OpenPhone Evaluation–The Good and Dangerous

OpenPhone is an ultra-simple telephone system that’s appropriate for solo use or groups of as much as 5 folks. It shines for its sturdy SMS messaging options, making it a fantastic possibility for manufacturers that desire text-based communication with clients. However its telephone options and call-handling capabilities are restricted in comparison with different suppliers.

How OpenPhone Compares to its Closest Rivals

OpenPhone could be very easy and targets companies with one to 5 customers. Positive, different suppliers can help small groups, however that’s all OpenPhone does. When you’re larger than that (or will likely be quickly), we suggest contemplating a special VoIP supplier.

Nextiva, for instance, can deal with companies of all sizes, whether or not you want an ordinary telephone system, a complicated omnichannel contact middle answer, or one thing in between. It’s a number of {dollars} extra monthly than OpenPhone, however comes with every little thing you could begin a digital name middle or infinitely scalable telephone system. Plus, Nextiva is an all-in-one communication platform—providing you with limitless calling, limitless faxing, video calling, workforce chat, assembly rooms, and extra. 

OpenPhone has stronger texting options and gives name recording with each plan. However these are actually the one two areas the place it has the sting over Nextiva. For the overwhelming majority of companies, Nextiva is a greater possibility and it’s versatile sufficient to help groups of lower than 5 folks by means of groups of as much as 100 folks or extra.

CallHippo is one other shut competitor. The costs are almost an identical, however OpenPhone is healthier in order for you limitless calling and limitless texting. CallHippo has extra superior options, particularly for light-weight name facilities, however you’ll pay primarily based on utilization for calling till you attain a plan tier that’s double the price of OpenPhone—and CallHippo nonetheless doesn’t provide you with limitless texting for that worth. 

When you want one thing even easier, Grasshopper is a digital telephone system you should utilize so as to add a enterprise quantity to your current cell phone. It’s low-cost, simple to make use of, and consists of fundamental instruments for solo customers or very small companies with easier wants.

When you’re nonetheless having hassle figuring out the most suitable choice, take a look at our Nextiva assessment, CallHippo assessment, Grasshopper assessment, favourite name middle software program, or full checklist of VoIP suppliers.

OpenPhone vs. Different Enterprise Communications Alternate options

If OpenPhone is simply too fundamental for you and also you want one thing extra superior, you may take into account one thing like RingCentral or Dialpad. 

These are each higher choices for bigger groups and people with extra superior wants. They arrive with extra customization choices, stronger call-handling options, and tons of the way to leverage AI and automation. 

Each RingCentral and Dialpad even have stronger workforce collaboration options, too. However you’ll find yourself paying extra for all these further capabilities.

See our RingCentral assessment and Dialpad assessment to be taught extra. 

OpenPhone: The Good

The Good

Very simple to make use of and arrange: As a cloud-based VoIP telephone system, getting began with OpenPhone is as simple because it will get. It’s only a matter of signing up, selecting your quantity, after which putting in the app in your smartphone or pc. That’s it—then you can begin calling and texting instantly by means of the apps or by means of the web-based login. 

Past the preliminary setup and deployment, utilizing OpenPhone on a day-to-day foundation is tremendous easy. Whereas not as feature-rich as another platforms on the market, OpenPhone has no studying curve in anyway. Your whole calling, texting, and communication options are only a click on away, no matter which gadget you’re utilizing. 

Inexpensive for any finances: OpenPhone begins at simply $15 per consumer monthly. That is considerably lower than different name middle software program that prices wherever from $50 to $100 or extra monthly for every consumer. For smaller groups, startups, or solopreneurs on tight budgets, OpenPhone is an economical answer in comparison with the dear alternate options on the market. 

When evaluating prices, OpenPhone is a good deal should you don’t want any superior options. Plus, you possibly can decide to pay month-to-month for just some {dollars} extra should you’re strapped for money proper now and may’t afford to commit yearly. Not each contact middle answer gives this stage of fee flexibility, as some drive you into yearly billing. 

Limitless calling: Each OpenPhone plan comes with limitless calling all through the US and Canada. So that you received’t have to fret about paying metered charges or unpredictable payments primarily based on utilization. Even should you’re simply getting began and don’t anticipate making a number of requires the foreseeable future, OpenPhone remains to be considerably cheaper than a conventional enterprise telephone line or cellular provider. 

