While searching for a business phone system or VoIP provider, you’ll likely stumble upon many options on the market. Zoom Phone may cross your path in such quests.
Every business’s phone system needs and feature requirements differ. For some, Zoom Phone pricing and features may complement expectations, while others may find it tricky to use Zoom Phone as their business communication system.
In this article, we’ll look into minute details surrounding Zoom Phone pricing and features. Read on to make an informed choice for your business.
Zoom Phone Plans and Pricing: A Deep Dive
Below are different Zoom Phone pricing options the company offers on its website. Take a deep dive to understand what you get in exchange for your money.
US & Canada Metered Plan
This is a pay-as-you-go subscription plan. With a monthly cost of $10 per user, it offers unlimited internal and metered outbound calls. There are additional costs for international calling.
Outbound call charges vary according to the geographic location. The plan comes with a Zoom One management portal, where you can provision and manage users while monitoring call quality and usage data. It’s like a centralized admin portal.
Zoom Phone offers 24/7 live chat and phone support to help customers if they run into an issue or need help changing settings.
As a VoIP provider, Zoom Phone delivers decent call quality with the ability to use SMS and MMS for US, Canada, and Australia numbers. SMS and MMS features work with direct numbers and not company numbers, and they work with many operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, as well as native mobile apps on iOS and Android.
Below are some notable features of Zoom Phone’s US & Canada Metered Plan:
- Auto attendant/IVR: Functions as a virtual receptionist to greet callers and transfer their calls.
- Dial-by-name directory: Routes incoming callers to the correct person or extension by searching for the recipient’s name.
- Toll-free numbers: Let your customers call you for free. They usually begin with three-digit codes, such as 800, 877, 888, 866, 844, 855, or 833.
- Barge, monitor, whisper, takeover: Allow you to interrupt a live call as a participant or monitor it without the participants’ awareness. You can even talk to your teammate without the client listening or simply take over the call from a Zoom Phone user.
- Conference calls: Allow you to add or merge a third party on an ongoing cloud phone call.
- Call recording: Lets users record a call and return to it for more comprehensive insights into the conversation.
- Voicemail transcription: Analyzes and converts voicemail audio into text.
- Anonymous call blocking: Enables users to block calls if there’s no caller ID on the inbound calls. You can also choose to block specific phone numbers.
You get other features such as call handoffs between devices, letting users transfer ongoing calls. Call park capabilities on this plan move incoming calls to “park,” where agents can pick them up at their earliest convenience. This plan lets you chat 1:1 and on team chats (presence, 1:1, and team messaging). You can choose a hot-desk, plug-and-play VoIP phone, and, if needed, add analog devices such as pagers and other equipment.
Zoom lets you take calls to video conferencing and transfer them to a Zoom Room. It’s easy to work with and integrates with business apps such as Salesforce, Slack, and other tools. The platform comes with enterprise-grade features such as single sign-on.
Lastly, the US & Canada Metered Plan offers security features with zero-touch phone provisioning while providing real-time reporting and support for a virtual desktop environment. A hybrid integration will serve your requirements if you work with a legacy public switched telephone network.
US & Canada Unlimited Plan
The US & Canada Unlimited Plan comes at a monthly cost of $15 per user. It includes all features of the Metered Plan. You get unlimited outbound calling and an option to purchase an add-on for unlimited calling to 19 countries.
Below is the list of countries you can call with an optional add-on:
- US
- UK
- Australia
- Canada
- Ireland
- New Zealand
- Austria
- Denmark
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Portugal
- Spain
- Sweden
- Belgium
- Netherlands
- Switzerland
- Puerto Rico
- Japan
There are additional fees for international calling, but you get unlimited regional calling with this subscription plan.
Global Select plan
The Global Select plan includes all features of the US & Canada Unlimited Plan and comes at a monthly cost of $20 per user. It offers unlimited domestic calling in one of 48 select countries and territories.
The plan comes with direct inward dialing (DID) service, allowing people to connect to your company’s private branch exchange (PBX) with a block of numbers.
Add-Ons
Those who have at least one licensed user can select Zoom Phone add-ons. Below is the list of add-ons you can choose:
- Additional phone numbers: Provides additional phone numbers starting at a monthly cost of $5. You’ll need a Zoom Phone service to get additional business numbers. You can choose to add local, toll-free, or international premium numbers.
- Premium developer support: Provides access to prioritized technical resources and committed developer work hours. Developer support helps you quickly resolve technical issues within a guaranteed response time. This can significantly increase the overall cost of Zoom Phone.
- Hardware as a service: Starts at $5.99 per month to lease office phones. You can add a managed service to install and manage the devices as well.
- International calling: Offers unlimited international calling to more than 15 countries and regions for $10 monthly. You must have a Zoom Phone plan to get this add-on.
- Zoom Phone Power Pack: Gives enhanced call queue analytics and historical insights for contact center teams for a monthly cost of $25.
Nextiva Pricing & Plans
Nextiva’s cloud phone system and conferencing solution offers an affordable option for lean teams. Below are some details about Nextiva’s pricing for you to compare before making a decision.
Essential Plan
Nextiva’s Essential plan costs $18.95 per user per month. Compared to Zoom’s US & Canada Metered Plan, you pay an additional $8.95, but its value is worth much more than that.
Nextiva offers more value in its Essential plan, with features typically found in higher-tier plans of other service providers, focusing on integrated business communication tools and customer support features. You get unlimited calling and fax within the US and Canada.
