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CloudTalk pricing: Hidden fees + 5 other things to note

CloudTalk pricing

CloudTalk hasn’t always been a business VoIP system — it started as a click-to-call widget. Today, its focus has shifted to sales teams and call centers that need automatic power dialers and AI-powered communication features.

But if you spend time in CloudTalk’s cloud-based software, you’ll notice it still operates like an embeddable softphone widget. Many key features require upgrades and add-ons, and outbound calls cost extra.

Starting to wonder if CloudTalk’s pricing is worth it? You can use this guide to make an informed decision.

TL;DR

CloudTalk isn’t the best choice for small businesses because there are dozens of hidden fees, most key features require upgrades, and you can’t get priority support without paying extra.

What is CloudTalk?

CloudTalk app

CloudTalk is a cloud-based communication platform offering AI-powered call center software to large teams and enterprises. It offers smart dialers, workflow automations, and SMS/MMS support — once you make multiple upgrades and pay for expensive add-ons.

CloudTalk pricing and plans at a glance

CloudTalk offers four basic plans: Starter, Essential, Expert, and Custom. The exact price you pay depends on your location and currency.

If you’re based in the US, here’s what you can expect:

CloudTalk pricing and plans

Starter

The Starter plan costs $25 per user per month billed annually ($34 per user per month billed monthly). In return, you get access to basic features such as email and chat support, call queuing, and unlimited inbound calls in the US and Canada.

Unfortunately, that’s all you get from CloudTalk’s Starter plan. Text messaging, unlimited call recording storage, call routing, and 24/7 support require an upgrade. Considering most VoIPs offer these features on their base plans, it’s hard to justify the above-average cost (nearly double that of leading business phone systems).

You should also pay attention to CloudTalk’s stipulation around calling — inbound calls from toll-free numbers and high-cost countries don’t apply to its ‘unlimited’ offering. To make matters worse, CloudTalk doesn’t include outbound calling in any plan, so be prepared for added costs if you spend lots of time on the phone.

Key featuresWhat’s missing
Mobile appText messaging
International phone numbersAutomatic callback
VoicemailAutomated call distribution (ACD)
Call recording (1 month storage)Skill-based routing
Call queuesInteractive voice response (IVR)
Email and chat supportAutomatic caller ID
Unlimited concurrent calls
Agent reporting
Real-time client dashboard
Advanced analytics with unlimited history
Workflow automations
Developer API support
Call transfers
Business hours
Conference calls

Essential

The Essential plan costs $30 per user per month paid annually ($39 per user per month paid monthly). With it, you unlock essential business phone features such as unlimited call recording storage, unlimited concurring calling, and text messaging.

Just keep in mind you don’t get unlimited text messaging — you’ll have to pay per SMS/MMS message.

And you still won’t have access to live telephone customer support. This isn’t ideal if you’re new to VoIP systems or porting your number from another provider.

Key featuresWhat’s missing
Text messagingGo-To CFD feature (call flows)
Automatic callbackVIP queues
Automated call distribution (ACD)Smart detection of resolved missed calls
Skill-based routingMandatory tagging
Interactive voice response (IVR)Smart dialer and power dialer
Automatic caller IDSalesforce and WhatsApp integrations
Unlimited concurrent callsCall monitoring (call whispering, barging, etc.)
Agent reportingWallboards
Real-time client dashboardSingle sign-on (SSO)
Advanced analytics with unlimited historyPhone customer support
Workflow automationsDedicated account manager
Developer API supportOnboarding coach
Call transfers
Business hours
Conference calls

Expert

For $50 per user per month billed annually ($69 per user per month billed monthly), you can tap into CloudTalk’s Expert plan for contact centers (think power dialers, call monitoring, and more). This tier also unlocks access to CloudTalk’s call flow designer so you can shape customer interactions with specific teams or departments.

So what’s the catch? User minimums. You must have a minimum of three users to unlock the Expert plan, which means the least you’ll pay is $150 per month.

Key featuresWhat’s missing
Go-To CFD feature (call flows)Service-level agreement (SLA)
VIP queuesCustom reporting
Smart detection of resolved missed calls
Mandatory tagging
Smart dialer and power dialer
Salesforce and WhatsApp integrations
Call monitoring (call whispering, barging, etc.)
Wallboards
Single sign-on (SSO)
Phone customer support
Dedicated account manager
Onboarding coach

Custom

CloudTalk’s most expensive plan requires a custom quote in exchange for enterprise-level features such as custom reports and SLAs. Keep in mind there’s a required five-user minimum, which means you need to pay for five user licenses to unlock it.

The Custom plan comes with most — but not all — of CloudTalk’s essential features. Unfortunately, its best AI features are hidden behind a paywall: $19 per user per month for every team member (which, in this case, is at least five people).

Key featuresWhat’s missing
Service-level agreement (SLA)Smart routing (requires undisclosed cost)
Custom reportingSpeech-to-text (undisclosed cost)
CSAT score (requires AI add-on)

Hidden fees + add-on costs to know

On top of CloudTalk’s already expensive plans, you’ll have to budget for the following hidden fees:

  • Texting fees: There’s no SMS/MMS messaging available on CloudTalk’s Starter plan. Theoretically, an Admin could contact CloudTalk’s sales team to unlock it, but the website doesn’t indicate if there’s an additional cost required.
  • Outbound calls: You don’t get unlimited outbound calls on any CloudTalk plan. The ‘unlimited minutes’ advertised on the pricing page only apply to inbound and intracompany calls. Unfortunately, there’s no way to know how much outbound calls cost: you’ll have to contact support to discuss rates and call packages.
  • Toll-free calling: 1-800 calls aren’t included in CloudTalk’s free inbound and intracompany calling. And there are no prices available online. You’ll have to contact the customer support team if you want a quote.
  • International calling: The price of making international calls with CloudTalk isn’t listed online. To learn more about the rates for outbound international calls, you’ll have to contact support.
  • Storage for call recordings: The base plan does offer unlimited call recording, but you’re limited to one month of storage unless you upgrade to the second tier ($30 per user per month).
  • AI add-on: For call transcriptions, call summaries and tags, CRM integrations, and more, you have to pay for CloudTalk’s AI Conversation Intelligence platform (starting at $19 per agent per month).
  • Porting costs: Hidden in the helpdesk is a list of CloudTalk porting costs. These vary depending on the type of number you have and where it originates from (such as the US or Canada). Every port request in the US costs €30 (~$32), plus ~$2 to $4, depending on whether you’re porting a mobile, local, or toll-free number. Most VoIP providers don’t charge to port your number (or charge port request fees based on number type or location).
  • Late fees: Buried in CloudTalk’s T&C, you’ll find interest charges for late subscription payments. CloudTalk can charge up to 0.07% of the due amount per day, as well as a €40 administrative recovery fee (~$43).

5 things to keep in mind before committing to CloudTalk

Here are a few more reasons to consider CloudTalk alternatives: 

1. Underwhelming support causes teams to seek alternatives

CloudTalk forces you to contact support for almost everything, from quotes to troubleshooting to adding certain features to your plan. You’ll have to contact customer support for a quote on outbound calls, international rates, and business SMS.

Frustratingly, CloudTalk won’t give you a fast or efficient answer on how much these packages cost. But they will ask you a lot of questions. They’ll ask for a business email, how many reps you have on your team, if you expect high call volumes, how many integrations you’ll need, and so on. 

In the screenshot below, you can see how CloudTalk responds to questions — and spoiler alert, it doesn’t go anywhere fast.

CloudTalk customer support chat

This is the same level of support you can expect as a customer on the Starter plan. Unless you upgrade to the Expert tier with phone support, sporadic chats and emails are the best you’ll get.

2. Upgrades needed to access basic business phone features

CloudTalk bills itself as the #1 Aircall alternative — which is ironic considering its heavy feature limitations.

None of these are available on the CloudTalk Starter plan, which isn’t cheap at $25 per user per month:

  • Business hours
  • SMS/MMS messages
  • Conference calls
  • Skills-based routing
  • IVR
  • Call transfer
  • API
  • Integrations

Ironically, most of these features are available on Aircall’s first tier (which still doesn’t have great pricing for small business owners).

Compared to VoIP service providers like OpenPhone — which offers all of these features on its Business plan for $23 per user per month — CloudTalk is an expensive option that doesn’t make sense for growing brands.

3. Working with your team costs more on CloudTalk

With CloudTalk, you can’t convert call recordings into a transcript unless you purchase the AI add-on for $19 per user per month. You also can’t make unlimited concurrent calls unless you upgrade to the second tier ($30 per user per month), which limits your ability to answer calls and texts as a team.

What about syncing data to your cloud CRM? CloudTalk isn’t going to make this easy. Its Salesforce integration is locked behind its Expert plan ($50 per user per month), and all other CRM integrations are locked behind the AI add-on ($19 per user per month).

Speaking of integrations. . .

4. Lack of integration flexibility

CloudTalk offers ‘integrations’ on its base plan — although it only includes shared contacts and contact histories. True integrations with popular tools like Salesforce and HubSpot are locked behind the Essential and Expert plans ($30 to $50 per user per month).

To make matters worse, CloudTalk isn’t clear about which integrations are included on its second-highest tier plan. You also won’t know which ones require additional costs.

Your only option is to contact sales and most likely pay more to connect the tools you need.

5. Limited customization on lower-tier plans 

CloudTalk doesn’t make it easy to customize your business phone — unless you’re willing to upgrade.

The base plan restricts access to the features most businesses need, including the ability to set up an IVR system or phone menu. You also can’t set business hours or create customized greetings without upgrading to the Essential plan ($30 per user per month).

Even simple features such as custom call flows and flexible routing are inaccessible without multiple upgrades and add-ons. Most VoIP systems offer these features on their base plans — and they rarely, if ever, require add-ons for access.

OpenPhone: A more effective alternative to CloudTalk

So, is CloudTalk worth the price?

That mostly depends on you.

If you just want a way to take inbound calls, it may be worth the investment. But if you’re looking to grow your business and build better relationships with your customers, it may be an expensive solution. 

The good news is you don’t have to spend thousands to unlock a capable business phone system. You also don’t need to settle for restrictive plans and call limitations. With VoIP platforms like OpenPhone, you can grow your business with truly unlimited features.

See how we compare to CloudTalk:

FeaturesOpenPhoneCloudTalk
Price per month$15 per user per month$25 per user per month
Unlimited callingX
Unlimited SMS, MMS to US & CanadaX
Toll-free numbers
Additional phone numbers$5 per numberStarting at $6 per number
Number porting€30 per request plus €2 - €4 per US number
Call recording✓ (limited storage)
Shared phone numbersX
Group text messaging
Shared contacts
Auto-replies
Text message templates
Slack integrationRequires Zapier/API
AI featuresRequires add-on
Gmail integrationRequires Zapier
Zapier integration✓ (undisclosed cost)
iOS and Android apps
Web-based apps

1. Clear and affordable pricing

OpenPhone pricing

OpenPhone’s pricing is transparent  and listed directly on our website. We offer all the features a small business needs without unexpected add-ons or pricing surprises.

Here’s what you can expect from each of our plans:

  • Starter: $15 per user per month for unlimited calls and texts in the US and Canada, one free number per user on your account, voicemail transcripts, OpenPhone API, manual call recording, webhooks, and more
  • Business: $23 per user per month for automatic call recording, OpenPhone AI tools, phone menus, ring order, and more
  • Enterprise: Custom pricing for a dedicated account manager, priority support, and audit logs

We also list our international calling rates on a separate pricing page. No need to contact sales for a quote — all prices are listed directly on our website.

2. Easy to connect with your existing tools

OpenPhone HubSpot contact syncing

OpenPhone integrates with more than 7,000 apps so you can integrate with the tools you already use.

For example:

  • With our Zapier integration, you can create automated workflows directly with our Starter plan
  • You can connect with mission-critical tools like email, Slack, Google contacts, and webhooks
  • You can use Zapier to connect with contact center solutions such as Pipedrive, Zendesk, and ecommerce platforms like Wix

Need to connect with your business CRM? For less than the price of CloudTalk’s Starter plan, you can use OpenPhone’s Business tier ($23 per user per month) to unlock native HubSpot, Salesforce, and Gong integrations.

3. Free SMS and MMS support to the US and Canada

OpenPhone mms

CloudTalk charges for each SMS/MMS message, and that’s after you upgrade to a more expensive plan. With an OpenPhone plan, you can send unlimited texts in the US and Canada (and you never have to upgrade to unlock them).

You can send SMS messages from local numbers in the US and Canada, plus North American toll-free numbers if you want to build an international helpdesk. We also have MMS available on these numbers, so your team can send photos, videos, and other files over messages.

But OpenPhone can help you do more than just text — we also offer texting automations so you can do so even faster.

With scheduled messages, for example, you can queue up texts to customers in different time zones. You can also use snippets, or text message templates, to quickly respond to frequently asked questions.

Want to set customer expectations even when you can’t pick up the phone? Just configure custom auto-replies for missed calls, texts, and voicemails.

4. Working with your team won’t break the bank

OpenPhone typing notifications

OpenPhone was built for collaboration. Each of our plans comes with collaboration tools so you can provide the best possible customer experience and split responsibility for incoming calls and texts.

Shared phone numbers, for example, are available on every plan. Each member of the number can see incoming calls, texts, and voicemails so that they can respond to those messages from anywhere with a WiFi connection.

You can even collaborate and assign tasks by using threads and mentions. This means it’s quick and easy to delegate work without ever leaving the OpenPhone app.

5. Single view inbox gives better visibility across your team

OpenPhone threads

You don’t just get better collaboration with OpenPhone — you get better visibility as well. Each number stores your calls, texts, and voice messages with a contact in a single view so it’s easier to catch up on conversations. You can also get an overview of all your calls and easily filter them using call views.

Unlike CloudTalk, you don’t have to worry about hitting call recording storage limits. You get unlimited storage with every OpenPhone plan.

When you’re ready for more, our Business plan offers analytics and reporting. You can get a detailed breakdown of busy times, call and message frequency, and user activity.

Pros and cons of CloudTalk pricing plans

For businesses focused on inbound or intracompany calls, CloudTalk may be a fit. But for growing small businesses and startups, the cost of outbound calls and SMS messages could be a budget breaker.

Pros: 

  • Unlimited inbound calls: This excludes calls from toll-free numbers and ‘high-cost’ countries.
  • International numbers: You can purchase international phone numbers from 160+ countries.
  • Multiple apps: CloudTalk offers two mobile apps (Android and iOS), three desktop apps (Windows, Mac, and Linux), and a web app.

Cons: 

  • Multiple hidden fees: This includes late fees, country-specific fees, outbound call costs, and more.
  • Limited features on the base plan: You can’t access concurrent calls, text messages, or unlimited cloud recording storage without upgrading.
  • Limited customer support: There’s no way to access live human phone support without upgrading to the Expert plan ($50 per user per month).
  • Outbound calls and texts cost extra: The only way to know your full estimated cost is to contact the sales team.

See why OpenPhone is the best virtual phone service provider

OpenPhone web and mobile apps

CloudTalk isn’t just an expensive VoIP — it’s more limited, confusing, and opaque than other providers. That’s why hundreds of users have switched to OpenPhone: the easier way to build better relationships with customers.

OpenPhone offers transparent pricing, dozens of collaboration features, and truly unlimited calls and texts in the US and Canada. We’re also rated the #1 business phone solution on G2 by more than 1,800 happy customers.

Ready to see what the fuss is about?

Test OpenPhone today with a seven-day free trial.

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