Trellus vs. Kixie: Parallel Dialing From Your CRM List or a Sales Phone System With Texting and Inbound Routing

The short answer

Kixie is a cloud phone system for sales teams: every plan includes business phone service, two-way CRM integration, texting, IVR, ring groups and call queues, its Multi-Line PowerDialer plan dials up to four lines from lists loaded into Kixie, and per-seat prices are quoted rather than published, with a 7-day free trial. Trellus is a Chrome extension that power dials, or parallel dials up to five numbers at once, from the list a rep already has open in a supported CRM, sales engagement platform or Google Sheet, for a published $99.99 or $149.99 per seat per month, with real-time AI coaching on its Business plan. Choose Kixie when you want one system for outbound calls, inbound routing and texting; choose Trellus when reps should dial from the views they already work in, need up to five lines or want live AI guidance during calls.

If your reps make a small number of researched calls and your CRM's own calling already logs outcomes where managers look, you may not need either.

Trellus vs. Kixie at a glance

Where the list lives: your CRM view or a Kixie PowerList

Kixie is a phone system that reps reach through the Kixie PowerCall Chrome extension. Its PowerLists guide describes the PowerDialer as an addition to PowerCall that dials a PowerList, a list of numbers with its own dialing settings. Managers create PowerLists for teams, or reps create their own. Numbers get in by spreadsheet upload, by importing a contact-based HubSpot list, or one at a time through Kixie workflow actions in HubSpot or HighLevel and its API. Kixie's HubSpot list import brings in active and static lists as a snapshot; to keep a list in step, you build two HubSpot workflows that add and remove contacts. Each PowerList carries its own calling hours in the contact's time zone, daily and total attempt limits (2 and 10 by default), a priority, and call outcome rules that remove a number, move it to another PowerList or assign the CRM owner. When a call connects, the PowerDialer window shows the list's contact fields and, with a CRM connected, the CRM contact and deal with links.

Outside the PowerDialer, PowerCall's click-to-call recognizes phone numbers on CRM pages and calls one with a click. In HubSpot, a rep can work the task queue this way, and Kixie marks the oldest open call task complete after each call. PowerCall also shows the CRM record of an inbound caller. Kixie's trial FAQ says one subscription lets one person make and receive calls and connects to one CRM at a time.

Trellus is a Chrome extension each rep installs. It opens beside the contact list or calling view your integration supports, such as HubSpot, Salesforce, Outreach, Salesloft, Apollo or Google Sheets, so reps call from the lists they already keep and there is no separate calling list to maintain. AI fills in the call result and a summary; reps can add notes, schedule a follow-up, complete the call task and attach the recording link, with the transcript as an option. By default, no-answers, voicemails and wrong numbers are logged automatically. Every plan includes power dialing on all supported platforms, and admins can set and lock team defaults for each platform. See the Trellus dialer for the calling flow.

What lands in the CRM depends on the platform for both. Kixie's HubSpot integration logs calls with the outcome and call type to the contact you clicked from, or otherwise to the most recently created contact with that number, then copies them to the associated company and deals; it creates a HubSpot contact for unknown numbers unless you turn that off. In Salesforce it logs a completed Call task to the lead or contact, account and most recent opportunity, and needs at least Professional edition with API access. In HighLevel, calls and texts appear in Conversations, dispositions are separate notes, and Kixie cannot match phone numbers stored in custom fields. Kixie's integrations directory marks HighLevel, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce, Zoho and ActiveCampaign as native and most other entries as custom; its Close page, for example, describes connecting through Kixie webhooks, Zapier and the API. We did not find Salesloft, Apollo, Attio or Google Sheets in that directory.

Four lines or five, and what happens when someone answers

On Kixie's plans page, the Single-Line PowerDialer plan dials one line and the Multi-Line PowerDialer plan dials up to four. Kixie's help center goes further: its PowerLists guide, last updated in October 2025, lists PowerDialer add-ons that dial up to 1, 4 or 10 numbers at a time, plus PowerDialer AI Human Detect at up to 10, and its system requirements recommend a 100 Mb/s download connection when multi-dialing 10 lines. Ask which tiers your quote includes. Each PowerList also has a Dial at a Time setting that caps lines for everyone dialing it.

