6 Best CloudTalk Alternatives for 2022
Corey McCraw is a staff writer covering VoIP and Unified Communications. Corey has over a decade of experience in marketing, tech writing, and corporate communications and has even penned content for the former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative.
Rain is a staff writer at Fit Small Business focusing on sales, such as VoIP and video conferencing.
This article is part of a larger series on VoIP.
CloudTalk is an excellent cloud-based call center solution for businesses with a global customer base. However, its pricing and set of features do not match businesses that need to support multiple communication channels or have more advanced needs. We examined various platforms to help you look around for the best CloudTalk alternatives—prioritizing the availability of essential call management tools and their pricing options.
According to our research, the best CloudTalk competitors include:
- GoTo Connect: Best overall CloudTalk alternative and excellent option for those with unlimited international calling needs
- Freshdesk Contact Center: Best option for businesses with tight budgets looking for an omnichannel contact center
- Talkdesk: Top alternative for companies with advanced artificial intelligence (AI) needs like workforce management tools
- 8×8: Best for those handling highly sensitive client information, including healthcare and finance organizations
- Aircall: Top contender for unlimited local calling and software integrations
- Kixie: Ideal for sales teams looking for a call center solution with excellent auto-dialing features
Looking for more options? Check out our list of the best call center phone systems for more alternatives you can consider.
CloudTalk & Best Alternatives at a Glance
CloudTalk Alternative | Starting Price | Key Features | Free Trial | FSB Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | $25 per user, per month |
| 14 days | Check out our CloudTalk Review |
 | $29 per user, per month |
| 14 days | 4.26 out of 5 |
 | Free |
| 21 days | 4.15 out of 5 |
 | $75 per user, per month |
| N/A | 4.13 out of 5 |
 | $125 per user, per month |
| N/A | 4 out of 5 |
 | $40 per user, per month |
| 7 days | 3.89 out of 5 |
 | $35 per user, per month |
| 7 days | 3.78 out of 5 |
GoTo Connect: Best Overall CloudTalk Alternative for Small Businesses
GotoConnect
Overall Score: 4.26
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Affordable fees with volume and annual discounts
- Free international calling to up to 52 countries included in higher tiers
- Platform is compatible with more than 180 desk phone models
- Local, vanity, and toll-free numbers available
- 99.996% uptime
What's Missing
- Entry-level plan’s maximum number of meeting participants is limited to 4
- Only the most expensive tier provides advanced call management tools like listen, whisper, and barge
- Video conferencing tool limits simultaneous webcams to 25
How It Compares to CloudTalk
- Both GoTo Connect and CloudTalk offers a 14-day free trial
- GoTo Connect has video conferencing features, unlike CloudTalk
- CloudTalk has more app integrations available (35+) than GoTo Connect (25+)
- Both CloudTalk and GoTo Connect allow unlimited call queues
- GoTo Connect offers unlimited international calling while CloudTalk charges per minute
- GoTo Connect has slightly lower monthly per-user fees ($29) than CloudTalk ($30)
GoTo Connect is a cloud-based business phone system with call center and video conferencing features. It is the best overall CloudTalk alternative due to its great balance of affordable pricing and comprehensive features, including virtual meetings. Additionally—unlike CloudTalk, which charges per minute—it offers unlimited calls to up to 52 countries, perfect for those with high global call volumes.
While hardware isn’t required, those who prefer to utilize one can choose from more than 150 desk phone models. Additionally, GoTo Connect makes it easy for users to customize call flows with its virtual drag-and-drop editor. It also integrates with popular software, like Slack and Salesforce, for a more efficient workflow.
However, its low-cost entry-level plan comes with a lot of limitations. For example, it only allows a maximum of four video conferencing participants and only one customized call flow. Moreover, advanced call management features—such as listen, whisper, and barge—are only available in the most expensive tier. If your business doesn’t have a tight budget and has a great need for these tools, you can check out alternatives like 8×8.
Discover more choices with our guide on the best business phone systems. We examined providers that offer solutions for solopreneurs, small and mid-size businesses, and enterprises.
GoTo Connect Pricing at a Glance*
- Basic: $29 per user, per month for one customizable call flow through the GoTo Connect dial plan editor, unlimited extensions, one ring group, and 40 minutes of video conferencing with four participants
- Standard: $39 per user, per month for unlimited customized call flows, unlimited ring groups, unlimited international calls to up to 52 countries, and unlimited video conferencing duration with 150 participants
- Premium: Starts at $49 per user, per month for a customizable cloud contact center platform
*Prices are applicable for monthly billing and one user. Annual and volume discounts are available.
