Top 10 call center software: Review, features, and pricing

Modern customers today have various options in reaching out to brands for customer service and support. This has been made possible through the internet and sustained technological breakthroughs. 

Despite the popularity of other communication channels like live chat and email, most customers still prefer voice calls. A 2019 survey by CFI Group showed that 76% of customers still opt for phone calls to engage with a customer service representative. 

It may be considered a more traditional way of providing customer service, but it is still among the most effective methods. Phone calls offer more personalized service as it brings a sense of human touch when consumers interact with an actual customer service agent. 

In this article, we will break down 10 of the top call center software to use at present. We’ll also discuss what features to look for in a call center software. 

Top call center software: A quick overview 

A call center software is a type of system that enables businesses to provide excellent phone support through various features. It helps customer service representatives manage volumes of incoming calls efficiently and even perform outgoing calls. 

What makes a call center software a must for every business is that it allows them to execute an omnichannel approach to customer service. While calls remain a vital part of customer service, organizations should also be able to provide omnichannel support as it helps boost customer experience. 

In choosing which software to utilize, businesses should take note of the following. The top call center software should have these functionalities: 

• Route calls effectively
• Collect callers’ information accurately 
• Track call metrics 
• Transfer calls to the right agent or department
• Integration capabilities with CRM tools
• Gather additional information about customers 

Types of call center software

Businesses should also be aware of the two types of call center software before selecting which among the top call center software is suitable for them: 

• On-premise call center software. Companies are given the liberty to control all their phone systems. However, they are required to pay for private branch hardware, its upgrade, and regular maintenance. This is considered the most professional yet also the most expensive kind. 
• Cloud-based call center software. Hardware is not a prerequisite. It is accessible anytime and anywhere without the need for installations or downloads. A cloud-based call center software is more cost-effective, and the price will vary according to its usage. 

Which types of businesses use call center software?

Companies from any industry sector can utilize call center software. Many companies in the healthcare, retail, financial services, e-commerce, and other fields are making use of call center software to support their daily operations. 

Top call center software benefits

Making use of call center software enables businesses to meet customers’ satisfaction by providing optimal customer service. To be specific, here are examples of the advantages of some of the top call center software: 

Security

Whether it is an on-premise or a cloud-based call center software, it should offer enhanced security features to ensure the protection of call center operations. 

Flexibility

A typical call center does not just operate solely through phone calls anymore. A call center software can be integrated with other tools for CRM, marketing solutions, customer experience management, and other applications. 

Enhanced productivity

A call center software comes with both intuitive and automated features that can help boost agents’ productivity. Businesses can also set up their own KPIs within the system to track and monitor each agent’s performance. 

Enriched customer relationships

Making use of call center software lets organizations provide prompt, seamless, and reliable customer services. The more available communication channels they can use to reach out to a brand, the quicker they can have their issues resolved. 

Top call center software features 

Finding the right call center software will depend on an organization’s type of needs. To help businesses understand the functionalities of a call center software, we have listed the top features to look for below. 

Intelligent call routing 

The ability to direct customers’ calls to the correct agent to attend to their needs as quickly as possible. Customers can be routed automatically through automated call routing or after going through a set of pre-recorded options.  

Omnichannel support

Providing omnichannel customer service is the new norm. A call center software can be easily integrated with other communication channels like email, live chat, and social media. It lets agents offer a consistent customer experience regardless of the communication channel customers use. 

Cloud-based calling 

This is specific to cloud-based call center software. Cloud-based calling, also known as a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), refers to a phone system prompted through the internet instead of a phone line. It eliminates the need to use on-premise hardware. 

CRM integration

CRM integration is very helpful in providing agents with enough information regarding a particular caller. Agents can provide more effective support as they will be immediately prompted with sufficient context about the customers and their previous interactions. 

Outgoing calls

A call center software is not just for incoming calls. Some of the top call center software also offers features for outgoing calls like call logging or an automated dialer. These are most useful for sales agents initiating contact to target leads. 

Reporting 

A reporting feature helps call center managers identify and evaluate specific call center metrics such as agents’ efficiency, call volumes, and current call trends. More so, it helps managers to determine possible gaps within the customer support coverage. 

Call scripting 

Call scripting lets organizations create personalized scripts for each type of caller or standard scripts that all agents can use as reference. Call scripts are a good way of giving callers a consistent customer experience. 

