If you’re hunting for an affordable VoIP phone system, CallHippo’s (free) Basic plan probably caught your eye. Who doesn’t want to pay $0 per user per month for a business phone system?
Unless, of course, that’s not the whole story.
The truth is CallHippo is more expensive than you’d think — and the free plan doesn’t include phone numbers, minutes, or caller ID. It gets even more frustrating when you realize how many limitations there are (and how many times you’ll have to upgrade for basic features like call recording).
You can use this guide to get the real scoop on CallHippo’s pricing, including its plans, features, and hidden fees. We also explain its restrictions and limitations — and how the right VoIP provider can help you sidestep them.
What is CallHippo?
CallHippo is a cloud-based virtual phone system specializing in international numbers for global teams. You can purchase international numbers in over 50 countries, then tap into standard VoIP phone features (think business hours, voicemail, and API integrations).
CallHippo business phone pricing and plans at a glance
CallHippo offers two levels of service for small(er) businesses: an office phone system and a call center solution. For enterprise brands, CallHippo offers a Predictive Dialer and Omnichannel Platform. You can also purchase add-ons for AI call transcriptions and summaries, caller ID names, and more.
Office phone system plans
Starter
The Starter plan costs $18 per user per month paid annually ($25 per user paid monthly). With it, you can unlock basic features like SMS, report analytics, and ‘unlimited’ minutes per month.
Notice we said ‘unlimited’ here — because CallHippo’s minutes only include landline and mobile numbers. You have to pay extra to reach ‘specialty’ and ‘premium’ numbers, and you’ll only get 100 free SMS messages per user per month. You can’t even access all your call logs since old conversations get deleted after one month.
| Key features | What’s missing |
|---|---|
| ‘Unlimited’ minutes | Call recording |
| 100 SMS messages per month | Voicemail transcriptions |
| Call logs (one month storage only) | Lifetime call logs |
| Call forwarding to device | Custom greetings |
| Number porting | Multilingual IVR |
| Click to dial | |
| Voicemail |
Professional
CallHippo’s Professional plan costs $30 per user per month annually ($40 per user on a month-to-month plan). You’ll unlock everything in Starter plus a few extra features like call recording, custom greetings, and voicemail transcriptions.
But notice again, there’s a lack of scalability — you still have to pay extra to reach specialty and premium numbers. And there’s still a cap on the number of SMS messages you can send, which stops at 500 messages per user per month.
| Key features | What’s missing |
|---|---|
| Voicemail transcriptions | Number masking |
| Lifetime call logs | Compliant call recording |
| 500 SMS messages per month | Call routing to external numbers |
| Custom greetings | Multilevel IVR |
| Multilingual IVR | Call blocking |
| Call recording | Conference calling |
| Voicemail | Warm transfer |
| Call tagging, barging, and whispering |
Ultimate
CallHippo’s most expensive Office System plan starts at $42 per user per month (paid annually) or $55 per user per month (paid monthly). You’ll unlock all the features available on previous plans, as well as higher limits for SMS messages and more advanced call routing.
Unfortunately, there’s no way to unlock unlimited texts per user per month here, which could be a problem as your business grows. Plus, you’re mostly unlocking features you can get on traditional phone plans, including call blocking, conference calling, and compliant call recording.
| Key features | What’s missing |
|---|---|
| 1,000 SMS messages per month | CallHippo AI |
| Number masking | Call Scribe |
| Compliant call recording | Remediation service |
| Call routing to external numbers | Spam Watch |
| Multilevel IVR | Dashboard users |
| Call blocking | |
| Conference calling | |
| Warm transfer | |
| Call tagging, barging, and whispering |
Call center solution plans
Bronze
The Bronze plan costs $16 per user per month paid annually ($20 per user paid monthly). You’ll get the same basic features as the Starter plan, plus smart dashboards, multiple integrations, and access to CallHippo’s chat support team.