GoTo Connect Features
GoTo Connect is accessible across devices—such as desktop, mobile, and up to 180 VoIP hardware models. (Source: GoTo Connect)
- Business phone system: Choose local, toll-free, or vanity phone numbers for your virtual phone system that you can access from any device. You can also port your existing number, customize call flows, and set up your e-fax.
- Call center features: Manage large call volumes with tools like unlimited call queueing, wait time announcement, precall announcement, and advanced ring strategies.
- Video conferencing: Host virtual meetings to up to 250 participants, with one-click screen sharing and unlimited duration.
Discover more plan inclusions and capabilities through our GoTo Connect review to find out if its packages work for you.
Freshdesk Contact Center: Most Affordable Omnichannel Contact Center
Freshdesk Contact Center
Overall Score: 4.15
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Free plan available
- Affordable fees with annual discounts
- Has an omnichannel option for businesses that utilizes various channels, such as phone, social media, and email
- Integrates well with other Freshworks products and third-party software like Salesforce
What's Missing
- No unlimited calling inclusion for high call volumes
- Not all features are available in its mobile app
- No volume discounts
How It Compares to CloudTalk
- CloudTalk provides more international phone numbers (140+ countries) than Freshdesk Contact Center (90+ countries)
- Unlike CloudTalk, Freshdesk Contact Center offers a free plan
- Freshdesk Contact Center has a longer free trial duration of 21 days than CloudTalk’s 14 days
- CloudTalk’s entry-level plan comes with unlimited inbound calls, unlike Freshdesk Contact Center’s limited 2,000 incoming call minutes included in its paid entry-level tier
- CloudTalk lacks Freshdesk Contact Center’s omnichannel message management features
- Freshdesk Contact Center paid plans start at $18 per agent, per month while CloudTalk starts at $30 per user, per month
- Both Freshdesk Contact Center and CloudTalk are General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)-compliant
Freshdesk Contact Center provides an intuitive platform that seamlessly integrates with other Freshworks products, such as Freshsales and Freshservice. It is the most budget-friendly option for businesses that need an omnichannel solution supporting calls, emails, and social media messages. Its paid plans have the lowest per-user monthly fees that start at $18 per agent, great for those wanting to utilize a basic cloud-based solution for their call management needs.
Those who want to try it out can also sign up for a 21-day free trial or its free plan if its inclusions fit their current needs. Its plans are packaged in a way where premium plans and more incoming call minutes are locked in higher tiers.
While CloudTalk has more international phone number coverage, Freshdesk Contact Center isn’t too far behind with its support for over 90 countries. However, if your business receives high inbound call volumes, you might need to look into CloudTalk more. It provides unlimited inbound call minutes in all plans, unlike Freshdesk Contact Center, which comes with limited incoming call minutes even at its highest subscription tier.
Freshdesk Contact Center Pricing at a Glance*
- Free: Free for an unlimited number of agents, unlimited concurrent calls, call blocking, inbound caller ID, call metrics, custom greetings and messages, and GDPR compliance
- Growth: $18 per agent, per month for 2,000 incoming call minutes, team routing, basic reports, most third-party software integrations, and 100 per minute API limits
- Pro: $47 per agent, per month for 3,000 incoming call minutes, interactive voice response (IVR) phone trees, custom reports, all third-party software integrations, and 400 per minute API limits
- Enterprise: $83 per agent, per month for 5,000 incoming call minutes, speech-enabled IVR phone trees, omnichannel routing, service-level breached call reports, and 500 per minute API limits
*Rates are exclusive of per-minute fees.
Find out which data is important to measure in our guide to the top call center metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to improve agent productivity.
Freshdesk Contact Center Features
Freshdesk Contact Center comes with a Live Dashboard that provides real-time information on call activities. It also displays which customers have callback requests. (Source: Freshdesk Contact Center)
- Inbound and outbound call management: Handle outgoing and incoming calls with features like call queues and power dialing.
- Call monitoring: Ensure ideal customer experience by monitoring your team’s performance through tools like call barging and detailed real-time reports on agent activities and call metrics.
- Affordable pricing: Freshdesk Contact Center is among the most budget-friendly call center software for businesses with growing needs.
Read our Freshdesk Contact Center review for more details and to determine if its offerings suit your needs.
