If you’re considering using Mitel (or are already a Mitel customer) and looking for alternatives, you’ve landed in the right place.
Mitel offers a popular VoIP phone system for SMBs and enterprises, providing IP phones, softphones, and advanced telephony features.
However, Mitel’s business phone system requires on-premise hardware, extensive setup, and management, and can be quite expensive for small businesses compared to today’s cloud solutions.
Thankfully, many robust cloud VoIP providers rival what Mitel’s on-premise systems offer. These Mitel alternatives deliver similar IP phone capabilities, call routing, IVR, auto attendant, and other functionality without requiring any on-site servers or hardware installation.
In this guide, we outline the top alternatives to Mitel based on pricing, features, and ease of use, helping you find the perfect fit for your business.
Whether looking for remote work flexibility, advanced analytics, or integration with other business tools, you will discover the best alternatives to Mitel worth considering in 2024.
What Is Mitel?
Mitel is a Canadian company offering cloud-based communications solutions for businesses of all sizes.
They’ve been around since the 1970s, starting with on-premises PBX systems and gradually transitioning to cloud-based solutions like MiCloud Connect.
Their main offerings include:
- MiCloud Connect: A core VoIP calling system.
- MiCloud Flex: A communications portal for online collaboration.
- MiCollab + MiTeam Meetings: UCaaS suite for video, voice, and chat solutions.
- MiContact Center: Omnichannel customer experience platform with AI virtual agents.
Mitel offers robust feature sets, integration with various software, and secure infrastructure. However, its reputation comes with certain limitations.
Why Businesses Look for Mitel Alternatives
Phasing out of Mitel’s MiCloud Connect effective 2022, with no new contracts or customers accepted onto the MiCloud Connect Platform has made things complicated for both existing customers and new businesses exploring Mitel and who’d rather prefer a cloud-based phone system.
Here are several other factors that might lead businesses to explore Mitel alternatives:
- Cost: Mitel’s pricing can be higher than some competitors, especially for small businesses with basic needs. Their tiered plans with varying feature sets can add complexity to budgeting.
- Scalability: While Mitel scales well for large enterprises, smaller companies might find its growth options cumbersome or unnecessary.
- Legacy focus: Mitel has deep roots in on-premises solutions, impacting user experience and potentially slowing down cloud innovation compared to newer, cloud-native providers.
- Feature priorities: Mitel’s extensive features may not all be relevant to every business. Some competitors might offer tailored packages or excel in specific areas like integrations, mobility, or analytics, better fitting certain niche needs.
- Ease of use: Some user reviews point towards complexity in Mitel’s interface and administration, pushing businesses toward more user-friendly alternatives.
- Customer support: While Mitel offers support, some businesses might prefer the responsiveness or specific expertise offered by smaller, more agile competitors.
Top Mitel Competitors in 2024
Here are the top 5 solutions compared.
| Function | Nextiva | Grasshopper | Dialpad | GoTo Connect | Phone.com |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price Starting price per user, annual billing | $18.95 | $14 | $15 | $29 | $18.69 |
| Best for | Small & mid-sized businesses | Solopreneurs & small teams | Startups & Small Businesses | Small & medium businesses | Small & budget-conscious businesses |
| Feature priorities | Integrations, collaboration, high-quality VoIP. calling | Basic VoIP, virtual assistants | Modern interface, AI integrations | Ease of Use, Collaboration | Auto attendant, call Forwarding |
1. Nextiva
Nextiva is a feature-rich cloud-based phone system and unified communications platform. It offers unlimited calling, advanced call routing, team chat, video conferencing, call recording, and CRM integrations.
What are some of its top features?
Nextiva offers rich communication features that stand out compared to Mitel, including:
- Auto attendants: An automated receptionist that routes calls based on menu options selected by the caller. Can route based on time of day, and day of week.
- Call queues: Automatically distribute waiting calls to the next available agent. Customize queue priority, wait times, and music on hold.
- Visual call flows: Drag-and-drop editor to visually build and customize call handling, routing rules, and staff/team availability. Simplifies management.
- Team presence: View co-worker availability in real-time. Lets you see who is idle, busy, and available.
- Team chat: Send secure messages between employees. This includes instant messaging, screen sharing, video calls, and message history.
- Real-time reporting: Customizable live dashboards providing actionable insights into call volumes, wait times, agent productivity, and more.
- Video conferencing: High-quality face-to-face video meetings from desktops and mobile devices.