While you will unlock call recording on this plan, be prepared to pay an extra $0.005 per minute. But you won’t be able to pause or resume your recordings, which may be frustrating if you only need to capture a few minutes of each call.
| Key features | What’s missing |
|---|---|
| Shared inboxes | Free call recording |
| Call mute | Call reminders |
| Click to dial | Leaderboards |
| Call forwarding | Pause and resume recordings |
| Voicemail | Call queue |
| Webhooks | Live call monitoring |
| Call tagging | |
| AI voicemail transcription |
Silver
The Silver plan starts at $24 per user per month on an annual plan ($30 per user on a monthly plan). In addition to unlocking all Bronze plan features, you’ll have access to free call recordings, live call monitoring, and call dispositions.
You get a few AI tools to work with on this plan, including voicemail transcriptions so you can quickly get context for missed calls. However, the best AI tools are locked behind the Platinum plan (or the AI add-on, which costs $10 per user per month).
| Key features | What’s missing |
|---|---|
| Free call recording | Compliant call recording |
| Call reminders | DID groups |
| Leaderboards | Speed to dial |
| Pause and resume recordings | Conference calling |
| Pause and resume recordings | Google Drive integration |
| Live call monitoring | Power dialer and predictive dialer |
| Call tagging | Call barging and call whispering |
| AI voicemail transcription | Multilevel IVR |
Platinum
The Platinum plan costs $40 per user per month with an annual contract ($50 per user if you pay month-to-month). This is the most expensive plan in the Call Center Solution suite and comes with all the features previously locked behind paywalls, including conference calling and integrations with Google Drive.
Just keep in mind the Platinum plan doesn’t come with AI features despite its expensive price point. If you want call transcriptions, call summaries, sentiment analysis, or smart dashboards, you’ll need to pay for the AI add-on.
| Key features | What’s missing |
|---|---|
| Compliant call recording | N/A |
| DID groups | |
| Speed to dial | |
| Conference calling | |
| Google Drive integration | |
| Power dialer and predictive dialer | |
| Call barging and call whispering | |
| Multilevel IVR |
Optional add-ons
- AI add-on: $10 per user per month for AI-powered call transcription, call summaries, advanced call analytics, and voicemail transcription.
- CNAM (caller ID): $100 one-time fee per account (only for US calling).
- Call Scribe: $15 per user per month to see transcriptions of recorded calls.
- Remediation Service: $100 per number for CallHippo’s help if a carrier labels your number as spam.
- Dashboard User: $15 per user per month for agents to access the CallHippo web app (keep in mind the web dialer is not accessible for dashboard users).
- SMS Services: $3 per month to activate A2P 10DLC texting in the US and Canada, plus a one-time setup cost of $15 per account.
- Spam Watch: $2 per number per month for number monitoring that limits your likelihood of getting labeled as spam.
CallHippo Predictive Dialer
CallHippo’s predictive dialer automates call initiation and helps save agents’ time by filtering out unproductive or machine-answered calls.
Without unlimited calling within the US/CAD
It costs $25 per user per month to access:
- AI smart DID routing
- Queue calls
- Auto-pacing dial ratio
- Controlled multiple call attempts
- Time zone dialing
What’s missing:
- Unlimited calling in the US and Canada
- Automatic machine detection accuracy
With unlimited calling within the US/CAD
It costs $200 per user per month to access everything in the $25 per month plan, plus:
- Unlimited calling in the US and Canada
- Automatic machine detection accuracy
CallHippo Omnichannel Platform
CallHippo’s Omnichannel plans help businesses connect with customers across messenger apps, social media platforms, and more.
Bronze
The Bronze plan costs $20 per user per month with a yearly contract ($25 per user with a monthly contract). With it, you can connect all customer touchpoints across WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, and other apps.
But again, the Bronze plan was designed for omnichannel communications — not necessarily calls and texts. This could be a problem for startups and scaleups that don’t have (or need) apps like Facebook Messenger.
Key features:
- Multi-number shared inbox
- WhatsApp QR sync
- Unlimited contact sync
- File sharing
- WhatsApp CRM integrations
- 24/7 support
- Chrome extension
- Canned messages (snippets)
What’s missing:
- Do Not Disturb
- Verification tick for WhatsApp
- WhatsApp Business API
- Advanced CRM integrations
- Quick replies
- Live chat assignments
- Conversation labels
- Analytics reports
Silver
The Silver plan costs $28 per user per month annually ($35 per user if you pay month-to-month). It unlocks specialty features you can use for your business phone system, including Do Not Disturb, conversation labels, and generated analytics reports.
