Industry insights
I evaluated 7 AI phone agent platforms for enterprise RevOps teams. See how Thoughtly, Regal.ai, Five9, Genesys, Conversica, Nooks, and Orum compare on speed-to-lead, CRM integration, multi-channel follow-up, and pricing.
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Enterprise revenue operations teams face a narrowing window. Inbound leads arrive from paid search, form fills, calls, and third-party aggregators — and every minute between the lead and the first contact attempt, conversion rates drop. The old playbook of routing leads to a human SDR queue, waiting for business hours, or relying on email-only nurture sequences no longer holds. AI phone agents now handle the first touch, qualify intent, and route warm conversations to the right rep — all within the first 60 seconds.
I evaluated the AI phone agentAI phone agentAn AI agent that handles phone conversations — answering, qualifying, routing, booking, or following up with callers without requiring a human on every call. platforms that enterprise RevOps teams most often consider for inbound lead conversionInbound lead conversionThe process of turning opted-in inquiries, form fills, calls, and quote requests into qualified conversations, appointments, or transfers., speed-to-lead, and multi-step follow-up. The focus is on platforms that go beyond basic IVRIVRInteractive Voice Response — a phone menu system that routes callers using keypad or spoken inputs. AI agents often replace or augment rigid IVR trees. or call deflection — these are tools that call leads, qualify them, book meetings, update CRMCRMThe system of record for leads, contacts, deals, and activity. Thoughtly reads from and writes to your CRM continuously. records, and persist across voice, SMS, and email channels.
The pressure on RevOps leaders is specific. Lead acquisition costs in regulated consumer industries — insurance, mortgage, real estate, education, elective healthcare — have risen sharply. When a single internet leadInternet leadA prospect generated from an online form, marketplace, ad, aggregator, or website inquiry. Internet leads usually require fast response before the prospect chooses another provider. costs $40 to $120, leaving 60% of those leads uncontacted within the first hour is not a staffing problem; it is a margin problem.
The switching triggers I see most often are: sub-15% contact rates from human SDR teams working inbound queues, inability to scale coverage across evenings and weekends without adding headcount, CRM data decay from leads never updated after the first form fill, and the operational overhead of managing a dialer + SDR + CRM + SMS tool stack that was never integrated end-to-end.
AI phone agents solve a specific RevOps problem: 100% lead coverage in under 60 seconds, across channels, with CRM write-backCRM write-backUpdating the CRM after an interaction with call outcomes, transcripts, qualification answers, notes, appointments, dispositions, and next-step fields. — at a cost structure that scales per conversation rather than per seat.
I assessed each platform against six criteria that determine whether an AI phone agent can actually run inside an enterprise revenue operation — not just demo well, but hold up across thousands of calls, integrate with the CRM stack RevOps already uses, and deliver measurable conversion lift.
The primary test. Can the platform place an outbound call to a new lead within 60 seconds of the form fill or inbound call? Does it support 100% lead coverage without queuing or batching? I looked at whether the platform offers real-time CRM triggers (webhookWebhookAn event-based integration that sends data from one system to another when something happens, such as a form submission, booked appointment, or completed call., list membership, workflowWorkflowAn automated, multi-step process — usually triggered by an event (form fill, new lead) and orchestrating one or more voice / SMS / email actions. step) and whether the call is placed by an AI agent or queued for a human. Platforms that require a human to pick up the dial lose this category outright.
A phone agent that calls leads but does not write back to the CRM is a dead endDead endA conversation node with no valid next step. Avoid by designing for unexpected inputs and graceful fallback.. I evaluated native integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Zoho, and other enterprise CRMs — not just Zapier middleware, but direct, two-way sync where call outcomes, qualification answers, and scheduling data flow back into the lead or deal record. I also checked whether the platform supports custom field mapping and CRM-triggered workflows.
A single call rarely converts a high-consideration lead. I looked for platforms that follow up an unanswered call with an SMS, send a booking link after a qualified conversation, and persist across email for nurture sequences. The platforms that only do voice — or treat SMS as a bolt-on — score lower because they leave the follow-up gap that RevOps teams originally hired the AI to close.
Can the agent handle branching qualification flows — asking about service areaService areaThe geography where a business can serve a prospect. Service-area checks prevent routing or booking leads a team cannot actually handle., timeline, eligibilityEligibilityThe fit criteria that determine whether a prospect can move forward, such as service area, insurance coverage, loan type, location, age, or program requirements., insurance type, or loan amount — without falling back to a rigid decision treeDecision treeA flowchart-style conversation structure where the agent branches based on caller responses — the explicit logic behind a voice flow.? I evaluated whether the platform uses LLM-driven conversation flows or script-based IVR, whether it supports custom guardrails, and whether it can escalate to a human with full conversation context.