Visit Freshdesk Contact Center
Talkdesk: Best AI-powered Call Center
Talkdesk
Overall Score: 4.13
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Intuitive user interface
- Advanced features like AI-powered, real-time agent assistance
- Has 60+ third-party software integrations and API access
- Voice and digital engagement support
- Flexible deployment options
What's Missing
- No transparent pricing
- 100% uptime SLA is only available in the CX Cloud Elite plan
- Expensive rates and advanced tools may be overkill for small businesses with tight budgets and average needs
How It Compares to CloudTalk
- Talkdesk features advanced tools powered by AI and workforce management capabilities that CloudTalk lacks
- CloudTalk offers transparent pricing, unlike Talkdesk, which requires customized quotes
- CloudTalk pricing starts at $30 per agent for no commitment subscriptions while Talkdesk fees start at $75 per user, per month for a minimum of a 3-year contract
- Talkdesk supports digital engagement channels—such as chat, email, and SMS—unlike CloudTalk
- Talkdesk doesn’t offer a free trial, while CloudTalk lets users try its platform for 14 days at no cost
- Talkdesk offers phone numbers in 160 countries, while CloudTalk covers over 140 countries
Talkdesk offers a contact center platform with comprehensive artificial intelligence (AI)-powered features, such as virtual agent and workforce management tools. It provides flexible deployment options—allowing it to be built in the cloud, on-premise, or with a combination of both. Apart from a more robust set of capabilities compared to CloudTalk’s, it also allows more integrations with third-party tools and provides access to an API for more customized and advanced connections.
Unlike CloudTalk, Talkdesk does not display straightforward pricing, and those interested need to talk to a sales representative to request a customized quote. However, it does provide a starting fee estimate of $75 per user, per month—applicable for three-year subscriptions. This steeper price point and the lack of a free trial makes it a good choice only for companies with higher budgets and advanced needs.
Interested in checking out hardware for your contact center team? Check out our list of the best call center phones to determine which model is the perfect fit for your needs.
Talkdesk Pricing at a Glance*
- CX Cloud Essentials: $75 per user, per month for voice engagement, call routing, business intelligence, API access, and third-party app integrations
- CX Cloud Elevate: $95 per user, per month for voice and digital engagement, quality management, screen recording, and a virtual agent
- CX Cloud Elite: $125 per user, per month for custom reporting, performance management, 100% uptime service level agreement (SLA), and one add-on, like customer experience analytics
- Experience Clouds: Customized pricing for industry workspace, industry integrations, industry workflows, industry virtual agents, and an add-on, such as workforce management
*Estimated rates exclusive of usage and telco fees and are applicable for subscriptions with a minimum contract length of three years. Talkdesk also provides concurrent and per-hour login consumption pricing. Contact its sales team for a customized quote.
Talkdesk Features
Talkdesk offers customized solutions—providing AI, actionable insights, integrations, and workflows that suits specific needs. (Source: Talkdesk)
- Voice and digital engagement: Send and receive calls, chats, texts, and emails in a single platform so you can reach your customers in their preferred channel.
- Workforce management: This AI-powered tool lets you optimize team management and automate work scheduling for more efficient operations.
- Third-party app integrations and API access: Integrate Talkdesk with your customized applications—through APIs and SDKs—and popular apps, such as Salesforce, Slack, and Zendesk.
8×8 Contact Center: Best for Businesses Handling Sensitive Client Data
8x8 Contact Center
Overall Score: 4.00
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Multi-channel support, including calls, social media, chat, SMS, and emails
- Offers a 99.999% uptime guarantee
- Wide range of security and compliance certifications, including GDPR, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)
- Unlimited calls to up to 48 countries
- Flexible plans—allowing businesses to mix and match the number of licenses per product to create a bundle tailored to their needs
What's Missing
- No free trial
- Omnichannel routing is only available in higher plans
- Media storage is only available for 30 days, long-term storage come with an added cost
How It Compares to CloudTalk
- 8×8 Contact Center does not provide a free trial, unlike CloudTalk
- 8×8 Contact Center has a more extensive list of allowed third-party software integrations than CloudTalk
- Both 8×8 Contact Center and CloudTalk provide API access
- CloudTalk has wider global phone number coverage (140+ countries) than 8×8 Contact Center (120+ countries)
- CloudTalk does not disclose or offer an uptime guarantee, unlike 8×8 Contact Center, which provides an impressive 99.999% uptime SLA
- 8×8 Contact Center has a wider range of security and compliance certifications across various industries—like healthcare and finance—than CloudTalk, which focuses on GDPR
8×8 Contact Center boasts a reliable platform with 99.999% uptime SLA and numerous security and compliance certificates for various industries. Examples are compliance with the HIPAA, GDPR, PCI DSS, FISMA/NIST SP 800-53 R4, and CPNI. Those with strict data compliance standards can consider 8×8 Contact Center as their communication solution.
