Manual dialling wastes a surprising amount of a rep's day: finding the number, typing it, waiting through rings and voicemails. Auto-dialers remove that work. The three main types differ in one thing — how many numbers they dial for each agent, and when.
Power dialer
A power dialer calls the next number on the list as soon as the agent finishes the last call. It dials one line per agent.
- Good for: small teams, B2B sales, high-value calls where the rep needs context.
- Strength: no abandoned calls, because there's always an agent ready when someone answers.
- Weakness: the agent still sits through rings, voicemails and no-answers.
Predictive dialer
A predictive dialer calls several numbers per available agent at once, using statistics about answer rates and call length to predict when agents will be free. Only answered calls are passed to agents; busy signals, voicemails and no-answers are filtered out.
- Good for: large outbound call centers working big lists — collections, surveys, high-volume sales.
- Strength: the most talk time per agent hour.
- Weakness: if more people answer than predicted, some calls are dropped. That annoys people, and many countries regulate the abandoned-call rate. It also needs enough agents to work well — with only a few agents, the predictions are poor.
Progressive dialer
A progressive dialer dials one number per agent, only when the agent is free, and usually shows the contact's record first. It sits between power and predictive: no dropped calls, a little more structure than a power dialer.
- Good for: teams that need to read notes before each call, such as account management, renewals or support follow-ups.
Side-by-side
| Power | Progressive | Predictive | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Numbers dialled per agent | 1 | 1 | Several |
| Abandoned calls | None | None | Possible |
| Agent sees record before call | Sometimes | Yes | Rarely |
| Best team size | 1–20 | Any | 15+ |
| Talk time per hour | Medium | Medium | Highest |
How to choose
- Count your agents. Fewer than about fifteen working the same list at the same time? Predictive dialing rarely pays off — choose power or progressive.
- Think about the conversation. If each call needs preparation, use progressive. If calls are short and scripted, predictive gains the most.
- Check the rules where you call. Outbound calling rules differ by country, and predictive dialers need the most care. Look for built-in do-not-call list handling and abandoned-call limits.
- Start with a trial. Most providers offer a free trial or demo. Run real calls for a week and compare talk time per agent.
Ready to compare? See our dialer comparison table, or use the Erlang C calculator to work out how many agents you need.
FAQ
Which dialer is best for a small sales team?
Usually a power dialer. It removes manual dialling without the risk of dropped calls that comes with predictive dialing, and it's cheaper to run.
Do predictive dialers drop calls?
They can. A predictive dialer calls more numbers than there are free agents, so if more people answer than expected, some calls are abandoned. Good systems keep this rate low, and many countries limit how high it can be.
What's the difference between a power and a progressive dialer?
Both call one number at a time per agent. A progressive dialer shows the agent the contact record first and dials only when the agent is ready; a power dialer simply moves straight to the next number.
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