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Get free accessFive9 alternatives aren’t hard to find, and there are tons of cloud-based phone providers that boast different benefits. But such a wide range of choices makes making a selection harder—not easier. If you’re here, you’re probably a little overwhelmed by all the different opinions.
What’s most important is that your Five9 alternative delivers features, data, reliability, and the cost benefits that you're not getting right now.
Whether you’re looking for smarter one-click CRM integrations, cost-efficiency, or productivity features, this Five9 alternatives comparison should help you narrow down your options.
Before we size up Five9’s competition, let’s take a look at what Five9 offers.
About Five9
Five9 is cloud-based contact center software for both inbound and outbound calling. Five9 claims to help customer teams increase productivity through more efficient call-handling and automatic call management.
If you’re using Five9, you’ll know that there are no maintenance fees, no lengthy integration projects, and no hardware (though this typically comes as standard with any Five9 alternative).
Ok. Enough housekeeping. Let’s explore the case for switching from Five9 to an alternative VoIP phone system.
Why Should You Look for a Five9 Alternative?
Think about your number-one reason for wanting to switch to a better Five9 alternative. Perhaps you’re unsatisfied with poor or unresponsive customer support. This is a good enough reason to seek out an alternative VoIP provider.
It doesn’t matter whether your reason for switching is bad customer support or a comparative lack of integrations. If you’re looking to make a switch, focus on digital transformation cost-saving.
If you can save money on the digital transformation process, you’ll have easy access to capital you can use to reinvest in front-line growth. There are Five9 alternatives that can help you achieve that by providing industry-leading features that will boost team productivity and performance.
Whichever Five9 alternative you choose, make sure it ticks these boxes:
Same-day setup and ease of use
Low maintenance and configuration
Real-time performance analytics
One-click CRM and software integrations
Tons of sales and support productivity features
That’s how you’ll cut costs in management, operations, and strategy while helping customer-facing teams scale productivity and performance.
What to Look for in Your Ideal Five9 Alternative
Five9 isn’t lacking in features, though it’s arguable that some of its competitors offer the same or better features in more cost-effective packages and call bundles.
Some of the features to look for include a virtual call center, call whispering, and real-time performance analytics. Don’t forget one-click integrations! Together, these capabilities help sales, IT, and operations leaders scale productivity and performance while reducing costs.
Besides those elements, here are seven additional things to look for when deciding on an alternative cloud-based phone system:
Look for zero downtime and reliability
Phone system outages and downtime equal a loss of productivity and revenue. While cloud-based technology has become increasingly reliable, different VoIP telephony vendors configure their cloud systems differently.
That’s why it’s critical to check for a strong track record of reliability and assured uptime when looking for a new cloud-based phone solution to replace Five9.
Don’t compromise on features, integrations, and capabilities
Not all features are useful for what you’ll need to achieve with your chosen Five9 alternative. But you should look for the right mix of features that combine productivity boosts, performance insights, tech stack connectivity, and cost reduction. That’s how you’ll scale positive outcomes in management, operations, and strategy.
For example, virtual call center for cost reduction, power dialer for productivity, and call whispering and call monitoring for team training. These are the kinds of industry-leading features your Five9 alternative should include in a single package or bundle.
Make sure your Five9 alternative is easier to use
Your chosen Five9 alternative should save you time on everything from initial setup and daily use to ongoing maintenance and the addition of integrations.
The more automation your Five9 alternative can offer you, the more time your sales, support, IT, and operations leaders can reclaim to focus on higher-value strategic tasks. All while making significant cost-savings to reinvest in growth.
Check for one-click integrations and features that include real-time analytics
Just like Five9, other options like Aircall let you Integrate with CRMs, help desks, and other essential apps. What you’ll want to ensure is that app integrations can be done with a single click.
Finally, check for smart features like call whispering and real-time performance analytics that enable sales and support managers to deliver cost-effective team training for progressive cost-reduction.
Don’t settle for anything other than in-house customer support
Inconsistent, unknowledgeable, or unresponsive support is enough reason to make anybody consider switching to a new VoIP telephony provider.
Different Five9 alternatives deliver support through different models. What you don’t want is a provider who outsources customer support to a call center. Outsourced customer support models mean that you can’t always count on speaking to the right person who can help you troubleshoot your problems quickly and effectively.
Needless to say, unresponsive support means your customers and your bottom line pay the price. Make sure to vet Five9 alternatives for whether or not they offer dedicated, in-house support.
Look for packages and call bundles with more or better features
Another key factor to consider is whether the Five9 competitors you're sizing up offer the same—or better—features in more reasonably priced packages.
