How much does call center software cost?

Modern call center software has come a long way. But, given how many advanced features and integrations can be found in call center tools nowadays, you might be under the impression that these tools come with a hefty price tag. It couldn’t be further from the truth.

With a variety of tools on the market, you’re bound to find a solution that will not only fit your needs but also your budget. Here’s your guide to call center software pricing to help you make the right choice.

Factors that influence call center software price

As already mentioned, call center software comes with different price tags. What does the call center software cost depend on, then?

• The number of users — call center solution providers often specify the number of users that can take advantage of a given tool for a certain price. That’s precisely why it pays off to establish the number of users before you research the available tools. However, don’t worry if you miscalculate it or feel the need to add more users in the future — the majority of call center solutions can easily scale with your team.
• Available features — even though there are some core call center software features that you’re likely to find in multiple tools, different solutions often mean different features and integrations. Determine your needs and requirements first to pick the tool that can meet your expectations.
• Additional costs — during research, you might find that many call center tools have additional charges for outbound calls or text messages. Make sure you check the overall call center software pricing thoroughly.
• Billing method — usually, there are different billing methods available (monthly or annual payments, for example). The longer the “contract”, the lower the price, which is something to keep in mind if you don’t like switching tech tools constantly.
• Currency — some call center software providers offer their pricing in more currencies, for example in euros and dollars. When checking the call center software price, one option can turn out to be more economical for you than the other only based on the chosen currency.

Ways of establishing call center software pricing

Fixed pricing

This way of sharing prices is the most friendly when researching the call center software pricing. Comparing different options, you can get an overview of the necessary budget and expenses you should expect with no hidden costs.

An interesting option is a Pay-as-You-Go payment model. It suits especially the starting businesses, where any long-term contract can be too heavy to handle.

Quote-based

This way of pricing requires connecting with the sales team of the call center software you are interested in. It often depends on the size of your business, features that you may need, and maybe your negotiation skills. You can also get a more personalized buying experience this way.

The obvious cons are that you don’t get the price straight, and you can pay a different amount of money than another client. Yet it never hurts to ask, especially if the call center software seems valuable to you.

A tailor-made plan

Some solutions offer a highly customized plan for companies that decide to purchase a lot of licenses. They can often include more unlimited options, like international numbers, more integrations, or custom dashboards.

Additional costs

It is another important element of the call center software cost calculation. When you need toll-free numbers, international prefixes, or more storage for call recordings, for instance, you should check if the options go included in the base price.

You should also compare the price of outbound calls. That cost depends on the country and the provider.

Call center software pricing — comparison

#1 CloudTalk

CloudTalk is a light, cloud-based call center software with a wide range of features. You can find in it, among other options, Power Dialer feature that auto-calls a given list of contacts, over 25 integrations with popular sales and management tools, and a call tagging option.

The pricing starts from $15 per user per month for the most basic plan (when billed annually). You can opt also for more advanced plans: Essential for $20 or Expert for $35. CloudTalk also offers you a custom-made plan, with pricing depending on the number of users and chosen features.

What is worth mentioning is that you can upgrade or downgrade your plan anytime you need it. That is especially important if you expect quick changes in your business.

Choose it, if: you want a complex contact center solution for a fraction of price.

Aircall is a popular, flexible call center solution that offers at least three different pricing plans: Essential ($30/user per month, billed annually), Professional ($50/user), and Custom (tailored to your needs). What’s interesting in this case, is that there’s a minimum number of users specified (3).

Apart from that, all of your inbound calls in Aircall are free unless you have toll-free numbers. Outbound call pricing may vary, though, and it’s generally advised to check with their team to verify the rates. The calls are charged on a monthly basis, per minute, per number type (geographic, toll-free, special, shared,etc.) and by geographic region.

Choose it, if: you’re looking for a flexible solution.

#3 Twilio

Twilio stands out thanks to the highly customizable system they offer. You don’t have to contact the sales team to establish your capacity and plan: you just choose the features you need and then pay for the calls you actually made.

In order to keep the spirit of high customization, Twilio opted for the pay-as-you-go model. When it comes to phone calls, the pricing starts at $0.0085/min to receive and $0.013/min to make a call. SMS messages go from $0.0075 to send or receive. The prices depend on spending: the more you spend, the less the particular message costs.

Choose it, if: you want to feel independent of your provider and change the options as you need.

#4 NICE inContact

NICE inContact takes pride in using AI and automation to provide you with solutions for improving your customer experience. You get all the leading customer experience features, such as Advanced Call Routing, (IVR) Interactive Voice Response, and workforce optimization.

They chose a quote-based pricing plan, so to get exact information on this call center software price, you should connect with the sales team.

Choose it, if: you want to get a tailored solution with modern features.

#5 RingCentral

RingCentral offers both traditional, hardware phone systems, and cloud-based technology. It offers a very in-depth look into your call center performance, collected in RingCentral Analytics Portal. Also, in higher plans, you get 24/7 customer support.

The pricing starts at $20 per user per month with an Essential plan. However, it is limited to 20 users only, and in order to grow your team, even more, you have to upgrade the plan.

Choose it, if: you are into detailed analytics.

#6 Genesys

Genesys offers a PureCloud platform that provides you with a cloud-based customer support solution. Similarly to others, you can make use of call routing, workforce optimization, IVR, and call statistics. They let you connect various contact channels, and implement an omnichannel communication strategy.

Plans start with $75 per user per month, billed annually. You have to add there minutes, though, as they’re billed separately.

Choose it, if: you want to use the services of a big, popular player.

#7 Talkdesk

Talkdesk is an end-to-end solution, containing features of a cloud contact center, knowledgebase, workforce engagement, and enterprise collaboration. It is quite simple and intuitive that reduces implementation and training time to a minimum. An interesting feature is AI-powered chat suggestions.

When the customer asks about a specific issue, the agent can preview automatically a suitable card from the knowledge base.

The pricing starts with $55 per seat per month, yet you need to ask for a quote to get detailed information. Apart from choosing from three plans, you can add various extensions that customize the product to your needs.

Choose it, if: you’re more interested in other communication channels apart from calls.

Final thoughts on call center software pricing

With a wide variety of solutions, the final decision often depends on the price. When it comes to call center software pricing, though, there’s a lot that comes into play when calculating the ultimate cost.

As can be seen, the prices range from $15 to even $75 a month, which is why it’s important to check thoroughly what’s included in the call center software price in the end. Luckily, there’s always a free trial you can leverage to make sure you made the right choice.

To make it a little easier for you — see what CloudTalk has to offer.

Originally published at https://www.cloudtalk.io on August 3, 2020.