Enterprise RevOps teams operate under SOC 2, HIPAAHIPAAThe US health privacy law that governs protected health information. Healthcare voice and SMS workflows must handle PHI with appropriate safeguards., TCPATCPAUS federal law governing telemarketing calls and SMS. Thoughtly enforces consent capture, time-of-day windows, and DNC scrubbing automatically., and state-level regulations. I checked for SOC 2 Type II certification, HIPAA/BAA availability, TCPA-compliant calling features (consent managementConsent managementConsent management is the process of recording, honoring, and updating a lead's permission for calls, texts, emails, and opt-outs across every follow-up channel., DNC scrubbingDNC scrubbingFiltering outbound dialing lists against federal and internal Do-Not-Call registries. Required for compliant outbound — Thoughtly scrubs every call., , ), and whether the platform supports enterprise-scale concurrency (100+ concurrent calls, custom LLMs, private integrations).
Per-seat pricing penalizes RevOps teams for scaling coverage. Per-minute or per-conversation pricing aligns cost with outcomes. I evaluated whether each platform publishes pricing, whether the model is usage-based or platform-plus-seat, and whether the economics work at high volume (10,000+ conversations/month).
| Platform | Best fit | Primary strength | Key limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thoughtly | Enterprise RevOps converting inbound leads | AI-native voice + SMS + email + CRM write-back | Best when CRM and lead sources are clearly defined |
| Regal.ai | Contact-center teams augmenting human reps | Strong journey orchestration and agent assist | Pricing assumes hybrid human + AI stack |
| Five9 | Large contact centers with mixed inbound/outbound | Mature CCaaS with AI Agent layer | Legacy architecture; heavy implementation |
| Genesys | Enterprise CX orchestration across channels | Deep CCaaS and workforce engagement | Overbuilt for RevOps-focused lead conversion |
| Conversica | Email-first lead nurture at enterprise scale | Strong AI nurture and qualification flows | Voice is secondary; limited phone agent depth |
| Nooks | Phone-first SDR teams running parallel dialing | Strong parallel dialer + virtual salesfloor | Outbound-only; no inbound lead conversion |
| Orum | Sales teams scaling outbound connect rates | Intelligent auto-dialing and coaching | Dialer, not an AI agent; no autonomous calls |
Thoughtly is an AI-native inbound lead conversion platform built for RevOps teams in regulated, high-consideration consumer industries. Rather than bolting an AI agent onto a legacy dialer or contact-center stack, Thoughtly was designed from day one to call, text, and email every inbound lead — qualifying intent, booking meetings, and writing outcomes back to the CRM autonomously. Enterprise customers like Siemens, 2U, Sleep Doctor, and Farmers Insurance use it to achieve sub-60-second speed-to-lead and 100% lead coverage without scaling SDR headcount.
The platform supports 34 languages natively, integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Zoho, and 200+ other tools through native connectors (not just Zapier), and ships with two-way CRM syncCRM syncCRM sync is the two-way flow of lead records, conversation notes, outcomes, and next steps between an AI agent platform and a CRM so human teams inherit current pipeline instead of manual updates., attribution and UTM passthrough, and multi-step workflow automationWorkflow automationSoftware-driven execution of multi-step processes such as lead intake, routing, follow-up, booking, CRM updates, and post-call actions.. Pricing is per-minute — no per-seat charges, no SDR ramp time, and no contact-center operating layer required underneath.
Enterprise RevOps teams in insurance, mortgage, real estate, education enrollment, elective healthcare, home services, financial services, and legal — any high-volume, high-consideration consumer funnel where 100% lead coverage in under 60 seconds is the difference between a closed deal and a wasted acquisition cost.
Per-minute usage pricing across three plans (Flex, Scale, Enterprise). Unlimited voice minutes, SMS, and emails on all plans. Enterprise adds custom LLMs, private integrations, and custom concurrency. No per-seat charges. See thoughtly.com/pricing for details.
Regal.ai started as an outbound dialer for human SDR teams and has since layered on an AI Phone Agent, rebranding around AI-driven customer communications. The platform now positions itself as an AI agent platform for enterprise contact centers, with strengths in journey orchestration, conversation intelligence, and agent assist. Regal holds a 4.7/5 rating on G2 across 44 reviews, with 86% of reviewers giving 5 stars.
