Automated Phone Calls for Businesses
Navigating the vast and ever-evolving landscape of AI solutions is no small task, often leaving enterprises to grapple with two major challenges: identifying what can be effectively implemented today, and understanding the organizational costs associated with adoption. With a myriad of platforms offering varying levels of sophistication, businesses often find it difficult to separate practical, actionable tools from lofty claims of “next-generation” automation.
For decision-makers tasked with cutting through this noise, a clear evaluation framework has never been more essential. In this article, we dive into the world of automated phone calls for businesses, comparing two leading platforms—Bland AI and Sierra—offering a feature-by-feature comparison based on available information and equipping you with a comprehensive rubric to confidently assess any AI-driven solution.
AI Voice Agents
AI voice agents are a cutting-edge application of Conversational AI. Leveraging intelligence from large language models (LLMs) these systems simulate natural, human-like interactions through phone-based and voice-driven interfaces, revolutionizing AI customer support and outbound call AI services.
Both Bland and Sierra specialize in this technology, but their approaches differ significantly. Bland prioritizes empowering businesses to design highly customizable conversational workflows while Sierra is enterprise-oriented though limited information is publicly available.
Bland’s user-friendly interface utilizes drag-and-drop pathway builders, offers seamless API integrations, and boasts advanced natural language understanding (NLU); making Bland a versatile talk-to-AI solution across diverse use cases.
By contrast, Sierra positions itself as a chatbot solution for growing businesses. Its focus leans toward text-based customer support, and according to their limited case studies Sierra’s main competency is supporting customer service agents. The platform also lists products such as Voice and Platform OS, however, there is minimal publicly available information about these offerings.
Though both platforms share common ground, directly comparing them is challenging due to the lack of accessible resources for Sierra—no feature lists, reviews, or demos are publicly available. Instead, this analysis evaluates the information that is made accessible, highlighting key differences between the two.
Best AI Phone Solution
Choosing the best AI phone solution for your business requires looking beyond surface-level claims to evaluate specific features and functionalities. Not all AI voice agents are created equal—some excel in customization and scalability, while others focus on ease of use or cater to specific industries.
A feature-by-feature breakdown reveals why Bland AI stands out as a leader in contact center AI. By empowering businesses with tools like Conversational Pathways and API integrations, Bland enables highly tailored customer interactions with minimal setup friction.
Sierra, while offering promising concepts, leaves much to the imagination due to limited publicly available information.
Feature Breakdown:
AI Onboarding:
- Bland AI: Bland AI simplifies onboarding, enabling users to create their first agent in just 30 seconds. With its intuitive design and extensive support resources, businesses can quickly construct advanced AI customer support systems. Bland’s flagship Conversational Pathways offer click-and-drag tools to build complex AI phone agents with decision trees, integrations, and transfer options, ideal for scaling operations, particularly in outbound call AI solutions.
- Sierra: Sierra advertises Platform OS, a graphical system for creating text and potentially voice-based AI agents. However, limited information about the platform and lack of demo options makes its usability difficult to assess. Registration requires submitting a request via a contact form, and we have yet to receive a response after testing this process.
Cost & Setup:
- Bland: Bland AI employs a transparent, usage-based pricing model, with enterprise rates clearly outlined on its publicly accessible documentation. This flexibility ensures businesses pay only for active agent minutes, allowing them to scale cost-effectively. Additionally, Bland’s HIPAA and SOC-II compliance make it a top-tier solution for industries where security matters most. Explore Bland’s scalable pricing model here.
- Sierra: Pricing information is not publicly available, likely due to Sierra’s enterprise focus.
Solution Scalability:
Bland has successfully scaled its infrastructure globally to support a variety of enterprise clients. Even the largest businesses can scale their call volumes through Bland’s platform without performance degradation. Beyond this, Bland's certifications make it a versatile choice for sectors where data security is a top priority.
Sierra’s security features are limited to basic encryption and guardrails to supervise AI agents. There is little to no information available on the security protocols or certifications offered by Sierra.
AI Integrations:
Bland integrates seamlessly with any API-enabled system, with users building complex integrations from platforms like Shopify, Hubspot, and Microsoft Outlook, using Bland’s comprehensive connectivity features.
As for Sierra, there is no published information regarding integrations or capabilities. Across Sierra’s website, several Shopify logos are displayed leading to the assumption that some level of direct connectivity through apps or integrations is available to customers.
Experience & Design:
- Bland: Bland offers fine-tuned NLU models developed and trained in-house to provide accurate, industry-specific interpretations of user inputs. The platform’s multi-LLM workflow is documented in Bland University, offering comprehensive training to users. Bland’s drag-and-drop conversational pathway design allows for dynamic branching, enabling businesses to fully customize their user experience.
- Sierra: There is little to no information on Sierra’s “Voice” product or its interface design, making it difficult to assess its capabilities. Unlike Bland, Sierra does not appear to offer advanced workflow design features like dynamic branching or conditionals.
Bland additionally offers an API documentation suite that is consistently updated, complete with Bland University’s breakdown of Bland's features intended for technical and non-technical users.
Bland prioritizes engagement with a community of developers and integrators on Discord, and hosts a free, Bland-moderated space to share solutions and field questions.
Sierra’s documentation is not publicly available, and there is no community or support network to be found for Sierra’s interface.
Use Cases & Industry Fit:
Both platforms have well-documented case studies across industries. Sierra’s case studies tend to lean very heavily toward consumer-facing brands in the way of E-commerce and text-based support.
Bland seems to gain favor with enterprises that perform heavy marketing and sales operations through live phone calls with customers.
Why Bland is the Better Choice:
Bland stands out as the better AI phone solution for businesses upon our analysis of Bland’s key features and Conversation Pathways. For those interested in further exploring the platform, you can sign up directly to start building, or arrange a consultation with one of our engineers to discuss your business needs and potential use cases.
Regarding Sierra, unfortunately, we are unable to provide the same level of detail. The information available about their platform is scarce, and much of it remains inaccessible. This lack of public information speaks volumes and should be informative in your own evaluation process.
For More Information:
Bland AI Case Studies and Best Practices
