Dialpad Review and Pricing

Why We Chose Dialpad for Voice Intelligence

AI technologies can benefit sales teams, recruiters and businesses that want to leverage communication data. Dialpad recognized this need when it acquired TalkIQ in 2018 and began training a large language model (LLM) on its proprietary data. We appreciate how small businesses can use DialpadGPT for voice intelligence thanks to this innovation.

Unlike generic AI, Dialpad tailored its model specifically to business language. Aside from supplying billions of minutes of conversational sales, service and collaboration data, Dialpad refined language elements. This unique capability allows companies to set up a dictionary on Dialpad and add or delete brands, keywords or other important terms. Although a few of the best business phone systems have upgraded their AI features, we have yet to come across a company dictionary quite like Dialpad’s.

Dialpad’s voice call summaries transcribe calls in real time, share vital moments and tag the purpose of each call. The call history center is customizable. You can filter calls by purpose or keywords, such as clients requesting refunds or asking to speak with a manager. We found that the speech coaching cards, which remind representatives to slow down or speak clearly on a call, would be helpful for any customer service team.

Lastly, Dialpad’s relatively low price and well-rounded call management features give it an edge over alternatives. Overall, we recommend this cloud-based phone system for teams that benefit from tracking action items and having voice call summaries.

Ease of Use

Dialpad’s VoIP system is easier to use than 8×8’s, but it falls slightly behind Ooma’s in terms of simplicity. The desktop client looks busier than other applications we’ve tested, but once you understand the layout, it isn’t much different from other cloud tools.

As for the Dialpad platform, the left sidebar displays your communications apps, which are resizable. On the right side, you can drag and drop the fields for user profiles or close the sidebar to enlarge the conversation space.

Dialpad’s mobile apps are straightforward. They have fewer buttons compared with Zoom or RingCentral, both of which have main-screen keys to start a video meeting or add another person to the call. Considering some business professionals and employees use iPads with keyboards while traveling, we liked that Dialpad’s iPad app worked in both portrait and landscape modes.

Dialpad Features

Dialpad’s business phone system offers voice, meeting and messaging tools. We analyzed and tested the features that make Dialpad an excellent multiline phone system for voice intelligence and evaluated other aspects of its functionality. Here are some standout features:

Call Quality and Reliability

Dialpad includes built-in tools to help businesses monitor and maintain call quality. Its Quality of Service (QoS) dashboard tracks Mean Opinion Scores (MOS) on a 1-to-5 scale, giving administrators insight into overall audio performance. The platform uses the OPUS codec, which adapts to network conditions to deliver clearer calls than older standards like G.711 or G.729. In other words, Dialpad is designed to keep conversations crisp and reliable, even when internet connections aren’t perfect.

For larger organizations, Dialpad backs its reliability with a 99.9 percent uptime Service Level Agreement (SLA). Enterprise customers also benefit from Dialpad’s dual-cloud architecture and a 24/7 network operations center, which work together to minimize downtime and service disruptions. We like that these enterprise-grade protections are available without requiring businesses to invest in costly on-premise infrastructure.

AI Recaps

Many phone system providers now offer AI-powered call or meeting summaries, but Dialpad stands out for the accuracy of its natural language processing. Its proprietary large language model, DialpadGPT, powers the platform’s AI Recaps, which were trained on business conversations and work equally well on smartphones and Poly conferencing systems.

We like how comprehensive and customizable the AI-generated recaps are. They highlight key conversation points, purposes and action items, and users can even ask DialpadGPT to change the format by adding bullet points or shortening the length. Every recap is searchable, and the company dictionary and custom keyword features help ensure that industry-specific terms are recognized.

Speech Coaching

Dialpad includes speech coaching as part of its AI-powered Voice Intelligence suite. While this functionality is more common in call center systems, Dialpad brings it to small business teams through Real-Time Assist cards. These on-screen prompts remind representatives to slow down, speak clearly or mention key talking points. We like that this type of real-time coaching is available outside of enterprise-level contact centers, making it especially helpful for small teams with newer staff members.

Call History

Although most VoIP providers offer call logs, we like the look and usability of Dialpad’s call history menus. It’s a comprehensive space with filters for specific offices, dates or users. We also appreciate that Dialpad displays AI recaps, lets you customize record columns, and, depending on your plan, stores call history for anywhere from 45 days to about a year.

Call Analytics and Charts

Dialpad’s out-of-the-box reporting options offer graph data visualizations, heat maps, pie charts and more. The insights cover most business communications. We like the ability to review interactive voice response (IVR) call flows and see the total text volume for specific time frames. Dialpad lets admins save and export data or schedule reports. . The “Calling Habits” section is a neat feature that shows team and individual statistics.

Call Handling and Management

Most business phone systems support call forwarding, transfers and routing configurations, and companies often need a virtual receptionist to route calls to the right staff or department. We like that all Dialpad plans include a multi-level auto attendant. The custom call routing and personal work-hour solutions allow small and midsize businesses to establish call flows that fit their needs.

Sales CRM Integrations

Combining voice intelligence with customer relationship management (CRM) data can significantly improve call outcomes because it gives sales and service teams deeper context during conversations and helps automate follow-up tasks. We like that users on Dialpad’s Pro and Enterprise plans can connect to some of the best CRM software solutions, including HubSpot, Salesforce, Copper, Kustomer and Zoho CRM. (Check out our HubSpot review and our Salesforce CRM review to learn more about these powerful tools.) Meanwhile, Standard users also benefit from integrations with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.

