Top Rated Call Center Software for 2024

What is Call Center Software?

Call center software is a cloud-based business communication platform designed to manage and optimize the operations of a call center. It enables businesses to handle large volumes of inbound and outbound calls, manage customer interactions, improve customer service, and automate business processes.

 

How Does Call Center Software Work?

Call center software works by unifying a variety of communication channels, collaboration features, automations, and AI-based software tools into one application. A call center application is typically available via mobile, desktop, or browser.

Agents use the app’s dashboard to make calls, send messages, and monitor queues. The call distribution system receives inbound queries across channels and routes tasks to the optimal agent. Supervisors can track analytics, listen in on calls to observe agent performance, and manage employee schedules.

Specifically, call center software relies upon the following components:

• Omnichannel dashboard: The call center app provides users with a dashboard and menu that unite call center features. From this interface, agents can make and receive VoIP calls, send texts, or participate in chat conversations with teammates.
• Live task handling: While on a live call or chat conversation, agents have several tools at their disposal. They can flip channels, view the customer’s history, and even ask the customer to share their screen live.
• Administrator tools: Administrators can set up routing systems, manage employee schedules, and monitor agent performance. Many call centers include performance management tools that streamline the evaluation, coaching, and feedback process.
• Automations: Call center applications automate agent workflows and tasks. The call distribution system routes inbound calls and messages to the optimal agent. Agents receive notifications for all new tasks in their queue.
• AI tools: Call centers utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance customer support and make employee efforts more efficient. Build intelligent virtual agents (IVA) within live chat or text. Machine learning transcribes calls live and gives real-time support.

 

Types of Call Center Software

Below are the 5 primary types of call center software:

• Inbound: Inbound call center software receives incoming calls from current or potential customers. They most often provide customer service and support, make product recommendations, take orders, or make appointments.
• Outbound: Outbound call center software makes outgoing calls to current or potential customers, most often for sales or marketing purposes.
• Mixed: A mixed call center combines inbound and outbound functionality, enabling users to make and receive calls. This is the most popular type of call center solution.
• On-premise: Also called a “fixed” VoIP solution, on-premise VoIP software is hosted physically in your company’s office. Agents make and receive business calls on-premises, and your IT team typically manages the hardware and servers onsite.
• Cloud-hosted: Also known as a “cloud-based” or “hosted” call center, cloud-hosted software is managed remotely by your call center provider. They handle the servers and app updates, meaning that your users only need to download the software.Cloud-hosted VoIP is a low-hassle option for in-person and remote workforces.

 

Call Center Software vs Contact Center Software

Call center software focuses on voice communication only, while contact center software provides omnichannel services that include a variety of communication channels like voice calling, website chat, SMS, email, or social media.

Though many cloud-based call center solutions today offer multichannel communication, like voice and SMS, they may still use the term “call center software” to describe their products as the majority of the focus is on the business telephone system.

 

Call Center Software Essential Features

The below features are essential to quality call center solutions.

• Interactive Voice Response (IVR): Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is a self-service feature consisting of pre-recorded call menu options that customers interact with via touch-tone or speech. These customers provide information about the reason for their call and help them connect with the right agent/department.
• Automatic Call Distribution (ACD): automatic call distribution automatically routes callers according to pre-set call routing strategies.
• Call Routing: Call routing strategies are the ways in which calls are routed to agents in order to maximize productivity. The main call routing strategies are: list-based routing, round-robin routing, skills-based routing, and simultaneous ringing
• Call Scripting: Call scripting provides on-call agents with a written script or flowchart that guides them through customer interaction. Many providers offer live call transcription with keyword detection, using this data to determine the conversation’s topic and sentiment. With this information, the system provides agents with suggested responses, relevant links, and knowledge-base articles.
• Automated Queue Callbacks: Automated queue callbacks eliminate the need for callers to wait on hold for extended periods of time, instead receiving a callback from an available agent based on their preferred time and date.
• Auto Dialers: Automated dialing modes streamline outbound calling efforts, using campaign lists often provided by your CRM system. Most call center solutions will offer multiple dialing modes, including: power dialer, progressive dialer, predictive dialer, and preview dialer.
• Call Queueing: Call queuing allows multiple callers to wait on hold until an available agent is free to assist them. Companies can create multiple queues and assign agents to each queue.
• Call Recording: This feature records agent and customer calls either automatically or on-demand, storing these recordings for later review or download.
• Reporting and Analytics: Real-time and historical analytics provide insights into call center activity and efficiency through tracking KPIs. Reports can be completely customized, or admins can choose from a variety of pre-made report templates.
• Call Monitoring: Call monitoring allows a supervisor to listen in on a live call, whisper private guidance, barge into the call, or take it over entirely. It’s often used to evaluate new agents to provide better training, monitor individual agent performance, or better understand customer needs.
• Omnichannel Routing: Omnichannel routing receives inbound contact from all communication channels and automatically routes them to the best-suited agent.

