Tired of your clunky phone system?
You’re stuck managing outdated hardware and dealing with unpredictable IT costs, which drains both your budget and your team’s valuable time.
The worst part is the constant worry about system reliability and the nightmare of coordinating a difficult migration with so many stakeholders involved.
It’s a widespread issue. Blueface reports that 61% of businesses are cutting traditional phone lines due to these exact cost inefficiencies. Legacy systems simply can’t keep up.
But the right system can eliminate these IT headaches entirely and empower your remote and in-office teams to communicate effectively.
In this guide, I’ll cut through the noise and help you find the best hosted phone system that balances cost, features, and reliability.
You’ll learn how to slash IT costs while giving your team the powerful communication tools they need to succeed in their roles.
Let’s get started.
Quick Summary:
| # | Software | Rating | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RingCentral → | Mid-sized companies | |
| 2 | Nextiva → | Mid-sized companies | |
| 3 | 8×8 → | Mid-sized companies | |
| 4 | Dialpad → | Mid-sized companies | |
| 5 | GoTo → | IT directors & managers |
1. RingCentral
Struggling with complex phone systems and IT costs?
RingCentral streamlines communications, helping you simplify operations and reduce your IT support burden.
This means you can say goodbye to outdated on-premise systems and hello to a scalable, cost-effective solution for your growing company. It’s time to empower your team across all devices.
Here’s a better way forward.
RingCentral brings your employee and customer experiences together with AI-powered calls, messages, and meetings. This means your team stays connected and productive, regardless of their location.
You can empower every employee with the RingEX platform, offering enhanced business SMS, online fax, and video meetings. These capabilities support your remote workforce with consistent call quality.
Additionally, the AI Receptionist can act as a 24/7 digital concierge, handling up to 93% of calls by answering questions, routing callers, and even sending texts, freeing up your team to focus on more complex tasks and improving customer service responsiveness.
The result is increased operational efficiency.
Key features:
- AI Receptionist: Offers 24/7 support with AI that answers questions, routes callers, sends texts, and handles a high volume of inquiries effortlessly.
- RingEX Platform: Provides AI-powered calls, messages, online fax, and video meetings across all devices, ensuring team connectivity and remote work support.
- Conversation Intelligence: Integrates deeply with your CRM for automated recordings, customer insights, and AI-powered coaching to drive sales.
RingCentral features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: RingCentral emerges as a best hosted phone system, offering scalable solutions for mid-sized companies. Its AI-powered features like AI Receptionist and Conversation Intelligence, along with strong CRM integrations, enhance customer service responsiveness and deliver cost savings, as seen with First Bank’s 30% annual phone system cost reduction.
2. Nextiva
Is your IT team stretched thin managing communication?
Nextiva unifies all customer interactions on an AI-powered platform. This allows you to consolidate systems and reduce IT overhead.
This means you can streamline operations, leading to increased team productivity and reduced attrition. It’s about building amazing customer experiences without the usual integration headaches.
Simplify your complex communication needs.
Nextiva solves the challenge of siloed communication by bringing voice, live chat, SMS, email, and social media into one unified inbox. This empowers your agents with a complete 360-degree customer view, enhancing customer service responsiveness.
You get real-time insights and sentiment analysis to deepen customer relationships. This helps your team deliver personalized experiences at scale, acquiring, retaining, and growing your customers.
Additionally, Nextiva’s platform offers intelligent routing based on situations and skills, ensuring customers reach the right agent every time. Plus, with robust APIs, you can seamlessly integrate with existing CRM tools, further maximizing your technology investments and reducing support burdens.
The result is increased operational efficiency.
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Key features:
- Unified Customer Experience Management (CXM): Centralizes all customer interactions across various channels like voice, chat, and social media into one AI-powered platform for streamlined operations.
- AI & Automation Capabilities: Leverages generative AI knowledge bases, sentiment analysis, and workflow automation to boost productivity, reduce costs, and optimize customer journeys.
- Scalable and Secure Infrastructure: Provides a future-ready, cloud-native platform with disaster recovery, no maintenance windows, and security certifications to ensure reliability and compliance.
Nextiva features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: If you’re seeking the best hosted phone system for your mid-sized company, Nextiva’s Unified-CXM platform is a strong contender. Its ability to consolidate various communication channels, integrate with existing CRM tools, and offer AI-powered automation can significantly reduce IT support burdens and operational costs, as demonstrated by the 40% cost reduction seen by some of its customers.
3. 8×8
Tired of fragmented communication systems for your growing company?
8×8 offers a unified intelligent platform, helping your employees and customers connect through one system. This means your IT department can stop juggling disparate tools and focus on strategic initiatives.
