What is business communications software?

Business communications software covers the platforms that carry business voice, customer messaging, and team collaboration — cloud phone and UCaaS systems, contact-centre routing (CCaaS), WhatsApp Business API platforms, and team chat apps. CRM systems with a calling module bolted on are catalogued as CRM, not here.

Why are Wati, respond.io, ManyChat and Intercom not ranked against the phone systems?

They are WhatsApp / omnichannel / marketing / AI customer messaging platforms. They score well but earn those scores on a different criterion mix — shared inboxes, broadcasts, workflows, and chatbots rather than IVR, queues, and dialing. Ranking them against phone systems would tell a buyer looking for business phone lines to buy a messaging platform. Intercom is also CS-borderline (secondary customer-service taxonomy).

How much does a business phone system cost?

In this set, published research floors run from about $12–$15 per user or account per month annually (KrispCall Essential, OpenPhone Starter, Grasshopper True Solo flat, Dialpad Connect Standard, Nextiva Core, Zoom Phone US/CA Unlimited, Vonage Mobile promo) through ~$19.95–$24 (Ooma Essentials, RingCentral RingEX Core, 8x8 Work X2, Webex Suite research floors) and ~$30 per licence (Aircall Essentials, three-licence minimum). GoTo Connect is custom-quote only. Freshcaller has a free agent tier with pay-per-minute usage. CCaaS floors are a different purchase: Talkdesk from $85, Genesys CX 1 $75, Five9 Digital $119 (50-seat minimum). Messaging landscape floors differ again (ManyChat Free / Essential ~$14; Intercom Essential $29 + Fin outcomes; respond.io from $79). Twilio is usage-based CPaaS (US SMS from $0.0083/msg; Flex named from $150). RingCentral, Dialpad, Zoom Phone, 8x8, Webex, and GoTo floors are medium/low confidence where selectors or quotes gate published prices — verify current pricing with the vendor before you budget.

Do affiliate relationships affect these rankings?

No. Rankings follow the business-communications editorial methodology. Affiliate status, commission rates, and programme terms are excluded from every criterion score and from the ordering.

Have you tested these products hands-on?

No. These assessments are research-grounded editorial judgments built from vendor documentation, published pricing, and product materials — not hands-on lab testing. Pricing for RingCentral, Dialpad, Zoom Phone, Aircall, Webex, Wati, and KrispCall is recorded at medium confidence where pages resist automated retrieval or use selectors, so confirm current figures with the vendor.

Buying guide

Best Business Communications Software

We evaluated business communications platforms across voice and messaging quality, routing and workflows, CRM/CTI integrations, analytics, outbound tooling, scalability, value, and AI assistance — so you can shortlist by the job you actually need: business phone, customer messaging, or team chat.

29 Business Communications platforms evaluated
Updated 2026-08-17
Independent methodology
Evidence-backed recommendations

Compare Business Communications software Find My Business Communications How we evaluate Business Communications →

SoftwareGlimpse may earn a commission when you buy through some links. This does not affect our recommendations. How we make money

Best enterprise / all-in-one UCaaS
RingCentral
Enterprise-grade UCaaS / cloud phone platform (RingEX) with deep call routing, video, team messaging and contact-centre options — Core from ~$20/user/month annual.
Best global / enterprise UCaaS peer
8x8
Closest RingCentral-class global UCaaS alternative in this set (overall 8.6) — voice, routing, analytics, and a contact-centre path, with quote-gated floors and fee opacity as the trade-offs.
Best AI-powered calling
Dialpad
Best AI score in the phone cluster (AI 10/10, overall 8.5) with transcription and summaries included on Connect — the clearest AI-native calling pick.

Our top Business Communications picks

1
RingCentralBest enterprise / all-in-one UCaaS
8.8/10
Enterprise-grade UCaaS / cloud phone platform (RingEX) with deep call routing, video, team messaging and contact-centre options — Core from ~$20/user/month annual.
From $20.00/user/mo
Read review →
2
8x8Best global / enterprise UCaaS peer
8.6/10
Closest RingCentral-class global UCaaS alternative in this set (overall 8.6) — voice, routing, analytics, and a contact-centre path, with quote-gated floors and fee opacity as the trade-offs.
From $24.00/user/mo
Read review →
3
DialpadBest AI-powered calling
8.5/10
Best AI score in the phone cluster (AI 10/10, overall 8.5) with transcription and summaries included on Connect — the clearest AI-native calling pick.
From $15.00/user/mo
Read review →

View full rankings ↓

The best Business Communications at a glance

The best business communications tool depends on whether you need a business phone system, customer messaging, team chat, or a contact center. This shortlist focuses on cloud phone and UCaaS platforms. Messaging hubs, collaboration tools, and contact-center products are covered separately because they solve different jobs.