The truth that you possibly can deal with your calls from the identical gadget as your private telephone makes it much more interesting because you received’t need to buy an extra smartphone and carry two telephones in all places you go. It is a key advantage of softphone expertise. 

Limitless texting: OpenPhone additionally gives limitless texting with each plan. You in all probability received’t discover a decrease price for limitless texting from any cloud contact middle or VoIP enterprise telephone system available on the market. That is actually an space the place OpenPhone shines—providing you with the power to ship and obtain texts out of your smartphone or pc with carrier-grade deliverability. 

You should use this characteristic for one-to-one conversations in addition to mass advertising and marketing, gross sales, or buyer help. 

Free native or toll-free quantity: Whenever you first join OpenPhone you’ll have the choice to decide on your individual native or toll-free quantity. There are literally thousands of choices to select from, providing you with the pliability to arrange an area presence in nearly any space. For instance, a gross sales rep primarily based in New York can select a California telephone quantity in the event that they’re primarily concentrating on leads on the west coast. 

You too can get a customized self-importance quantity (like 1-800-MATTRESS) to align with particular advertising and marketing campaigns or simply to lift model consciousness and guarantee your quantity is memorable. 

Inexpensive price for extra telephone numbers: It’s tremendous simple so as to add or take away telephone numbers inside OpenPhone as your wants change. So perhaps you’ll begin with only a native quantity however ultimately determine to get further strains for various wants—like gross sales, help, and a predominant firm line. 

These will be bought for simply $5 monthly, which is a good deal. Different platforms cost $10 or $15 for extra strains.

Name recording on each plan: OpenPhone’s starter plan helps on-demand name recording, and you’ll configure automated name recording on the following two tiers. A few of our favourite enterprise telephone programs and speak to middle options don’t supply name recording till you attain increased plan tiers which are almost double or triple the worth of OpenPhone. Others cost $10 or $15 further so as to add name recording to your plan. 

Whether or not you need to report requires high quality assurance functions, compliance, coaching your workforce, or simply as a strategy to reference conferences with out having to take notes throughout calls, OpenPhone has you lined. 

Free quantity porting: When you’ve got an current enterprise telephone quantity and need to change suppliers, you possibly can port it to OpenPhone totally free. That is extremely advisable for any established telephone quantity, as you received’t have to fret about clients, leads, or distributors calling a brand new quantity that’s not in service or answered by somebody apart from you. 

You’ll get all the advantages of OpenPhone with out having to begin over from scratch. 

Easy collaboration for small groups: OpenPhone has some cool workforce collaboration instruments built-into the system, notably helpful for smaller groups of as much as 5 customers. There’s an inner threads characteristic for workforce chat, and you’ll even manage workforce members into distinct teams primarily based on their division, location, position, or no matter you need. 

For group messaging, OpenPhone permits you to observe who has considered or beforehand considered a message throughout the thread. So that you received’t be left questioning should you’re being ignored by a teammate or if they only haven’t seen your message but. It additionally helps maintain groups accountable for replying to threads. Groups also can share contacts with one another and take notes associated to these contacts.

Sturdy texting options with AI and automation: Limitless texting is only the start. OpenPhone has among the strongest textual content options we’ve seen, notably at this worth level. It can save you your most frequently-used replies as snippets to reuse with a single click on for inbound texts. 

OpenPhone’s expertise helps AI-suggested responses which you can rapidly select and ship or edit earlier than replying. The auto-reply characteristic ensures that inbound calls, texts, or actions are immediately despatched a textual content primarily based on the set off you’ve arrange for that individual motion. There’s additionally a characteristic that enables your complete workforce to collaboratively reply to buyer texts from a single thread, so the primary accessible agent can reply rapidly—even when they weren’t the one initially dealing with that dialog. 

Choices for worldwide calling and texting: Worldwide calls and texts aren’t included with any OpenPhone plan. However should you do must ship calls or texts to different international locations, you are able to do so with out limits and simply pay metered charges or usage-based charges. 

We don’t essentially suggest this for high-volume worldwide utilization. Different suppliers are undoubtedly higher on this situation. However for one-off wants or rare calls, it’s good to know you possibly can nonetheless use OpenPhone with out having to buy an add-on or worldwide plan. 

