Dialpad alternatives: business phone systems with AI, side by side

By Ranjit Bhinge, founder of Blur Studio · Updated October 25, 2026 · 8 min read

Short answer: The main Dialpad alternatives are Aircall for sales and support teams that live in their CRM, Quo (formerly OpenPhone) for small teams that want low prices and texting, Nextiva for businesses that want phone, chat and SMS in one plan, Zoom Phone for teams already on Zoom, and Google Voice for Google Workspace users. As of October 2026, entry prices run from $10 to $30 per user a month.

You want to know what Dialpad's AI features actually cost before you commit, since the real number isn't on the pricing page.

I'm Ranjit, and I run Blur Studio: 15+ years building software, 120 apps taken live, and clients who have gone on to raise $10M+. I build AI systems and processes that help businesses do a lot more with a lot less time. I also work differently from most of what else is out there, more on that further down this page. Say hello.

Why do people look for a Dialpad alternative?

Dialpad sells three groups of plans. Connect is the business phone system. Sell is for sales teams, and Support is a contact center for support teams. Here is what its pricing page lists per user per month. The page has a monthly and yearly switch, so check which billing each price applies to.

Dialpad plan	Price per user a month	What it adds
Connect Standard	$15	Calls, meetings, live transcripts and call summaries
Connect Pro	$25	Main CRM links and 24/7 support
Sell Essentials	$39	Unlimited US and Canada minutes, AI recaps, CRM links, coaching teams
Sell Advanced and Premium	$59 and $79	Live coaching and quality tools
Support Essentials	$89	Call routing, power dialer, contact center reports
Support Advanced and Premium	$119 and $149	Live coaching, quality and workforce tools

So the reasons people compare are usually about fit and cost.

CRM links start on Pro: A team that needs its phone linked to a CRM pays at least $25 a user.
Contact center costs more: Support plans start at $89 a user, which is a big step for a small team.
Some plans are yearly only: Dialpad's page says Sell Premium and Support Premium are sold on yearly plans only.
AI agents have custom pricing: Dialpad's AI agents, called Resolve, use a pool of credits that you buy through sales. Dialpad only charges credits when the agent does real work, such as booking or looking up an order. Some owners want a public price before they talk to anyone.

What are the best Dialpad alternatives?

Blur Studio (best value)

A ready-built, well-tested core with a different pricing model: no per-seat fees, and it covers almost all the features you'd actually need, usually working out to the best value for money. On top of that, Blur Studio builds owned customizations, meaning you can ask for it to be modified to your exact specifications, and you own those modifications outright. Learn more over a quick call with me, Ranjit.

Best for: Businesses that need software that works without barriers, no unnecessary fees and options to customize it to their needs.

Aircall

Aircall is a phone system built to plug into CRMs and help desks. Essentials costs $30 per license a month and Professional costs $50, both billed yearly. Each account needs at least 3 licenses. Essentials includes call recording, call and voicemail transcripts, more than 250 integrations and 50 AI Voice Agent minutes a month. AI call summaries cost extra on Essentials. Professional includes them and adds smart routing and a power dialer.

Best for: Sales and support teams that work inside a CRM or help desk all day.

Quo (formerly OpenPhone)

Quo is the new name for OpenPhone. Starter costs $15 per user a month billed yearly, or $19 billed monthly. Business costs $23 yearly or $33 monthly, and adds AI call summaries, call recording, phone menus and HubSpot and Salesforce links. Every plan includes Sona, Quo's AI agent, with 10 free calls a month. More calls come in paid packs from $25 a month.

Best for: Small businesses that want shared numbers, texting and a low-cost AI agent.

Nextiva

Nextiva's NEXT plans combine phone, video, texting and a basic CRM. NEXT Core costs $15 per user a month billed yearly, or $23 monthly. NEXT Engage costs $25 yearly or $50 monthly and adds live chat, a chatbot and a toll-free number. Each plan includes a set number of AI summaries and transcripts. Its XBert AI add-on costs $1.50 per conversation.

Best for: Businesses that want phone, chat and texting under one bill.

Zoom Phone

Zoom Phone's US & CA Unlimited plan costs $16 per user a month billed yearly, or $18 monthly. It includes unlimited US and Canada calls, call recording, AI post-call summaries and links to Salesforce, Slack, Microsoft and Google. Pro Plus, at $20.50 a month billed yearly, bundles the phone with Zoom Workplace Pro for meetings.

Best for: Teams that already run their meetings on Zoom.

Google Voice

Google Voice is an add-on for Google Workspace. Starter costs $10 per user a month for up to 10 users. Standard costs $20 and adds phone menus, ring groups and Gemini call notes. Premier costs $30 and adds automatic call recording and transcripts. You need a Workspace plan, which Google bills separately.

Best for: Small teams on Google Workspace that want a simple business number.

Dialpad's own AI Agent product is not on its published pricing page at all, confirmed as of October 2026. It is sold only through sales, as a pool of AI Agent Credits, and a conversation is only billed when the AI actually retrieves information or takes an action, not for every call it touches. Ask for a worked example at your real call volume before you sign, since "credits" pricing is easy to misjudge against a flat per-minute competitor.

How do Dialpad alternatives compare?

Phone system	Entry price per user a month	Minimum users	AI included	AI agent for calls
Dialpad Connect	$15	Not listed	Live transcripts and summaries	Resolve, custom pricing
Aircall	$30, yearly	3 licenses	Transcripts on Essentials, summaries on Professional	50 minutes included, more from $0.49 a minute
Quo	$15 yearly, $19 monthly	Not listed	Summaries on Business	Sona, 10 calls free, then packs from $25
Nextiva	$15 yearly, $23 monthly	Not listed	50 AI summaries on Core	XBert AI, $1.50 a conversation
Zoom Phone	$16 yearly, $18 monthly	Not listed	Post-call summaries	Not listed on its pricing page
Google Voice	$10	Not listed, Starter caps at 10	Gemini notes on Standard	Not listed on its pricing page

What is a good Aircall alternative?