View full comparison →

1
RingCentral
Best enterprise / all-in-one UCaaS
Enterprise-grade UCaaS / cloud phone platform (RingEX) with deep call routing, video, team messaging and contact-centre options — Core from ~$20/user/month annual.
- Carrier-grade RingEX cloud phone with SMS, video, and team messaging
- Top-tier IVR, queues, and RingCX contact-centre expansion path
- Broad CRM and collaboration integrations
From $20.00/user/mo
Read review Compare
2
8x8
Best global / enterprise UCaaS peer
Closest RingCentral-class global UCaaS alternative in this set (overall 8.6) — voice, routing, analytics, and a contact-centre path, with quote-gated floors and fee opacity as the trade-offs.
- Global UCaaS envelope — phone, video, team chat, analytics
- Top-tier IVR/queues with Contact Center X6–X8 expansion path
- Broad CRM and collaboration integrations
From $24.00/user/mo
Read review Compare
3
Dialpad
Best AI-powered calling
Best AI score in the phone cluster (AI 10/10, overall 8.5) with transcription and summaries included on Connect — the clearest AI-native calling pick.
- AI transcription and summaries included on Connect
- Connect Standard from ~$15/user/month annual
- Strong conversation analytics tied to AI
From $15.00/user/mo
Read review Compare
4
Zoom
Best video-led UCaaS / Zoom Phone path
Best fit when the organisation is already standardised on Zoom meetings and needs Zoom Phone as the natural telephony extension (overall 8.4).
- Best-in-class video meetings familiarity
- Free Workplace meetings/chat entry path
- Zoom Phone UCaaS with SMS and routing
From $15.00/user/mo
Read review Compare
5
Aircall
Best mid-market CRM CTI phone
Highest CRM/CTI integration score in the phone cluster (integrations 10/10, overall 8.3) — built for mid-market teams that treat the phone as a CRM-connected workspace.
- Deep native CRM and helpdesk CTI integrations
- IVR, queues, and business-hours routing
- Power dialer available on Professional
From $30.00/user/mo
Read review Compare

Best Business Communications at a glance

Select up to four CRMs to compare. Unknown free-plan cells mean coverage is incomplete — not “No”.

Compare Business Communications software

CRM	Our score	Best for / fit	Starting price	Free plan	Key strength	Key limitation	Review	Compare
RingCentral	8.8/10 /10	Enterprise and mid-market teams standardising on one UCaaS suite	$20.00/user/mo	No	Carrier-grade RingEX cloud phone with SMS, video, and team messaging	Seat floors often quote/selector gated (medium confidence)	Review	Compare RingCentral
8x8	8.6/10 /10	Enterprise and mid-market teams shortlisting RingCentral-class UCaaS	$24.00/user/mo	No	Global UCaaS envelope — phone, video, team chat, analytics	Seat floors medium confidence (pricing often quote/bot gated)	Review	Compare 8x8
Dialpad	8.5/10 /10	Sales and support teams that want AI call summaries by default	$15.00/user/mo	No	AI transcription and summaries included on Connect	Connect / Support / Sell fragmentation complicates comparisons	Review	Compare Dialpad
Zoom	8.4/10 /10	Orgs already standardised on Zoom meetings extending into phone	$15.00/user/mo	Yes	Best-in-class video meetings familiarity	Free tier is not Zoom Phone — telephony is paid	Review	Compare Zoom
Aircall	8.3/10 /10	Mid-market sales teams running click-to-dial from CRM	$30.00/user/mo	No	Deep native CRM and helpdesk CTI integrations	Three-licence minimum raises the true entry cost	Review	Compare Aircall

Our top Business Communications picks

Evidence-backed write-ups for the ranked shortlist. Scores come from approved assessments; fit badges reflect approved editorial awards.

#1 RingCentral

Best enterprise / all-in-one UCaaS

8.8/10

RingCentral suits mid-market and enterprise teams that want one UCaaS suite for phone, meetings, messaging, and a path into contact centre (RingCX). RingEX Core research floors start around $20 per user per month billed annually, with Advanced and Ultra higher; call recording, deeper CTI, and AI features often sit in Advanced+ or paid add-ons.

Seat dollars are frequently selector- or quote-gated, so published floors are medium confidence — confirm live pricing before you budget. Value scores 6/10 even as the product leads overall, because TCO climbs once AI and contact-centre options enter the stack.

