10 Best Cloud Based Contact Center Software Shortlist
Businesses use cloud-based contact center software to manage labor costs while keeping calls coming in. But what really sets cloud-based contact center tools apart from the rest is their ability to enhance customer experience. Customers have many options to interact with your company, such as email, live chat, or social media, but they’re also still using traditional phone calls. So, call centers are still in use, serving hundreds of customers daily, making cloud-based call center software an essential tool.
70% of customers will spend more with your business when you provide a personalized, straightforward experience. So you can see why implementing cloud-based call center software in your organization will help increase customer satisfaction and revenue. Choosing the best platform to use for your call center can be challenging. So I’m going to cover which tools to consider and what makes them unique and beneficial.
What is Cloud Based Contact Center Software?
A call center refers to a software solution that manages customer support calls, but a cloud-based contact center is a tool that your business can access over the internet to manage inbound and outbound calls. These tools can provide your business with the features you’d expect from on-premise call center platforms, such as automatic call distribution, and advanced capabilities, such as call analytics. They can also help an organization manage interactions on digital channels, such as live chat, social network messaging, and other online methods.
The main difference between on-premise platforms and cloud-based systems is that cloud deployment doesn’t require a business to buy server hardware or have an IT team to maintain it. Cloud-based systems are also more cost-effective because you will only use them when needed, and you pay for them on a per-user monthly or annual basis.
How I Selected the Best Cloud Based Contact Center Software
Perhaps you're wondering how I selected the best cloud based contact center software for this list? To build this top 10 list, I evaluated and compared a wide range of cloud based contact center software with positive user ratings.
After determining my long list of top choices, I further honed my list by using the selection criteria below to see how each platform stacked up against the next one. I also drew on my years of CX experience to pinpoint the features that add a lot of value.
If you have general questions about cloud based contact center software or how to pick the best cloud based contact center software for your organization, take a look at our frequently asked questions section below. Or, you can skip directly to my detailed software summaries, if that's what you need the most.
Selection Criteria
Here’s a short summary of the main selection and evaluation criteria I used to develop my list of the best cloud based contact center software for this article:
User Interface (UI):
If your cloud-based contact center software requires more than 15 minutes of training to find everything your agents need, it’s probably too complex. I look for a user interface that’s easy to navigate and won’t interfere with your team’s productivity. Excellent contact center software will allow your teams to find the needed features in just a few clicks.
Usability:
When using a cloud base contact center solution, you will need a system that’s easy for you, management, and agents to use. Your leadership team might need to make changes to user permissions, or your agents need to use other communication methods if calls stop functioning. So I look for cloud-based call center solutions that will allow your teams to use the platform efficiently.
Software Integrations:
Typically, a call center system will use approved third-party integrations to fill gaps between crucial business tools you’re already using or might use in the future. Many customers will remain loyal to your business if you can provide consistency throughout your organization’s departments. I look for call center platforms that integrate with multiple tools to help your agents provide a straightforward experience and automatically get all the details they need.
Pricing:
When looking for a new cloud-based contact center solution, it’s important to compare the costs of multiple options and choose one that fits your budget. Before making a final decision, testing the software by signing up for a free trial to ensure it meets your team’s needs will help you see if it’s worth your money. I look for systems with multiple pricing options for you to choose from and provide a free trial or demonstration. They should also be transparent regarding any additional costs for setting up the system or adding other features.
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Overviews Of The 19 Best Cloud Based Contact Center Software
You can use the simple overviews of each tool below to understand how each tool stands out from other cloud based contact center software.
CloudTalk
Best with AI-powered conversation intelligence
CloudTalk is a cloud-based call center software that alleviates the need for extensive call center equipment. Its code-free setup makes it friendly to all types of businesses, regardless of your technical capabilities.
Why I chose CloudTalk: Sales and support teams alike can use this software with both inbound and outbound calling capabilities. You can route calls to the best-suited agent based on their skills, set up VIP queues, and use the interactive voice recognition (IVR) to let customers navigate your system.
What makes this product unique is how it uses AI to improve your call center operations. It can provide your agents with timely suggestions based on customer need predictions, and also streamline various aspects of your operations through automation.