 

Benefits of Call Center Software

Here are the top benefits of implementing call center software:

 

More Features and Capabilities

Compared to a traditional phone system, call center software provides hundreds more dynamic features–all bundled in one app.

CCaaS platforms include routing, queueing, collaboration, integrations with other platforms, sales tools, workforce management, AI support, and analytics–each category with a handful of features that help agents and supervisors meet customer needs.

 

Increased Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty

Call center software allows your business to provide personalized customer support and decrease common sources of customer frustration.

• Decreasing hold times via optimized call queueing and automated callbacks
• Using CTI screen pops, asynchronous shared agent inboxes, and call notes to prevent callers from having to repeat information
• Using IVR data collection, warm transfers, and native/integrated CRM tools to properly prepare agents for each customer interaction

 

Decreased Agent Turnover

Call center software services not only improve the customer’s experience but the agent’s as well.

• Skills-based routing and IVR systems match agents with the callers they’re best-suited to help, so agents have fewer frustrating interactions
• Queue callbacks enable agents to take their time with calls, without having to rush in order to keep queue wait times low
• Outbound dialers save agents from repetitive tasks like having to manually dial customers and wade through voicemail machines
• Workforce management tools automatically optimize agent schedules

 

Improved Team Communication

Call center software includes a variety of features that facilitate smoother communication between team members.

• Workflow automations notify team members of relevant activity across the company
• Task-assignment tools keep agents on top of their to-do lists, without requiring direct messaging
• Call controls like parking and transfer enable agents to support each other during live calls
• Customer journey information, CRM integrations, and shared contact notes provide agents with full customer context–even when it’s their first time servicing that customer

 

Lower Operating Costs

Cloud call center platforms lower your operating costs in a variety of ways:

• Real-time analytics drive strategic business decisions that make staffing, channel usage, and feature selection more efficient
• Flexible pricing structures allow companies to pay for only the features and channels they plan to use
• Supervisor monitoring tools help supervisor manage large teams, while improving each agent’s performance and reducing staffing needs

 

Easy Setup and Management

Compared to a legacy PBX phone system, call center software is incredibly easy to set up and manage. The provider manages the phone system, and all the communication channels are housed online. Most users don’t need any hardware besides their computer or phone.

 

Scalability

Call center providers offer their plans on a subscription basis, and sign up takes just a few minutes. Adding new users simply requires the administrator to add a new subscription, assign the user a phone number, pay the monthly subscription, and send the new employee login credentials.

This makes call center software systems easily scalable, for companies who plan to increase or downsize their workforce.

 

How to Choose the Best Call Center Software

When comparing call center software providers, it’s important to consider features, communication channels, and pricing–all related to your business needs. Use the following guidelines to choose the best call center for your company:

 

Routing and Queueing Features

If your company receives a large number of inbound calls, especially for a variety of reasons–like technical support, customer service, billing information, product questions, sales–you should choose a call center provider with advanced routing and queueing capabilities.

