The Best Contact Center Software for a Small Business (+ Top Features)

What Is a Contact Center for Small Business?

Before we look at the providers, let’s first clarify what a contact center is.

Unlike a traditional call center, which handles only telephone calls, a contact center is a central point of contact for all customer communication. It combines telephony, email, web chat, SMS, and social media on a single platform.

For small businesses, this isn’t just a nice extra, but a must for efficiency and growth. The main benefits for small teams using a contact center include:

• Omnichannel customer view: Agents can see a customer’s entire interaction history (calls, chats, emails) on a single screen.
• Faster, smarter solutions: You can route customers to the agent best suited to help (e.g., billing or technical support) using automatic call distribution (ACD) and skills-based routing, improving first-call resolution (FCR).
• Reduced app switching: Integrating your CRM and business tools means agents don’t have to switch context between tools. They can view customer data, take notes, and manage interactions all from one unified platform, saving time with every interaction.

Your choice of contact center software as a small business will impact how you work and how you serve your customers for years to come. When deciding on a system, there’s a lot to consider, such as receiving inbound calls, making outbound calls, applying specific call treatments, and configuring custom call queues.

In this post, we address the must-haves when it comes to contact center software, introduce new features, and highlight the right solution for you.

Spoiler alert: The top ten contact center software systems for small businesses are:

1. Nextiva
2. Ringover
3. Sprinklr
4. Five9
5. LiveAgent
6. CloudTalk
7. Freshcaller
8. 3CX
9. RingCentral
10. Grasshopper

Top 10 Contact Center Software Providers at a Glance

Software	Best for	Starting price (billed annually)	Key features
Nextiva	All-in-one CX platform for growing teams	$75/user/month	Omnichannel routing, AI transcription, WEM/QA, 99.999% uptime
Ringover	Sales and support teams	$21/user/month	Unlimited international calls, sales CRM integrations, AI summaries
Sprinklr	Enterprises needing a unified AI platform	$199/seat/month	Full omnichannel (30+ channels), advanced AI Agent Assist, unified CXM
Five9	Data-driven teams needing advanced AI	$119/user/month (3-year contract)	Conversational IVR, workflow automation, WEM/QA, agent assist
LiveAgent	Help desks that need affordable omnichannel	$15/agent/month	Unified inbox, ticketing system, IVR, callback requests
CloudTalk	Scaling SMBs and sales teams	$49/user/month	Local numbers (160+ countries), power dialer, AI call summaries
Freshcaller	Global businesses that need a simple phone system	$39/agent/month	Phone numbers in 90+ countries, advanced IVR, free plan available
3CX	Tech-savvy SMBs wanting PBX control	$275/year (for 1-15 users)	Not per-user, on-prem or cloud, live chat/SMS, call queues
RingCentral	Businesses wanting unified UC and CC	$65/user/month (RingCX)	Omnichannel, AI tools (virtual agents), smart routing, UC integration
Grasshopper	Solopreneurs needing a virtual number	$55/month (Small Business plan)	Virtual phone system, works on existing devices, custom greetings

Best Contact Center Providers for Small Businesses

Affordable picks & price tiers

While some providers aim for the enterprise, many offer excellent, affordable starting points for small businesses. We’ve badged our top picks and best call center software for small businesses under $50. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect at each price tier:

Price tier (per user/mo)	Common providers	Pros	Cons
< $50	LiveAgent, CloudTalk, Freshcaller	Highly affordable, great for voice-first teams, fast setup	May lack advanced AI, WEM/QA, or have fewer digital channels
$50 – $80	Nextiva, RingCX, Grasshopper	Balanced feature set, strong integrations, good for growing teams	Advanced AI or WEM features may be add-ons or in higher tiers
$80+	Five9, Sprinklr, Nextiva	Enterprise-grade AI, full omnichannel, deep analytics	Higher cost, can be complex to implement without support

1. Nextiva

Nextiva offers a comprehensive platform that combines its business phone system, video conferencing, and a powerful contact center solution. Small businesses get a unified communications platform for all their communication and business needs.

