Frontly vs Aircall
Aircall is a cloud business phone system — it equips your team to make and take calls from anywhere. Frontly is an AI receptionist — it answers your inbound calls 24/7 when no human is available, and books straight into your CRM. Different categories. Often run together.
- If your team needs a unified business phone system to make outbound sales calls and pick up inbound — Aircall is the answer
- If you want every inbound call answered automatically (24/7, no humans needed) and routed straight to bookings or CRM — Frontly is the answer
- If you want both: a phone system for your team AND an AI to handle calls outside business hours or when the team is busy — run Aircall + Frontly together (we connect to most VoIP systems via SIP)
- Aircall does NOT replace a receptionist — it gives your team better dialing tools
- Frontly does NOT replace a phone system — it replaces or augments the human at the front desk
What it actually does
| Feature | Frontly | Aircall |
|---|---|---|
| Outbound dialing for your sales team | No | Yes |
| Inbound calls answered automatically by AI | Yes | No |
| 24/7 coverage without staffing | Yes | No |
| Real-time appointment booking from a call | Yes | No |
| Call recording + analytics for your team | Transcripts + summaries | Yes |
| Power dialer / sequenced outbound campaigns | ACMA-compliant outbound campaigns | Yes |
| Soft-phone / desktop app for agents | No | Yes |
Outbound dialing for your sales team
Frontly
NoAircall
YesInbound calls answered automatically by AI
Frontly
YesAircall
No24/7 coverage without staffing
Frontly
YesAircall
NoReal-time appointment booking from a call
Frontly
YesAircall
NoCall recording + analytics for your team
Frontly
Transcripts + summariesAircall
YesPower dialer / sequenced outbound campaigns
Frontly
ACMA-compliant outbound campaignsAircall
YesSoft-phone / desktop app for agents
Frontly
NoAircall
YesInbound handling
| Feature | Frontly | Aircall |
|---|---|---|
| AI answers in under 5 seconds | Yes | Routes to staff |
| AI qualifies the lead during the call | Yes | No |
| AI books appointment into your calendar | Yes | No |
| AI writes contact + transcript to CRM | Yes | No |
| Call queue + IVR menu | Replaced by AI conversation | Yes |
| Voicemail to email transcription | Not needed (AI answered) | Yes |
AI answers in under 5 seconds
Frontly
YesAircall
Routes to staffAI qualifies the lead during the call
Frontly
YesAircall
NoAI books appointment into your calendar
Frontly
YesAircall
NoAI writes contact + transcript to CRM
Frontly
YesAircall
NoCall queue + IVR menu
Frontly
Replaced by AI conversationAircall
YesVoicemail to email transcription
Frontly
Not needed (AI answered)Aircall
YesWorkflow & integrations
| Feature | Frontly | Aircall |
|---|---|---|
| Bookings captured in vendor's own dashboard | Yes | No |
| Up to 200 outbound AI agents per customer | Yes | No |
| Cross-call memory of returning callers | Yes | No |
| Salesforce / HubSpot integration | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft 365 / Google Workspace | Yes | Yes |
| Visual workflow builder for call routing | Yes | IVR builder only |
Bookings captured in vendor's own dashboard
Frontly
YesAircall
NoUp to 200 outbound AI agents per customer
Frontly
YesAircall
NoCross-call memory of returning callers
Frontly
YesAircall
NoSalesforce / HubSpot integration
Frontly
YesAircall
YesMicrosoft 365 / Google Workspace
Frontly
YesAircall
YesVisual workflow builder for call routing
Frontly
YesAircall
IVR builder onlyBilling & contract
| Feature | Frontly | Aircall |
|---|---|---|
| Flat monthly rate (Frontly) / Per-seat monthly (Aircall) | From $150/mo + GST yearly | From ~AUD$45/seat/mo |
| Outbound minutes included | Outbound campaigns: yes (no per-min charge) | Per-region bundled minutes + overage |
| $0 setup fee | Yes | Yes |
| No lock-in | Yes | Annual discount available |
Flat monthly rate (Frontly) / Per-seat monthly (Aircall)
Frontly
From $150/mo + GST yearlyAircall
From ~AUD$45/seat/moOutbound minutes included
Frontly
Outbound campaigns: yes (no per-min charge)Aircall
Per-region bundled minutes + overage$0 setup fee
Frontly
YesAircall
YesNo lock-in
Frontly
YesAircall
Annual discount availableCompliance & data (AU)
| Feature | Frontly | Aircall |
|---|---|---|
| Australian data hosting | Yes | Multi-region (US/EU primary) |
| ACMA compliant | Yes | Operator responsibility |
| Privacy Act 1988 compliant | Yes | Operator responsibility |
| AU-resident customer success | Yes | EMEA / US-led support |
Australian data hosting
Frontly
YesAircall
Multi-region (US/EU primary)ACMA compliant
Frontly
YesAircall
Operator responsibilityPrivacy Act 1988 compliant
Frontly
YesAircall
Operator responsibilityAU-resident customer success
Frontly
YesAircall
EMEA / US-led supportDEEP DIVE
Key Differences Explained
Aircall is a phone system. Frontly is a front desk.
Aircall replaces the desk phone hardware your team used to own. It's an excellent VoIP product if your sales team makes calls all day and you want a unified interface, dialer, recording, and CRM logging. It does not, by design, replace the human receptionist at the front of your business — when an inbound call comes in, Aircall routes it to a human's softphone or a queue, and that human still has to answer.
Frontly answers the calls Aircall would route to staff
Frontly sits in front of (or alongside) your phone system and handles the inbound. The AI agent picks up in under 5 seconds, qualifies the caller, books the appointment, writes to your CRM, and only escalates to a human when something requires real judgment. If you have Aircall today and you're still missing calls (especially after hours and weekends), Frontly fills that gap without replacing Aircall.
How they coexist
We integrate at the call-routing layer. Inbound calls hit Frontly first. Routine enquiries — bookings, FAQ, status updates — Frontly resolves end-to-end. Anything genuinely requiring your team gets warm-transferred into your Aircall queue. Your team uses Aircall as before; Frontly catches everything else, including everything outside business hours and during peaks. Net result: zero missed calls, no extra reception staff.
If you only have budget for one
Most Australian SMBs we talk to who are weighing this question already have a phone (mobile or landline). They don't actually need Aircall — they need someone (or something) to ANSWER the phone they already have. In that case, Frontly is the higher-leverage spend: forward your existing number to Frontly's AI and you have 24/7 coverage tomorrow without rolling out a new phone system. Add Aircall later when your sales team's outbound calling justifies it.
Contact Us for Pricing
Flat monthly rate per business. Unlimited inbound calls. No per-seat scaling. Outbound campaigns included on Frontly Reach and Frontly Front Desk. Yearly plans save 20%.
Aircall pricing is per-seat per month (Essentials, Professional, Custom tiers). Includes a regional bundle of outbound minutes; overage is per-minute. Setup-friendly but cost scales with team size, not call volume.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
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