Why RingCentral scored highly

Ease Of Use8.0
Voice Messaging Quality10.0
Routing Workflows10.0
Integrations9.0
Analytics9.0
Outbound Tools8.0
Scalability10.0
Value For Money6.0

RingCentral RingEX composer UI — RingEX composer UI from the official RingCentral RingEX page. Source

Best for

Mid-market and enterprise UCaaS buyers
Teams that need phone + meetings + messaging in one vendor
Organisations planning a contact-centre expansion path

Not ideal for

You need the cheapest transparent micro-team VoIP
You expect AI Receptionist included in Core
Your primary job is team chat alone — Slack or Teams fit that better

Starting price: $20.00/user/mo
Best for: Enterprise / all-in-one UCaaS
Primary job: Cloud phone + meetings + messaging suite

View full RingCentral review See pricing Compare RingCentral

Visit RingCentral

#2 8x8

Best global / enterprise UCaaS peer

8.6/10

8x8 suits mid-market and enterprise teams that want global cloud phone, video, team messaging, and a Contact Center ladder under one vendor. Work X2 research floors start around $24 per user per month billed annually; X4 is roughly $44 with deeper analytics; Contact Center X6–X8 is a separate higher ladder.

First-party pricing is often bot- or quote-gated (medium confidence), and mandatory fees frequently sit on top of list seats — confirm a live quote before you budget. Value scores 6/10 even as the product ranks #2 overall, because TCO clarity trails the capability story.

Why 8x8 scored highly

Ease Of Use7.0
Voice Messaging Quality10.0
Routing Workflows10.0
Integrations9.0
Analytics9.0
Outbound Tools7.0
Scalability10.0
Value For Money6.0

8x8 Year of Product Innovation UI frame — Official 8x8 YouTube thumbnail from Year of Product Innovation 2025. Source

Best for

Global / enterprise UCaaS buyers
Teams that need phone + meetings + messaging with a CC path
Buyers comparing RingCentral on multi-country voice

Not ideal for

You need transparent self-serve SMB phone pricing
You refuse quote-gated or fee-layered commercial structures
Your primary job is WhatsApp or internal team chat alone

Starting price: $24.00/user/mo
Best for: Global / enterprise UCaaS peer
Primary job: Cloud phone + meetings + messaging suite

View full 8x8 review See pricing Compare 8x8

Visit 8x8

#3 Dialpad

Best AI-powered calling

8.5/10

Dialpad suits teams that want AI coaching, transcription, and call summaries as part of the phone product rather than a paid afterthought. Connect Standard research floors start around $15 per user per month billed annually; Pro is roughly $25 with a three-user minimum, and Sell / Support are separate ladders when outbound dialer or contact-centre depth is required.

The trade-off is product fragmentation: comparing Connect vs Sell vs Support complicates shortlists, and power dialer / deeper CTI sit off Standard. Seat floors and published Connect prices are medium confidence — verify current figures before you commit.

Why Dialpad scored highly

Ease Of Use8.0
Voice Messaging Quality9.0
Routing Workflows9.0
Integrations8.0
Analytics9.0
Outbound Tools8.0
Scalability8.0
Value For Money7.0

Dialpad Connect product UI — Dialpad Connect product frame from dialpad.com. Source

Best for

AI-first calling and coaching buyers
Teams that want included transcription rather than AI add-ons
Mid-market UCaaS shortlists where AI is decisive

Not ideal for

You need the simplest single-ladder SMB phone price card
You refuse product-line fragmentation (Connect vs Sell vs Support)
Your primary job is WhatsApp or internal team chat

Starting price: $15.00/user/mo
Best for: AI-powered calling
Primary job: AI-native cloud phone (Dialpad Connect)

View full Dialpad review See pricing Compare Dialpad

Visit Dialpad

#4 Zoom

Best video-led UCaaS / Zoom Phone path

8.4/10

Zoom suits video-first organisations that already live in Workplace meetings and want phone, SMS, and routing without switching vendors. Free Workplace covers meetings and chat, but full business phone is paid — US/CA Unlimited research floors start around $15–16 per user per month, with Pro Plus / Business Plus phone bundles higher.

Phone seat floors and bundles need live confirmation (medium confidence). Call recording and Power Pack dialer tooling are gated or add-on, and there is no WhatsApp Business channel — so messaging-heavy buyers should look elsewhere for that job.

