Dialpad starts at $15 per user per month and is the cheapest entry point here, with AI transcription and a simple cloud phone system. Aircall starts at $30 per user per month and suits small teams that need a fast cloud phone with CRM integrations and call analytics. Nextiva starts at $18.95 per user per month and combines voice, video, and messaging in one platform for small businesses.
Call center software should route calls to the right agent, record and transcribe conversations, and show managers what is happening in real time. The best tools also connect with your CRM, so agents see customer history before they answer. Prices come from each vendor pricing page checked on 2026-11-12, and quote-only tools are marked as such because the vendor does not publish a list price.
On this page
What is the best call center software: comparison table
Swipe the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
| # | Name | Best for | Starting price | Free plan / trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dialpad | Low-cost cloud phone with AI | $15 per user/month | Free trial (14 days) | Visit |
| 2 | Aircall | Small team cloud phone | $30 per user/month | Free trial (14 days) | Visit |
| 3 | Nextiva | Small business voice and video | $18.95 per user/month | Free trial (14 days) | Visit |
| 4 | Genesys Cloud | Enterprise omnichannel centre | $75 per user/month | Free trial (14 days) | Visit |
| 5 | Talkdesk | Mid-market contact centre | $65 per user/month | Free trial (14 days) | Visit |
| 6 | Five9 | Enterprise cloud contact centre | quote only | Free trial (14 days) | Visit |
| 7 | RingCentral Contact Center | RingCentral users | quote only | Free trial (14 days) | Visit |
The 7 best what is the best call center software tools, in detail
Dialpad
Best for: Low-cost cloud phone with AI
Dialpad is a cloud phone and AI contact centre platform, with Standard starting at $15 per user per month. It offers voice, video, messaging, AI transcription, and real-time coaching in one app, with no hardware to install. Dialpad AI can transcribe calls, summarise them, and flag key moments, which helps managers coach agents without listening to every call.
- That makes it a good fit for a small team that wants a modern phone system with AI built in, not added on later.
- The main limit is tier pricing.
- The Standard plan covers basic calling and AI, but advanced contact centre features, such as omnichannel routing and workforce management, need Pro or
- Some integrations also sit on higher tiers.
Pros
- Low entry price with AI transcription
- Simple setup with no hardware
Cons
- Advanced contact centre features need higher tiers
- Some integrations need a higher plan
Aircall
Best for: Small team cloud phone
Aircall is a cloud phone system built for small and mid-sized sales and support teams. Essentials starts at $30 per user per month, with Professional and Custom tiers adding more features. It offers local numbers in many countries, call routing, IVR, call recording, and analytics, plus integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, and other tools.
- Setup takes minutes, and agents can work from a browser or a mobile app, which suits remote teams.
- The drawback is that AI features, such as transcription and summaries, cost extra on some plans, and the per-user price rises when you add them.
- Aircall is also a phone-first tool, so a team that needs full omnichannel support may need another tool for email and chat.
- If your main need is reliable voice calling with CRM data on screen, Aircall is a clean, fast choice.
Pros
- Fast setup and clean interface
- Strong CRM integrations with Salesforce and HubSpot
Cons
- AI features cost extra on some plans
- Per-user price rises with add-ons
Nextiva
Best for: Small business voice and video
Nextiva is a unified communications platform that combines voice, video, messaging, and customer engagement in one place. Core starts at $18.95 per user per month, with Engage, Power Suite, and Ultimate tiers adding contact centre, analytics, and AI features. It offers a cloud phone system, team messaging, video meetings, and a customer journey view, which suits a small business that wants one vendor for communication and support.
- Nextiva also offers a free trial for testing.
- The main limit is that full contact centre features, such as advanced routing and workforce management, need a higher tier, so the entry price does no
- The interface also packs many features into one app, which can take time to learn.
- If you want a low-cost platform that covers voice, video, and messaging for a small team, Nextiva is a good fit, and the trial lets you test call qual
Pros
- Voice, video, and messaging in one platform
- Low entry price for a small business
Cons
- Contact centre features need a higher plan
- Interface can feel busy with many features
Genesys Cloud
Best for: Enterprise omnichannel centre
Genesys Cloud CX is an enterprise contact centre platform, with CX 1 starting at $75 per user per month. It offers omnichannel routing across voice, chat, email, and social messaging, plus AI, analytics, and workforce management in one cloud platform. Genesys suits large contact centres that need to route thousands of interactions, manage agent schedules, and report on service levels in real time.
- It also offers a free trial for evaluation.
- The drawback is cost and complexity.
- At $75 per user per month, Genesys is far more expensive than Dialpad or Aircall, and setup needs planning and training.
- A small team will not use most of its features.
Pros
- Full omnichannel routing across voice, chat, and email
- Strong analytics and workforce management
Cons
- Entry price is high for a small team
- Setup and admin need training
Talkdesk
Best for: Mid-market contact centre
Talkdesk is a cloud contact centre platform that offers voice, digital channels, AI, and automation in one system. CX Cloud Essentials starts at $65 per user per month, with higher tiers adding AI, analytics, and workforce management. Talkdesk offers intelligent routing, self-service, agent assist, and real-time reporting, plus integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other tools.
- It suits mid-market and enterprise teams that want a cloud centre without on-premise hardware.
- The main limit is price.
- At $65 per user per month, Talkdesk is more than twice the price of Aircall, and some AI features need a higher tier.
- Setup also takes more time than a simple cloud phone.
Pros
- Cloud contact centre with AI and automation
- Good integrations with Salesforce and other CRMs
Cons
- Entry price is high for a small team
- Some AI features need a higher tier
Five9
Best for: Enterprise cloud contact centre
Five9 is a cloud contact centre platform used by large enterprise teams for inbound, outbound, and blended campaigns. It offers intelligent routing, AI agents, agent assist, workforce management, and analytics in one cloud system. Five9 is known for its outbound dialer and campaign tools, which suit sales and collections teams as well as support centres.