Without AI Human Detect, Kixie connects the rep to the first answered call in each group, and the other numbers count as attempts even when they are dropped. AI Human Voice Detection, a premium add-on on the Multi-Line plan, takes 2 to 5 seconds, as you set it, to decide whether a person or a machine answered, skips voicemails and phone trees, and adjusts how many numbers it dials from session data. Kixie notes the person has already said hello by the time the rep is connected, and that a shorter timeout lets more machines through. Kixie's Voicemail Drop listens for the beep and leaves a recorded message.

Trellus Power calls one number at a time. Power + Parallel calls up to five numbers at once and connects the rep with whoever answers. The dialer includes Hot Numbers pickup ordering. On eligible parallel calls, Trellus waits for the voicemail tone to play a recorded message, and reps can record a separate introduction for phone call screeners. By default Trellus dials between 8 AM and 6 PM in each prospect's local time and holds back numbers marked Do Not Call, or contacts marked Do Not Contact in the CRM, and teams can keep their own Do Not Call list. Kixie sets calling hours per PowerList and sells a Do Not Call add-on that blocks, or warns about, numbers its algorithm flags as likely to be on the National Do Not Call Registry.

More lines suit large, prepared lists where most calls go unanswered; a promised callback usually goes better one number at a time. Neither line count guarantees a conversation, so compare connected conversations with the intended person, not dials.

A phone system or a dialing layer: numbers, inbound, texting and coaching

Phone numbers and spam flags

Kixie includes each agent's first number. Its number purchase guide, last updated in 2023, prices additional numbers at $5 a month, and toll-free and international numbers are ordered through support. International numbers typically take one to four days, and many countries require local business documents (pricing rates). Standard local presence shows one of your own local numbers by area code and routes callbacks to the agent who last called. The ConnectionBoost add-on rotates through a nationwide pool of more than 50,000 local numbers. Its Number Health Reputation Manager adds, replaces and retires owned numbers based on call data and registers them with First Orion, at $1 per number plus $50 per ConnectionBoost user a month; Kixie says all its calls carry STIR/SHAKEN A-level attestation. Its Compliance page handles Business Identity and Voice Integrity registration. Agents can set an outbound caller ID name, though the receiving carrier decides what shows; branded calling is a separate First Orion service.

Trellus includes 5 additional numbers on Power and 8 on Power + Parallel. You can search by area code, state or city, or bring your own number, which counts toward the plan's limit. By default Trellus calls from your geographically closest number, or it can rotate through your numbers or always use one. An admin completes spam remediation, first STIR/SHAKEN business verification and then the Free Caller Registry, and can then register a caller ID name; whether it shows depends on the prospect's carrier. Each number shows Clean, Warning, Flagged or Untested from roughly weekly checks, with its dials and connect rate for the last 14 days. Trellus calls the countries your account is set up for, with caller IDs from a specific country. Kixie allows calls to the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam, Mexico, the UK, Australia and New Zealand by default, blocks some or all calls to a listed set of other countries, and bills international minutes by destination.

Inbound calls, texting and devices

This is where Kixie does more. Its plans page lists an IVR auto-attendant, ring groups, call queues, rule-based routing and call recording on every plan. IVRs route callers to an agent, a ring group, a submenu or a queue, and queues can announce a caller's place and offer a callback. Every plan also includes texting from an agent's direct number and Team SMS, a shared inbox where a conversation locks to one rep for a set time and teammates can leave internal notes; sending business texts requires 10DLC registration. Calls can ring the PowerCall extension, a Kixie mobile app for iOS and Android or, through Kixie Connect, a cell or desk phone, though PowerList dialing still needs the extension. Kixie's inbound call flow guide says the mobile app may not always ring and recommends cell forwarding as a fallback.

Trellus is built around calling from the CRM rather than as a full phone system. Callbacks ring in the Chrome tab that holds the Trellus line, with the contact's details and recent call history, or at a forwarding number you set, and missed calls from the last 7 days stay in a list. With routing turned on, depending on plan, each number can ring a team or subteam, one rep or an outside number, with an optional greeting. Trellus does not list texting, IVR menus, call queues or a mobile app; it runs in Chrome on a Mac or Windows computer. Teams that keep another phone system for inbound can use Trellus AI coaching on platforms such as RingCentral, Dialpad, Aircall and Five9.