Unfortunately, the Silver plan isn’t much of a silver bullet, especially for scaling incoming calls. You won’t have access to AI tools, IVR menus, or round-robin ring orders to help your team stay organized.
Key features:
- Do Not Disturb
- Verification tick for WhatsApp
- WhatsApp Business API
- Advanced CRM integrations
- Quick replies
- Live chat assignments
- Conversation labels
- Analytics reports
What’s missing:
- Per-user price adjustments
- Broadcast messages
- Auto-replies
- Chat support
- Drip campaign
- ChatGPT integration
- On-demand features
Gold
The Gold plan is CallHippo’s most expensive enterprise plan, which means you have to contact their sales team for a customized quote. In return, you get access to everything on previous plans, plus a lower per-user rate and integrations with ChatGPT.
Unfortunately, the Gold plan wasn’t built specifically for calls or texts, so your actual usability may be limited. Broadcast messages and drip campaigns may seem helpful — but if you’re looking to scale your business, they won’t compare to unlimited calls and texts.
Key features:
- Per-user price adjustments
- Broadcast messages
- Auto-replies
- Chat support
- Drip campaigns
- ChatGPT integration
- On-demand features
Don’t let CallHippo’s prices fool you: they’re more than what you see advertised online.
Take these hidden fees, for example:
- Texting limits: You only get 100 SMS on the Starter plan, 500 SMS on the Professional plan, and 1,000 SMS on the Ultimate plan. Exceeding this limit comes with a per-text rate ranging from $0.01 to $0.94 per outbound SMS.
- Toll-free numbers and minutes: CallHippo advertises one free number for each user on your account, but this doesn’t include toll-free numbers. You also don’t get unlimited calling to the US and Canada — you have to pay per minute, depending on the country in question. The website isn’t totally clear on pricing here, but documents hidden in the help desk suggest $12 per month for the US toll-free number (and $0.033 per minute for incoming call charges).
- Call forwarding charges: CallHippo users get charged twice for forwarded calls. First, you have to pay incoming call charges for your CallHippo number since the call rings there first. Then you have to pay outgoing call charges since your CallHippo number is technically sending an ‘outbound’ call to another number. Assuming you’re using a local US number and forwarding to another local US number, that’s an inbound charge of $0.020 per minute and an outbound price of $0.018 per minute (this could be higher if you’re located in Alaska or Hawaii).
- Call transcription: You’d think call transcription would be a basic feature — but with CallHippo, this costs extra. Call transcription is only available as an AI add-on, which starts at $10 per user per month.
- Carrier registration fees: CallHippo charges $15 per month for every standard SMS use case, while higher call volumes cost a one-time fee of $45. T-Mobile charges an additional $55 one-time fee per campaign. If you want SMS services in the US and Canada, be prepared to pay an additional $3 per user per month.
- International calling: The cost of reaching an international country with CallHippo depends on your location and number type. Their rates vary dramatically depending on the number you purchase — and as you can see, their fee spreadsheet makes things even more confusing.
5 things to keep in mind before committing to CallHippo
Here are a few more reasons to consider CallHippo alternatives:
1. Customer support is unreliable
CallHippo doesn’t make it easy to get help, especially if you’re on a lower tier. Past users have reported below-average response times, poor issue resolution, and frustrating communication gaps.
We’ll let these reviews speak for themselves:
- “Issues with the system. Multiple excuses for why it wasn’t working. Charged for 7 users month after month even after telling support we were only showing 3 active. Instead of doing the right thing they argued why it was happening and still wouldn’t assist in fixing the user issue, so they could keep collecting more money. Horrible customer service in the end.” — G2
- “The phone quality is bad. Calls drop 60% of the time. ALL my 40+ users were complaining. You know it’s a bad company investment when your employees’ TOP WhatsApp group is called ‘CallHippo Daily Issues.’ Our Helpdesk TOP tickets became ‘call hippo problems’ very quickly. CallHippo keeps asking us to give a 5 stars review against a 150$ voucher. And yet, they keep trying to charge us even after we dropped them.” — G2
- “Their call quality sucks big time. We have over 15 support tickets per month! And be prepared: support agents will blame your internet. I am running 1 GB internet in Canada, and somehow I can’t successfully manage voice calls…” — G2
Other reviewers had issues with the platform not being user-friendly:
2. Basic call recording and transcriptions are pricey
Several of CallHippo’s critical tools are trapped behind add-ons, upgrades, and usage costs. For example:
- Caller ID name is only available for an additional $100 fee. Then, spam label remediation costs an extra $100 per number.
- You only get call recording if you upgrade to the Professional plan.
- With the Call Center Solution, you’ll have to pay per minute for call recording unless you upgrade to the Silver plan (33% more expensive than the Bronze plan).
The kicker? Most of these features are table stakes with other VoIP providers, so they don’t cost extra each month or require paid add-ons.
3. Texting creates bottlenecks instead of solutions
CallHippo’s unnecessary texting limits could prevent you from creating (or responding to) important conversations.
On the second tier, users only have access to 100 SMS messages per month — which isn’t very much if you have dozens of customers.
Upgrading to the highest business phone tier unlocks 1,000 SMS messages per month. But considering other VoIP systems offer unlimited text messages on every plan, it’s hard to see the value (especially when you’re paying double the price of an average plan).
4. There aren’t really “unlimited minutes”
When CallHippo says it offers ‘unlimited minutes,’ it actually means you have unlimited minutes for landline and mobile numbers. You’re forced to pay per-minute rates to contact premium, toll-free, and ‘specialty’ numbers (which likely include international numbers).
Users have to pay up front for calling credits, to the tune of $30 minimum per month. If you don’t keep your credits stocked, you might miss important calls or be unable to place an outbound call, depending on the recipient.
5. Workflow automations locked behind higher tiers
Want CallHippo to put your daily tasks on autopilot? Unless you’re willing to upgrade your plan, this may not be possible.
For example:
- The best integrations (including CRMs) are only available on the highest tier (Ultimate at $42 per user per month).
- You can’t record custom greetings until you pay for the second-highest Professional tier ($30 per user per month).
- Warm and cold call transfers are only available on the highest tier (Ultimate) — while other VoIP systems offer this on mid-tier plans.
- Holiday routing is only available on the highest tier (Ultimate), which could be frustrating if you’re a smaller business trying to set clear expectations.
With so many features locked behind higher tiers, you may feel forced to upgrade before you’re financially ready.
OpenPhone: A more effective alternative to CallHippo
So does it make sense to buy virtual phone numbers through CallHippo? With basic features like conference calling starting at $42 per user per month, it’s expensive, inflexible, and likely not scalable for small business owners.
The good news is that OpenPhone is the exact opposite — according to user reviews. We offer unlimited inbound and outbound calling, advanced features through third-party integrations, and multiple AI tools on each of our plans.
Here’s how OpenPhone and CallHippo compare:
| Features | OpenPhone | CallHippo |
|---|---|---|
| Price per month | $15 per user per month | $18 per user per month |
| Unlimited calling | ✓ | X (limitations on toll-free, premium, and specialty numbers) |
| Unlimited SMS, MMS to US & Canada | ✓ | X (starts at 100 SMS per user per month) |
| Toll-free numbers | ✓ | Cost extra |
| Additional phone numbers | $5 per number | Varies |
| Number porting | ✓ | ✓ |
| Call recording | ✓ | Requires upgrade |
| Shared phone numbers | ✓ | ✓ |
| Group text messaging | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shared contacts | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto-replies | ✓ | Requires upgrade |
| Text message templates | ✓ | Requires upgrade |
| Slack integration | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI features | ✓ | Requires add-on ($10 per user per month) |
| Gmail integration | ✓ | ✓ |
| Zapier integration | ✓ | Requires upgrade |
| iOS and Android apps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web-based apps | ✓ | ✓ |
1. Simple and straightforward pricing
OpenPhone starts at $15 per user per month — no catch, no add-ons, and no hidden fees. You can see how much everything costs directly on our pricing page and choose a plan depending on your business needs.