Additionally, 8×8 Contact Center offers a reliable platform that supports omnichannel engagement, including calls, texts, social media channels, emails, and chats. While most of the providers in this list come with usage-based pricing for calls, 8×8 Contact Center offers unlimited calling to 48 countries. This inclusion is great for businesses with an international customer base handling high call volumes.
While 8×8 Contact Center provides omnichannel messaging management tools, it is only available in higher plans that can be steep for those with tight budgets. Additionally, it doesn’t provide free trials, unlike other providers like CloudTalk. It also charges added fees for premium capabilities—like long-term media storage.
8×8 Contact Center Pricing at a Glance*
- X6: $125 per user, per month for unlimited calls to 48 countries, post-call survey, 99.999% uptime SLA, and preview, progressive, and predictive dialers
- X7: $138 per user, per month for skills-based routing, omnichannel routing, and co-browsing
- X8: $175 per user, per month for quality management, speech analytics, screen recording, and real-time multi-screen monitoring
*Users can mix and match plans and the number of licenses according to their needs.
8×8 Contact Center Features
8×8 Contact Center is accessible in various devices, such as IP phones, mobile phones, laptops, and desktop computers. (Source: 8×8 Contact Center)
- Omnichannel routing: Unify your multi-channel communications to provide ideal customer experiences across channels, such as voice, messaging apps, social media, email, and SMS.
- Native CRM and CRM integrations: Consolidate your customer data and call center functionalities in a single platform through its built-in customer relationship manager (CRM) or by integrating its system with popular CRMs, like HubSpot.
- Customer experience analytics: Identify opportunities for customer experience improvements through a complete visualization of their journey.
Aircall: Best for Unlimited Local Calling & Software Integrations
Aircall
Overall Score: 3.89
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Unlimited calls within the U.S. and Canada
- API developer support and VIP priority support hotline
- Custom plans include unlimited calling worldwide
- 99.99% uptime
- International numbers available
What's Missing
- Fees are more expensive than most providers, like CloudTalk or GoTo Connect
- Lacks team messaging and file sharing features
- No built-in internet fax and video conferencing capabilities
- Advanced features might be excessive for those with basic needs
How It Compares to CloudTalk
- CloudTalk has a longer trial period of 14 days compared to Aircall’s 7 days
- Aircall provides unlimited outbound calls, unlike CloudTalk, which offers metered calling features with per-minute rates
- Aircall has more third-party software integrations (95+) than CloudTalk (35+)
- CloudTalk has cheaper ($30 per user) starting monthly rates than Aircall ($40 per user)
- Both Aircall and CloudTalk offer API access
- CloudTalk offers wider global coverage with numbers for 140+ countries compared to Aircall’s 100+ countries
Aircall is a cloud-based call center solution with business phone system features, including toll-free, local, and international numbers, collaboration, and analytics tools. It can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection through mobile and desktop devices. Unlike most providers that charge calls per minute, Aircall comes with unlimited calling features within the U.S. and Canada—great for those handling high local call volumes.
While Aircall is an excellent option for support and sales teams, its advanced tools and price can be too much for those with average call volume and tight budgets. Moreover, it lacks capabilities that other providers, like 8×8, offer, such as internet fax, video conferencing, team messaging, and file sharing.
Aircall Pricing at a Glance*
- Essentials: $40 per user, per month for unlimited calls within the U.S. and Canada, one-year data recording storage, call queueing, API access, and integrations with 95+ third-party software
- Professional: $70 per user, per month for unlimited data recording storage, queue callback, call whisper, advanced analytics, and a power dialer
- Custom: Customized pricing for features and inclusions bundled according to your needs
*SMS and international calling bundles are available as add-ons.
Aircall Features
Aircall displays real-time data on your team’s activity, including the number of calls in queue and filtered calls. (Source: Aircall)
- Queue callback: Offer your callers an option to leave the waiting line and receive your response at a later time.
- Power dialer: Make calls in rapid succession with a powerful sales dialer that automatically adds numbers from any webpage.
- Third-party software integrations, webhooks, and API access: Make your workflows more efficient by integrating your own apps or existing third-party software through one-click installations, webhooks, and APIs.
Want to learn more about this platform? Check out our Aircall review for a comprehensive discussion on its features, pricing, and what users think about its system.