In particular, look for a provider with these features:

• Advanced queueing with callbacks: Helps you organize inbound calls without making customers wait
• Omnichannel routing: Routes inbound contacts across a variety of channels–including SMS, chat, and email–while making it easy for agents to track these multichannel interactions
• Skills-based routing: matches inbound callers with the best-suited agent
• IVR and IVA: IVR is voice-based and IVA is text-based, but both provide customers with self-service options to indicate their needs, helping you match them to the right agent

 

Communication Channels

Most call center providers offer multiple communication channels: voice, SMS, live chat and chatbots, video, email, and social media. However, some call centers only offer a smaller selection of these channels, and some offer certain channels on select pricing tiers.

Consider the channels that your customers would use and the size of your call center staff, then determine which channels are most important to you. Choose a provider and pricing tier that offers only those channels, and avoid paying for channels you won’t use.

 

Collaboration Tools

While some call centers don’t offer internal collaboration tools, like video meetings and internal team chat with file sharing, some of the CCaaS providers on our list double as collaboration platforms.

Video meetings include capabilities like whiteboards and polls, while internal team chat allows for quick communication and document co-editing. If your hybrid or remote company wants to add collaborative tools, choose a provider with some UCaaS features built-in.

 

Analytics and AI

Analytics and AI tools make it easier for administrators and agents to do their jobs.

Reports and dashboards help administrators determine call volumes, review agent performance, see which channels are most popular with customers, and more. AI tools, like speech suggestions and customer sentiment analysis, train agents to provide better service. These insights help drive business decisions that save costs, improve agent efficiency, and boost customer satisfaction.

 

Pricing and Plans

Considering the features and channels listed above, you want to select the provider and pricing plan that offers the most value for your company. Compare all the providers who offer the features you want, then take a closer look at the plans they offer. Choose the pricing tier that includes your prioritized features without too many extra features you won’t use.

In general, choose the pricing tier that includes your prioritized features without too extra features you won’t use. This way, you can select a provider and pricing tier that meets your budget.

 

The Best Call Center Software Providers

Through our hands-on testing and in-depth product research, we’ve compiled a list of the best call center software.

We evaluated each provider according to key factors like:

• Pricing, Plans, and Overall Value
• Ease of Use
• Available Features
• Customer Service and Support

Our picks for the best call center software:

1. Five9: Best for employee engagement
2. Talkdesk CX Cloud: Best for AI-powered agent support
3. Twilio Flex: Best for customization
4. NICE CXone: Best customer self-service
5. Dialpad: Most user-friendly agent experience
6. Nextiva: Best sales add-on
7. Genesys Cloud CX: Best digital-only contact center option
8. RingCentral: Best for team collaboration
9. Zendesk Talk: Best for customer support
10. Freshdesk: Best for call ticketing
11. Aircall: Best blend of call center and UCaaS features
12. 8×8: Best for international calling
13. DialedIn: Best for outbound dialing
14. Convoso: Best for sales and marketing efforts
15. Vonage: Best for Salesforce users
16. CloudTalk: Best for call queuing

 

1. Five9

Five9 is an omnichannel contact center software offering voice and digital channels, high-level WFO solutions, AI-powered analytics and automation, and user-friendly workflows.

Five9 is known for leveraging machine learning to optimize employee engagement and workforce management. WFM features like employee forecasting methods, live agent shift bidding, and real-time adherence monitoring eliminate workflow bottlenecks and optimize available agents.

Five9 features include:

• Five9 Dialer: Outbound auto dialer with Power, Progressive, Preview, and Predictive dialing modes alongside real-time DNC list management, disposition times, and CRM integration
• Five9 Intelligent Virtual Agent (IVA): Omnichannel customer self-service bots with conversational AI, sentiment analysis, Natural Language Understanding, speech recognition, intelligent interaction routing, a no-code interaction flow design tool, and 25 natural-sounding voice options
• Five9 Digital Engagement: Agents can receive real-time, in-conversation AI Agent Assistance, access WFO tools, move between channels, and manage simultaneous interactions within the Agent Desktop interface

Five9 Pricing

Five9 offers five contact center plans, ranging from $149 to $229 monthly per user. The lowest-tier Digital and Core plans are digital-only and voice-only, while all other plans offer mixed channels.

Best For

With Agent assistance and user-friendly workforce tools, Five9 is a great contact center solution to keep employees engaged and organized.