CloudTalk Standout Features and Integrations
Features include power dialer, smart dialer, custom extensions, 3-way calling, call transfers, click-to-call, campaigns, call notes, call tagging, call flow designer, VIP queues, preferred agents, and workflow automation.
Integrations include HubSpot, Zendesk, Intercom, Gong, Pipedrive, Salesforce, Copper CRM, ActiveCampaign, LiveAgent, and Outreach, among others. Additional integrations can be configured with a paid Zapier account.
Paid plans start from $25 per user, per month. A 14-day free trial is available.
Pros
- Call recording facilitates training
- Call tagging and notes to provide internal context
- Easy setup and short time to value
Cons
- Lacks omnichannel support
- Starter plan lacks advanced analytics
CallTrackingMetrics
Best call tracking and analysis tools
CallTrackingMetrics is a tracking and analytics tool that helps businesses monitor which interactions and campaigns generate responses.
Why I picked CallTrackingMetrics: Just as the name suggests, CallTrackingMetrics tracks vital analytics in your call center. CallTrackingMetrics uses a feature it calls Keyword Spotting that allows you to set rules that inform the platform to detect specific keywords in call transcriptions. You can then tell the software to take specified actions according to its identified keywords. For example, if you ask CallTrackingMetrics to spot the keyword “wrong number,” you can then tell it to not log the call and delete it from your records.
CallTrackingMetrics is suitable for medium-sized businesses, such as agencies, consultancies, and performance marketers, that need call tracking and conversion intelligence to deliver personalized customer experiences. It can find conversation trends and automate actions based on what it finds to provide faster service. You can use CallTrackingMetrics to identify outbound campaigns that are generating the most leads and conversions, and then use the information to automate call flows.
CallTrackingMetrics Standout Features and Integrations
Features include dynamic number insertion, call tracking, tracking numbers, call recordings, call transcriptions, call scoring, keyword spotting, intelligent call routing, call management, geo routing, and automated triggers.
Integrations include Pipedrive, Salesforce, SendGrid, Mailchimp, Kissmetrics, InstaPage, Zendesk, Zoho CRM, Zapier, Whatagraph, AgencyAnalytics, HubSpot CRM, Looker Studio, Magento, and Google Analytics.
CallTrackingMetrics costs from $39/month plus usage fees when paying monthly or $36/month plus usage fees when paid annually. CallTrackingMetrics offers a free month’s trial for new subscribers.
Pros
- It provides in-depth sorting options.
- Easily monitors calls.
- It’s very reliable.
Cons
- Setting up the tool is tedious.
- It’s difficult to navigate.
Twilio
Best for flexibility
Twilio is a cloud-based contact center platform flexible enough to scale with businesses and fit unique requirements.
Why I picked Twilio: The platform uses a contact provider as a service software approach to their contact center software. Twilio provides you with a voice SDK and open API that you or your developer team can use to make a call center solution that fits your organization’s needs. You can connect multiple communication channels to Twilio’s centralized module, which makes it incredibly flexible.
Twilio fits any sized business that needs a contact center solution that will allow them to create their own platform. It can enable your company to use voice, VoIP, and messaging interactions embedded into your own custom web, desktop, or mobile software. As your usage scales up or down, Twilio will scale with your business automatically.
Twilio Standout Features and Integrations
Features include call recording, analytics, churn management, call routing, audio and video conferencing, feedback collection, communication management, live chat, messenger autoresponder, and contact management.
Integrations include monday sales CRM, Freshdesk, HoneyBook, Zendesk, Salesforce, Mailchimp, Slack, HubSpot CRM, Zoho CRM, Quickbooks, Airtable, Zapier, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and AgencyAnalytics.
Twilio costs from $1/user/hour or $150/user regardless of activity. Twilio offers a free trial for up to 5,000 active user hours.
Pros
- One of the best API providers.
- It can handle international communications.
- It’s well-priced compared to the competition.
Cons
- It needs more analytics capabilities.
- The toolset can be overwhelming.