You can modernize your legacy systems and boost operational efficiencies, which is crucial for mid-sized companies navigating complex transitions. This sets you up for future growth.
Here’s how 8×8 brings all your conversations together.
This single intelligent platform delivers specific outcomes that truly matter, like elevating your customer experience. It helps maximize operational efficiencies with powerful automation and data-driven insights. Your teams will appreciate AI-enabled communication tools for global connectivity. Additionally, 8×8 offers no-code APIs, allowing you to connect with customers on their preferred channels. Plus, it amplifies Microsoft Teams capabilities, adding contact center integrations for a more robust setup. The result is secure, compliant communications that build trust and allow your teams to react to changes in seconds, not hours.
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Key features:
- Unified Platform: Connects employees and customers on one intelligent platform, simplifying your tech stack and improving communication flow.
- AI-Enabled Communications: Powers up agents with AI for simplified contact center operations and connects teams globally for enhanced productivity.
- Operational Efficiency & Trust: Maximize efficiency through automation and data-driven insights, while mitigating risk with secure, compliant communications.
8×8 features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: 8×8 stands out as a strong contender for the best hosted phone system, offering a unified intelligent platform perfect for mid-sized companies aiming to elevate customer experience and maximize operational efficiencies. Its focus on security, compliance, and AI-enabled tools ensures reliability and adaptability for your evolving business needs.
4. Dialpad
Is your team struggling with outdated communication?
Dialpad elevates conversations with real-time AI insights across calls, messages, and meetings. This means your team gains instant summaries and action items, streamlining workflows.
This AI-powered platform ensures unmatched accuracy and predictable costs for enterprise communication.
Here’s a solution for you.
Dialpad solves communication challenges by consolidating calls, messages, and meetings onto one platform. This provides a unified system for your global HR enterprise, replacing complex on-premise setups.
You’ll experience real-time AI coaching and insights for outbound sales calls, enhancing productivity and enabling better customer outcomes. Additionally, it offers AI agents, assistants, and coaching for contact centers, transforming your customer support and boosting overall efficiency.
The platform is built on a dual-cloud architecture for best-in-class resiliency, reliability, and security, supporting over 70 countries and integrating with essential apps like Salesforce and Zendesk, saving your team valuable time.
Sharper insights lead to remarkable outcomes.
While we’re discussing your team’s global reach, understanding location intelligence software is equally important for optimizing operations.
Key features:
- AI-powered Communications: Leverage real-time AI for call summaries, action items, and coaching across all interactions, empowering your team with instant insights.
- Seamless Integrations: Connect Dialpad with crucial business applications like Salesforce, Zendesk, and Microsoft Teams to unify workflows and enhance operational efficiency.
- Scalable & Secure Platform: Benefit from a dual-cloud architecture designed for high reliability, resilience, and privacy, ensuring your data is secure and compliant.
Dialpad features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Dialpad truly stands out as the best hosted phone system, helping mid-sized companies empower teams and slash IT costs. Its AI-driven insights, robust integrations, and resilient dual-cloud architecture consolidate communication systems, as seen by RE/MAX reducing core product training time in just two weeks and Randstad saving 10% of time with AI-powered transcriptions.
5. GoTo
Struggling with complex phone systems and rising IT costs?
GoTo Connect offers an all-in-one business communication software, including a cloud-based phone system and softphone. This simplifies your organization’s communication needs.
Your team can unify communications across departments, empowering workers to connect and assist from anywhere, which addresses the pain point of managing disparate systems and improving overall operational efficiency.
Here’s a simpler way to connect.
GoTo Connect makes running your business easier with its AI-powered, cloud communications platform. It’s designed to be easy to use, simple to manage, and effortless to scale.
This includes GoTo Connect Phone System, a smart business phone system packed with 100+ features for all your communication needs, ensuring you can grow your business without system limitations. Additionally, the new AI Receptionist acts as a 24/7 smart assistant, answering calls and automating tasks, ensuring no customer inquiries are missed and your team can focus on higher-value work. This all-in-one solution simplifies setup and integrates seamlessly into your workflow.
Make every call count with GoTo.
If you’re also streamlining business operations, my article on SaaS billing software covers predicting cash flow and handling complex pricing.
Key features:
- AI Receptionist: A 24/7 smart assistant that handles incoming calls, automates tasks, and integrates seamlessly, allowing your team to focus on higher-value work.
- Cloud-based Phone System: Offers over 100 features for all your communication needs, providing an easy-to-use and manage solution for businesses ready to scale.