Below are a few details on the value you get with Nextiva:
- Voicemail to email service
- 1,000 toll-free minutes per month
- Free number porting
- 24/7 customer support
- Auto attendant for basic call routing
- Integration with Google Contacts and Outlook
Zoom Phone mentions toll-free numbers but doesn’t suggest free minutes like you get with Nextiva.
Professional Plan
Nextiva’s Professional plan comes at a monthly cost of $22.95 per user. Below are some additional features you get in the Professional plan:
- Unlimited SMS messaging
- Unlimited conference calls
- One free professionally recorded greeting
- Integration to Salesforce and other CRM systems
- Visibility insights into the team’s presence
- Mobile app for iOS and Android with more features
Enterprise Plan
Nextiva’s Enterprise plan costs $32.95 monthly per user. It offers enterprise features such as single sign-on and more integrations with platforms such as Zendesk and HubSpot.
Below are some additional features you get over the Professional plan:
- Call recording
- Voice analytics to gain deeper insights
- Unlimited participants in video conferencing
- More customization options with advanced call flows
- 10,000 toll-free minutes per month
Common features across all Nextiva’s plans
Among these three Nextiva pricing plans, there are a few features common in all, including the following:
- Call Pop with customer information
- Call forwarding, transferring, waiting, holding, and other advanced call management capabilities
- Customizable call routes
- Voicemail to text service
- 24/7 chat and phone support
- Unlimited virtual faxing
Top 5 Features of Zoom Phone and Nextiva
When considering a business phone system, you should look for features that cater to your unique business needs. Below are the top Nextiva and Zoom Phone features you can compare to find the right fit for your business.
Zoom Phone
Here’s a list of the top five features of Zoom Phone:
- Unlimited regional calling: Offers unlimited regional calling in one of 48 select countries and territories (Global Select plan only). It’s great for businesses with a global presence.
- Direct dial numbers: Gives client-facing roles direct inward dial numbers, letting customers directly contact your team when needed.
- Advanced call handling features: Manages voice calls effectively with capabilities such as call park, call recording, and call delegation.
- Integration with Zoom meetings: Lets businesses access Zoom’s ecosystem to increase ease of use and reliability.
- Centralized management portal: Makes administration easy with a centralized admin, helping lean teams with limited IT resources.
Nextiva
Here’s a list of the top five features of Nextiva:
- Unlimited voice and video calling (US & Canada): Lets small businesses make unlimited calls and send faxes in the US and Canada.
- Auto attendants and call flows: Greets callers and routes them to appropriate departments or individuals. It’s a virtual receptionist that helps increase call management efficiency while adding a touch of professionalism. Anyone can adjust call flows without any technical experience.
- Unlimited video conferencing: Provides video conferencing for up to 250 participants (Professional and Enterprise plans only). It’s useful for companies looking to conduct large virtual meetings.
- Business text messaging and mobile SMS/MMS: Lets clients communicate freely with your team members via text. It doesn’t require hardware. Employees can use Nextiva’s softphone to communicate with customers on the go.
- Call recording and analytics: Helps businesses improve call quality while using recordings and analytics to gain insights into customer interactions. Customizable call recording rules let you focus on sales calls, support, or any other business calls whenever you need them.
Nextiva vs. Zoom Phone Comparison
| Functionality | Nextiva Essential | Nextiva Enterprise | Zoom Phone US & Canada Metered Plan | Zoom Phone Global Select Plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly pricing | $18.95 | $32.95 | $10 | $20 |
| Unlimited internal calling | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Unlimited voice and video calls (US & Canada) | ✅ | ✅ | No | ✅ |
| Toll-free numbers | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Toll-free minutes | 1,000 | 10,000 | ❌ | ❌ |
| Call recording | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Auto-attendant | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Unlimited internet fax | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| SMS & MMS | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
Which Provider Is Right for Your Business?
Both Zoom Phone and Nextiva have their positives and negatives when it comes to pricing and features. There are a few things that stand out for both solution providers, including the following:
Zoom Phone
Zoom offers a strong video conferencing solution and allows Zoom Phone to integrate seamlessly with Zoom video meetings. You get unlimited calling in one of 48 select countries and territories under the Global Select plan.
It also offers basic telephony features such as direct dial numbers and centralized administration, making it easier for teams to use.
Nextiva
Nextiva brings all your voice, video, SMS, email, and CRM communication into one platform. The unified CX platform offers robust collaboration tools and mobile applications for remote or distributed teams.
You get detailed call insights on the customer support and sales side, helping you manage customer interactions at scale.
Don’t overlook Nextiva’s conference calling service, either. When it’s time for a scheduled all-hands meeting or a client sync call, all it takes is two clicks, and your team is talking. No apps to download — you can call in from anywhere.
Nextiva offers a range of integrations, especially CRM integrations, that are crucial for sales and support teams to maintain customer relationships and streamline workflows. With the NextivaONE app and comprehensive mobile device support, you can easily connect with clients no matter if you’re an on-the-go, hybrid, or remote employee.
The Final Verdict on Nextiva
Nextiva tops the chart if your priorities include integrated communication, scalability for various business sizes, remote work optimization, and potential value for money with unlimited calling.
If you rely on a phone system day in and day out for customer support and management, Nextiva is a suitable choice. It offers unlimited calling and a platform to integrate all communication channels into one, so you always stay within context. Considering the value Nextiva drives, it’s a cost-conscious solution for businesses looking for a full-featured VoIP phone solution.
On the other hand, if your system is heavily integrated and reliant on the Zoom suite, then Zoom Phone will likely make more sense for your business.