Aircall
Best for easy integration with CRM & helpdesk apps
Aircall is a cloud-based call center system that easily integrates with the top CRM and helpdesk tools to help make the phone experience accessible, transparent, and collaborative.
Why I picked Aircall: If you’re looking for a system that integrates with your CRM or helpdesk tools, you might want to consider Aircall. Integrating these systems will help your sales and support teams have clear and efficient customer interactions. By automatically syncing call details with your CRM and helpdesk, Aircall will help save your agent’s time by avoiding switching back and forth between tools. Everyone can see call recordings, check account history, and get a full overview of every conversation.
Aircall is an excellent choice for small or medium businesses that need a cloud-based call center solution that is easily adaptable, scalable, and can be used in remote work environments. It helps you and your agents provide clear and efficient customer interactions via deep insights and real-time analytics. With Aircall, you can also receive advanced call center productivity analytics and the ability to monitor team activity.
Aircall Standout Features and Integrations
Features include toll-free and international numbers, call conference tools, voicemail, call routing, interactive voice response, phone extensions, blocklist numbers, virtual call centers, SMS business text messaging, and call queuing.
Integrations include ActiveCampaign, Odoo CRM, Hiver, Zendesk Sell, Zapier, Copper, Freshdesk, Microsoft Dynamics, Microsoft Teams, Pipedrive, Slack, Sugar CRM, Salesforce, Outreach, and monday.com.
Aircall costs from $40/user/month when paying monthly for a minimum of three users or $30/user/month when paid annually. Aircall offers a free 7-day trial for new subscribers.
Pros
- It provides deep communication insights.
- Accessible through desktop and mobile.
- Users get a centralized collaboration platform.
Cons
- It can occasionally be buggy.
- The system can log users out.
Five9
Best for long-distance calls
Five9 provides businesses with a reliable contact center system that can help them give excellent customer experiences worldwide.
Why I picked Five9: The software can help your business reduce contact center fees, especially if your customers are mostly dispersed around the world. Five9 includes packages such as no-fee long-distance calling, and you can implement the software on your existing equipment. Five9 will keep your long-distance operating costs manageable while your agents provide high-level customer experiences.
Five9 suits medium to large organizations needing reliable cloud-based contact center software. It comes with solid pre-built software integrations for popular, essential applications. These integrations include some of the top customer relationship management and ticketing software available on the market.
Five9 Standout Features and Integrations
Features include call recording, geo-redundancy, call center management, call scripting, predictive dialer, power dialer, lead management, campaign management, reporting and analytics, interactive voice response, and voice recognition.
Integrations include NetSuite, Freshdesk, Zendesk, Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Gong, ServiceNow, SugarCRM, ClearProcess, Level AI, CallTower, and Replicant.
Five9 costs from $149/month. Five9 offers a demo to help you understand if the platform is right for you.
Pros
- Excellent whisper capabilities.
- Simple to learn.
- Great agent management features.
Cons
- Transitioning to Five9 can be complex.
- Customer support needs work.
Bitrix24
Best for built-in CRM features
Bitrix24 is a cloud-based call center software that also provides customer relationship management capabilities.
Why I picked Bitrix24: The software differentiates itself from other cloud-based call center tools by including customer relationship management features. Bitrix24 provides built-in CRM features such as sales reports, pipeline management, and sales automation. Your agents can also use the platform’s lead-scoring tool to identify which prospects to focus on.
Bitrix24 is suitable for any sized business that needs an all-in-one business solution for their call centers. In addition to typical call center capabilities that support inbound, outbound, and internal calling requirements, it also provides project management tools, a website builder, and absence management. All of Bitrix24’s capabilities are packaged in a single online service that is integrated with each other and available through web browsers, a desktop app, and a mobile app.
Bitrix24 Standout Features and Integrations
Features include absence management, employee directories, lead management, sales automation, lead acquisition, analytics, task templates, workload management, live chat, intelligent routing, and call tracking.
Integrations include Miro, 3CX, RingCentral MVP, Pipedrive, Jotform, Zendesk, Microsoft 365, Mailchimp, Google Analytics, Zoom, HubSpot CRM, Asana, Quickbooks, and Zapier.
