Twelve providers, including the ones that beat us
Priced side by side, with the cases where someone else is the better buy stated on their own page rather than buried.
- 12 providers
- We name who beats us
- Prices shown, not hidden
The cheapest row is ours. Here is the catch.
Sorted cheapest first we now lead this table, and we would rather say why than let you assume it settles anything. Our $9.99 is Basic on annual billing — the tier with AI transcription and call recording taken out. Set it against a rival plan that includes them and you are comparing two different products.
Priced against the tier that actually carries AI, our $17.99 Professional, Dialpad still comes in lower. Grasshopper is far cheaper for any team of more than a few people. Zoom Phone is level with us at entry and cheaper again if you already pay for Zoom. Those three pages say so in their own words.
| Provider | Entry (annual) | Mid | Top |
|---|---|---|---|
| DialPhone | $9.99 | $17.99 | Quote |
| Zoom Phone | ~$10 metered / ~$20 unlimited | — | — |
| Nextiva* | ~$15 | ~$25–$40 | ~$60–$75 |
| Dialpad | ~$15 | ~$25 | Quote |
| 8x8* | ~$15 Express / ~$24 X2 | Quote | ~$140+ |
| RingCentral | ~$20 | ~$25 | ~$35 |
| Aircall* | ~$30 (3-seat min) | ~$50 | Quote |
Our $9.99 is the Basic tier on annual billing, and it is the one with AI transcription and call recording taken out — those sit on Professional at $17.99. Several rivals above bundle recording lower down their range, so read the row against the tier you would actually buy rather than against the smallest number in it.
* Figures marked with an asterisk are the least reliable in this table: 8x8 has moved to quote-only pricing, Nextiva’s tiers differ between sources, and Aircall’s seat minimum is unconfirmed.
If your decision is per-seat cost alone, Zoom Phone, Nextiva and Dialpad will win it. Read those comparisons rather than ours.
The number that matters is not the entry price
It is the price of the tier that contains the features you need. We gate AI transcription and call recording above our entry plan, and so do most of the providers here, so comparing headline rates compares two different products. Our Basic is $9.99/user/mo on annual billing without AI; our Professional is $17.99 with it. Set each against the rival tier that carries what you actually need, not against whichever number is printed largest.
Do that arithmetic with your own requirements. On some of these comparisons it favours us and on some it does not, and each page says which.
Pick by what is driving the decision
- Lowest possible per-seat costZoom PhoneNextiva
- AI included at every tierDialpadour closest competitor
- Integration breadthRingCentral
- Outbound sales callingAircall
- Very small teams, 1–5 peopleGrasshopperMightyCall
- Enterprise contact centerGenesysCisco WebexAvaya
- Customer support messagingIntercom
- International coverage8x8
Every comparison
- vs RingCentralThe integration catalogue
- vs NextivaConditions on the headline
- vs DialpadOur closest competitor
- vs Zoom PhoneLevel on price, ahead on bundling
- vs 8x8International, quote-only
- vs AircallThe one where we are cheaper
- vs GrasshopperFlat rate, not per seat
- vs MightyCallRead the minimums
- vs IntercomA different channel entirely
- vs AvayaTwo products, two answers
- vs Cisco WebexVideo scale and PSTN caveats
- vs GenesysNot the same category
Where DialPhone is the wrong choice
- You want the lowest per-seat priceZoom Phone and Nextiva start lower.
- You run high-volume outboundThere is no power dialer. Buy a specialist.
- You need more than 200 on a video callWebex and Zoom go far higher.
- You need enterprise contact centerAbove roughly 500 concurrent agents, look at Genesys, Cisco or NiCE.
- You need on-premise hardwareDialPhone is cloud only.
The editorial standards set out how these figures are gathered and how to get one corrected, our own pricing is published in full including what sits below the line, and the field notes carry the longer research behind the table.
Compare it on your own calls.
Fourteen days, no card. A week of real traffic settles more than any table on this page.
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