Kixie: Best for Sales Teams That Need Auto-dialing
Kixie
Overall Score: 3.78
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Live call coaching lets you train agents better
- Lead management tools let your agents connect with engaged leads
- Comes with machine learning (ML) to improve answer rates
What's Missing
- Has fewer third-party app integrations
- Occasional software bugs and issues, like app crashes
- Has no monthly billing option
- Unlimited minutes to U.S. and Canada has added $30 per user monthly fees, unlike providers like Aircall
How It Compares to CloudTalk
- CloudTalk offers monthly and annual billing cycles, while Kixie provides quarterly and annual payment options
- CloudTalk has a longer trial period of 14 days compared to Kixie’s seven
- CloudTalk’s minimum users to qualify for monthly billing is one, while Kixie’s required minimum number of users for its quarterly contract is three
- Both CloudTalk and Kixie offers API access
- CloudTalk has more third-party integrations (35+) than Kixie (15+)
- CloudTalk has cheaper fees that start at $30 per user, per month compared to Kixie’s $35 per user, per quarter
Kixie is a cloud-based platform with voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP), contact center, and team management tools. While most contact centers are heavily focused on managing messages across channels, a lot of Kixie’s features are beneficial for sales teams. Most tools aim to improve team performance, better answer rates, and higher lead conversions, including auto-dialing, live coaching, and real-time dashboards.
Unlike most providers, Kixie requires a minimum quarterly contract, which can be a disadvantage for those who do not want to be tied to longer contracts. However, it does provide a seven-day free trial that can help users determine if its platform is an excellent match to their needs.
Kixie Pricing at a Glance*
- Integrated: $35 per user, per month on a quarterly basis for business phone services, text messaging, IVR, missed call alerts, ring groups, and a sales leaderboard
- Professional: $65 per user, per month on a quarterly basis for local presence dialing*, live call coaching, Intelligent AutoDialer, text templates, and instant website lead caller
- Enterprise: Customized pricing with an extended trial period for custom features, like automations, integrations, and auto-dialing
*Additional charges apply for some features, like unlimited calling within the U.S. and Canada and local presence dialing.
Kixie Features
Kixie lets users set up a premade text template with placeholders that can be sent to their customers. (Source: Kixie)
- Sales leaderboard: Motivate your agents by displaying a leaderboard showcasing all agents’ names and photos, including call duration, total connections, and total calls.
- Intelligent AutoDialer: Automatically connect your sales teams with your leads with its auto-dialer. It triggers calls from your customer relationship management (CRM) system once a lead conducts certain activities, such as checking your pricing page or submitting a response to your form.
- AI-powered spam detection: Instantly get rid of numbers with a low connection rate with this AI-powered feature that helps you lessen the chances of your numbers getting marked as spam.
How We Evaluated the Best CloudTalk Competitors
To find out the top CloudTalk alternatives, we analyzed call center software with inclusions similar to CloudTalk’s. These call center features include unlimited call queues, international phone numbers, third-party software integrations, and automated call distribution (ACD). We also recognized CloudTalk’s feature gaps—such as clear and reliable uptime SLA.
According to our analysis, GoTo Connect is the best alternative to CloudTalk—scoring 4.26 out of 5. It offers budget-friendly plans with a 14-day free trial. Its set of tools are also comparable to CloudTalk’s, which addresses the need to manage high call volumes, agent performance, and workflows.
Learn more about how we determined our scores by clicking on the following tabs:
15%
Pricing
30%
General Features
30%
More Niche Features
25%
Expert Score
15% of Overall Score
We compared each provider’s pricing plans to see which platforms provide the most value for money. We looked at their monthly rates and offers like free plans and trials, volume pricing discounts, and annual discount agreements.
30% of Overall Score
We examined which platforms have the most useful call management tools. We focused on features and inclusions like a free phone number, unlimited call queuing, mobile app access, free inbound and internal calls, ACD, and service reliability with the most uptime percentage.
30% of Overall Score
We looked to see which providers offered niche features, such as third-party software integrations, international phone numbers, call recording, a visual call flow editor, and power dialer.
25% of Overall Score
We analyzed providers by evaluating their standout features, ease of use, popularity, value, as well as our personal experience and what users are saying about its services.
*Percentages of overall score
Bottom Line
CloudTalk is an excellent call center solution for businesses looking for an affordable platform to route callers to the most appropriate agents. It also provides tools that help develop better agent performance and workflows. While it provides wider international phone coverage, it charges overseas calls per minute. This type of billing can blow up costs for those with high outbound minutes.
GoTo Connect’s platform is comparable with CloudTalk and it makes it the best alternative for international calling needs. It offers unlimited calls to 52 countries and features that CloudTalk lacks, such as video conferencing. Sign up for its two-week free trial to determine if it satisfies your current business needs.