Bitrix24 costs from $61/month when paying monthly for up to five users or $49/month when paid annually. Bitrix24 offers a free forever subscription tier.
Pros
- Effectively manages workflows.
- Allows complete and secure communications.
- It’s easy to create pipeline automations.
Cons
- Support team is difficult to reach.
- It’s difficult to customize.
Zendesk Suite
Best for adding a ticketing system to a call center
Zendesk Suite allows businesses to converse with customers based on support ticket details to solve issues.
Why I picked Zendesk Suite: The platform provides a call center tool that’s part of the Zendesk Agent Workspace for a straightforward customer experience. Zendesk Suite helps your agents resolve customer difficulties thanks to its robust ticketing system that also enables you to measure and improve your call center operations. Zendesk Suite provides your agents with everything they need to know about your customers in one place by gathering all ticket details along with contact information, preferred language, and agent notes.
Zendesk Suite works for organizations that need a more personal and productive phone system in their call center. The software provides omnichannel communication capabilities that will help your business differentiate itself from your competitors by interacting with customers where they are. With Zendesk Suite, you can speak with customers over the phone, by email, or on social media. It operates on one central portal, so your teams can be productive and focus on providing excellent customer experiences.
Zendesk Suite Standout Features and Integrations
Features include call recording, queue management, reporting and analytics, interactive voice response, call scripting, escalation management, real-time chat, and priority phone numbers.
Integrations include Mailchimp, Slack, Zapier, Okta, Campaign Monitor, Geckoboard, Rivery, Salesforce, Intercom, Nutshell CRM, Recurly, HubSpot, Copper, and Pipedrive.
Zendesk Suite costs from $59/user/month when paying monthly or $49/user/month when paid annually. Zendesk Suite offers a free 14-day trial for new subscribers.
Pros
- Simple platform design.
- Advanced user permissions.
- It’s adaptable to your needs.
Cons
- Automation rules are complex.
- Generating reports is challenging.
GoTo Connect
Best for call filtering
GoTo Connect can provide businesses with advanced call center features, such as call filtering, allowing them to decide how calls flow through their organization.
Why I picked GoTo Connect: The platform’s call filtering capabilities combine technologies you can find with many internet-based systems. These include call blocking, call screening, and call routing by ID. The call filtering tool in GoTo Connect will give you the option to end spam or blocked calls immediately or play a brief message. You and your management team can send specific callers directly to a phone line and bypass the auto-attendant.
GoTo Connect is an excellent choice for businesses of all sizes that need all-in-one call center software for their organization. You can use the software’s drag-and-drop editor to create custom call routing rules to help your business improve overall customer experiences. GoTo Connect is also an excellent choice for organizations concerned about security, thanks to its GDPR and CCPA compliance and HIPAA readiness.
GoTo Connect Standout Features and Integrations
Features include phone number extensions, international calling, unlimited call queues, reporting and analytics, call monitoring, and intelligent call routing.
Integrations include CallCabinet, Salesforce, Microsoft 365, Zoho CRM, Clio, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Zoho Desk, Google Workspace, Redtail CRM, and OpenVoice.
GoTo Connect costs from $27/user/month. GoTo Connect doesn’t provide any free trial information.
Pros
- Easy to use.
- Quick customer service.
- Works on any mobile device.
Cons
- Disconnects when using Bluetooth devices.
- There are some system outages.
Kixie Powercall
Best for adding call center capabilities to CRM
Kixie PowerCall is a call center platform that adds calling capabilities to popular CRMs.
Why I picked Kixie PowerCall: The software will enable your agents to handle more calls easily and connect with more customers. When integrated into the CRM of your choice, your agents will get a cloud-based call center with an intelligent autodialer, sales automation, and an enterprise-level phone service. You can add Kixie PowerCall’s features to popular CRMs, such as HubSpot, Zoho, Salesforce, and Pipedrive, and turn them into robust call centers.
Kixie PowerCall helps small, medium, and enterprise-sized call centers boost agent performance with a reliable, easily automated calling platform. Kixie PowerCall’s auto-dialer app will help your agents work efficiently and improve their connection rates. It’s also beneficial for teams with remote workers thanks to its live call monitoring and call whispering capabilities that will help your managers maintain performance.
