Dialpad
Perhaps more commonly known for its video and audio conferencing system Uberconference, Dialpad is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) provider that goes head-to-head with the likes of RingCentral Office and 8x8 Virtual Office Pro. In fact, we would go as far as saying that it’s an affordable alternative to those competing VoIP market players.
Starting at $15 (£11.70) per user per month, you might expect Dialpad to make compromises in order to achieve its ultra-low price point. The reality is that Dialpad surprised us with the number of features it includes for that nominal recurring charge. Better yet, it packs in a handful of features you won’t find anywhere else. Clearly the value is there, so let’s take a look at exactly what Dialpad puts on the table.
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Key features and pricing
As is the case with most VoIP providers – barring a few exceptions like Ooma Office – Dialpad comes in three different flavors.
Dubbed Standard, Pro and Enterprise, each of these monthly subscription plans has its own price and feature set. And while you can pay for the Standard plan on a month-to-month basis, albeit at the steeper rate of $20 (£15.60) per user per month, Dialpad bills annually for the Pro and Enterprise packages. If you want to take Dialpad for a test run before committing to an entire year, the Standard plan is going to be your best option.
In terms of features, subscribing to the $15 (£11.70) Standard Dialpad plan is short on limits. You get unlimited calling, SMS, MMS and group texting in the US and Canada as well unlimited conferencing with up to 10 people.
One feature you get with Dialpad’s entry-level plan that is notably absent from the $19.99 (£15.41) RingCentral Essentials package is single sign-on (SSO), meaning you can use your work credentials to log into the VoIP with ease. For SSO with RingCentral, you have to shell out $24.99 (£19.26) for a Premium plan. Meanwhile, 8x8 Virtual Office Pro starts at $25 (£19.26), though it does come with SSO at that price.
In addition to a slew of ‘unlimited’ capabilities and single sign-on, Dialpad Standard has HD video calling, a free company main line, a virtual receptionist, Dialpad Everywhere and Voice AI.
Dialpad Everywhere is a widget-esque desktop and Android application that integrates with G Suite, Office 365, Salesforce, Zendesk, ServiceNow and LinkedIn. It allows you to keep a small window open for picking up and transferring calls on the fly while you focus on what’s really important: catching up on all the latest internet memes.
Voice AI, on the other hand, is kind of neat, if a little creepy. It listens in on your phone conversations then jots down the most important talking points so that you don’t have to take notes.
Dialpad Standard also comes with G Suite and Office 365 integrations, voicemail transcription along with FAQ, email and chat support provided by the company.
Next up, Dialpad Pro costs $25 (£19.50) and offers a smattering of additional features unavailable in the baseline Standard pack. For example, you get department auto-recording and call center functionality as an add-on.
Dialpad Pro also supports international offices in over 40 countries. You get access to a wider breadth of CRM integrations too, namely with Salesforce, Zendesk, ServiceNow and Slack. You’ll also gain 24-hour phone support five days a week.
The last of the Dialpad subscriptions is the Enterprise plan, which targets larger offices with at least 100 phones. While the Standard Dialpad plan costs $15 (£11.70) per user per month, it’s limited to one office, three departments and between 1 and 100 users.
The most popular Dialpad Pro plan, on the other hand, works with up to 10 offices, 25 departments and at least three users. The Enterprise plan is intended to remove those limitations, bearing support for an infinite number of offices and departments at the going rate of $35 (£27.30) per user per month.
For that price, of course, you can certainly count on some extra bells and whistles. Under the Dialpad Enterprise plan, you’ll reap the benefits of enterprise SLA, admin APIs, SAML/SCIM, integration with OneLogin and 24/7 phone support.
Competition and verdict
Up against rivals RingCentral Office and 8x8 Virtual Office Pro, Dialpad is clearly the best value, assuming you opt for one of the annual subscriptions. Whereas RingCentral’s cheapest plan is somewhat hollow, Dialpad’s is comparatively rife with features, therefore some small businesses won’t have to fork out more than $15 (£11.70) each month for every user in the office.
With SSO plus integrations with G Suite and Office 365 even at the most cost-effective level, Dialpad is one of the better value propositions you’ll find among today’s VoIP solutions.
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