You can choose from inbound, outbound, or blended contact center software alongside your core internal communications app. You can expect a wide range of features, even in the basic call center package:

• Call routing
• Interactive voice response (IVR)
• Automatic call distribution (ACD)
• Speech analytics
• Reporting and dashboards
• Mobile app for instant access
• Options to add email, chatbots, SMS, and social media

For outbound call centers, expect computer telephony integration, a power dialer or predictive dialer, and a ton of advanced reporting options to streamline sales. Out-of-the-box customer relationship management (CRM) system integrations include:

• Salesforce
• Microsoft Dynamics
• Microsoft Teams
• HubSpot
• Zendesk
• Zoho
• Oracle Sales Cloud
• Workbooks
• ServiceNow
• SugarCRM
• Act! CRM
• Lotus Notes
• ConnectWise
• GoldMine
• Bullhorn

Nextiva customers love the assisted implementation, ease of setup, and friendly and knowledgeable support team.

Pricing: Nextiva’s core call center plans start at $75 per user per month, but some call center features are also available in the lower-end plans.

2. Ringover

Ringover is cloud-based software that is mainly used by small and medium-sized businesses. It offers unlimited international calls to various destinations and has robust basic voice call capabilities. The call center platform includes advanced routing features to enhance call efficiency.

With a focus on sales and recruitment, Ringover integrates with specialist CRMs like Bullhorn, TextUs, Sense Messaging, and Loxo. It also integrates with major platforms like Zoho and Microsoft Dynamics.

If setup time is important to you, Ringover boasts that you can get going in under 15 minutes. If you are willing to spend a little extra time (and money), Ringover supports email, SMS, and social media.

On the top plan, you get AI features like automated call summaries, call center analytics, and AI-powered chatbot building capabilities.

Pricing: Ringover’s plans with contact center features start from $21/user/month (billed annually), but the conversation intelligence tool starts at $39 per user per month.

3. Sprinklr

Sprinklr offers a comprehensive omnichannel contact center, including calls, emails, social media, and messaging. This virtual call center software integrates with a wide range of CRM platforms, including:

• Freshdesk
• IBM Watson
• Microsoft Dynamics
• Salesforce
• SAP
• ServiceNow
• Zendesk

Support options include phone, chat, and email, with dedicated account managers for enterprise plans. Sprinklr’s marketing messaging focuses on improving customer support metrics, so hopefully, they practice what they preach.

Pricing: Sprinklr doesn’t publish prices for most of its enterprise solutions. To get a quote, contact Sprinklr directly to discuss your business needs, as pricing is tailored. Some sources mention a cheaper “Advanced” plan with a publicly available price per user per month, which often only applies to the basic Sprinklr Social product and comes with limitations.

Here’s a full guide on Sprinklr pricing plans.

4. Five9

Just because you’re a small business doesn’t mean you’re not looking for the most advanced features. If you want an advanced AI-powered contact center solution, Five9 hits the nail on the head. You get what you’ve come to expect as stock call center features, like call queuing, IVR, and skills-based routing.

But where Five9 really excels is in its ability to use AI to generate reports and provide sentiment analysis on your customer transactions. If you have a data-driven organization with a lot of customers and a decently sized service team, Five9 can be a great way to get control of your contact center, with features that include:

• Agent assist
• Call recording and transcription
• Workflow automation
• Conversational IVR
• Digital engagement
• Quality assurance
• Workforce management

Pricing: Five9’s plans start at $119 per user per month, typically requiring a multi-year contract and minimum seat counts.

5. LiveAgent

LiveAgent is an affordable option best known for its ticketing and help desk software. However, with a user-friendly interface, it is a great choice if call center costs are your primary concern and your core function is customer service.