Why Zoom scored highly

Ease Of Use9.0
Voice Messaging Quality9.0
Routing Workflows8.0
Integrations9.0
Analytics8.0
Outbound Tools7.0
Scalability9.0
Value For Money8.0

Zoom Phone product visual — Zoom Phone product frame from the official Zoom homepage. Source

Best for

Zoom-standardised organisations
Teams buying meetings + phone from one vendor
Buyers who want free meetings/chat with a paid phone upgrade path

Not ideal for

You need WhatsApp Business as a native channel
Deep mid-market CRM CTI is the deciding criterion (prefer Aircall)
You want AI transcription included the way Dialpad Connect packages it

Starting price: $15.00/user/mo
Best for: Video-led UCaaS / Zoom Phone
Primary job: Meetings-first Workplace + Zoom Phone

View full Zoom review See pricing Compare Zoom

Visit Zoom

#5 Aircall

Best mid-market CRM CTI phone

8.3/10

Aircall suits mid-market sales and support teams that treat the phone system as a CRM-connected workspace rather than a full UCaaS suite. Native integrations with CRM and helpdesk platforms, IVR and queue routing, and call analytics are the reasons buyers pick it over cheaper SMB dialers and over broader UCaaS suites when CTI depth is the job.

The trade-offs are commercial. Essentials starts around $30 per licence per month billed annually with a three-licence minimum, Professional roughly $50, and several capabilities — including AI features and WhatsApp — sit in higher tiers or paid add-ons. That is why value scores lowest of its criteria (5/10) even as the product leads on integrations.

Why Aircall scored highly

Ease Of Use8.0
Voice Messaging Quality9.0
Routing Workflows9.0
Integrations10.0
Analytics8.0
Outbound Tools8.0
Scalability8.0
Value For Money5.0

Aircall Workspace product interface — Aircall Workspace hero UI from the official Aircall homepage. Source

Best for

Mid-market sales and support teams
Teams whose CRM or helpdesk is the daily workspace
Buyers who need routing depth more than the lowest seat price

Not ideal for

You have fewer than three users
Seat price is the deciding constraint
You need all-in-one UCaaS with meetings + messaging (prefer RingCentral/Zoom)

Starting price: $30.00/user/mo
Best for: Mid-market CRM CTI phone
Primary job: Business phone with CRM integration

View full Aircall review See pricing Compare Aircall

Visit Aircall

#6 Nextiva

Best SMB/mid all-in-one business communications

8.1/10

Nextiva suits SMB and mid-market teams that want one vendor for business phone, messaging apps, and a contact-centre growth path without buying a full enterprise UCaaS contract. Core starts at $15 per user per month billed annually, Engage at $25, and Scale at $75, with a Contact Center ladder from about $75 per agent.

Recording is often an add-on on Core, analytics and AI gate to Scale / XBert, and CRM/CTI connectors frequently sit as add-ons — so the all-in-one story is real, but depth still climbs with spend. Prefer Aircall when native CRM CTI is decisive; prefer RingCentral when enterprise routing and RingCX matter more.

Why Nextiva scored highly

Ease Of Use8.0
Voice Messaging Quality9.0
Routing Workflows8.0
Integrations8.0
Analytics8.0
Outbound Tools7.0
Scalability8.0
Value For Money8.0

Nextiva business VoIP setup UI — Official Nextiva YouTube thumbnail showing VoIP setup UI. Source

Best for

SMB and mid-market all-in-one buyers
Teams that want phone + messaging apps from one vendor
Buyers who prefer clear published floors over quote-gated UCaaS

Not ideal for

Deep native CRM CTI is the deciding criterion
You need AI included the way Dialpad Connect packages it
Enterprise multi-site RingCX-class routing is required day one

Starting price: $15.00/user/mo
Best for: SMB/mid all-in-one business communications
Primary job: Unified business phone + messaging

View full Nextiva review See pricing Compare Nextiva

Visit Nextiva

#7 Cisco Webex

Best enterprise UC / Webex Calling

8/10

Cisco Webex suits enterprises standardising on hybrid-work UC: meetings, team messaging, and Webex Calling, often inside a Cisco EA. A free meetings tier remains published; paid Meet and Suite research floors commonly sit around $12–$14.50 and ~$22.50–$27 per user/month (medium confidence — pricing UI is region/SKU dynamic).

Calling Professional, AI Assistant, devices and Webex Contact Center are frequently quote-negotiated. Value scores 6/10 because EA/add-on opacity trails self-serve SMB phones even as scalability scores 10/10. Not ranked as a CCaaS peer to Talkdesk, Genesys or Five9.

Why Cisco Webex scored highly

Ease Of Use7.0
Voice Messaging Quality9.0
Routing Workflows8.0
Integrations9.0
Analytics8.0
Outbound Tools6.0
Scalability10.0
Value For Money6.0

Webex Calling AI innovations product UI — Official Webex YouTube thumbnail for Webex Calling AI innovations (webex.com bot-blocked at capture). Source

Best for

Enterprise hybrid-work UC buyers
Cisco ecosystem organisations
Teams that may grow into Webex Contact Center later

Not ideal for

You only need a transparent SMB shared phone under $20/seat
Your primary purchase is CCaaS agent ops (prefer Talkdesk/Genesys/Five9)
You are Zoom-meetings standardised and only need a light phone add-on

Starting price: $14.50/user/mo
Best for: Enterprise UC / Webex Calling
Primary job: Meetings + messaging + cloud calling suite

View full Cisco Webex review See pricing Compare Cisco Webex

Visit Cisco Webex

#8 OpenPhone

Best modern SMB shared phone

7.5/10

OpenPhone (also branded Quo) suits SMB teams that want a shared business number with SMS and AI answering on transparent per-seat pricing. Starter is $15 per user per month billed annually; Business $23 unlocks menus, automatic recording, and deeper HubSpot/Salesforce; Scale is $35.

Fair-use policy prohibits cold calling and auto-dialers, and there is no power dialer at any price — choose a dialer or mid-market CTI phone when outbound volume is the job. US/Canada footprint; not a global UCaaS carrier story.

Why OpenPhone scored highly

Ease Of Use9.0
Voice Messaging Quality8.0
Routing Workflows7.0
Integrations8.0
Analytics7.0
Outbound Tools5.0
Scalability6.0
Value For Money8.0

OpenPhone (Quo) product screenshot 1 — Product UI screenshot from the official OpenPhone / Quo homepage. Source

Best for

SMB shared business phone buyers
Teams that want included AI answering without enterprise packaging
Buyers who refuse Aircall-class seat minimums

Not ideal for

High-volume cold outbound or power dialer is required
You need multi-country UCaaS or contact centre
WhatsApp Business API is the primary channel

Starting price: $15.00/user/mo
Best for: Modern SMB shared phone
Primary job: Shared business number + SMS + AI answering

View full OpenPhone review See pricing Compare OpenPhone

Visit OpenPhone

Best CRM by need

Scenario awards use product fit from approved CRM recommendations and use-case mappings.

Cloud phone systems
RingCentral
RingCentral appears in researched cloud phone systems options.
View picks →
Team messaging
Slack
Slack appears in researched team messaging options.
View picks →
WhatsApp & customer messaging
Wati
Wati appears in researched whatsapp & customer messaging options.
View picks →
Programmable communications (CPaaS)
Twilio
Twilio appears in researched programmable communications (cpaas) options.
View picks →
Sales dialers (sales-intelligence primary)
Kixie
Kixie appears in researched sales dialers (sales-intelligence primary) options.
View picks →
Business email & inbox productivity (adjacent)
Fastmail
Fastmail appears in researched business email & inbox productivity (adjacent) options.
View picks →

Business Communications pricing compared

Business Communications pricing is often per user and plan tier. Figures below use verified list prices when available — not invented market averages.

Last pricing check: 2026-08-17

Team size10 users

CRM	Entry / list	Free plan	Free trial	Est. for 10 users
RingCentral	$20.00/user/mo	No	Trial available	Pricing unavailable
8x8	$24.00/user/mo	No	30-day trial	Pricing unavailable
Dialpad	$15.00/user/mo	No	14-day trial	Pricing unavailable
Zoom	$15.00/user/mo	Yes	Trial available	Pricing unavailable
Aircall	$30.00/user/mo	No	Trial available	Pricing unavailable
Nextiva	$15.00/user/mo	No	Trial available	Pricing unavailable

Estimates use verified list prices and the shared cost engine. Flat plans stay flat (not multiplied by team size); seat plans scale with the slider. Custom-quote and incomplete pricing stay explicit.

How the top Business Communications platforms compare

Cells reflect feature support. Incomplete evidence stays marked as incomplete — never converted into “No”.

Capability	RingCentral	8x8	Dialpad	Zoom	Aircall
Cloud phone / VoIP	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong
Call routing & IVR	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong
Power dialer	Limited	Limited	Higher plan	Limited	Higher plan
CRM / CTI integrations	Higher plan	Strong	Higher plan	Higher plan	Strong
WhatsApp Business	Limited	Limited	Limited	Not supported	Limited
Video meetings	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	Not supported

✓ Strong / supported
~ Limited / depends
$ Higher plan
× Not supported
? Evidence incomplete

The trade-offs that matter

Every CRM choice involves trade-offs. These strengths and limitations come from product assessments — not marketing copy.

RingCentral
- Carrier-grade RingEX cloud phone with SMS, video, and team messaging
- Top-tier IVR, queues, and RingCX contact-centre expansion path
- Broad CRM and collaboration integrations
- Seat floors often quote/selector gated (medium confidence)
- Call recording and deeper CTI typically require Advanced+
- AI add-ons inflate real TCO versus AI-included peers
8x8
- Global UCaaS envelope — phone, video, team chat, analytics
- Top-tier IVR/queues with Contact Center X6–X8 expansion path
- Broad CRM and collaboration integrations
- Seat floors medium confidence (pricing often quote/bot gated)
- Mandatory fees inflate real seat cost beyond list floors
- Contact-centre depth is a separate expensive ladder
Dialpad
- AI transcription and summaries included on Connect
- Connect Standard from ~$15/user/month annual
- Strong conversation analytics tied to AI
- Connect / Support / Sell fragmentation complicates comparisons
- Power dialer and deeper CTI gated off Standard
- Pro 3-user and Enterprise 100-user minimums
Zoom
- Best-in-class video meetings familiarity
- Free Workplace meetings/chat entry path
- Zoom Phone UCaaS with SMS and routing
- Free tier is not Zoom Phone — telephony is paid
- Phone seat floors/bundles medium confidence
- Recording and Power Pack dialer gated/add-on
Aircall
- Deep native CRM and helpdesk CTI integrations
- IVR, queues, and business-hours routing
- Power dialer available on Professional
- Three-licence minimum raises the true entry cost
- ~$30/licence/month annual floor is high versus SMB peers
- AI, analytics, and WhatsApp capabilities sit in higher tiers or add-ons
Nextiva
- High-confidence Core $15 / Engage $25 annual published floors
- WhatsApp and messaging apps supported
- Shared and unified inbox surfaces
- Recording add-on on Core
- Analytics and AI gated to Scale / XBert
- Power dialer on CC Professional, not Core

Which Business Communications is right for you?

What matters most?

Enterprise / mid-market all-in-one UCaaS
Enterprise / all-in-one UCaaS
RingCentral
AI-native calling with included transcription and summaries
AI-powered calling
Dialpad
Video-standardised organisation extending into Zoom Phone
Video-led UCaaS / Zoom Phone
Zoom
Mid-market business phone with deep CRM CTI
Mid-market CRM CTI phone
Aircall
SMB / mid-market all-in-one business communications
SMB/mid all-in-one
Nextiva
Enterprise hybrid-work UC / Webex Calling (Cisco ecosystem)
Best enterprise UC / Webex Calling
Cisco Webex
Global / enterprise UCaaS peer to RingCentral
Global / enterprise UCaaS peer
8x8
Modern SMB shared business phone with AI answering
Modern SMB shared phone
OpenPhone
Remote / multi-location UCaaS (phone + meetings + messaging)
Remote-team UCaaS
GoTo Connect
Simple SMB virtual number / entrepreneur phone line
Grasshopper
SMB business phone on the tightest sensible budget
SMB cloud phone value
CallHippo
SMB/mid published per-line VoIP with SMS
Best SMB/mid published-line VoIP
Vonage
Local numbers across many countries at low cost
Budget global VoIP
KrispCall
No-contract SMB Office VoIP under ~15 seats
Best no-contract SMB Office VoIP
Ooma
Inbound support calling on a Freshworks stack
Freshworks cloud PBX
Freshcaller
Mid-market / enterprise cloud contact center (CCaaS)
Best cloud contact center for mid-market CX (landscape — not a phone peer)
Talkdesk
Enterprise cloud contact center / experience orchestration
Best enterprise cloud contact center (landscape — not a phone peer)
Genesys
CCaaS with strong blended dialer / concurrent-seat packaging
Best dialer-forward cloud contact center (landscape — not a phone peer)
Five9
WhatsApp Business messaging with a shared team inbox
WhatsApp Business platform (different job — not a phone system)
Wati
Omnichannel WhatsApp + multi-channel customer messaging inbox
Best omnichannel WhatsApp inbox (landscape — not a phone peer)
respond.io
Marketing chatbot / Messenger + WhatsApp growth automations
Best marketing messaging chatbot (landscape — not a phone peer)
ManyChat
AI-first customer messaging inbox (Messenger + Fin)
Best AI customer messaging inbox (landscape — CS-borderline, not a phone peer)
Intercom
Programmable voice / SMS / WhatsApp APIs (CPaaS)
Best programmable communications platform (landscape — adjacent CPaaS, not a phone peer)
Twilio
Team messaging for tech / product organisations
Slack
Microsoft 365 collaboration hub (chat, meetings, files)
Microsoft Teams
Frontline / multi-site internal team chat
Frontline team chat (different job — not a phone system)
Zenzap
Outbound sales dialing tied to prospecting workflows
Sales dialer (sales-intelligence primary)
Kixie

Find My Business Communications

Find the Business Communications that fits your business

Answer questions about team size, sales process, budget, must-have capabilities, and integrations for a shortlist.