Want to check our prices before calling overseas? With OpenPhone, you can check international calling and texting rates at any time.
There’s also no mystery around our unlimited calls and texts. Send as many as you want in the US and Canada — the same goes for toll-free numbers.
2. Call and text as one voice
With the help of OpenPhone’s shared phone numbers, it’s easy to split responsibility for incoming calls. Every member of your number gets notified of incoming calls and texts, which means anyone can pick up the phone and answer questions.
You can do a lot more with your OpenPhone account because every OpenPhone plan allows for collaboration. You can:
- Streamline handoffs with our warm transfer tool.
- Delegate tasks with internal threads and mentions.
- Leave custom contact notes for everyone on your team.
OpenPhone also makes it easier to get more work done as a team. Unlike CallHippo, which caps simultaneous calls at 30%, you can make unlimited concurrent calls with our shared phone numbers.
3. Manage availability for a better work-life balance
Between vacations, holidays, sick days, and personal time, you (and your business hours) will invariably change.
That’s why OpenPhone makes it easy to quickly update your hours and keep customers and coworkers informed.
First, you can set your business hours, which you can adjust whenever you need. Then, you can set up a custom away voicemail and enable Do Not Disturb so you can relax when the day is done.
Plus, your team members can easily adjust their hours so they don’t receive work notifications while away from their phones. They can also set their statuses, switch on DND, or turn off number notifications, depending on their schedule or time zone.
4. Easy integrations with your CRM and other tools
With OpenPhone as your business phone system, you don’t have to worry about missing key conversations. We connect with the tools you already use — including your CRM — so all calls, texts, and contact info are seamlessly synced between accounts.
Want to connect with more than HubSpot and Salesforce? We pair with 7,000+ other apps. For example, you can connect with helpdesk software like Zoho, plug into collaboration tools like Slack, and even set up Zaps with our Zapier integration.
And speaking of automations. . .
5. Optimize workflows with automations and call flows
OpenPhone makes it easy to put redundant tasks on autopilot. Whether you’re working on a desktop or using our mobile app, it’s quick and easy to:
- Set up auto-replies. This makes it easy to set customer expectations, even if you miss their call or text.
- Schedule messages. Your text only goes out if the customer hasn’t responded first (and always queues up in their time zone).
- Create round-robin call orders. That way, key players on your number get notified of incoming calls first while ensuring there’s always someone around to pick up the phone.
- Generate AI text message responses. With two to three suggested responses based on past conversations, you’ll never suffer from analysis paralysis again.
- Write snippets. Also known as canned messages or text templates, you can use set snippets to answer FAQs even faster.
Pros and cons of CallHippo pricing plans
CallHippo may make sense for larger international teams. However, it may not be a cost-effective option for growing small businesses or startups on a budget.
Pros:
- International numbers available: You can purchase phone numbers in over 50 countries.
- Enterprise features: You have the option to enable SSO, DID routing, and more.
- Omnichannel platform: CallHippo’s Omnichannel platform lets you integrate with popular apps such as Telegram, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Cons:
- Limited call history: You can’t access call histories beyond one month unless you upgrade to CallHippo’s second-highest tier.
- Expensive plans: CallHippo’s Starter plan is ~20% more expensive than comparable business communication platforms.
- No truly unlimited minutes: You’ll have to pay for inbound calls to premium, toll-free, and specialty numbers.
- No unlimited SMS: The most expensive plan only unlocks 1,000 SMS messages per user per month, while other VoIP providers offer unlimited SMS on every plan.
See why OpenPhone is the best virtual phone service provider
CallHippo might offer lots of bells and whistles, but for growing small businesses, it’s more fluff than substance. That’s why dozens of growing brands have switched from CallHippo to OpenPhone — the #1 business phone system, as rated by G2.
We offer startup-friendly features and pricing designed to grow alongside your business. All you need is an internet connection and a phone or computer to get started.
Plus, we offer a scalable solution to grow alongside your business. That means truly unlimited calls and texts in the US and Canada starting at $15 per user per month.
See for yourself why OpenPhone is the best CallHippo alternative by signing up for a seven-day free trial.