Potential OpenPhone Drawbacks

Restricted calling options: Voicemail transcripts and name recording are basically the one calling options on OpenPhone’s entry-level plan. You possibly can’t even put somebody on maintain to switch inbound calls to a teammate except you improve. Even once you improve to entry these few further instruments, OpenPhone is lacking dozens of in any other case fundamental options you’d get from different name middle options and enterprise telephone programs. You received’t get a cloud IVR, any outbound dialers, or superior name distribution capabilities with OpenPhone. 

Restricted integrations: OpenPhone solely comes with seven whole pre-built integrations, and a type of remains to be in beta. Plus, you’ll must improve to entry integrations with HubSpot and Salesforce. Different programs combine with 50, 100, and even 300 completely different third-party apps. OpenPhone does combine with Zapier, providing you with some added flexibility for syncing with different enterprise instruments. However that’s not fairly the identical as a local integration. 

No faxing: Digital faxing isn’t an possibility on any OpenPhone plan, and it’s not accessible as a paid add-on both. That is one thing we generally see accessible from different enterprise telephone programs and speak to facilities. So its absence right here is noteworthy. 

Not scalable: OpenPhone limits its entry-level Starter plan to only ten customers. However when you’ve got that many individuals in your workforce, you may get a extra highly effective telephone system elsewhere for just some further {dollars}. Even on the increased plan tiers, OpenPhone is de facto fundamental and doesn’t present calling or communication options that rising companies want. It’s actually solely appropriate for as much as 5 folks at most. 

Restricted help: You get “commonplace” help with OpenPhone, which implies you’ll be counting on their information base and chatbot for many inquiries. We couldn’t discover a buyer help telephone quantity listed wherever or dwell agent availability hours. In our expertise, if a telephone system has 24/7 help, they have an inclination to promote it—and OpenPhone doesn’t. 

Further setup charges: Whereas OpenPhone has low costs, you could pay a one-time setup price of $19 to activate texting. There’s additionally an ongoing messaging price that ranges from $1.50 to $3 monthly. This received’t break the financial institution, but it surely undoubtedly provides to your whole price and isn’t one thing we see from different suppliers. 

Not an entire inner communication platform: OpenPhone isn’t an all-in-one communication suite. There are a number of easy options designed to assist small groups keep linked, however you continue to want a separate answer for file sharing, video conferencing, convention calling, faxing, and different widespread inner communication options. 

OpenPhone’s Plans and Pricing

OpenPhone is considerably cheaper than different name middle options available on the market. These low charges are largely as a result of platform’s restricted options and attraction to small groups, but it surely’s nonetheless a fantastic worth should you plan to make the most of the limitless calling and texting. 

Pricing could be very simple, with simply three plans to select from:

• Starter — $15 per consumer monthly
• Enterprise — $23 per consumer monthly
• Enterprise — Contact gross sales for a quote

These charges are primarily based on annual billing. They bounce to $19 and $33, respectively, should you go for month-to-month funds. 

The Starter plan solely is sensible should you deal with only a few calls, and all incoming calls are going straight to the suitable individual in your workforce. With out the power to position callers on maintain or switch them to a teammate, this plan is hard to justify for many trendy companies. But it surely’s tremendous should you simply want a telephone plan for a number of folks, and nearly all of your contact middle actions are text-based. 

Along with the additional calling options, you’ll have entry to HubSpot, Salesforce, and Gong integrations on the Enterprise tier. That is essential should you’re planning to sync OpenPhone together with your CRM. 

As compared, Nextiva begins at $18.95 per consumer. This prices lower than OpenPhone’s Enterprise tier, but it surely comes with far more options. 

Alternatively, CallHippo begins at $18 monthly for its workplace telephone system and $16 monthly for its name middle plans. It’s in the identical ballpark as OpenPhone, however you’re not getting limitless calling or texting with both plan. This makes OpenPhone a greater worth, however CallHippo has extra superior calling options that would make it interesting for low-volume groups.

Persist with OpenPhone when you’ve got a very small workforce and plan for principally text-based interactions together with your clients. Strive it free for seven days to see if it’s best for you.