A reliable 99.999% uptime SLA, a carrier-grade network, flexible pricing plans, powerful calling, messaging, and analytics capabilities, and industry-leading security and compliance with SOC 2, PCI, HIPAA, and GDPR, make Nextiva a top Mitel alternative for modern business communication needs.
Nextiva pricing options
Nextiva offers simple pricing plans with powerful features. You can choose from these plans based on your needs:
- Essential: Starts at $18.95 per user per month and includes unlimited voice and video calling, auto-attendant and toll-free numbers, Outlook and Google integrations, voicemail to email, internet fax, softphone apps, and 24/7 support.
- Professional: Starts at $22.95 per user per month and adds unlimited conference calls (40 participants) and video conferencing (250 participants) to the mix. There’s also Call Pop, unlimited business SMS, extended integrations, and a pro setup.
- Enterprise: Starts at $32.95 per user per month and includes unlimited participants on voice and video conferencing, recording, call pop, voice analytics, voicemail transcription, more integrations, and single sign-on (SSO).
Best for: Nextiva is best for businesses of all sizes seeking a scalable, cloud communications platform with strong integrations. It works well for both small teams and businesses with international calling needs.
2. Grasshopper
Grasshopper is a feature-rich virtual phone system built for small and growing businesses. It allows entrepreneurs and small teams to have a dedicated business phone number that routes calls to their cell phones or landlines.
What are some of its top features?
Grasshopper offers a range of features that support busy small business owners, including:
- Virtual assistants to take calls, screen messages, and direct callers.
- Essential VoIP features like call forwarding, auto-attendant, voicemail transcription, and conference calling to handle incoming and outgoing calls.
- A mobile app that allows you to manage calls, access voicemails, and stay connected with your team from anywhere.
Grasshopper pricing options
Pricing tiers based on extensions needed:
- True Solo at $14/month provides one phone number and extension.
- Solo Plus at $28/month offers unlimited users, one phone number, and up to three extensions.
- Partner at $46/month allows unlimited users, three phone numbers, and six extensions.
- Small Business at $80/month offers unlimited users, five phone numbers, and unlimited extensions.
Best for: Grasshopper is an affordable and full-featured business phone solution for solopreneurs and small teams.
3. GoToConnect (formerly Jive)
GoToConnect, formerly known as Jive, is a cloud-based phone and meetings platform owned by LogMeIn. It integrates seamlessly with other LogMeIn products like GoToMeeting and GoToWebinar.
What are some of its top features?
GoToConnect offers phone, meetings, messaging, and support center features, including:
- Call flows: A visual dial plan editor you can use to build different patterns for after-hour calls, weekends, and holidays.
- Audio conferencing: Run audio conference calls with numbers from over 30 countries, either over VoIP or by dialing into meetings.
- Call analytics: Analyze call patterns by time, length, issue, day of the week, and location to maximize agent availability and productivity.
GoToConnect pricing options
GoToConnect offers two main pricing plans:
- Basic at $27 per user/month offering local/toll-free numbers, call routing tools, team messaging, and meetings supporting up to 150 participants.
- Standard at $32 per user/month adds advanced call management, international minutes, hot desking, online faxing, unlimited recorded greetings, and meetings for up to 250 participants.
Best for: GoToConnect is ideal for growing teams that want an integrated business communication suite with strong security and reliability.
4. Dialpad
Dialpad is an AI-powered cloud communication platform that unifies voice, video, messaging, and contact center features. It’s designed for agile teams that need to connect and collaborate from anywhere.
What are some of its top features?
Dialpad offers advanced communication features across voice, video, messages, and online meetings. Some of these features include:
- Automatic call distributor: Use routing rules and interactive voice response (IVR) to answer calls efficiently.
- Business phone app: Work from anywhere with a softphone you can use on smartphones to make and receive calls, check voicemail, and more.
- Voice intelligence: Automate note-taking and detect customer sentiments with built-in machine learning, voice recognition, and natural language processing.
Dialpad pricing options
Dialpad offers three pricing tiers:
- Standard at $23 per user/month with unlimited calling, messaging, transcriptions, integrations, analytics, and web/chat support.
- Pro at $35 per user/month adds on 24/7 live support, CRM integrations, global SMS, and open APIs.
- Custom enterprise pricing for large teams includes unlimited extensions, SSO, data retention policies, and priority support.
Best for: Dialpad focuses more on intelligent features for the modern and mobile workforce. It works best for businesses needing more AI capabilities.