Think of LiveAgent as a shortcut to a call center software solution, with help desk features like:

• Unified multi-channel inbox
• Ticketing system
• Configurable business hours
• Canned responses
• Contact forms
• Time tracking

It also comes with basic call center features like:

• IVR
• Call back requests
• ACD
• Smart call routing
• Call transfers
• Call recording

You also get out-of-the-box integrations with popular CRMs like Zoho, HubSpot, and Freshsales.

Pricing: LiveAgent’s base plan with call center capabilities starts at $15 per agent per month, but it doesn’t have the most advanced calling features. The top plan could cost up to around $69 per agent per month.

6. CloudTalk

CloudTalk is designed for small to mid-sized businesses and offers comprehensive call center functionality with AI-enhanced features. The platform provides clear call quality and is built for teams looking to scale efficiently.

Key features for small businesses:

• Local numbers from 160+ countries for a global presence
• AI-powered call transcription and summaries (add-on)
• Power dialer and campaign management for outbound sales
• Real-time analytics and customizable dashboards
• Easy setup in minutes with no technical expertise required

Pricing: CloudTalk’s all-inclusive plan costs $49 per user per month and requires a minimum of 3 licenses.

7. Freshcaller

Freshcaller is a cloud-based contact center solution designed to help small businesses manage their communications. With phone numbers available in 90+ countries, it’s good for small businesses looking to establish a global presence quickly.

Key features for small businesses:

• Advanced IVR with voice-activated options
• Call recording with automatic transcriptions
• Integrations with popular CRMs and helpdesk tools
• Free plan available for startups with minimal calling needs

Pricing: Freshcaller’s Pro plan costs $39 per agent per month and includes the necessary advanced call center features.

8. 3CX

Often, the entry-level phone system for very small businesses (under 20 users), 3CX includes phone system and call center features. However, this carries a different kind of cost. There are annual hosting charges and extra fees if you need support.

Key features for small businesses include:

• No per-agent pricing (one flat annual fee)
• Advanced call center features, including queues and reporting
• Live chat, SMS, and WhatsApp integrations

Pricing: 3CX’s PRO plan starts at $275 per year (for 1-15 users/4 simultaneous calls).

9. RingCentral

RingCentral is a cloud-based, AI-powered contact center and unified communications platform designed to support small businesses with scalable and feature-rich communication tools. It combines voice, video, messaging, and omnichannel customer engagement in a single app, enabling small businesses to manage sales and support efficiently.

Key features for small businesses:

• Omnichannel support (voice, SMS, web chat, email, social)
• AI tools like virtual agents, real-time call transcription, and sentiment analysis
• Smart routing (skills-based and data-driven)
• Integration with popular business apps and CRM systems

Pricing: RingCentral’s contact center offering, RingCX, starts at $65 per user per month, with add-ons for advanced AI and customer experience analytics.

10. Grasshopper

Grasshopper is a virtual phone system built specifically for small business owners and entrepreneurs. It’s designed to provide professional phone features without the complexity or cost of traditional business phone systems. While it includes basic call center features, its selling point is a reduced functionality set, ideal for very small businesses with simple inbound call needs.

Key features for small businesses:

• Virtual phone system that works on existing devices
• Professional business number
• Custom greetings and extensions
• Voicemail transcription and business texting

Pricing: Grasshopper’s Small Business plan with call center functionalities starts at $55 per month.

What Should Small Businesses Look for in Call Center Software?

If you do nothing else when comparing call center software, make sure to look out for these five things:

1. Rapid onboarding with a user-friendly interface

When you lack in-house IT, the time taken to get agents up to speed is vital. Look for an intuitive interface that’s easy to navigate, especially for non-technical users. If a vendor suggests a lengthy onboarding period, it’s likely too complex for a small business.

2. Built-in CRM integrations

Your call center software will rarely be the only tool your agents work with. Think about other key business apps they’ll be using daily and ensure your chosen call center software integrates with them. CRM integrations need to be available out of the box to avoid setup delays and free up internal resources that are already dedicated elsewhere.

Integration between your call center software and your most-used apps ensures that all customer data, like past interactions and purchase history, is readily available to agents. Failure to integrate can lead to lower customer satisfaction, siloed information, and duplicated effort.

Here’s a sample integration matrix. Look for native integrations, as they are easier to set up than API-based ones.

Provider	Salesforce	HubSpot	Zendesk	Sync Method
Nextiva	Native	Native	Native	Bi-directional
Ringover	Native	Native	API	Bi-directional
LiveAgent	Native	Native	Native	Bi-directional
RingCX	Native	Native	Native	Bi-directional

3. Unlimited vendor support

As a small team, you need support when something goes wrong. Choose a vendor known for its exceptional customer service, with readily available support options (phone, chat, and email). If you operate 24/7, for example, make sure you can reach your vendor at any time through your preferred method of contact.

Look for plans that include unlimited support to ensure you get the help you need when you need it to customize the software or troubleshoot any issues.

4. Cost-effectiveness without barriers to adoption

As a smaller business, you don’t have the luxury of unlimited budgets and countless rounds of funding. Budgetary constraints rule out some larger call center providers that have minimum spend thresholds and high prices because they include functionality that you simply don’t need.

Look for a solution that offers great value, with a clear return on investment for your niche requirements. Getting started must be simple. It’s no good choosing a solid solution that represents great value if it’s going to take six months to implement and requires engineers on-site constantly.

This may work in large businesses with formal change programs, but it doesn’t suit the more reactive, urgent small business needs.

5. High call quality and optional digital channels

If your call center is your first line of support or the first sales instance in your business, the number one requirement is clear call quality.

Check for HD calling, MoS scoring, and call monitoring metrics to ensure your chosen provider is at the top of its VoIP game. Some vendors stem from a VoIP background, whereas others have created call center software with no previous voice experience.

If you’re interested in adding omnichannel routing outside of voice calls (e.g., SMS, email, web chat, or social media), make sure your chosen vendor is experienced in these, too. Be wary of providers that have only voice experience and are adding on extra channels without the necessary experience.

Essential Call Center Features Every Small Business Needs

The number of possible call center features is overwhelming. Instead of a feature-by-feature comparison, shortlist providers that offer these high-quality basics:

• Automatic call distribution (ACD): Routes incoming calls to available agents based on predetermined rules. You can distribute calls based on caller ID, business hours, support level, or IVR selections.
• Interactive voice response (IVR): Offers self-service options or basic inquiries, reducing agent workload and wait times. Callers choose the right option and get matched with the correct department or queue.
• Call recording & call monitoring: Basic call recording stores all your calls for compliance. Advanced recording helps improve training and quality assurance (QA). You can listen to any call and set up automated workflows to review calls for key criteria.
• Dashboards & reporting: With access to the right call center metrics (volumes, wait times, resolution rates), you can identify areas for improvement. You can have a board to track agent performance or a supervisor-specific dashboard for a holistic view.
• Digital service channels: Manage email, web chat, SMS, and even social media messages from the same agent dashboard used for calls.
• Workforce engagement (WEM) & QA: Useful for contact center managers, WEM tools include QA scorecards (to grade interactions fairly), performance dashboards, and coaching tools. This is how you ensure quality and train your team effectively.
• Knowledge base & agent assist: Provide agents with real-time help. An internal knowledge base can pop up relevant articles as a customer speaks, or AI Agent Assist can suggest answers, so agents never feel lost.
• Security & compliance: Look for platforms that offer security (like data encryption) and can help you maintain compliance with regulations like PCI (for credit cards) or HIPAA (for healthcare).

How Much Does a Small Business Contact Center Cost? (Costs & TCO)

Contact center pricing can be confusing. It’s not just the per-seat price; you must consider the total cost of ownership (TCO).

Here are some common pricing models you’ll come across:

• Per-user, per-month: The most common model. You pay a flat fee for each agent (e.g., $65/user/month).
• Usage/minutes: Less common, but you may pay for blocks of minutes, especially for toll-free numbers.
• Add-ons: Be careful! Features like AI summaries, extra digital channels, or WEM tools can be add-ons that increase the monthly bill.

