A budget-friendly and reliable call center Avoxi alternative

3CX is a PBX phone system for office-based teams. It runs exclusively with Microsoft Windows or Linux, so MacBook users are out of luck. 

It’s a relatively basic phone system, with simple features such as Live Chat and Call Recording. It does not however feature smart capabilities such as AI or real-time transcriptions.

What makes 3CX unique?

3CX’s biggest strength is its affordability.

It’s a bare-bones system, but one that can get the job done for small teams who aren’t interested in the bells and whistles that come with most smart calling software.

What is 3CX missing?

3CX lacks some of the features and integrations most businesses have come to expect when hunting for virtual phone software. For example, users cannot integrate 3CX with Pipedrive or Zapier, two of the most popular business software on the market.

3CX also doesn’t have any direct sales. It is only sold through distributors which can make the sales process, as well as the support process lengthy and costly.

How is 3CX priced?

3CX’s most basic plan is free.

Their first paid plan comes in at 175 euros per user per month, and their more advanced plans cost 296 euros and 330 euros per user per month, respectively.

3CX Conclusion

As we’ve mentioned, 3CX is a virtual phone software for businesses who are only interested in the basics. It leaves a lot to be desired in a lot of areas, so we recommend thinking about whether or not you might need something it lacks — like integrations with Pipedrive and Zapier — at a later date. 

8×8 is an evergreen telephony solution with a strong focus on integrations and analytics. The provider is well-suited for enterprises, but lower-tier subscriptions also work for smaller organizations.

What is 8×8 missing?

Office is required: You need an office in the location where you want to call in order to get a number from there. 

Geographical restrictions for SMS: You can only use an SMS feature within the US and 8×8 does not cover costs for mobile numbers in Brazil.  

Integrations: 8×8 doesn’t partner with telco companies, which means that users can’t get native integration with certain solutions. For example, Whatsapp. Non-native integrations must be set up by the tech team.

Features: 8×8 is missing some features like call tagging for more efficient calling processes, call masking for protecting your personal information or API for connecting CloudTalk with any tool you love. Automation tools like IVR, skill-based routing or automated callback come only with high-tier plans. You have to pay extra in order to get call recording.

A crucial restriction, mainly for big international companies, is that there are regional constraints on unlimited calling. Users with the basic Express plan can only use unlimited calling in the US and Canada.  

How is 8×8 priced?

The cheapest, Express 8×8 plan starts at $15 for both monthly and annual subscription. Though, it only comes with basic features.

Higher tier plans will cost you from $24 to $44 per month, billed annually, and $28 to $57 billed monthly. These include more advanced features, such as multi-level auto attendant, and data history.

8×8 Conclusion

8×8 shines in analytics and integrations but stays behind in the amount of productivity features. There’s also a lack of flexibility to consider, and a few feature accessibility restrictions that may be dealbreakers for international companies. 

Price is affordable when you only need a basic Express pack, but for more advanced tools, you’ll have to reach deeper into your wallet.

Five9 is a popular VoIP provider, offering a worldwide all-in-one solution for businesses looking for inbound and outbound omnichannel contact centers. Their mission is to help transform business communication in order to meet customers’ heightened expectations. But do they succeed? Let’s find out. 

What makes Five9 unique?

Five9 boasts an intuitive virtual call center interface with a wide variety of integration options. Agents will also be happy to find many features that help them streamline their daily operations, including:

• Automatic Outbound Caller,
• call queues,
• Notifications,
• call tagging,
• Callback,
• Transcriptions,
• and more.

What is Five9 missing?

Despite its good selection of features, Five9 suffers from a limited amount of reporting options.

The mobile experience also leaves a lot to be desired, and the app does not support caller ID.

How is Five9 priced?

Despite its good selection of features, Five9 suffers from a limited amount of reporting options.

The mobile experience also leaves a lot to be desired, and the app does not support caller ID.

Five9 Conclusion

Five9 offers most of the things a call center could ever need. They do come up short when it comes to reporting capabilities, which could be an issue for sales managers and sales operation teams.

Furthermore, Five9’s pricing favors larger companies and is less affordable for SMBs. 

Genesys provides customers with the omnichannel platform they need to run an efficient call center operation, but it comes at a higher price than many of its competitors.

Some noteworthy features of the service include campaign management, escalation management, progressive dialers, and real-time chat.

What makes Genesys unique?

Genesys features robust 24/7 customer support that is generally praised by customers.

Genesys also features advanced AI capabilities and comprehensive omnichannel support.

What is Genesys missing?

Genesys has a 90-day implementation period which is carried out by one of their partners.

Getting started with this software is therefore time-consuming, and may not be the right move for a business looking for an out-of-the-box solution.

How is Genesys priced?

Genesys’s most basic plan costs $75 per user per month.

Their intermediate plan costs $110 per user per month, and their most advanced plan costs $150 per user per month.

It’s also important to note that Genesys requires a minimum of 20 users.

Genesys Conclusion

Genesys is a great software for remote teams, and they’ve developed a robust mobile interface, so agents can stay connected even when they’re on the move.

The service is slightly more expensive than other options, so you should consider that when making your decision.

Talkdesk has been on the VoIP scene since 2011. Their smart-calling platform has improved the communication capabilities of over 1,800 sales and customer support teams through high-tech automation and reliable call quality.

What makes TalkDesk unique?

Talkdesk’s wide range of Auto and Predictive dialers help sales agents stay on top of their calling lists and meet their monthly quotas with ease.

Their customer support system – which includes video tutorials and the possibility for in-person training –  is also highly-regarded.

What is TalkDesk missing?

Put simply, the scope of Talkdesk’s communications capabilities is limited. It’s designed to function as a call center platform but doesn’t provide everything businesses need when it comes to messaging and video conferencing.

It also falls short in the integration department when compared to other VoIP software.

How is TalkDesk priced?

Talkdesk’s most basic plan costs $75 per user per month.

Their intermediate plan costs $95 per user per month, and their most advanced plan costs $125 per user per month.

TalkDesk Conclusion

If you’re someone who values high-quality customer service, then Talkdesk might be for you. As mentioned, their team is highly-regarded in the industry and is more than capable of attending to whatever issues their customers throw at them. That said, if you need a call center that covers all the business communication bases, you might be better off looking elsewhere.