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Dialpad vs Five9: Which is Better in 2026?

Choosing between Dialpad and Five9 comes down to understanding what each tool does best. This comparison breaks down the key differences so you can make an informed decision based on your specific needs, not marketing claims.

Bottom line: Dialpad wins this matchup. Our overall AI Agents pick is UiPath. Our free AI Agents pick is Prefactor. Pick Five9 if you need customer support.

··Methodology
Editor reviewed0 verified reviews comparedPricing checked Sep 2026

Short on time? Here's the quick answer

We've tested both tools. Here's who should pick what:

Dialpad

AI-powered Contact Center and Unified Communications platform for customer service and sales.

Best for you if:

  • You want a free tier before you commit
  • You want aI transcription excellent
  • You want modern interface

Five9

Intelligent cloud contact center

Best for you if:

  • You want leverages AI (Five9 Genius AI) for agentic CX, enabling seamless, personalized, and effortless customer experiences
  • You want intelligent cloud contact center
At a Glance
DialpadDialpad
Five9Five9
Starts at
FreeFree tier available
$119/moDigital
Best For
CommunicationCustomer Support
Rating
4.2/54.1/5
Free plan
Yes No

Choose Dialpad or Five9?

Dialpad

Choose Dialpad if

AI-powered Contact Center and Unified Communications platform for customer service and sales.

  • You want a free tier before you commit
  • You want aI transcription excellent
  • You want modern interface
  • Your work is communication-shaped, not customer support-shaped
Five9

Choose Five9 if

Intelligent cloud contact center

  • You want leverages AI (Five9 Genius AI) for agentic CX, enabling seamless, personalized, and effortless customer experiences
  • You want intelligent cloud contact center
  • Your work is customer support-shaped, not communication-shaped
FeatureDialpadFive9
Pricing ModelFreemiumPaid
User Rating
4.2/5
7,931 reviews
4.1/5
1,109 reviews
Categories
CommunicationCustomer Support
Customer SupportAI Agents

In-Depth Analysis

DialpadDialpad

AI-powered Contact Center and Unified Communications platform for customer service and sales.

Starts at Free
Good value

Dialpad offers solid VoIP with AI features at competitive pricing.

Watch out

SMS overage charges

Strengths

  • +AI transcription excellent
  • +Modern interface
  • +Good integrations
  • +Competitive pricing

Weaknesses

  • -No free tier
  • -Call quality varies
  • -Limited international

Key features

Voice callsVideo meetingsSMSAI transcriptionCoachingAnalytics

Five9Five9

Intelligent cloud contact center

Starts at $119/mo
Fair value

Five9's pricing, starting at $119/month for Digital and $159/month for Core, is on the higher end for cloud contact center solutions, especially considering the Digital tier lacks voice.

Strengths

  • +Leverages AI (Five9 Genius AI) for agentic CX, enabling seamless, personalized, and effortless customer experiences.
  • +Offers a highly flexible and scalable platform with five distinct solution packages (Digital, Core, Plus, Pro, Enterprise) to cater to diverse business needs and growth.
  • +Provides comprehensive omnichannel support including voice, chat, email, SMS/MMS, and social messaging.
  • +Integrates with popular CRM (Salesforce, ServiceNow, Dynamics, Zendesk, Oracle) and UC (Microsoft Teams, Zoom, RingCentral, ATT Office@hand) platforms.
  • +Includes robust Workforce Engagement Management (WEM) solutions with options for Five9's own WEM or integration with partners like Verint (VCS) or Calabrio.

Weaknesses

  • -Pricing for 'Plus', 'Pro', and 'Enterprise' packages requires direct sales contact, lacking transparent upfront costs for advanced features.
  • -Some features, such as WhatsApp integration and additional usage-based pricing for certain functionalities, are noted as coming soon or may incur extra costs.
  • -A minimum of 50 seats is required for concurrent user pricing, which might be a barrier for very small businesses.

Key features

Inbound/outboundIVRAI agentsWorkforce optimizationAnalytics

Pricing: Dialpad vs Five9

PlanDialpadFive9
Tier 1
$15 month per user
Standard
$119
Digital
Tier 2
$25 month per user
Pro
$159
Core
Tier 3
Custom
Enterprise
Custom
Plus
Tier 4N/A
Custom
Enterprise

Pricing verified from each vendor's public pricing page. Compare in detail on Dialpad pricing and Five9 pricing.

Who Should Use What?

On a budget?

Dialpad has a free tier. Five9 is paid only.

Go with: Dialpad

Want the highest-rated option?

Dialpad: 4.2/5 (7,931 reviews). Five9: 4.1/5 (1,109 reviews).

Go with: Dialpad

Value user reviews?

Dialpad: 7,931 reviews (4.2/5). Five9: 1,109 reviews (4.1/5).

Go with: Dialpad

3 Questions to Help You Decide

1

What's your budget?

Dialpad is freemium. Five9 is paid. Dialpad lets you start free.

2

What's your use case?

Dialpad is a communication tool. Five9 is in customer support. Pick the category that matches your needs.

3

How important are ratings?

Dialpad is rated higher: 4.2/5 vs 4.1/5.

Key Takeaways

Dialpad

  • Higher user rating: 4.2/5 vs 4.1/5
  • Larger review base (7,931 reviews)
  • Free tier available
  • Our pick for this comparison

Five9

  • Better fit for customer support

The Bottom Line

Dialpad wins this matchup. Our overall AI Agents pick is UiPath. Our free AI Agents pick is Prefactor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dialpad or Five9 better?

Dialpad is rated in our evaluation. Dialpad is freemium and Five9 is paid.

What are Dialpad and Five9 used for?

Dialpad: AI-powered Contact Center and Unified Communications platform for customer service and sales.. Five9: Intelligent cloud contact center.

What does Dialpad cost vs Five9?

Dialpad is freemium (free tier + paid plans). Five9 is a paid tool. Visit their websites for detailed pricing.

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