Trellus AI vs Nooks: Which AI Cold Calling Solution is Best in 2025?

Looking for the right AI cold calling platform for your SDR team? Trellus and Nooks are two of the most popular choices for B2B SaaS companies, but they take very different approaches to solving the same problem.

Trellus focuses on real-time AI coaching and guidance during calls, helping SDRs improve their conversation quality in the moment. Nooks, on the other hand, emphasizes high-volume parallel dialing and a virtual sales floor experience designed for team collaboration.

But which one is right for your team? That depends on your priorities, budget, and sales motion. In this comprehensive comparison, we'll measure how Trellus and Nooks stack up against each other across eight key criteria:

•Pricing and Cost Structure

•Core Features and Capabilities

•Ease of Use and Onboarding

•AI Coaching and Real-Time Guidance

•Parallel Dialing Performance

•CRM Integration and Workflow

•Team Collaboration Features

•Customer Support and Training

We'll use data from user reviews, feature analysis, and real-world usage to help you understand what each platform does best. By the end, you'll have a clear picture of which solution is the best fit for your SDR team.

Let's start by understanding what each platform is designed to do.

What is Trellus?

Trellus is an AI-powered sales coach that operates as a Chrome extension, embedding directly into your CRM. Unlike traditional dialers, Trellus focuses on improving the quality of every conversation by providing real-time guidance, objection handling suggestions, and automated note-taking.

The platform is designed specifically for SMB and mid-market SDR teams that want to maximize both call volume and conversation quality. Trellus combines parallel dialing capabilities with live AI coaching, allowing SDRs to dial multiple prospects while receiving real-time suggestions on what to say next.

Trellus is best known for:

•Real-time AI coaching that provides live suggestions during calls, helping SDRs handle objections and improve their pitch

•Native CRM integration as a Chrome extension, eliminating the need to switch between platforms

•Automated note-taking and CRM updates that keep your data clean without manual entry

•Affordable pricing starting at $59.99/user/month, making it accessible for smaller teams

•Ease of onboarding with minimal setup required to get started

What is Nooks?

Nooks is an AI-powered parallel dialer designed for high-volume outbound calling. It combines advanced dialing technology with a virtual sales floor experience, allowing teams to see each other's calls in real-time and collaborate on sales strategies.

Nooks is built for teams that prioritize call volume and team visibility. The platform emphasizes the ability to dial multiple prospects simultaneously while maintaining a collaborative team environment where managers can monitor and coach reps in real-time.

Nooks is best known for:

•Advanced parallel dialing that allows SDRs to dial up to 10 lines simultaneously, dramatically increasing call volume

•Virtual sales floor that creates a collaborative team environment with real-time visibility into who's calling whom

•AI-powered insights that provide post-call analysis and coaching recommendations

•Leaderboards and team metrics that gamify the sales process and drive competition

•Integration with Salesforce and Outreach for seamless workflow integration

The Main Difference Between Trellus and Nooks

The most significant difference between Trellus and Nooks is their approach to improving sales performance.

Trellus prioritizes conversation quality through real-time AI coaching. It helps SDRs say the right things during calls, handle objections better, and close more deals per conversation. The platform is designed for teams that want to improve their close rates and deal quality.

Nooks prioritizes call volume and team collaboration through advanced parallel dialing. It helps SDRs reach more prospects faster and creates a virtual team environment where managers can monitor performance and provide coaching. The platform is designed for teams that want to maximize the number of conversations they have.

In other words, Trellus asks: "How can we help SDRs have better conversations?" while Nooks asks: "How can we help SDRs have more conversations?"

The right choice depends on your team's priorities. If you want to improve conversation quality and close rates, Trellus is the better choice. If you want to maximize call volume and team visibility, Nooks is the better option.

Feature Comparison: Trellus vs Nooks

Pricing and Cost Structure

Trellus offers transparent, affordable pricing that scales with your team size. Plans start at $59.99/user/month for the Power plan and go up to $149.99/user/month for the Parallel plan, which includes advanced dialing capabilities.

For a team of 10 SDRs, you're looking at $600-$1,500 per month total. There are no hidden fees, and you can add or remove users as needed.

Nooks pricing is less transparent and starts at approximately $200/user/month. For a team of 10 SDRs, you're looking at $2,000+ per month. The exact pricing depends on your contract and usage, and you'll need to contact their sales team for a custom quote.

Winner: Trellus - For SMB and mid-market teams, Trellus offers significantly better value with transparent pricing that's 3-4x cheaper than Nooks.

Ease of Use and Onboarding

Trellus is designed for quick onboarding. Since it operates as a Chrome extension, there's minimal setup required. Most teams can be up and running within an hour. The interface is intuitive, and SDRs can start using the platform immediately without extensive training.

Nooks requires more complex onboarding. As a separate platform, it needs to be integrated with your CRM and sales engagement tools. The onboarding process typically takes 1-2 weeks, and teams need dedicated training to understand how to use the virtual sales floor effectively.

Winner: Trellus - For teams that want to get started quickly, Trellus is the clear winner with minimal setup and immediate usability.

Real-Time AI Coaching and Guidance

This is where Trellus truly differentiates itself. Trellus provides live, in-the-moment AI coaching during calls. As an SDR is speaking with a prospect, the platform suggests:

•What to say next when the conversation stalls

•How to handle specific objections with data-backed responses

•Questions to ask to move the deal forward

•Talking points to emphasize the product's value

This real-time guidance helps SDRs improve their performance immediately, not just after the call ends.

Nooks provides post-call analysis and coaching recommendations. After the call, SDRs and managers can review:

•Call recordings and transcripts

•AI-generated insights about the conversation

•Coaching recommendations for improvement

•Performance metrics and trends

While valuable, this post-call coaching doesn't help during the actual conversation.

Winner: Trellus - For teams that want to improve conversation quality in real-time, Trellus is the clear winner.

Parallel Dialing Performance

Trellus supports 3-5 parallel lines depending on the plan. This is sufficient for most SMB and mid-market teams and allows SDRs to increase their call volume significantly compared to manual dialing.

Nooks supports up to 10 parallel lines, making it one of the most powerful dialers on the market. For teams that prioritize maximum call volume, this is a significant advantage.

Winner: Nooks - For teams that need maximum parallel dialing capability, Nooks offers superior dialing performance.

CRM Integration and Workflow

Trellus integrates directly into your CRM as a Chrome extension. This means SDRs don't need to switch between platforms. They can dial, coach, and log notes all within their CRM interface. Data syncs automatically, and there's no manual data entry required.

Nooks operates as a separate platform that integrates with Salesforce and Outreach. SDRs need to switch between Nooks and their CRM to manage leads and log activities. While the integrations are solid, the workflow requires more context switching.

Winner: Trellus - For teams that want a seamless, integrated workflow, Trellus eliminates platform switching.

Team Collaboration and Visibility

Trellus provides basic team visibility through reporting and analytics. Managers can see call metrics, coaching effectiveness, and team performance, but there's limited real-time visibility into individual calls.

Nooks excels in team collaboration with its virtual sales floor. Managers can see who's calling whom in real-time, listen to active calls, and provide coaching. The platform creates a sense of team presence and competition through leaderboards and gamification.

Winner: Nooks - For teams that prioritize real-time collaboration and team visibility, Nooks is superior.

Customer Support and Training

Trellus provides 24/7 chat and email support. The onboarding process is straightforward, and most questions can be answered quickly. The platform's simplicity means less training is typically needed.

Nooks offers dedicated support and training, which is important given the complexity of the platform. However, this support is typically only available during business hours, and the onboarding process is more involved.

Winner: Trellus - For teams that need responsive, always-available support, Trellus offers better accessibility.

Trellus vs Nooks: Which is Best for Your Team?

The choice between Trellus and Nooks depends on your team's specific needs and priorities.

Choose Trellus if you:

•Want to improve conversation quality and close rates

•Have a limited budget and need affordable pricing

•Want real-time AI coaching during calls

•Prefer a seamless, integrated CRM experience

•Need quick onboarding and minimal setup

•Want to maximize ROI per conversation

•Are an SMB or mid-market team

Choose Nooks if you:

•Prioritize maximum call volume and dialing speed

•Want a virtual sales floor with real-time team visibility

•Have a larger budget and can afford premium pricing

•Need advanced leaderboards and gamification

•Want post-call AI analysis and coaching

•Prefer a dedicated platform with advanced features

•Are an enterprise or high-volume sales team

Final Verdict

For most SMB and mid-market SDR teams in B2B SaaS, Trellus is the better choice. It offers superior real-time coaching, better pricing, easier integration, and faster onboarding. The platform is specifically designed for teams that want to improve both call volume and conversation quality without the complexity and cost of enterprise solutions.

However, if your team prioritizes maximum call volume and you have the budget for a premium solution, Nooks is a powerful platform that delivers on its promise of high-volume dialing and team collaboration.

The best way to decide is to try both platforms. Trellus offers a free trial, so you can experience the real-time coaching firsthand. For Nooks, you'll need to contact their sales team for a demo.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Trellus and Nooks together?

While technically possible, most teams choose one platform or the other. Using both would create redundancy and increase costs without significant additional benefit.

Does Trellus work with Outreach?

Yes, Trellus integrates with Outreach, allowing you to manage your sales engagement sequences while using Trellus for dialing and coaching.

Can Nooks work as a Chrome extension?

No, Nooks is a web-based platform that requires a separate login and doesn't integrate as a Chrome extension like Trellus.

Which platform has better call quality?

Both platforms support high-quality VoIP calls. The difference is in how they help SDRs use those calls effectively. Trellus focuses on coaching quality, while Nooks focuses on call volume.

Is Trellus suitable for enterprise teams?

While Trellus is designed for SMB and mid-market teams, it can work for enterprise teams. However, enterprise teams may prefer Nooks' advanced features and dedicated support.

How long does it take to see ROI with each platform?

With Trellus, teams typically see improvements in close rates and deal quality within 2-4 weeks. With Nooks, teams typically see improvements in call volume and team metrics within 1-2 weeks.