Hidden costs to watch for (TCO):

• Implementation & setup: Is there a one-time fee?
• Training: Is it included, or do you pay for it?
• Phone numbers: Do you pay monthly for each DID or toll-free number?
• Toll-free minutes: Are they pooled, or do you pay a per-minute rate?
• Channel add-ons: Does adding web chat cost an extra $20/user?
• Integrations: Is your must-have CRM integration included, or is it a custom-paid job?

Sample TCO examples (monthly estimates):

Here’s how those costs can add up for different team sizes.

Team size/profile	Seat cost (estimate)	Other costs (estimate)	Estimated total (monthly)
5-seat team (voice-first)	5 seats @ $65/user = $325	1 toll-free number = $15	~$340/month
15-seat team (voice & chat)	15 seats @ $100/user = $1,500	3 numbers = $45 Toll-free minutes = $50	~$1,595/month
50-seat team (omnichannel + AI)	50 seats @ $150/user = $7,500	10 numbers = $150 Toll-free & add-ons = $500	~$8,150/month

(For a detailed breakdown of Nextiva’s pricing, see the Nextiva cost breakdown page.)

How To Set Up a Small Business Contact Center

Closing out, here are a few bonus best practices for getting your small business call center live.

• Define your goals and KPIs: What is your most important goal? Reducing wait times? Improving the first-call resolution rate? Choose 2–3 key performance indicators (KPIs) to track from the start.
• Secure numbers and channels: Secure your main business number, a toll-free number, and all local numbers. Decide which digital channels (chat, email) you will start with.
• Design your IVR system and call flows: Visualize the customer journey. (Tip: Keep it simple. Don’t create complicated menus.)
• Configure skills and routing: Create agent groups (e.g., sales, support, billing) and set up skill-based routing to connect customers to the right agent.
• Integrate CRM & apps: Connect your contact center to your CRM. This is the most important step for your agents’ efficiency.
• Create QA score cards: Develop a simple call rating matrix. This will form the basis of your agent training program and your quality assurance program.
• Set up reports & SLAs: Create your supervisor dashboard to track your KPIs. Define your service level agreements (SLAs), such as answering 80% of calls within 20 seconds.
• Go-live checklist: Test everything. Make a call from an external line. Test all IVR options. Test your chat widget. Then go live.

Nextiva: The Preferred Contact Center for Small Teams

When looking for call center software as a small business, it’s not necessarily about which has the most features. While more is generally better, think about what you’re going to use and how efficient and easy it is to use the features you need.

Ease of use, reliable support, and scalability are what small businesses value most, and this is where Nextiva delivers.

Success Story: How Canyon Coolers Cut Training Time in Half

As Canyon Coolers grew from a garage operation in 2011 to a multi-million-dollar company with a network of 500 stores, its communications needs became critical. Founder Jason Costello was managing an extremely complex supply chain and needed a platform that could scale with his rapid growth.

More importantly, the company prides itself on exceptional customer service, so they needed a platform that was 100% reliable to ensure they never missed a customer connection.

They chose Nextiva to provide that blend of scalability, dependability, and simplicity. Nextiva gave them a powerful, centralized communication thread to manage their complex operations and the confidence to invest in human agents to answer calls, knowing the service would always be on.

As Costello says, “Complex systems require simple solutions, and Nextiva is our answer.”

👉 Read the full story here.

With customers like Canyon Coolers who rely on Nextiva for its reliability and simplicity, we’re happy to go toe-to-toe with anyone when it comes to providing cloud-based contact center software to small businesses.

See Nextiva in Action

Ready to see what a unified contact center can do for your small business?

What to expect in your demo:

✅ A tour of the unified agent dashboard (voice, chat, email).

✅ A live look at how the IVR and skills-based routing work.

✅ A review of the supervisor dashboards and QA scorecards.

✅ A walkthrough of a live CRM integration (like Salesforce or HubSpot).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)