While most leading virtual telephony solutions structure different packages to suit different needs, some will include a few extras in starter packages. For example, toll-free numbers, call whispering, warm transfer, and unlimited concurrent calls.
Don’t compromise on call quality and overall reliability
Needless to say, what you’re aiming for is crystal-clear conversations combined with zero downtime. Will your new virtual telephony provider deliver uncompromising quality and zero dropped calls even when network strength becomes unreliable?
If your new cloud-phone telephony partner doesn’t work with the best-in-class global voice carriers and local providers, then call quality and reliability might be shaky.
Aircall
Pricing: Starting at $30 per user per month
Free Trial?: Yes
Entry-Level Features: IVR, Call queuing, Business hours, Call recording, Shared call inbox, Click-to-dial, 50+ features in the Essentials plan alone
Number of Entry-Level Integrations: 100+
Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Zendesk
Pricing
For service: Starting at $49 per user per month
For sales: Starting at $19 per user per month
Free Trial?: Yes
Entry-Level Features
For service: Availability-based routing, reports and analytics, unified agent workspace, automated answers powered by AI, online support from the Zendesk team
For sales: Email and calendar integration, call tracking, call recording, task and appointment setting, document storage (capped at 2GB per user)
Number of Entry-Level Integrations
For service: 1000+ prebuilt apps and integrations.
For sales: Some public apps and integrations are available with the entry-level Team plan.
Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Dialpad
Pricing: Starting at $23 per user per month
Free Trial?: Yes
Entry-Level Features: Unlimited calling, unlimited SMS and MMS, call and voicemail transcriptions powered by AI, call recording, call routing
Number of Entry-Level Integrations: 2
Rating: 4.4. out of 5
Talkdesk
Pricing: Starting at $75 per user per month
Free Trial?: No
Entry-Level Features: Virtual agent, live dashboards, call routing, IVR, analyze up to 20% of customer voice interactions to improve CX
Number of Entry-Level Integrations: 60+
Rating: 4.4 out of 5
Why Is Aircall the Ideal Five9 Alternative?
When it comes to selecting a VoIP provider for your business, it’s all about matching your needs with best-fit packages, call bundles, and options. Aircall is the strongest contender for this choice. Let’s explore why.
Integrations
Both Aircall and Five9 have tons of features. When it comes to integrations, though, Five9 is still catching up. Aircall offers 100+ in its app marketplace—even for customers on the entry-level plan.
Customer support
Aircall provides dedicated, in-house expert support and team training at no extra charge. This level of support makes a fundamental difference in how quickly and efficiently you can set your team up to have more impactful conversations.
When you’re in the business of connecting people, it’s essential that somebody answers your call when you reach out for help. Aircall’s in-house support team is positioned to take your call and talk you through any issues with ease and expertise.
Real-time performance analytics
Both Aircall and Five9 offer real-time team performance and customer insight analytics, but Five9 only offers interaction analytics with its most costly payment plan.
On the other hand, Aircall offers insight analytics in all three of its plans. The only thing that changes is the depth of these analytics insights—that is, Basic Analytics, Advanced Analytics, and Custom Analytics.
Value for Money
When it comes to value for money, Aircall comes out on top over Five9—not least because in-house support and team training are standard features of its services.
Aircall’s app market is unrivaled, with 100+ one-click and API integrations bundled into a $30-per-user monthly fee (billed annually).
Real People; Real Aircall Reviews
15,000+ global businesses trust Aircall. Here are some kind words from just a few of them.
“We spent 3 weeks (and countless headaches) trying to set up a phone system from a competitor. After 3 weeks, we still weren't able to make a phone call. The day that I discovered Aircall, I had a functional trial in my hands, was able to make a call on a new phone number, and then had my whole team set up. Very impressed with the service.”
Devon M, MD
“The setup and configuration of Aircall is a dream. It’s so easy to create new numbers, set up IVRs, and change people around to different teams if needed.”
Sara Tiffany, General Manager at AirTreks
“We've tried Dialpad, Grasshopper, Freshcaller, and more, but Aircall's live and post-call tagging, note-taking, and call assignment features are the best out there.”
Make the Switch to Better Business Conversations With Aircall
Aircall has established itself as a reliable Five9 alternative capable of delivering a little extra in certain departments.
When it comes to providing expert in-house support, analytics insights, and access to an ever-expanding library of 100+ integrations—even on our most basic plan—Aircall comes out on top.
The best way to assess the potential impact of Aircall on your business is with a 7-day free trial to test integrations, workflows, and how your teams respond.
Once you decide to switch to Aircall, its professional services team can help make the transition quick and seamless.
Published on March 27, 2023.