- Unified Communications: Unifies communications across departments, enabling your team to connect, engage, and collaborate effectively from any location.
GoTo features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: GoTo Connect is an excellent choice if you’re seeking the best hosted phone system that combines comprehensive communication tools with advanced AI features. It addresses key pain points for IT directors and operations managers by simplifying management, reducing IT burdens, and providing scalable solutions for improved customer service and operational efficiency.
6. Aircall
Struggling with inconsistent communication and high IT costs?
Aircall offers a cloud-based phone system with integrated AI for enhanced sales and customer support.
This means you can say goodbye to missed calls and context loss, ensuring your team always has the information they need.
Here’s how to elevate your team’s performance.
Aircall leverages AI Voice Agents to handle inbound calls 24/7, ensuring no call is missed and providing continuous support. Additionally, AI Assist delivers real-time conversation intelligence and AI-powered workflows, making it easier for your team to prepare for and follow up on calls effectively.
You can also reach 3 billion WhatsApp users directly from Aircall’s unified hub, allowing for seamless communication across calls, texts, and WhatsApp messages—all in one place. This platform is designed for quick setup, letting you claim numbers and manage integrations in clicks, supporting both sales and customer service teams. Plus, robust analytics provide clarity, helping monitor metrics and improve performance.
The result is a comprehensive solution that reduces IT burdens and enhances customer interactions.
Key features:
- AI Voice Agent and AI Assist: Automate inbound call handling 24/7 and provide real-time conversation intelligence to improve every customer interaction.
- Unified Communication Hub: Manage calls, texts, and WhatsApp messages from a single platform, expanding your reach and streamlining customer engagement for your team.
- Seamless CRM Integrations: Connect with over 100 tools including Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zendesk, ensuring full context and collaboration across departments.
Aircall features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Aircall stands out as a best hosted phone system by offering advanced AI-powered tools and extensive CRM integrations. This focus on intelligent communication and operational efficiency helps IT directors and operations managers ensure seamless remote workforce support, consistent call quality, and robust security, all while reducing overall IT support burdens for mid-sized companies.
7. Ooma
Is your team struggling with outdated communication systems?
Ooma provides business phone services with advanced features, including a desktop app, mobile app, and virtual receptionist, eliminating common pain points. This means you can integrate your phone, video, and messaging solutions, reducing complexity and IT support burdens.
This helps your team achieve cost-effectiveness and advanced VoIP features, letting you focus on growth.
Here’s how to empower your team.
Ooma offers comprehensive business phone services, including call management, collaboration tools, and customer experience enhancements. Your team can utilize features like videoconferencing, team chat, call recording, and text messaging for seamless internal communication.
Additionally, Ooma supports crucial customer experience features such as a contact us website widget, music on hold, and virtual fax. You can also integrate with essential business tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, and QuickBooks Online, ensuring seamless integration with existing CRM tools.
This allows your remote workforce to stay connected and productive from anywhere, improving customer service responsiveness.
The result is streamlined communications, reduced costs, and improved efficiency.
Key features:
- Comprehensive Call Management: Leverage features like virtual receptionist, call parking, multi-ring, and auto-dialer to efficiently handle incoming and outgoing calls, minimizing missed opportunities.
- Enhanced Collaboration Tools: Utilize videoconferencing, team chat, and call recording to foster better internal communication and collaboration among your team members, regardless of location.
- Seamless CRM Integrations: Connect with popular platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, and QuickBooks Online to improve data synchronization and operational efficiency, reducing manual data entry and errors.
Ooma features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: If you’re seeking the best hosted phone system that prioritizes cost-effectiveness, advanced features, and seamless integration, Ooma is a strong contender. Its robust capabilities for call management, collaboration, and CRM integrations ensure your growing mid-sized company can enhance customer service and operational efficiency.
Conclusion
Ready to upgrade your phone system?
Choosing the right system is tough. You have to balance advanced features with a tight budget, all while trying to avoid disruptive IT migrations.
In fact, Blueface reports that 57% of small businesses rely on VoIP for better call routing and handling. This shift dramatically improves customer service and proves the power of these modern communication tools.
Here’s my top recommendation.
From my deep analysis, RingCentral is the clear winner for your growing company. It directly tackles the need for a reliable, scalable system that slashes IT costs.
I’m impressed by its AI Receptionist and proven cost savings. It’s the best hosted phone system for mid-sized companies seeking to boost efficiency and responsiveness.
Beyond communication, my guide on best Android kiosk software explores securing customer experience in various business settings.
I suggest you check out RingCentral’s pricing to see how it fits your specific budget. It’s a smart and straightforward next step.
You’ll empower your entire team.