The AI Phone Agent handles inbound and outbound calls, SMS, and some workflow automation. However, Regal's design center remains rooted in the human-rep + AI-bolt-on model: pricing assumes a hybrid motion where humans take high-intent calls and AI handles overflow, and the integration footprint leans CCaaS-adjacent (Five9, Genesys) rather than CRM-native.
Contact-center operations teams that already have a human rep bench and want to augment it with AI — not replace it. Best when the goal is making existing reps 20-30% more productive, not achieving 100% AI-driven lead coverage.
Custom enterprise pricing. Regal does not publish per-minute or per-seat rates. Buyers report seat-based pricing with AI usage fees layered on top. Contact vendor for a quote.
Five9 is one of the longest-standing contact-center platforms, founded in 2001, and has added an AI Agent layer to its CCaaS offering. The platform handles inbound, outbound, and blended contact-center operations with virtual agents, predictive behavioral routing, and WFM integration. Five9 holds a 4.1/5 rating on G2 across 616 reviews, with 56% giving 5 stars and 5% giving 1-2 stars.
For enterprise RevOps teams, the appeal is Five9's maturity: it has deep telephony infrastructure, proven scale, and enterprise compliance (SOC 2, HIPAA). The limitation is that Five9 is a contact-center platform first and an AI agent platform second. The AI Agent is a feature inside a larger CCaaS stack that includes IVR, ACD, WFM, QA, and analytics — much of which a RevOps team focused on inbound lead conversion does not need.
Large enterprises that already operate a contact center and want to add AI phone agents within their existing Five9 environment. Not ideal for RevOps teams seeking an AI-native lead conversion platform without the CCaaS overhead.
Custom enterprise pricing based on seats, channels, and AI usage. Five9 does not publish standard rates. Contact vendor for a quote.
Genesys Cloud CX is an enterprise-grade customer experience platform that spans contact center, AI virtual agents, workforce engagement, and journey orchestration. It is one of the most comprehensive CCaaS platforms on the market, with deep integrations to Salesforce, ServiceNow, Microsoft, and AWS. Genesys holds strong Gartner Peer Insights ratings and is a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for CCaaS.
For RevOps, the value proposition is the AI-powered virtual agent that can handle inbound calls, qualify intent, and route to human reps. The limitation is scope: Genesys is built for enterprise CX orchestration — managing millions of customer interactions across support, service, and sales — not specifically for the inbound lead conversion motion that RevOps teams need. The platform's depth in IVR, QA, WEM, and customer journey analytics is more than most RevOps teams will use.
Enterprise CX and contact-center teams that need a comprehensive platform for customer experience orchestration across support, service, and sales — and have the implementation resources to deploy it. RevOps-only teams will find the scope oversized for inbound lead conversion.
Custom enterprise pricing. Genesys Cloud CX offers subscription tiers but does not publish rates. Contact vendor for a quote.
Conversica is an AI-powered lead engagement platform that focuses on automated, multi-turn conversations across email, SMS, and chat. The platform's AI Revenue Digital Assistants pursue every lead, engage in two-way dialogue, and hand off qualified opportunities to human reps. Conversica has been in the market since 2008 and serves enterprise customers across automotive, education, financial services, and technology.
The platform's strength is email-first nurture: it excels at persistent, multi-touch follow-up that keeps aged leads warm. However, for teams whose primary need is AI phone agents — autonomous voice calls that qualify leads in real time — Conversica's voice capability is secondary. The platform added AI voiceAI voiceAn artificially generated, natural-sounding voice produced by a TTS model. Thoughtly supports a library of AI voices and brand-specific cloning. interactions, but its core design center is text-based, asynchronous conversation.
Enterprise marketing and RevOps teams that need persistent email-first lead nurture and have lower urgency for real-time AI voice. Best as a complement to — not replacement for — a voice-first speed-to-lead platform.
Custom enterprise pricing based on lead volume and feature set. Conversica does not publish rates. Contact vendor for a quote.
Nooks is an AI-powered parallel dialer built for outbound SDR teams. The platform auto-dials multiple numbers simultaneously, detects voicemails and human pickups, and connects reps only when a live contact is on the line. Nooks also offers a virtual salesfloor feature that lets reps work together in real time, with live coaching and call analytics. The platform holds a 4.6/5 rating on G2 across 808 reviews.
For enterprise RevOps, the appeal is raw connect-rate improvement: Nooks can roughly triple the number of live conversations a rep has per hour. The limitation is that Nooks is a dialer — it augments human SDRs, it does not replace them. There is no autonomous AI agent that calls leads, qualifies them, and books meetings without a human on the line. For RevOps teams looking to achieve 100% lead coverage without scaling headcount, Nooks solves a different problem.