 

2. Talkdesk

Talkdesk is a cloud contact center software known for its advanced analytics, intuitive interface, and AI-powered self-service tools.

It makes an ideal platform for companies reliant on customer self-service and proactive outbound engagement. The Guardian Security Suite, which includes threat detection and compliance management, uses AI to identify suspicious activity and alert managers instantly. This makes Talkdesk a popular choice within heavily regulated industries like finance and healthcare.

Talkdesk features include: 

• Customer Experience Analytics suite: Analytics suite with 900+ KPIs, real-time reporting, 17 pre-made dashboards, agent leaderboards, and AI-powered omnichannel analytics
• Talkdesk workspace: Custom desktop and mobile app with one-click access to all communication channels, key functionalities, and integrations alongside real-time notifications, role-based workspace templates, assignments and tasks, scheduling info, and performance evaluations
• Conversation designer: Drag-and-drop configuration tool for omnichannel IVR and IVA allows admins to pre-program questions, comments, split flows, and triggers such as when to escalate customers to a live agent

Talkdesk Pricing

Talkdesk offers three contact center plans from $75 to $125 monthly per user, plus options for industry-specific plans. Industry-specific solutions have options for banking, insurance, healthcare providers, and retail.

Best For

Talkdesk is best for remote or blended call centers taking an automation-first approach to customer service, as well as businesses looking for a scalable contact center with advanced workforce optimization.

 

3. Twilio Flex

Twilio Flex is a programmable contact center built on the Twilio cloud communications platform. Unlike other providers on this list, Twilio Flex can be completely customized from the ground up via Twilio APIs, integrations with pre-existing software, SDKs, and workflow-building tools.

You can add on APIs for mass marketing and 1:1 email, voice calling, SMS and live chat messaging, video calling, and more.

While this level of customization is perfect for businesses with existing applications, smaller businesses without an in-house IT department or development team may struggle to leverage Flex due to the level of coding knowledge and experience it requires.

Twilio Flex features include: 

• Flex Insights: Interactive omnichannel analytics portal with role-based, conversation-based, and relationship-based data sets for call center KPIs
• Multichannel Task Handling: Omnichannel to-do lists for all Twilio communication APIs–voice, real-time chat messaging and chatbots, SMS, social media messaging, and more
• Customer UI: Customizable agent interface with task lists, omnichannel customer interactions, CRM data and customer information, agent assistance, past order details, routing rules, automated workflows, etc.

Twilio Flex Pricing 

Twilio offers per-hour pricing at $1 per active user or traditional per-user pricing at $150 monthly. All Twilio plans include the full suite of features, and Twilio also offers a 5000-hour free trial.

Best For

Twilio Flex is best for contact centers needing a completely customizable CCaaS solution. Because of its high-level SDK and API integrations, it’s best for teams with an in-house development team.

 

4. NICE CXOne

NICE CXOne is a contact center software with over 40 communication channels, automated self-service, employee engagement tools, and features for customer journey optimization.

The Enlighten AI tool measures 100% of omnichannel customer interactions in real time. It generates self-service scripts and menu options based on these insights and proactively engages customers at key touch points.

The downside is CXone’s lack of native UCaaS team collaboration and communication features.

NICE CXOne features include:

• Interaction Channels: Integrated and native channels include social media messaging, SMS/MMS, voice calling in 130 countries, email, website chat (live and chatbots)
• My Agent Assist (MAX): Agent interface containing CRM data, customer sentiment analysis, smart interaction routing, and agent inbox allowing for multichannel, single channel, and omnichannel queues
• Enlighten AI: Omnichannel conversational AI tool providing automated in-conversation assistance, omnichannel routing, prescriptive and predictive insights, complaint management, soft skill scoring, proactive engagement

NICE CXOne Pricing

NICE CXone offers 6 contact center plans, ranging from $71 to $209 monthly per user. They offer digital-only and voice-only plans, plus options with and without workforce management and conversational AI.

Best For

NICE CXOne is best for high-volume omnichannel contact centers that connect with customers across at least 10 voice or digital channels on a daily basis, or teams needing advanced AI-powered WFO and analytics tools.

 

5. Dialpad

Dialpad is an omnichannel contact center software known for having some of the most advanced and cutting-edge AI features on the market today, including built-in real-time sentiment analysis, live agent coaching, and real-time CSAT analysis.

It also offers a full UCaaS suite with team chat, SMS, video calling via Dialpad AI Meetings, and file co-editing.

While Dialpad’s native team communication and collaboration features make it stand out in the CCaaS space, its lack of pricing transparency makes it difficult to estimate its overall value.

Dialpad features include: 

• Dialpad AI: Conversational AI for digital deflection, intelligent omnichannel routing, post-call summaries with real-time call transcripts, automated note-taking, action item creation, and knowledge base
• AI Sales: Add-on providing outbound auto dialing with CRM integration, custom reports, voicemail drop, automated post-call notes, online video meetings via Dialpad Meetings, local presence dialing, and real-time agent speech recommendations
• AI CSAT: Automatically collects and analyzes conversations in real-time to provide AI-powered CSAT scores and updates, predictive analytics, agent assist, performance reports, and post-interaction SMS surveys

Dialpad Pricing

Dialpad offers 3 AI Contact Center pricing plans, ranging from $80 to $150 monthly per user. The low-tier Essentials plan just includes voice, while the higher-tier plans add digital channels and AI tools.

Best For 

Dialpad is best for call centers that also want AI agent support and internal collaboration tools like video meetings, team chat, and file sharing. The solution also works well for teams that want a simple user experience and dashboard.

 

6. Nextiva

Nextiva Contact Center is an omnichannel solution known for its native CRM tools, robust VoIP features, and superior team collaboration suite. Customers and reps can connect via social media messaging, website chat, voice calling, SMS, and email.

The biggest downside to Nextiva Contact Center is that it still requires an initial purchase of the Nextiva Business Communication software–so contact center capabilities are seen more as an “add-on” than a unique product.

Nextiva Contact Center features include: 

• Customer service and sales CRM: Customer experience score, business analytics, SmartTopics, CRM call pops, sentiment analysis, and more
• Collaborative team rooms: Internal team collaboration tools with video meetings, team chat, a central file sharing repository, omnichannel dashboard for internal email, and more
• Automated intelligence: Customized or template-based Conversational AI for automated customer surveys and onboarding, marketing campaigns, agent assist, follow-ups, escalation, lead generation, appointment scheduling, task reminders, etc.

Nextiva Pricing 

Nextiva Contact Center offers four contact center plans, with quote-based pricing. Contact center plans add to their Business Communication software, which ranges from $18.95 to $32.95 monthly per user.

Best For

Nexiva offers strong UCaaS and collaborative tools, plus a sales add-on that helps marketing teams track leads across the pipeline.

 

7. Genesys

Genesys Cloud CX is an omnichannel customer self-service and call center platform with 350+ pre-built integrations, voice and digital IVAs, and predictive engagement analytics.

Genesys has omnichannel communication features like customer-agent co-browsing, email routing, concurrent chat messaging, and typing indicators to improve the customer experience.

Genesys features include: 

• Voice and Digital IVAs: SMS, voice, chat, social media messaging, and email self-service tools that access customer histories and automate outbound customer engagement
• Workforce Optimization (WFO): Trend forecasting, customizable training modules, employee monitoring, personal bests, post-call agent evaluations, and real-time status monitoring
• Outbound Dialers: Power, Agentless, Progressive, Predictive, and Preview dialing modes included, alongside outbound IVR and adjustable call pacing

Genesys Pricing

Genesys offers five contact center plans, which range from $75 to $155 monthly per user. Plans include voice-only, digital-only, or mixed options.

Best For

Since Genesys offers digital-only versions of all pricing tiers–including their top tier–they work very well for teams that want a digital-only contact center. However, their voice plans still include the same strong call center features.

 

8. RingCentral

RingCentral Contact Center is an omnichannel customer experience platform combining Workforce Engagement, UCaaS, AI-powered automation and analytics, inbound/outbound calling, and over 30 digital channels into a single easy-to-use interface.

The call center includes RingCentral Intelligent Phone Solutions, a popular UCaaS platform and VoIP phone system unifying video meetings, team chat, voice calling, and 24/7 customer support. The biggest drawback to RingCentral Contact Center is that AI capabilities–like interaction analytics, agent feedback, and outbound dialers–are available only via paid add-ons.

RingCentral features include:

• Workforce Engagement Management: Feedback and in-call coaching, interaction analytics, performance gamification, automatic scheduling, call and screen recording, customer feedback, and performance reviews
• Outbound Dialing Tool: Includes preview, manual, progressive, and predictive dialing with agent scripting, list management features, call blending, call disposition, and DNC list compliance
• SmartAssist: Conversational AI tool for voice and chat channels with sentiment analysis, machine learning, 50 pre-built integrations, natural language understanding, escalate to live agent, context switching, and multi-threaded responses

RingCentral Pricing

RingCentral offers two call center plans, both with custom pricing. These plans build upon RingCentral’s Intelligent Phone Solutions plans, which range from $20 to $35 monthly per user.

Best For

Since RingCentral’s call center builds on their powerful UCaaS tool, the software is a great fit for teams prioritizing internal collaboration.

 

9. Zendesk

Zendesk is a call center software that’s built into Zendesk’s sales CRM platform and ticket management software. Geared toward customer service, Zendesk includes team collaboration, a knowledge base, and an advanced routing system.

Zendesk offers voice and digital channels, with phone numbers available from over 40 countries around the globe. The interface includes an advanced ticketing system, custom triggers and assignment rules, and the ability for agents to have side conversations. Administrators can set up skills-based routing, track custom analytics, and create digital onboarding experiences for new staff.

Zendesk features include:

• Agent workspace: Lets agents manage interactions across up to 8 channels at once, access canned response templates and in-conversation automated Agent Suggestions, tag other agents, collaborate with team members, access customer history, etc.
• Ticketing systems: If-then automated triggers, omnichannel workflow routing, automated ticket macro responses, side conversations, file sharing, and ticket linking across third-party platforms
• Omnichannel support: Connect with customers across email, live chat, VoIP voice calling, SMS, automated chatbots, IVR and IVA bots, and social media

Zendesk Pricing

Zendesk offers 4 call center plans that range from $55 to over $115 monthly per user. Each plan includes omnichannel service via voice, email, chat, and more. Purchasing phone numbers and making calls with Zendesk Talk adds to these monthly costs.

Best For

Zendesk is best for teams that want a combination of internal collaboration tools and complex multichannel ticketing.

 

10. Freshdesk

Freshdesk (formerly Freshcaller) is an AI-powered service desk and omnichannel contact center tool designed for telephony-first customer interactions. Featuring business phone numbers from over 90 countries, the software includes a knowledge base, ticket dispatching across voice and email, and team collaboration tools. Agents can track customer journey information and administer CSAT surveys or canned forms.

The software includes skills-based routing, live AI support for on-call agents, and community forums for your customers and users.

Freshdesk features include:

• Freddy AI: AI-powered in-conversation agent assist, automatic ticket field suggestions, article suggester, canned response suggester, thank you detector for ticket resolution confirmation, social media monitoring
• Smart Escalations: Nested call flow routing paths and call queues, set and update fallback rules, offer automated callbacks, direct to IVR menus, send calls to voicemail or additional agents/ring group, etc.
• Call Lifecycles: Provides a granular, step-by-step view of the overall customer journey by showing up to 50 related call events (call handle time, agent who managed the call, call duration/transfers, queue hold time, follow-up calls, etc.)

Freshdesk Pricing

Freshcaller offers 4 call center plans ranging from free to $69 monthly per user. Each paid plan includes from 2000 to 5000 monthly inbound calling minutes per user. Beyond this limit, accounts pay per minute.

Best For

Freshdesk is best for mostly inbound call centers with a complicated task- and ticketing-management process.

 

11. Aircall

Aircall is a simple VoIP call center software that only offers native voice and SMS, with the option to integrate other channels.

Accessible via softphone app on desktop and mobile, Aircall offers collaboration tools like shared call inboxes, call tagging, call monitoring, and advanced analytics. Users can share contact lists, set up IVR, and use Aircall’s outbound auto dialer. The software is essentially a mix between a call center and a collaborative UCaaS platform.

Aircall features include:

• Live Activity Feed: Real-time call center activity overview with interactive and visual data regarding KPIs like call queues, number of missed and active calls, average call wait time, average service level, current agent status, etc.
• Power Dialer: Stores up to 1,000 numbers per list and integrates with CRM tools
• Shared Call Inbox: Company-wide or team-wide voicemail box for multiple agents to share inbound call responsibility

Aircall Pricing

Aircall offers 3 call center plans, ranging from $30 to over $50 monthly per user. Both plans include VoIP and SMS, with the advanced plan adding monitoring and advanced analytics.

Best For

Aircall is best for phone-focused teams that want a mix of call center functionality and internal team collaboration.

 

12. 8×8

8×8 XCaaS is a highly customizable CCaaS and UCaaS cloud platform with voice, email, chat, SMS, and messaging applications.

The UCaaS offerings include a massive 48-country unlimited calling area, collaborative video meetings, call monitoring, AI-based live conversation support, and call analytics. The contact center plans add skills-based routing, queue callbacks, an autodialer, and email communications.

8×8 features include:

• Advanced call routing strategies: Skills-based, most idle, simultaneous ring, time-based, schedule-based, list-based, relationship-based, and intelligent routing
• Quality and workforce management tools: Advanced agent evaluation, agent onboarding and ongoing training, customer surveys, agent scorecards, time spent per task, filter agent interactions, agent skill progression
• Conversational IQ: Speech Analytics tool that transcribes all agent-customer interactions, allowing managers to search by keyword/phrase, topic, and more

8×8 Pricing

8×8 offers 5 total plans–two unified communications plans and three contact center plans. However, all pricing information is offered on a private, quote-based basis.

Best For

Since all 8×8 plans support unlimited international calling to 48 countries, the UCaaS and call center offerings provide great value for teams that frequently call customers internationally.

 

13. DialedIn

DialedIn is a call center software platform offering basic inbound and outbound voice calling, SMS, and email. Sales teams can take advantage of DialedIn’s advanced dialing moves. Administrators can create visual scripts for agents, listen in on calls, and monitor agent screens. The software offers an IVR and skills-based routing for inbound calls.

DialedIn features include:

• Outbound Dialer: DialedIn offers numerous auto dialing modes, including Predictive, Power, Progressive, Preview, Agentless, Injection, and Agent Availability-based dialing alongside DNC list compliance
• Inbound Call Management: ACD, IVR, Skills-based and source-based routing, call transfer, call handling
• Training Mode: Designed to help train new agents and managers with screen sharing, monitoring, in-call coaching, call recording and playback, and more

DialedIn Pricing

DialedIn offers 4 call center plans that range from $49 to $169 monthly per user. Each plan has a 5-user minimum and includes at least 3000 monthly calling minutes per agent.

Best For

With its wide suite of outbound dialing options, DialedIn is a great option for teams that frequently make outbound sales calls.

 

14. Convoso

Convoso is an automated outbound dialer tool with preview, predictive, progressive, and power dialing modes alongside outbound SMS and email marketing.

The software supports its outbound routing engine with a variety of tools to manage leads and sales calls. Create dynamic scripts personalized with CRM data, and create custom dialing plans that follow your contacts’ schedules. Convoso has advanced answering machine detection, with the option to drop voicemails automatically into each contact’s inbox. Route each connected call to the best available agent, based on skills.

Convoso features include: 

• Click-to-Comply Dialer: TCPA compliance feature requiring agents to manually initiate all calls with one click
• Speed To Lead: Helps beat out competitors when dialing shared/public lead lists by automatically prioritizing quality leads to the front of queue, and by setting rules-based calling triggers
• Automated Email Marketing: Trigger-based outbound mass/drip email campaigns, email templates, custom dynamic fields, personalization, custom monetary data calculations

Convoso Pricing

Convoso pricing is entirely quote-based and requires interested businesses to contact them directly to set up a demo and develop customized plans and pricing.

