, you own list hygiene. (Not legal advice; check the rules for your region and lists.)
Bottom line
If you are a large SDR org with budget, Nooks or Orum earn their price. If you are a small team, the honest math says stop paying twice: a CRM with the parallel dialer already inside costs less than a CRM plus a dialer subscription — and there is currently exactly one CRM doing that at small-team prices.