Outbound SDR teams that want to triple their connect rates with parallel dialing and virtual salesfloor coaching. Not suitable for RevOps teams seeking AI-driven inbound lead conversion or autonomous call handling.
Estimated at ~$5,000 per user per year (~$417/month), billed annually. Pricing is not published; contact vendor for a custom quote.
Orum is an intelligent auto-dialer and sales coaching platform that helps outbound sales teams make more calls, connect with more prospects, and coach reps in real time. The platform features AI-powered dialing that filters out voicemails and bad numbers, a coaching dashboard for call review, and analytics for call activity and conversion. Orum holds a 4.6/5 rating on G2 across 808 reviews, with 77% giving 5 stars.
Like Nooks, Orum is fundamentally a dialer — not an autonomous AI phone agent. It improves human rep efficiency but does not place calls, qualify leads, or book meetings without a human on the line. For enterprise RevOps teams evaluating AI phone agents for lead conversion, Orum is a productivity tool for an existing SDR motion, not a replacement for one.
Outbound sales teams with existing SDR headcount that want to maximize connect rates and coaching effectiveness. Not a fit for RevOps teams seeking autonomous AI-driven lead conversion.
Custom pricing based on team size and feature set. Orum does not publish rates. Contact vendor for a quote.
The decision comes down to one question: do you want AI to do the work, or do you want AI to make your existing human team more productive?
If the answer is AI doing the work — autonomous calls, 100% lead coverage, CRM write-back, multi-channel follow-upMulti-channel follow-upA follow-up motion that uses more than one channel — usually voice, SMS, and email — to improve contact rates after a prospect raises their hand. — then an AI-native platform like Thoughtly is the right fit. The cost structure, integration depth, and design center all align with RevOps teams that need to convert inbound leads without scaling headcount.
If the answer is augmenting an existing human team — contact-center agents, SDRs, or inside sales reps — then Regal.ai, Five9, or Genesys may be the better choice. These platforms are built to layer AI on top of human operations, not replace them. The tradeoff is a heavier implementation, a hybrid cost structure, and a broader platform footprint than RevOps-focused lead conversion requires.
If the need is primarily email nurture, not voice — Conversica is strong but incomplete for teams that need real-time phone engagement. If the need is outbound dialing efficiency for an existing SDR team, Nooks and Orum are credible but solve a different problem than autonomous AI phone agents.
An AI phone agent is an autonomous, LLM-driven voice agentVoice agentAn autonomous, conversational interface that interacts with humans over the phone — answering, qualifying, and routing calls without human staffing. that places and receives calls on behalf of a revenue operations team. Unlike a dialer (which helps a human make more calls) or an IVR (which routes calls), an AI phone agent conducts full conversations: qualifying intent, answering questions, scheduling meetings, and writing outcomes back to the CRM — without a human on the line.
AI-native platforms like Thoughtly can place an outbound call within 60 seconds of a lead entering the CRM — triggered by webhook, list membership, or workflow step. This is significantly faster than human SDR queues, where average first-touch time often exceeds 24 hours for inbound internet leads.
Yes, but compliance depends on the platform. Look for SOC 2 Type II certification, HIPAA/BAA availability, TCPA-compliant features (consent management, DNC scrubbing, quiet hours, recording consent), and the ability to configure call restrictions by state, time zone, and consent status. Platforms without these features are not suitable for insurance, mortgage, healthcare, or financial services lead conversion.
An auto-dialer (like Nooks or Orum) increases the number of calls a human rep can make per hour by automating the dialing process, filtering voicemails, and connecting reps only to live contacts. An AI phone agent (like Thoughtly) places calls autonomously, conducts the full conversation without a human, and hands off only qualified, warm leads. Auto-dialers augment human SDRs; AI phone agents replace the SDR's first-touch function entirely.
Pricing models vary. AI-native platforms like Thoughtly use per-minute or per-conversation pricing, which aligns cost with usage and scales with lead volume. Contact-center platforms (Five9, Genesys) use seat-based or platform-plus-usage pricing that includes the full CCaaS stack. Dialer tools (Nooks, Orum) charge per seat, typically $4,000-$6,000 per user per year. For RevOps teams, per-minute pricing is generally more economical because it does not penalize scaling coverage.
This article draws on direct vendor research, G2 reviews, GetVoIP reviews, Gartner Peer Insights, Reddit discussions, third-party analyst reports, and Thoughtly's own product documentation and customer evidence. Key sources include:
