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Malik Taimoor Awan
Malik Taimoor Awan

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I Built a Free Cold Calling Dialer That Replaces $200/Month Software

#ai #productivity #programming #webdev

I Built a Free Cold Calling Dialer That Replaces $200/Month Software

Most cold calling tools cost $50-200 per user per month. I built one that's free, open-source, and runs in your browser.

The Problem

I was working with a small sales team that needed to make cold calls. They looked at:

  • RingCentral — $30/user/month
  • Dialpad — $25/user/month
  • Five9 — $150+/user/month
  • Vicidial — Free but requires a dedicated server and is ancient

None of these fit their budget or needs. So I built Open Cold Dialer.

What It Does

It's a full-featured cold calling CRM that runs in your browser:

Core Features

  • Browser Softphone — Make calls directly from your browser using SIP.js
  • Multi-Provider SIP — Works with SignalWire, Telnyx, Twilio, or any SIP server
  • Lead Management — Add leads manually or import from CSV
  • Campaign Management — Organize leads into campaigns
  • Call Scripts — Templates with objection handling responses
  • Call History — Track every call with outcome and notes
  • Dashboard — Real-time stats on your calling activity

Tech Stack 

Frontend:  React 18 + Vite + TypeScript + Tailwind CSS
Backend:   Express.js + SQLite (zero config!)
Auth:      JWT with bcrypt
SIP:       SIP.js (WebRTC)
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How It Works

1. Self-Hosted (Recommended) 

git clone https://github.com/6t9xstar/Open-Cold-Dialer.git
cd Open-Cold-Dialer

# Backend
cd backend
npm install
npm run seed  # Loads 20 sample leads
npm run dev

# Frontend (new terminal)
cd frontend
npm install
cp .env.example .env.local
npm run dev
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Open http://localhost:3000 and you're running.

2. Docker 

docker compose up -d
docker compose exec backend npm run seed
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3. With Real SIP Calls

Add your SIP provider credentials to .env.local:

VITE_SIP_URI=sip:your-extension@your-domain.sip.signalwire.com
VITE_SIP_PASSWORD=your-password
VITE_SIP_WS_URL=wss://your-domain.sip.signalwire.com
VITE_SIP_CALLER_ID=+1XXXXXXXXXX
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The Architecture 

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                  Browser                     │
│  ┌─────────┐  ┌──────────┐  ┌───────────┐  │
│  │ React UI│  │ SIP.js   │  │ WebRTC    │  │
│  │         │  │ Client   │  │ Audio     │  │
│  └────┬────┘  └────┬─────┘  └─────┬─────┘  │
│       │            │              │         │
└───────┼────────────┼──────────────┼─────────┘
        │            │              │
   ┌────▼────┐  ┌────▼─────┐  ┌────▼─────┐
   │ Express │  │ SignalWire│  │ Browser  │
   │ API     │  │ / Telnyx  │  │ Mic      │
   │ (REST)  │  │ (SIP)     │  │          │
   └────┬────┘  └──────────┘  └──────────┘
        │
   ┌────▼────┐
   │ SQLite  │
   │ DB      │
   └─────────┘
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The key insight: SIP.js handles the telephony directly from the browser. No need for a SIP server — just connect to your provider's WebSocket endpoint.

Why I Chose These Tools

SIP.js

The library that makes browser-based calling possible. It handles:

  • SIP registration
  • Making/receiving calls
  • Audio via WebRTC
  • DTMF tones

SQLite

Zero-config database. No PostgreSQL, no MySQL — just a file. Perfect for:

  • Single-server deployments
  • Easy backup (copy one file)
  • No database admin needed

Vite

Blazing fast development. Hot module replacement means changes appear instantly.

Comparison with Alternatives

Feature Open Cold Dialer RingCentral Vicidial
Price Free $30/user/mo Free*
Self-hosted Yes No Yes
Open Source Yes No Yes
Setup Time 5 minutes 30 minutes 2+ hours
UI Modern React Modern PHP (2005)
Browser-based Yes Yes No
Lead Management Built-in Extra Basic
CSV Import Yes No Yes
Call Scripts Yes No Basic

*Vicidial is free but requires a dedicated server and is complex to set up.

What's Next

I'm working on these features:

  • [ ] Audio device selector (choose mic/speaker)
  • [ ] Call recording
  • [ ] Parallel dialing (power dialer mode)
  • [ ] Voicemail detection
  • [ ] DNC list management
  • [ ] AI call summaries

Try It Out

The project is open-source and ready to use:

GitHub: github.com/6t9xstar/Open-Cold-Dialer

git clone https://github.com/6t9xstar/Open-Cold-Dialer.git
cd Open-Cold-Dialer/backend && npm install && npm run seed && npm run dev
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If you find it useful, please give it a star on GitHub. It helps others discover the project.

Questions?

Open an issue on GitHub or drop a comment below. I'm happy to help you set it up.

Built with React, TypeScript, SIP.js, and a lot of coffee.

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Malik Taimoor Awan •

Try It Out: github.com/6t9xstar/Open-Cold-Dialer