Aircall's per-license price is higher than most of the tools above, and it needs 3 licenses. So a team of 3 pays at least $90 a month on Essentials, billed yearly. Here is how the main options line up for a team that wants CRM links.

Dialpad Connect Pro: $25 per user a month with main CRM links. Good if you want live AI transcripts on every call.
Quo Business: $23 per user a month billed yearly, with HubSpot and Salesforce links. Good for small teams that text a lot.
Nextiva NEXT Engage: $25 per user a month billed yearly, with live chat and a toll-free number. Good if you also want web chat.

Aircall stays a strong pick when your team uses many tools. Its Essentials plan lists more than 250 integrations, and Professional adds a power dialer and outbound campaigns.

What should a business phone system with AI do?

Most phone systems now offer two kinds of AI. The first helps your staff. It writes transcripts, sums up each call and flags tasks. The second answers calls itself. These are AI agents, sometimes called AI receptionists.

AI notes for staff: Dialpad, Quo, Nextiva, Zoom Phone and Google Voice all list AI summaries or notes on some plans.
AI agents that answer calls: Aircall, Quo and Nextiva list prices for theirs. RingCentral lists its AI Receptionist from $39. Dialpad prices its AI agents through sales.

Test any AI agent on real calls before you rely on it. Listen to 20 or 30 recordings. Check that it books the right times, takes correct details and hands off to a person when it should. My guides on the AI receptionist and the AI voice agent go deeper.

What rules apply to AI voices on calls?

In February 2024, the FCC ruled that AI-generated voices count as "artificial" voices under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. So an outbound call that uses an AI voice needs the called person's prior express consent, unless an emergency purpose or exemption applies. The call must also name the business behind it. If the call is a sales call, it must give the person a way to opt out.

This matters most for outbound calls, such as AI follow-ups to old leads. Get clear consent and keep a record of it. Before you record calls, check the recording consent rules in the states where your callers live.

When does a custom AI phone agent make sense?

For most small businesses, one of the phone systems above is enough. Pick one, set up your call routing well, and use the built-in AI notes. A custom AI agent makes sense in a few cases.

The agent needs your own systems: For example, a plumbing firm wants the AI to check its job software for open slots and book the visit on the call.
Your calls follow your own rules: For example, a clinic sorts calls by insurance, location and urgency in its own way.
You run a lot of calls: Per-minute or per-conversation AI fees add up at high volume, and an agent you own may cost less over time.
You need control of call data: Some businesses must keep recordings and transcripts in a set place.

A custom agent can sit on top of the phone system you already have. You keep your numbers and your provider. The AI just takes on the calls you choose. If you mainly lose calls after hours, start with a missed call text back setup first.

How does Blur Studio set up AI phone agents?

I start by listening to how your calls go today. What do callers ask? Which calls could an AI handle, and which need a person? What systems hold the answers? If a ready-made phone system with AI fits, I will tell you which one. If your calls need your own data or rules, I build an AI agent connected to your calendar, CRM or job software. The agent and the phone accounts stay under your control, and I can keep tuning it after launch.

Need something completely custom?

Everything above is a path to get it running quick and cheap. But sometimes the honest answer is that none of those quite fit, and what you actually need is something custom that you own, built uniquely for your business from the ground up, with AI thoughtfully designed into the parts of it that your processes actually benefit from. An asset that grows in value, not a generic, one-size-fits-all boilerplate that's an expense with a lock-in. This is a complete bespoke build, and it's something I do very well. Get in touch to know more.

Questions people ask

What is the cheapest Dialpad alternative?

Google Voice Starter costs $10 per user a month for up to 10 users, as of October 2026. You also need a Google Workspace plan. Quo and Nextiva both start at $15 per user a month on yearly billing.

Is Aircall better than Dialpad?

Aircall suits teams that want deep links to their CRM and help desk. As of October 2026, its plans start at $30 per license a month, with a 3-license minimum. Dialpad Connect starts at $15 per user a month and includes live AI transcripts. The better choice depends on your tools and team size.

Which business phone system has the best AI?

Each one has different strengths. Dialpad includes live transcripts on its Connect plans, and Aircall, Quo and Nextiva list prices for AI agents that answer calls. Test each one on your own calls during a trial before you decide.

Can an AI agent make outbound calls for my business?

It can, but the FCC ruled in February 2024 that AI voices count as artificial voices under the TCPA. So you need the called person's prior express consent for those calls. Keep a record of that consent.

Can I keep my phone number if I switch?

Ask the new provider whether it can port, or move, your existing numbers, and how long it takes. Keep your old account open until the move is done.

Why doesn't Dialpad publish its AI Agent price?

Dialpad sells its core Connect, Sell and Support plans at published per-user prices, but its AI Agent product (the kind that answers calls on its own) is quoted only through sales, billed on a credit pool rather than a flat per-minute rate. That makes it genuinely hard to compare against competitors like Aircall or Quo without getting a real quote first.

Roughly what does this cost?

As a broad reference, fixes and finishes start at around $1,500, and new builds start higher, always a fixed price agreed in writing before I start, never an hourly rate. My AI app cost guide explains what actually drives a quote up or down.

Is my project too small for this?

No. Most of the owners I work with have no tech team at all, that is the whole point. If the smarter move is a cheap software subscription instead of custom software, I will tell you that on the first call, even though it means I do not get paid.