Kixie PowerCall Standout Features and Integrations
Features include international and toll-free numbers, call forwarding, business SMS, call recording, two-party consent compliance, interactive voice response, call queues, ring groups, call routing, warm transfer, shared voicemail inbox, and auto-callback.
Integrations include Slack, Zapier, GoHighLevel CRM, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce, Zoho CRM, Pipeline, Insightly, Copper, monday.com, Mailchimp, and Magento.
Kixie PowerCall costs from $35/user/month, billed quarterly. Kixie PowerCall offers a free 7-day trial for new subscribers.
Pros
- Intuitive and easy to use.
- Excellent customer service.
- Cost-effective.
Cons
- Some connectivity issues.
- Activity tracking needs more details.
CallTools
Best predictive and preview dialer
CallTools works for any sized business in any industry that needs a solution with powerful dialing capabilities and tools to manage customer relationships. The webphone capabilities within CallTools lets your agents handle inbound calls and make outbound calls through a computer’s internet connection. Your agents can also use the web phone to make internal calls to teammates when they need to collaborate on a support ticket.
CallTools Standout Features and Integrations
Features include intelligent dialing algorithms, SMS and email templates, contact management, call recording, call whispering, call suppression, abandoned call routing, caller ID management, variable call speeds, and answering machine detection.
Integrations include Zapier, ClickFunnels, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics, Zendesk, SugarCRM, Salesforce, Google Sheets, Podio, Zoho CRM, monday.com, Keap, Slack, and Pipedrive.
CallTools offers custom pricing upon request. CallTools provides a free demo to help you understand whether the platform is right for you.
Pros
- Rich feature set.
- Excellent user interface.
- Extensive customer support.
Cons
- Lag time to listen to live calls.
- No voicemail drops.
The Best Cloud Based Contact Center Software Summary
| Tool | Trial Info | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CloudTalk Best with AI-powered conversation intelligence | 14-day free trial | From $25/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| 2 | CallTrackingMetrics Best call tracking and analysis tools | Not available | From $39/month and rises to $299/month | Website |
| 3 | Twilio Best for flexibility | 5000 free active hours | $1/user/hour or $150/user/month | Website |
| 4 | Aircall Best for easy integration with CRM & helpdesk apps | 7-day free trial | From $30/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| 5 | Five9 Best for long-distance calls | Free demo available | From $149/month; Custom plans are also available | Website |
| 6 | Bitrix24 Best for built-in CRM features | Free plan available | From $49/month (5 users) | Website |
| 7 | Zendesk Suite Best for adding a ticketing system to a call center | 30-day free trial | From $19/user/month | Website |
| 8 | GoTo Connect Best for call filtering | Not available | From $27/user/month | Website |
| 9 | Kixie Powercall Best for adding call center capabilities to CRM | 7-day free trial | From $35/month | Website |
| 10 | CallTools Best predictive and preview dialer | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Website |
Other Options
Here are a few more options that didn’t make the best cloud based contact center software list:
- Dialfire
Best for turning a web browser into a call center
- 3CX
Best for omnichannel interactions
- Salesforce Service Cloud
Best AI-powered call center tools
- Squaretalk
Best for scaling businesses.
- ConnectPathCX
Best for team management.
- Newfies-Dialer
Best voice broadcasting system.
- Etollfree
Best for toll-free phone numbers.
- Fastcall
Best for adding call center capabilities to Salesforce.
- LiveVox
Best for powerful call analytics.
- Zadarma
Best for instantly creating virtual call centers.
People Also Ask
Here are a few popular questions answered for your convenience!
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Ready to Try Cloud-based Call Center Software?
Effectively connecting with customers is vital to success. Using cloud-based call center software will help your agents resolve issues, review customer support metrics, and improve interactions. Thanks to its scalability and features, you can’t go wrong with a cloud call center.
You can use this list when you’re ready to move your call center operations to the cloud. If you’re looking for more CX advice and tool lists, you can sign up for our newsletter. As a subscriber, you will receive the best customer experience tips from top CX professionals as well as tool suggestions for your organization.