5. Phone.com
Phone.com is a feature-rich VoIP platform for agile, distributed teams across the US. It delivers voice, video, SMS, and fax capabilities.
What are some of its top features?
Phone.com offers 50+ features to streamline communications. These features include:
- Audio conferencing: Host large HD voice conferences with up to 300 global participants.
- Fax from phone: Upload and fax documents right from your computer with one click. Saves time and paper.
- Voice tagging: Call routing menus tag each caller selection so agents have context and deliver personalized service.
Phone.com pricing options
Phone.com comes in three pricing options.
- Basic at $12.74 per user/month with 500 pooled minutes, one phone number per account, video conferences for up to 10 participants, and a mobile app.
- Plus at $18.69 per user/month offers unlimited minutes, one phone number per user, text messaging, video conferences for up to 25 participants with recording, and voicemail transcription.
- Pro at $27.19 per user/month offers call recording, analytics, CRM integration, and video conferences for up to 100 participants with transcription and whiteboarding.
Best for: Phone.com is an affordable, full-featured VoIP provider that scales well for SMBs with remote/hybrid workforces.
6. Aircall
Aircall is a cloud-based call center software designed for sales, support, and non-profit teams.
What are some of its top features?
Aircall offers advanced phone, collaboration, call center, productivity, and analytics features, including:
- Queue callback: Let your callers opt out of waiting in a call queue and receive a call from you at a later time.
- Shared contacts: Agents can access real-time customer data and call history to personalize interactions.
- CRM integrations: Integrate with your CRM and helpdesk tools to keep all conversations throughout the customer journey connected.
Aircall pricing options
Aircall offers two standard pricing plans and an option to get a customized package, but you must have at least three users. (You’ll spend at least $1,080 yearly.)
- Essentials is a basic plan starting at $30 per month, purchased for at least three users. Includes unlimited inbound calls (toll-free excluded), IVR, call recording, and softphones for desktop, Android, and iOS.
- Professional plan starts at $50 per month for the same number of users. All features of the Essentials plus Salesforce integration, mandatory call tagging, advanced analytics and call monitoring, queue call-back, and power dialer for sales teams.
Best for: Aircall combines essential call center tools for small businesses. The onboarding assistance also simplifies transitioning from legacy systems like Avaya or Mitel. Ideal for fast-growing SMBs.
7. 8×8
8×8 is a platform for cloud-native contact centers, voice, team chat, meetings, and embeddable communications.
What are some of its top features?
8×8 offers a range of call management, productivity, and admin features in their cloud PBX solution. These include:
- Multi-level auto-attendants: Provide intelligent self-service options based on various caller attributes to resolve issues quickly.
- Visual voicemail: Transcribe and deliver voicemails as text for easier processing.
- Mobile apps: Unified mobile experience for voice, video meetings, chat, and fax.
8×8 pricing options
8×8 pricing offers custom quotes across five tiers:
- X2 with bundled voice, video, chat, global calling, meetings, SMS, and Microsoft Teams integration.
- X3 with unlimited global calling to over 48 countries and administrative features.
- The X6, X7, and X8 contact center plans offer omnichannel support, analytics, automation, and workforce optimization.
Best for: 8×8 empowers modern, mobile contact centers with continuity of customer and employee experience across engagement channels. Global compliance coverage facilitates international deployments.
8. OnSIP
OnSIP offers a cloud-based VoIP phone system tailored for remote teams.
It’s a complete phone system replacement with traditional phone system features like conference bridges, voicemail management, and HD voice calls — both on your desktop and smartphone.
What are some of its top features?
OnSIP’s features are lean and straightforward, including:
- Sayso website chat: Make voice/video calls directly through the company website. Integrates with HubSpot.
- Mobile app: Make and receive calls via softphone on smartphones/desktops with HD quality.
- Video conferencing: Host online meetings with screen sharing for up to 5 participants.
OnSIP pricing options
OnSIP offers two main plans:
- Unlimited: Starts at $18.95 per user per month, with a minimum of 5 users. Includes unlimited auto attendants, call recording, and voicemail.
- Pay-as-you-go: For lower call volume, and starts at $49.95 per month per account. Calling minutes are not included in this plan, and are billed at $0.005 per minute.
Best for: OnSIP facilitates seamless communication and collaboration for today’s remote-first teams with excellent reliability, security, and support.
9. Ooma
Ooma is a business phone service made for small businesses that need a reliable, flexible phone system.