Find My Business Communications →

Your requirements

Team size
Sales process
Budget
Must-have capabilities
Integration requirements

Shortlist in the Finder

RingCentral
8x8
Dialpad

Open the Finder for a live shortlist — we do not invent match percentages here.

How to choose Business Communications

1
Name the communications job
Business phone / UCaaS, cloud contact center (CCaaS), WhatsApp customer messaging, and internal team chat are different purchases. Write down which one is blocking work this quarter before you compare vendors — a WhatsApp platform, Slack/Teams, a CCaaS agent stack, and an IVR-driven phone system rarely belong on the same shortlist.
→ Compare Business Communications software → Find My Business Communications
2
Count seats against the real minimum
Per-seat pricing is only half the cost. Check licence minimums (Aircall three, Dialpad Pro three, CallHippo two, Five9 fifty concurrent), whether RingCentral/Dialpad/Zoom/Webex floors are quote-gated, which tier unlocks recording and IVR, and whether calling minutes, phone numbers, WhatsApp conversation fees, or CCaaS AI tokens are billed on top.
3
Check the numbers you actually need
Country coverage, number types, and porting rules decide feasibility before features do. If you need local presence in several countries, verify each one is available on the plan you intend to buy.
→ CRM Requirements Builder
4
Test the CRM or helpdesk integration
Click-to-dial, automatic call logging, and screen pops are where a phone system either saves time or creates duplicate admin. Test the integration you will use daily — native depth matters more than a long directory of Zapier connections.
→ Compare Business Communications software → Find My Business Communications
5
Trial the routing and one real workflow
Build the IVR, queue, or shared-inbox rule your team needs on the plan you intend to buy, and place real calls or messages through it. Score every finalist on the same script.

Popular Business Communications comparisons

Head-to-head pages use product evidence. When priorities differ, we do not invent a universal winner.

Aircall vs CallHippo
Researched side-by-side comparison of Aircall and CallHippo using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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Aircall vs KrispCall
Researched side-by-side comparison of Aircall and KrispCall using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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CallHippo vs KrispCall
Researched side-by-side comparison of CallHippo and KrispCall using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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Aircall vs Freshcaller
Researched side-by-side comparison of Aircall and Freshcaller using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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Aircall vs RingCentral
Researched side-by-side comparison of Aircall and RingCentral using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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Dialpad vs RingCentral
Researched side-by-side comparison of Dialpad and RingCentral using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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RingCentral vs Zoom
Researched side-by-side comparison of RingCentral and Zoom using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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Aircall vs Nextiva
Researched side-by-side comparison of Aircall and Nextiva using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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Aircall vs Dialpad
Researched side-by-side comparison of Aircall and Dialpad using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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Microsoft Teams vs Slack
Researched side-by-side comparison of Microsoft Teams and Slack using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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Slack vs Zenzap
Researched side-by-side comparison of Slack and Zenzap using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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Microsoft Teams vs Zoom
Researched side-by-side comparison of Microsoft Teams and Zoom using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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Aircall vs OpenPhone
Researched side-by-side comparison of Aircall and OpenPhone using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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CallHippo vs OpenPhone
Researched side-by-side comparison of CallHippo and OpenPhone using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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Nextiva vs OpenPhone
Researched side-by-side comparison of Nextiva and OpenPhone using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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8x8 vs RingCentral
Researched side-by-side comparison of 8x8 and RingCentral using business communications comparison criteria. No universal winner — choose by job-cluster fit.
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GoTo Connect vs RingCentral
Researched side-by-side comparison of GoTo Connect and RingCentral using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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CallHippo vs Grasshopper
Researched side-by-side comparison of CallHippo and Grasshopper using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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respond.io vs Wati
Researched side-by-side comparison of respond.io and Wati using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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Cisco Webex vs Zoom
Researched side-by-side comparison of Cisco Webex and Zoom using business communications comparison criteria. No universal winner — choose by job-cluster fit.
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RingCentral vs Cisco Webex
Researched side-by-side comparison of RingCentral and Cisco Webex using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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Nextiva vs Vonage
Researched side-by-side comparison of Nextiva and Vonage using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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CallHippo vs Ooma
Researched side-by-side comparison of CallHippo and Ooma using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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Genesys vs Talkdesk
Researched side-by-side comparison of Genesys and Talkdesk using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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Five9 vs Talkdesk
Researched side-by-side comparison of Five9 and Talkdesk using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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Genesys vs RingCentral
Researched side-by-side comparison of Genesys and RingCentral using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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ManyChat vs respond.io
Researched side-by-side comparison of ManyChat and respond.io using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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ManyChat vs Wati
Researched side-by-side comparison of ManyChat and Wati using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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Intercom vs ManyChat
Researched side-by-side comparison of Intercom and ManyChat using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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Intercom vs respond.io
Researched side-by-side comparison of Intercom and respond.io using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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Talkdesk vs Twilio
Researched side-by-side comparison of Talkdesk and Twilio using business-communications comparison criteria (factual pricing/coverage plus editorial judgments). No universal winner — choose by criterion fit.
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CRM buying guides