Interactive voice response (IVR)

An IVR system enables customers to have their initial interaction with an automated system before speaking to a customer service agent. In most cases, customers no longer need to engage an agent as they have already resolved their issues through the help of IVR. 

List of top 10 call center software

Now, let’s jump right into the top call center software that businesses can choose from: 

1. Nextiva

Nextiva offers cloud-based, easy-to-use VoIP call center solutions to all types of businesses. It enables organizations to cater to an influx of callers in less time, even with fewer agents. 

Part of its features is call queueing, interactive voice response (IVR), call flow builder, and automatic call routing. 

Pricing: 

• Essentials: $18.95 per user/ monthly 
• Professional: $22.95 per user/ monthly 
• Enterprise (most popular): $32.95 per user/ monthly 

2. Aircall 

Aircall is another cloud-based call center software that prides itself on what is best for support and sales teams. Some of its top features include live call monitoring, call whispering, skill-based routing, and queue call back. 

It also has a call center analytics feature that lets organizations monitor their agents’ overall performance, either individually or as a whole. 

Pricing: 

• Essentials: $30 per user/ monthly, billed annually 
• Professional: $50 per user/ monthly, billed annually  
• Custom: Available upon request

3. Dialpad

Dialpad claims to offer the most advanced AI contact center solutions. Included in its AI-powered built-in features are – sentiment analysis, chatbot self-service functionality, and hyper-accurate voice transcription.

Dialpad can also be easily integrated into several customer experience (CX) tools such as HubSpot, Zendesk, and Salesforce. 

Pricing: 

• Standard: $15 per user/ monthly 
• Pro: $25 per user/ monthly 
• Enterprise: Available upon request

4. Talkdesk

Talkdesk also offers an AI-powered cloud-based contact center software that is designed to support big teams. It ensures that customer service agents can provide a uniform customer experience to all consumers. 

Examples of its features include – intuitive mobile applications for agents, customer experience analytics, self-service experience, and omnichannel engagement. 

Pricing:

• CX Cloud Essentials: $75 per user/ monthly 
• CX Cloud Elevate: $95 per user/ monthly 
• CX Cloud Elite: $125 per user/ monthly 
• Experience Clouds: Available upon request

5. RingCentral

RingCentral provides a seamless, efficient, and flexible cloud-based phone system to all kinds of organizations. 

This software supports both desktop and mobile users. One of its unique features is “RingOut” – a one-touch calling functionality for phones or computers with the internet. 

Pricing:

• Essentials: $12.99 per user/ monthly
• Standard: $18.99 per user/ monthly 
• Premium: $23.99 per user/ monthly 
• Ultimate: $28.99 per user/ monthly

6. Zendesk

Customer service agents can provide customers with a smooth customer experience across every channel through Zendesk’s ticketing system. As for its other features, the software includes advanced reporting, click-to-call, mute, call forwarding, IVR, and priority phone numbers.

Pricing:

• Suite Team: $49 per agent/monthly, billed annually
• Suite Growth: $79 per agent/monthly, billed annually 
• Suite Professional: $99 per agent/monthly, billed annually 

7. Integra

Integra helps call center representatives enhance their productivity levels by 300%. Part of this software’s main features are auto-dialers, IVR, ACD, and voice broadcast. 

Pricing:

• Available upon request

8. Zoho Desk

Zoho Desk is also among the top call center software that is cloud-based. Apart from that, it can also be used as a website builder, CRM, or help desk tool. 

Zoho Desk call center software can be easily integrated with all products within the Zoho ecosystem. 

Pricing: 

• Standard: $14 per agent/monthly, billed annually 
• Professional: $23 per agent/monthly, billed annually 
• Enterprise: $40 per agent/monthly, billed annually 

9. LiveAgent 

LiveAgent is built as a multi-channel support system for customer service representatives. This call center software is perfect for small to medium-sized businesses. Its offered features cover entire help-desk capabilities like live chat and ticketing management.  

Pricing: 

• Ticket: $15 per agent/monthly 
• Ticket+Chat: $29 per agent/monthly 
• All inclusive: $49 per agent/monthly 

10. Bitrix2

Bitrix24 links up all businesses’ customer service channels into a single dashboard called Contact Center. It also has other features like project management tools, a standalone CRM, and a website builder. 

Pricing: 

• Basic: $49 for 5 users/monthly 
• Standard: $99 for 50 users/monthly 
• Professional: $199 for unlimited users/monthly