Its plans and features are tailored to businesses working remotely so you can keep a separate business line, hear clear audio, and work efficiently.
What are some of its top features?
Ooma Office provides more than 35 features, including:
- Multi-ring: Route calls simultaneously to multiple devices like desk phones, and smartphones. Ensures anytime connectivity.
- Virtual receptionist: Customizable auto-attendant provides call routing, business hours, and other information to callers.
- Voicemail transcription: Voicemails can be received via email as audio files or automated transcripts.
Ooma pricing options
Ooma is available in three service plans:
- Essentials at $19.95 per user/month offers calling in the US/Canada/Mexico/Puerto Rico, virtual receptionist, and mobile apps.
- Pro at $24.95 per user/month adds desktop apps, texting, video conferences for 25 participants, and call recording.
- Pro Plus at $29.95 includes CRM integration, larger 100-participant video conferences, hot desking, and call queuing.
10. Zoom Phone
Zoom is well-known as the go-to video meeting and conferencing tool, but it’s also a cloud phone service provider. It’s an enterprise-grade cloud phone system natively integrated with Zoom’s popular video conferencing capability.
What are some of its top features?
Zoom Phone offers more than 30 calling and phone administration features, including:
- Elevate to meeting: Go from a phone call to a full-feature Zoom meeting with video and/or screen sharing without making participants manually join.
- Call logs: View caller name, number, and call duration with timestamps so you can keep detailed track of inbound and outbound calls.
- Call queues: Define automatic call distribution and call queue overflow rules to streamline how your calls are taken care of, even during the busiest times.
Zoom pricing options
Zoom Phone offers three pricing plans.
- A free plan for video conferencing.
- US & Canada, pricing starts from $120 per year per user.
- Pro Global Select for international calling costs $240 per user per year.
How To Choose a Mitel Alternative
When considering alternatives to Mitel, first reflect on your reasons for wanting to switch systems.
For example, if Mitel has become too expensive for your business or lacks essential features like call center tools, software integrations, scalability as you grow, a user-friendly interface for staff, and consistent uptime and performance, these could all be motivations to explore other options.
1. Identify key needs
Clearly determine your key communications needs and priorities before selecting a new system, including preferred deployment method (cloud vs. on-premise), number of users to scale for current and future growth, budget constraints, must-have capabilities like video and call recording, and ease of use for rapid employee adoption.
2. Explore top Mitel alternatives
With your key criteria defined, research top alternative solutions. Here are a few solutions that mitigate some of Mitel’s limitations.
- Small businesses: GoToConnect and Nextiva might be the best fit due to their affordability, ease of use, and tailored packages.
- Scalability needs: For high growth, Nextiva and 8×8 offer excellent scalability.
- Legacy concerns: Dialpad and GoToConnect are fully cloud-based, avoiding legacy issues.
- Specific feature needs: Choose the competitor excelling in areas you prioritize, like call centers (8×8) or integrations (Nextiva).
- Support preferences: Nextiva, Dialpad, and GoToConnect are praised for responsive support, while 8×8 has specialized expertise.
3. Compare features and pricing
Vet the solutions under consideration by analyzing how their features, tools, integrations, and pricing models compare to the capabilities you require and the cost of keeping your Mitel system. Use comparison websites like G2 and reviews to evaluate them side-by-side.
4. Get demos and free trials
Finally, sign up for demos and utilize free trials of your shortlisted options to get firsthand experience using them. Collect feedback from your team and select the platform that aligns most closely with your priorities and use cases.
Choose Nextiva — the Best-Practice Alternative To Mitel
When looking to switch from Mitel, Nextiva takes the top spot.
Customers love Nextiva — 93% of Nextiva customers would recommend its business phone service. On GetVoIP, Nextiva has a 4.6 out of 5-star rating.
Below are more ratings across third-party review websites that show how customers feel about the service:
Nextiva offers world-class reliability and military-grade data centers that handle your business communications. This means you’ll never have to worry about your uptime or security, and you can focus on serving your customers.
With more than 40 standard and advanced phone system features, Nextiva offers Amazing Service for support, implementation, and onboarding.
Related: The Top RingCentral Alternatives for Business Phone Service
Mitel, Grasshopper, GoToConnect, Dialpad, Phone.com, Aircall, 8×8, OnSIP, Ooma Office, and Zoom have no relationship with Nextiva, Inc. and are the registered trademarks of their respective owners.