Best For

With its advanced dialing and scheduling tools, Convoso is best for sales and marketing teams that frequently manage and reach out to leads.

 

15. Vonage

Vonage Contact Center (VCC) is an omnichannel solution supporting voice, email, live and automated web chat, SMS, video chat, and social media. While Vonage supports omnichannel routing and an outbound auto dialer, the solution’s omnichannel UI requires a Salesforce integration.

Vonage analytics track KPIs across all channels, along with screen pops and call announcements that draw from CRM contact information. Vonage includes APIs that enable you to unify functionality across apps, like agent availability, reporting and user authentication. Vonage supports high-quality customer service with call monitoring, post-call surveys, and post-call quality ratings.

Vonage Contact Center features include:

• Conversation Analyzer: Standalone or CRM-integrated AI speech analytics tool for inbound/outbound calling, showing agent and customer talk time comparisons, complete call recordings and transcripts, automated categorizations for agent effectiveness, and more
• Dynamic Routing: Automated routing tool that integrates with your CRM data to create optimized IVR relationship-based, skills-based, priority-based, and other routing strategies
• Agent UX Suite: Omnichannel agent interface with CRM screen pops, click-to-call, case assignment/update notifications, voicemail drop, whisper coaching, agent status updates, etc.

Vonage Contact Center Pricing

Vonage Contact Center offers two quote-based bundled plans as well as several add-on options like CRM integrations, APIs, speech analytics, and workforce management tools.

Best For

Since Vonage offers a strong omnichannel interface that integrates with Salesforce, it’s a great solution for teams that already use Salesforce to manage customer data.

 

16. CloudTalk

CloudTalk is a call center software for sales and support teams seeking to boost agent productivity and shorten the resolution process. It offers voice and SMS only, without any other communication channels.

While CloudTalk offers basic automation features, like resolved smart call detection and CTI screen pops, it’s not for teams that need to completely automate customer interactions.

CloudTalk features include:

• Smart Dialer: Outbound power and predictive dialer and lead list generator that collects lead contact information from relevant websites to create call lists
• Real-Time Customer Card: In-call customer information card including access to native or integrated call recordings, past orders, prior and current support tickets, omnichannel conversation history, agent comments/notes, etc.
• VoIP Call Management: After-call work, call tagging, warm transfer, outbound campaigns, call queueing, personal and shared voicemail boxes, ring groups, call forwarding

CloudTalk Pricing

CloudTalk offers 4 plans from $25 to $50 monthly per user, with a quote-based custom plan. Each plan includes unlimited inbound voice, automated call distribution, and unlimited call queueing.

Best For

CloudTalk is best for smaller or newer businesses focused on handling and queueing inbound calls.

 

Our Research Methodology

To determine the call center rankings and choices above, we considered the following factors:

• Features: We examined the features and communication channels that each software offers. We prioritized solutions with advanced routing, analytics, workforce engagement, and AI-based tools.
• Pricing: Our rankings placed a high priority on value–the solutions that offer features, integrations, and usability at a budget price. Call center software can vary widely in cost–anywhere from $50 to $200 monthly per user, so we emphasized software that provides strong value for the cost.
• Usability: When we tested these call center providers, we noted each product’s dashboard, and interface. New users frequently feel overwhelmed when transitioning to a new call center solution, so we highly ranked the solutions that feel intuitive and easy to use.
• AI support: Artificial intelligence tools have tremendous potential to simplify an agent’s and administrator’s workflow. Further, AI can reduce staffing needs and help companies cut down on costs. We prioritized call center software that utilizes AI to improve workflows, agent experience, and customer support.
• Routing tools: Effective inbound call routing is a fundamental aspect of a well-functioning call center. When comparing software providers, we evaluated each software’s routing tools–including ACD, skills-based routing, and queue features. Generally, we gave higher ratings to providers with robust routing systems.
• Reviews: We combed through the user reviews on our website–and those on other websites–to gain a better idea of users’ hands-on experiences with these call center solutions. These reviews provided insights about customer support, the sign up process, and each app’s ease of use.

 

FAQs