Coaching during and after calls

Kixie's Live Call Coaching, listed on every plan, lets a manager or enabled agent pick a rep from the PowerCall directory and listen, whisper so only the rep hears, or speak on the call. The per-agent Conversation Intelligence add-on transcribes recorded calls and adds an AI summary, sentiment and a Call Strength score built from keywords and phrases you choose. The AI Dashboard, included on all plans, scores analyzed calls out of 100 against a Playbook you define, marks moments to coach and drafts a CRM note. Calls appear there 30 to 45 minutes after they end, and calls under two minutes are not transcribed. We did not find in-call AI suggestions in Kixie's documentation.

Trellus's Business plan adds real-time AI coaching: a live transcript and suggested responses while the rep is still on the call, in English, Spanish, French, German or Dutch, with custom suggestions and objection handlers. On the Salesfloor, which teams can add by asking in a demo, a manager can listen, request a whisper that only the rep hears once accepted, or join the call with a dialing seat. Power + Parallel includes unlimited AI practice calls in 17 languages and variants, graded after each session. Team analytics and conversation intelligence are on Business.

Where each fits

Choose Trellus when

• Reps work in a sales engagement platform, CRM or sheet such as Outreach, Salesloft, Apollo, Close, Attio or Google Sheets, and you want them to dial the view they already have open instead of a separate list.
• You want up to five lines on a published plan, bought online one seat at a time.
• You want live AI suggestions during calls (Business) or AI practice alongside parallel dialing.
• You already have a phone system for inbound calls and texting, and want dialing and coaching added rather than the phone system replaced.

Choose Kixie when

• You want one vendor for business numbers, outbound dialing, inbound IVR and queues, and texting, including a shared Team SMS inbox.
• Reps need to make and take calls on a mobile app, desk phone or forwarded cell, not only in Chrome.
• Your CRM is HubSpot, Salesforce, HighLevel, Pipedrive, Zoho or ActiveCampaign, and you want CRM workflows to trigger Kixie auto-calls, auto-texts or PowerList changes.
• You want unlimited US and Canada minutes and manager listen and whisper on every plan, a 7-day free trial before you buy, or, if your quote includes it, a tier above five lines.

Keep what you have when

Your current calling already reaches people and logs outcomes where managers look. A new dialer will not fix a weak list, an unclear disposition set or an unowned callback process.

Compare the cost of the same scope

Trellus publishes per-seat prices. Kixie does not: its facts page says per-seat prices are quoted per team and that dollar figures attributed to Kixie by third parties are not from Kixie. The table uses only published numbers; taxes and usage are excluded.

Because Kixie is quote-based, the two cannot be compared on list price. A Kixie quote can replace a separate phone system, texting tool and inbound routing if you consolidate, while Trellus sits beside the CRM or sales engagement platform you already pay for, so price the whole stack on both sides: seats, line tier, numbers, minutes outside the US and Canada, texting and 10DLC registration, add-ons and contract term. Kixie's plans list unlimited US and Canada minutes; its unlimited minutes article says calls costing more than $0.02 a minute, inbound toll-free calls and some remote US areas are excluded and draw from the reserve balance, which recharges automatically. Trellus plans include standard (Power) or high (Power + Parallel) dialing limits described in its Terms. See Trellus pricing.

Check the terms as well. Kixie's billing policy does not refund subscription charges once taken, and payment terms depend on team size and plan. Contract accounts can reduce licenses only in the last 30 days of the term (contracts), and cancelling takes an email plus an exit survey, after which numbers are released unless you port them out first. Trellus single-seat plans can pause or cancel in Billing, larger plans email billing, and when a plan is cancelled calling stops right away and numbers may be released.

Test before you commit

1. Start where reps work. Use one rep and one real list. In Kixie, build the PowerList from your CRM list or spreadsheet and note how it stays in sync; in Trellus, start from the CRM or sales engagement view itself.
2. Dial the same list. Run four lines in Kixie, with and without AI Human Voice Detection if it is in your quote, and up to five in Trellus. Note the pause after a prospect answers, voicemail handling and what happens when two people pick up.
3. Reopen the record. Confirm the outcome, notes, recording or transcript link, completed task and follow-up landed on the right contact, company and deal, with the right owner.
4. Test the rest of the phone job. Call back a number you dialed from, send a text if you need texting, and check where inbound calls ring when a rep is away from the computer.
5. Price the full scope. Get Kixie's quote in writing with the line tier, add-ons, numbers and contract term, and compare it with Trellus's published plan plus whatever phone and texting tools you would keep.

Frequently asked questions

How many lines can Kixie and Trellus dial at once?