- Pricing is quote-only, with a free trial for evaluation, and the vendor prices by agent count, channels, and features.
- The drawback is cost clarity and setup.
- Without a published price, you cannot budget until you talk to sales, and a full deployment needs planning, training, and integration work.
- Five9 is also aimed at larger teams, so a small team may find it too heavy.
Pros
- Proven enterprise contact centre with AI
- Strong outbound dialer and campaign tools
Cons
- Pricing is not published, so you need a sales quote
- Setup is heavier than a small cloud phone
RingCentral Contact Center
Best for: RingCentral users
RingCentral Contact Center is the contact centre product from RingCentral, built on its cloud voice platform. It offers omnichannel routing across voice, chat, email, and social messaging, plus AI, analytics, and workforce management. It suits teams that already use RingCentral for voice and video, because agents can work in one system and managers get a single view of communication and support.
- Pricing is quote-only, with a free trial for evaluation.
- The main limit is price clarity.
- Without a published price, you need a sales quote to compare RingCentral with Genesys, Talkdesk, or Five9.
- The best value also comes if you already pay for RingCentral, because you can add the contact centre to an existing account.
Pros
- Built on RingCentral voice platform
- Omnichannel routing and AI in one system
Cons
- Pricing is not published
- Best value comes if you already use RingCentral
How we chose
We compared pricing pages, product documentation, and feature lists for call center software that serves sales and support teams. We looked for call routing, IVR, recording and transcription, CRM integration, omnichannel support, analytics, and workforce management. We gave extra weight to tools with a published price and a free trial, and we checked that each vendor homepage and pricing page was live. We did not test any tool hands-on, and we did not use customer counts, awards, or review scores to rank the tools. Prices change by region and billing cycle, so confirm the current price on the vendor pricing page before you buy.
What to check before you buy
Check call quality and reliability first. Run a trial on your own network, with agents in different locations, and test call clarity, delay, and dropped calls. Check routing too: the system must send calls to the right agent based on skill, language, and priority, without long waits. Check CRM integration, because agents need customer history on screen before they answer, and managers need a single view of calls, tickets, and sales.
Use this decision table to match call center software to your team size and budget.
| Team size | Budget per user per month | Best pick | | 1 to 10 agents, voice only | $15 | Dialpad Standard | | 1 to 10 agents, voice and video | $18.95 | Nextiva Core | | 5 to 20 agents, CRM-led calling | $30 | Aircall Essentials | | 20 to 100 agents, mid-market centre | $65 | Talkdesk Essentials | | 100 or more agents, enterprise | $75 | Genesys Cloud CX 1 | | 100 or more agents, outbound focus | Quote, trial first | Five9 | | Any size, RingCentral shop | Quote, trial first | RingCentral Contact Center |
Also check contract terms, support hours, and data residency. Some vendors need an annual contract, and support may be limited to business hours on lower tiers. Confirm where call recordings are stored, how long they are kept, and whether the vendor can meet your compliance needs before you sign.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best call center software for a small team?
Dialpad is the best low-cost choice for a small team, at $15 per user per month, with AI transcription and a simple cloud phone system. Nextiva at $18.95 per user per month is a strong alternative if you also need video and messaging, while Aircall at $30 per user per month suits a team that needs strong CRM integrations. All three offer a free trial, so test call quality and routing on your own network first.
How much does call center software cost per agent per month?
Entry prices in this list run from $15 per user per month for Dialpad to $30 for Aircall, $18.95 for Nextiva, $65 for Talkdesk, and $75 for Genesys Cloud. Five9 and RingCentral Contact Center use quote-only pricing, which depends on agent count, channels, and features. Budget for the base seat price plus add-ons for AI, analytics, and workforce management, which can add a large share to the total.
Do I need a full contact centre or just a cloud phone?
You need a full contact centre if you route many calls across channels, manage agent schedules, and report on service levels. You need only a cloud phone if your team makes and receives calls, with simple routing and a CRM integration. A small team with 10 agents and one channel can start with Dialpad, Aircall, or Nextiva, and move to Genesys, Talkdesk, or Five9 when volume and complexity grow.
Can I use call center software for free?
Most tools here offer a free trial, usually for 14 days, but no full free plan for a contact centre. Dialpad, Aircall, Nextiva, Genesys, Talkdesk, Five9, and RingCentral all offer a trial, so you can test call quality, routing, and CRM integration before you commit. A trial is the best way to check whether the tool fits your team, because call quality depends on your network and location.
What is the difference between Aircall and Dialpad?
Aircall is a cloud phone focused on voice calling with strong CRM integrations, starting at $30 per user per month. Dialpad is a cloud phone and AI platform, starting at $15 per user per month, with AI transcription, summaries, and coaching built in. Choose Aircall if you want simple, reliable voice with CRM data on screen, and Dialpad if you want AI transcription and coaching at a lower entry price.
Sources
- https://www.dialpad.com/
- https://www.dialpad.com/pricing/
- https://www.aircall.io/
- https://www.aircall.io/pricing/
- https://www.nextiva.com/
- https://www.nextiva.com/pricing/
- https://www.genesys.com/
- https://www.genesys.com/pricing
- https://www.talkdesk.com/
- https://www.talkdesk.com/pricing/
- https://www.five9.com/
- https://www.five9.com/pricing
- https://www.ringcentral.com/contact-center/
- https://www.ringcentral.com/contact-center/pricing/
Prices and features were read on each company’s own website in November 2026. They change often, so confirm the current offer on the official site before you sign up or buy.