Comparison
Calliente vs CiraSync
CiraSync and Calliente both put your Microsoft 365 colleagues into the phone's contacts so their calls are identified. They get there in opposite ways: CiraSync is a server-side service that copies the Global Address List into each user's Exchange mailbox, from where the phone picks the contacts up; Calliente is a mobile app that reads the Entra ID directory with delegated Microsoft Graph calls and writes it straight into the native address book, with no copy on any server.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Calliente | CiraSync |
|---|---|---|
| How contacts reach the phone | Mobile app writes the directory into the native contacts | Copied into each user's mailbox, then synced by the phone's Exchange / Outlook account |
| Microsoft 365 permissions | Delegated, read-only access to the directory | Service account with application consent to write to user mailboxes |
| Copies of the directory | None outside the phones | One copy in every mailbox |
| Server-side processing | None (Graph calls from the device) | Yes (cloud service hosted on Microsoft Azure) |
| Scope | Entra ID directory → mobile contacts | GAL, public folders, shared contacts, calendars, CRM |
| Deployment | Intune, Workspace ONE, App Store / Google Play | Admin dashboard; phones need the mailbox account (Mail or Outlook) set up |
| Export protection | Secure Call ID (blocks export & iCloud backup on iOS) | Standard mailbox contacts |
| Pricing | Per user / year (€6–€8) | Per user / month (public listings: from $1.25 billed annually, in packs of 10) |
The key difference
CiraSync works on the server side: a service account with tenant-wide mailbox write access copies the directory into every mailbox, and each phone receives it only if its mail account syncs contacts. Calliente never writes to mailboxes and keeps no copy on a server: the app reads the directory with the user's delegated, read-only access and fills the native contacts directly, which also makes Secure Call ID possible on iOS.
Calliente
Organizations that want colleagues identified on every iPhone and Android with minimal Microsoft 365 permissions, no extra copies of the directory and an Intune or Workspace ONE rollout.
CiraSync
Organizations that also need public folders, shared contact lists, calendars or CRM contacts pushed into Outlook mailboxes, and that rely on the Exchange account on each phone.
Calliente vs CiraSync FAQ
Does CiraSync install anything on the phone?+
No. CiraSync writes contacts into each user's Exchange mailbox; the phone shows them only if its mail account (iOS Mail/Contacts with Exchange, or Outlook with contact saving enabled) syncs contacts. Calliente is an app deployed on the phone that fills the native contacts itself.
Which permissions does each one need?+
CiraSync needs a service account with application consent so it can write to user mailboxes. Calliente only asks for delegated, read-only access to the directory, granted through an admin consent in Entra ID that can be revoked at any time.
Is Calliente a CiraSync alternative?+
Yes, for identifying colleagues' calls on iPhone and Android from the Microsoft 365 directory. If you also need public folders, calendars or CRM contacts in Outlook, CiraSync covers more ground.
Comparison based on publicly available information about CiraSync at the time of writing. Vendor features and pricing may change — verify on the vendor's site.