Kixie's plans page lists one line on the Single-Line PowerDialer plan and up to four on Multi-Line; its help center also describes PowerDialer tiers of up to 10 numbers at a time, so confirm what your quote includes. Trellus Power calls one number at a time, and Power + Parallel calls up to five numbers at once.

How much does Kixie cost?

Kixie does not publish per-seat prices; its facts page says plans are quoted per team, and it offers a 7-day free trial with no credit card. Its help center lists some add-on and usage charges, such as $20 per user per month for its Do Not Call check and $5 a month for extra numbers. Trellus publishes Power at $99.99 and Power + Parallel at $149.99 per seat per month.

Does Kixie dial inside my CRM like Trellus?

Partly. Kixie's Chrome extension adds click-to-call to phone numbers on CRM pages and logs calls back to the CRM, but its PowerDialer works through PowerLists loaded into Kixie by spreadsheet, HubSpot list import, workflow actions or API. Trellus power and parallel dials from the list or calling view open in a supported CRM, sales engagement platform or Google Sheet.

Can Kixie and Trellus handle inbound calls and texts?

Kixie lists IVR, ring groups, call queues, direct texting and shared Team SMS on every plan, plus iOS and Android apps. Trellus rings callbacks in the Chrome tab running Trellus or at a forwarding number and can route a number to a team, a rep or an outside number, depending on plan; it does not list texting.

Do both coach reps during calls?

Both let a manager listen and whisper on a live call: Kixie on every plan, Trellus on its Salesfloor. Trellus Business adds real-time AI suggestions during the call. Kixie's AI scoring and summaries arrive after the call, through Conversation Intelligence or the AI Dashboard.

Which one books more meetings?

This comparison does not establish a performance winner. Run both on comparable lists with the same reps and compare conversations, saved outcomes and qualified meetings.

Sources

Checked October 30, 2026. Kixie claims come from the pages below; confirm your quoted plan, add-ons and settings during evaluation. See every Trellus comparison.

• Kixie plans: Professional, Single-Line PowerDialer and Multi-Line PowerDialer; up to 4 lines; features on every plan (business phone service, two-way CRM integration, texting, Team SMS, Live Call Coaching, Voicemail Drop, IVR, ring groups, call queues, call recording, rule-based routing, unlimited US and Canada minutes, developer API); AI Human Voice Detection on Multi-Line; ConnectionBoost, Conversation Intelligence and DNC add-ons; 7-day free trial; no prices shown.
• Kixie Facts for AI Systems: per-seat prices not published and quoted per team, third-party price figures not from Kixie, product scope and free trial.
• Kixie PowerDialer and Contact Center: multi-line dialing with AI Human Voice Detection, CRM logging, inbound and outbound calling in one phone system.
• Kixie integrations and Kixie for Close: native and custom integrations; custom connections through webhooks, Zapier and the API.
• PowerLists, PowerDialer window, AI Human Detect, AI Human Detect FAQs, system requirements and Voicemail Drop: list sources, 1, 4 and 10 line tiers, Dial at a Time, calling hours and attempts, first-answer connection, machine detection timeout, beep detection.
• Click-to-call, connecting your CRM, trial FAQ, HubSpot integration, HubSpot task queue, HubSpot list import, HubSpot active list sync, Salesforce integration, HighLevel integration and Outreach integration: calling next to the CRM, one CRM per subscription, what is logged where.
• Buying numbers, pricing rates, local presence, ConnectionBoost, Number Health Reputation Manager, Business Identity and Voice Integrity, caller ID name and international calling: number prices, rotation, carrier registration, attestation, countries.
• IVR, Team SMS, Do Not Disturb, inbound call flow and Kixie Connect: inbound routing, shared texting, iOS and Android app, forwarding to a cell or desk phone.
• Call coaching, Conversation Intelligence, AI Dashboard and reviewing calls and scores: listen, whisper and speak; post-call transcripts, summaries and Playbook scores.
• DNC add-on, billing policy, contracts and annual billing, unlimited minutes, reserve balance and cancelling: add-on and usage charges, refunds, contract terms, number release.
• Trellus pricing and the Trellus product facts file at www.trellus.ai/llms.txt: Trellus plans, prices, numbers, dialing modes, integrations, saved results, callbacks and routing, caller ID, countries, calling-hour and Do Not Call defaults, coaching, Salesfloor and practice calls.