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Getting started

What Is Business Communications Software? Beginner's Guide

Evaluation

Implementation

Cost

Business Communications Pricing Guide: Seats, Minutes & Message Fees

Learn about individual CRM platforms

How we evaluate Business Communications

We evaluate business communications software across call and message quality, routing depth, CRM/CTI integrations, analytics, outbound tooling, scalability, value, and AI assistance. Commercial relationships do not determine recommendations, and specialist tools are not penalised for lacking capabilities outside their job.

Read our complete evaluation methodology

Research-backed recommendations using category-specific criteria. Read methodology

How we recommend

Products evaluated: 29
Feature-support records: 375
Products with pricing coverage: 27
Products with screenshots: 26
Official source IDs: 94
Last recommendation refresh: 2026-08-17

Methodology version 1.0.0

Popular Business Communications alternatives

Exploring alternatives is part of a healthy CRM shortlist. Open a page to see catalogue substitutes and switching considerations.

Kixie alternatives
Switching from Kixie
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Aircall alternatives
Switching from Aircall
Explore alternatives →
CallHippo alternatives
Switching from CallHippo
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KrispCall alternatives
Switching from KrispCall
Explore alternatives →
Freshcaller alternatives
Switching from Freshcaller
Explore alternatives →
Wati alternatives
Switching from Wati
Explore alternatives →

Why trust SoftwareGlimpse?

Frequently asked questions

What is business communications software?
Business communications software covers the platforms that carry business voice, customer messaging, and team collaboration — cloud phone and UCaaS systems, contact-centre routing (CCaaS), WhatsApp Business API platforms, and team chat apps. CRM systems with a calling module bolted on are catalogued as CRM, not here.
Why are Wati, respond.io, ManyChat and Intercom not ranked against the phone systems?
They are WhatsApp / omnichannel / marketing / AI customer messaging platforms. They score well but earn those scores on a different criterion mix — shared inboxes, broadcasts, workflows, and chatbots rather than IVR, queues, and dialing. Ranking them against phone systems would tell a buyer looking for business phone lines to buy a messaging platform. Intercom is also CS-borderline (secondary customer-service taxonomy).
How much does a business phone system cost?
In this set, published research floors run from about $12–$15 per user or account per month annually (KrispCall Essential, OpenPhone Starter, Grasshopper True Solo flat, Dialpad Connect Standard, Nextiva Core, Zoom Phone US/CA Unlimited, Vonage Mobile promo) through ~$19.95–$24 (Ooma Essentials, RingCentral RingEX Core, 8x8 Work X2, Webex Suite research floors) and ~$30 per licence (Aircall Essentials, three-licence minimum). GoTo Connect is custom-quote only. Freshcaller has a free agent tier with pay-per-minute usage. CCaaS floors are a different purchase: Talkdesk from $85, Genesys CX 1 $75, Five9 Digital $119 (50-seat minimum). Messaging landscape floors differ again (ManyChat Free / Essential ~$14; Intercom Essential $29 + Fin outcomes; respond.io from $79). Twilio is usage-based CPaaS (US SMS from $0.0083/msg; Flex named from $150). RingCentral, Dialpad, Zoom Phone, 8x8, Webex, and GoTo floors are medium/low confidence where selectors or quotes gate published prices — verify current pricing with the vendor before you budget.
Do affiliate relationships affect these rankings?
No. Rankings follow the business-communications editorial methodology. Affiliate status, commission rates, and programme terms are excluded from every criterion score and from the ordering.
Have you tested these products hands-on?
No. These assessments are research-grounded editorial judgments built from vendor documentation, published pricing, and product materials — not hands-on lab testing. Pricing for RingCentral, Dialpad, Zoom Phone, Aircall, Webex, Wati, and KrispCall is recorded at medium confidence where pages resist automated retrieval or use selectors, so confirm current figures with the vendor.