HelloAirDial

Inspiration

I built HelloAirDial this out of frustration. I needed to call landlines abroad (banks, government offices, and older relatives who don't use WhatsApp), and the experience was terrible.

I tried buying calling cards, but I kept getting hit with hidden connection fees, and expiring credits. I even bought a $10 card to just make one call.

What it does

HelloAirDial is a pure web-based dialer. It lets you call any phone number in the world directly from your browser.

• No "App": You don't need to download 100MB from the App Store. It works in Safari/Chrome.
• Transparent Billing: It shows the exact cost per minute before you dial.
• No Expiration: If you load $4, it stays there until you use it.

How we built it

The frontend is Next.js. I wanted it to load instantly, so server-side rendering was a priority. For the voice capabilities, I'm using WebRTC to stream audio directly from the browser to a SIP trunking provider. Authentication and user state are handled via NextAuth, and I integrated Stripe for handling credit top-ups securely.

Challenges we ran into

The hardest part was actually the non-technical side: understanding the opaque world of international telecom rates. Finding a reliable upstream provider that offered good quality routes to countries like India and Nigeria without charging a fortune was difficult.

Technically, managing the WebSocket state for the call timer on the frontend was tricky—ensuring the timer (and billing) stops exactly when the call drops, even if the user closes the tab abruptly.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

I'm proud that I shipped a "utility" that is actually cheaper and fairer than the big players. It’s not AI, it’s not crypto—it’s just a reliable phone connection that treats the user fairly.

What's next for HelloAirDial

I'm working on getting better rates for specific high-volume corridors (like Philippines and Mexico) and improving the web experience to provide HD call qualities.

Built With

• nextjs