Dialpad AI Meetings

Modern sales and service teams need VoIP systems with video conferencing capabilities for their online meetings, webinars and more. Dialpad’s plans include unlimited five-hour meetings with up to 150 participants, plus in-meeting chat, waiting rooms and virtual backgrounds. Teams can also collaborate with Miro whiteboarding and schedule calls directly from Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 calendars. We like that many of these meeting features are available across all plans, so even smaller businesses get value right away. For larger events, a Large Meeting add-on expands capacity to 1,500 participants. 

Dialpad Meetings works well for most small and midsize teams, but businesses that rely heavily on video-first collaboration or large webinars may prefer Zoom for its more advanced features and scalability. Read our review of Zoom to discover how its AI-powered features and advanced tools facilitate productive video communications.

Dialpad Pricing

Dialpad has affordable plans with robust features. All plans include a business phone number, unlimited domestic calling, HD-quality voice, a multi-level auto attendant and an executive assistant pairing feature to delegate calls. Here’s how the plans break down:

• Add-ons: Paid add-ons include faxing, meeting PSTN dial-in, screen and video recordings, large meetings (up to 1,500 participants), meeting transcriptions, professional installation and Platinum support (priority routing, dedicated line and faster response).

We love that Dialpad includes built-in AI and analytics on all plans, features that many rivals lock behind higher tiers or offer only as paid add-ons. However, companies seeking more customizable plan options may want to consider our review of Vonage, which provides additional flexibility but less-developed AI features.

Implementation and Onboarding

Dialpad offers quote-based professional implementation services and a self-start deployment guide. It walks users through testing network speeds and choosing hardware, like headsets and IP phones. We used a personal phone and downloaded Dialpad’s app, which turned our device into a VoIP softphone. A single user can be up and running within minutes. In other words, even nontechnical users can get started quickly, while admins have scalable options for bringing larger teams online.

We could add users through the Dialpad web portal via Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace directories for larger teams and through email for just a few people. We appreciated the failover options for central lines, which help maintain business continuity by allowing calls to continue even during outages.

Dialpad provides interactive product tours, and the support team can guide administrators and users through basic tasks over live chat. The help center is similar to 8×8’s, but we found Dialpad’s tutorials easier to follow thanks to visual walkthroughs like GIFs and screenshots.

Customer Support

• Live support: Dialpad provides 24/7 live support across all plans, but the type of access varies. Standard users are limited to web-based and multilingual chat support, while Pro and Enterprise plans also include 24/7 phone support. 
• Help tickets: In the Dialpad application, you can tap the “Contact Us” button to submit a ticket and view live help options, including chat services and phone support (depending on your plan). 
• Enhanced support: Enterprise subscribers get additional perks like priority routing and a named Customer Success Manager. You can also purchase some enhanced support options as an add-on to your Standard or Pro plan. 
• Installation help: Professional installation services are available for all tiers, but pricing requires a custom quote.
• Online resources: The platform’s help center has resources for both administrators and regular users. We particularly loved the self-service guides, which include multiple screenshots with step-by-step instructions. These tutorials simplify onboarding and troubleshooting for small business teams.

Limitations

Dialpad has much to offer as a business phone system, but consider the following potential drawbacks before committing: 

• AI is limited outside of voice: Dialpad’s AI features don’t yet extend as fully to video conferencing or team messaging. As we explain in our RingCentral review, that platform uses AI across video, chat and collaboration tools, making it better suited for businesses that want a unified AI experience.
• No unlimited international calling: Unlike rivals like GoTo Connect and 8×8, Dialpad doesn’t offer unlimited international calling plans. While you can purchase international numbers and pay-as-you-go minutes, companies with heavy overseas calling may find this restrictive. Our GoTo Connect review explains more about this platform’s international options.
• Video meeting limits: Dialpad caps standard meetings at 150 participants for up to five hours. That’s plenty for many teams, but platforms like 8×8 X Series or Zoom support much larger conferences, making them better options for companies that need enterprise-wide video calls. (Our 8×8 review explains more.)
• Fewer integrations and hardware options: Dialpad connects with major CRMs and productivity tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, but its app marketplace is smaller than rivals like RingCentral. Likewise, companies that rely on a wide range of desk phones and hardware may find GoTo Connect a stronger fit, as it supports hundreds of devices.

Methodology

In evaluating Dialpad and other top business phone solutions, we investigated and tried each system’s latest software updates and features. Our process also involved gathering user feedback and interacting with customer service. While testing mobile and desktop apps, we evaluated overall phone functionality with the goal of helping businesses choose a business phone system that best suits their needs. When identifying the best business phone system for voice intelligence, we analyzed voice intelligence tools for ease of use, accuracy and business relevance. Dialpad stood out from competitors thanks to its AI-driven features, which proved both practical and reliable in everyday business scenarios.

Bottom Line

We recommend Dialpad for …

• Sales teams and recruiters that want to track action items and receive AI-powered summaries.
• Small call centers looking for inexpensive coaching tools.
• Healthcare organizations that require HIPAA compliance with a Business Associate Agreement (BAA).

We don’t recommend Dialpad for …

• Businesses with high international call volumes.
• Companies that rely on video-first collaboration.
• Organizations needing extensive third-party integrations.