The software is open source with no per-seat licence fee. You still pay for a server, installation, configuration, voice routes and ongoing administration.

Hosted dialer or VICIdial — which is cheaper?

For a small team without technical staff, a hosted platform is often cheaper overall once you count the time spent maintaining a server. For a technically capable team, self-managed VICIdial can be cheaper per seat as you grow. Compare total cost, including your own time.

Can I use any SIP carrier with my dialer?

Most dialers and many hosted platforms support standard SIP trunks. Check that the platform allows a custom carrier, and test the route before committing traffic.

Choosing a Dialer, PBX and CRM for a Small Call Center

The dialer is where your lists, agents, voice routes and reports meet. The right choice depends on your model (inbound, outbound or blended), how much technical skill you have in-house and what your clients require for recordings and reporting.

Dialer, PBX, contact-center platform and CRM — what each does

PBX: routes calls between extensions, queues and the outside world. Enough for small inbound or manual-dial teams.
Dialer: automates outbound calling from lists — preview, progressive or predictive pacing — and records outcomes.
Contact-center platform: a PBX plus dialer plus queues, IVR, recordings and reporting in one product, usually hosted.
CRM: the system of record for customers and leads — contact history, notes, tasks and pipeline.

Dialing modes

Predictive dialing can produce abandoned or "silent" calls when no agent is free. Many jurisdictions limit the abandoned-call rate and require a message to be played — configure the dialer to stay within the limits that apply to you.

Choosing a dialing mode
Mode	How it works	Use when
Manual / click-to-call	The agent chooses and dials each number.	Complex B2B calls, low volume, regulated sales.
Preview	The agent sees the record first, then the system dials.	Agents must prepare before each call.
Progressive	The system dials the next number only when an agent is free.	A balance of efficiency and no abandoned calls.
Predictive	The system dials ahead of agent availability using a pacing algorithm.	High-volume B2C where abandoned-call rules are understood and followed.

VICIdial: what it is and when it fits

VICIdial is an open-source contact-center suite (built on Asterisk) with predictive, progressive, preview and manual dialing, inbound queues, recordings and reporting. There is no per-seat software licence fee; the costs are the server, the setup and the skills to run it.

It fits teams that want full control, have or can hire Linux/Asterisk skills, and expect to customise campaigns. It is a poorer fit for a team with no technical staff that wants a tool to "just work" — a hosted contact-center platform is usually simpler there.

Hosted vs. self-managed

Deployment options
Option	Pros	Cons
Hosted platform (subscription)	Fast to start, vendor handles updates and uptime, predictable monthly cost per seat.	Recurring per-seat fees, less control, data held by a third party, may lock you to its voice carrier.
Self-managed VICIdial on a data-center server	Full control, bring your own SIP carrier, no per-seat licence.	You are responsible for security, updates, backups, monitoring and fixing problems.
Self-managed on-premises	Data stays in your office.	Depends on your office power and internet; hardest to make resilient.
Managed installation by a specialist	Expert setup without hiring a full-time engineer.	Make sure scope, access, ongoing support and exit terms are written down before you start.

Configuration checklist

Users and roles: agent, team leader, QA and admin roles with the least access each needs.
Lead import: only lawful lists, suppression applied, files deleted from laptops and email after import, imports logged.
Campaigns: one per client or list type, with lawful calling hours set per time zone.
Dispositions: a short, clear list of call outcomes that matches what the client will be billed or reported on.
Callbacks and voicemail: rules for when and how often a number may be retried.
Recordings: notices configured, storage location, retention period and who can access recordings.
Caller ID: presented numbers you are authorised to use, configured per campaign.
Audit logs: logins, exports and configuration changes recorded and reviewed.
Reporting: agent productivity, outcomes per campaign, abandoned-call rate, contact rate.
Backups: database and configuration backed up off-server daily; restores tested.

Choosing a CRM

Does it integrate with your dialer (click-to-dial, automatic call logging) or will agents copy data between systems?
Can you control who sees and exports data, and see an audit trail?
Where is data hosted, and does that meet your clients' data-protection requirements?
Can it produce the reports your contracts require?
Can you get your data back out in a usable format if you leave?

Connecting the dialer to a SIP trunk

In VICIdial a trunk is configured as a Carrier with the registration (or IP) details, dial plan and codec settings; hosted platforms usually call this "bring your own carrier" (BYOC) or a custom SIP trunk. See preparing VICIdial for SIP and the SIP trunk guide.

Need help with dialer setup?

CallCenterBoost supplies SIP termination that works with VICIdial and other standard SIP dialers. Dialer installation, configuration and maintenance are not sold as a fixed product on this site; you can request a scoped quotation, and the team will confirm whether and how that scope can be delivered.

Frequently asked questions

Is VICIdial free?: The software is open source with no per-seat licence fee. You still pay for a server, installation, configuration, voice routes and ongoing administration.
Hosted dialer or VICIdial — which is cheaper?: For a small team without technical staff, a hosted platform is often cheaper overall once you count the time spent maintaining a server. For a technically capable team, self-managed VICIdial can be cheaper per seat as you grow. Compare total cost, including your own time.
Can I use any SIP carrier with my dialer?: Most dialers and many hosted platforms support standard SIP trunks. Check that the platform allows a custom carrier, and test the route before committing traffic.

Next steps

Next guide: SIP Trunks for a New Call Center: Channels, CPS, DIDs and Failover. Get a Setup Quote · View VoIP Rates · Request Route Test

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