Cheapest Business Phone Systems in 2026: What a 5-Person Team Pays
Short answer: for five US users who need a shared main number with a phone menu, a ring group and texting, the lowest printed totals are Grasshopper at $73 a month on yearly billing (ring-all is an add-on with no printed fee), Talkroute at $74 on monthly billing (its only printed price), and Dialpad Standard and Nextiva Core at $75 yearly (neither prints a shared-number fee). On monthly billing the order is Talkroute $74, Grasshopper $90, Zoom Phone $95; Zoom Phone is $85 yearly. Totals are our arithmetic on prices checked 20 Oct 2026.
Nine plans priced for five users on yearly and monthly billing, with seat rules, number fees and texting limits, read on vendor pages on 20 Oct 2026.
A business phone page advertises one number: the yearly price per user with unlimited calling. A team of five that adds a shared main number, a phone menu, a ring group and texting pays something else, and a monthly contract can add up to 80% per user on top. This guide prices one scenario, S1, on nine plans: five US users with a local number each, one shared main number with a phone menu and a ring group, unlimited US calling, texting, desktop and mobile apps, voicemail and no desk phones. Toolradar data: Toolradar tracks 56 call center tools. 14% of the call center tools on Toolradar are free, freemium or open source, and none of the nine plans priced here is free.
A ring group here means ring-all or department routing that the vendor documents on its pricing page or in its help center. The table says where it needs a paid add-on or where no page ties it to the priced plan. Units differ too: seven plans charge per user, Grasshopper charges per account with a set of numbers, and Talkroute sells blocks of users, numbers and mailboxes.
Methodology: we weighed 56 call center tools from the call center category and kept nine whose own pages print a USD price for the plan that covers S1. Every price was read on the vendor's pages on 20 Oct 2026 and is billed yearly unless a column says monthly. The table is ordered by the lowest S1 total each vendor prints per month, yearly where printed and monthly otherwise. A fee a vendor does not print is flagged and left out, never guessed. Larger inbound teams should read best call center software.
Top Picks
Picked by editorial review, informed by G2 and Capterra review volume and rating and by media mentions, the signals behind our category rankings. How we rate
Per-account plan with unlimited users, four numbers and a phone menu; extra numbers and a ring-all add-on drive the cost as the team grows.
Starting price
Small Business $55/mo billed yearly
4.1 (515 reviews)
Best for
Teams of five or more that accept a ring-all add-on with no printed fee.
Month-to-month plans that bundle users, numbers and mailboxes; Pro includes ten users, three numbers, unlimited phone menus and simultaneous ring.
Starting price
Pro $59/mo, billed monthly
4.5 (77 reviews)
Best for
Small teams that want no contract and one flat monthly bill.
Per-user plan with a personal number, a department phone menu and simultaneous ringing; monthly billing costs 80% more per user.
Starting price
Standard $15/user/mo billed yearly
4.2 (7,931 reviews)
Best for
Teams that can commit to yearly billing and will price the shared number.
| Tool | Starting price | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grasshopper | Small Business $55/mo billed yearly | 4.1 515 reviews | Teams of five or more that accept a ring-all add-on with no printed fee. |
| Talkroute | Pro $59/mo, billed monthly | 4.5 77 reviews | Small teams that want no contract and one flat monthly bill. |
| Dialpad | Standard $15/user/mo billed yearly | 4.2 7,931 reviews | Teams that can commit to yearly billing and will price the shared number. |
| Nextiva | Core $15/user/mo billed yearly | 4.5 4,620 reviews | Teams that can sign a 12-month term and will confirm call groups on Core first. |
| Zoom Phone | US & CA Unlimited $16/user/mo yearly | 4.6 2,917 reviews | Teams of 1 to 99 users that want the number fee printed. |
| RingCentral | Core $20/user/mo billed yearly | n/a | Teams that want an established vendor and send few texts. |
| Quo | Business $23/user/mo yearly | 4.7 3,412 reviews | Small teams that live in texts and shared inboxes. |
| Ooma Office | Pro $24.95/user/mo, no contract | 4.5 134 reviews | Teams that want no contract and a main number included in the plan price. |
| Aircall | Essentials $30/license/mo yearly | 4.3 2,126 reviews | Sales and support teams of three or more that value integrations over low price. |
Grasshopper
Per-account plan with unlimited users, four numbers and a phone menu; extra numbers and a ring-all add-on drive the cost as the team grows.
- Starting price
- Small Business $55/mo billed yearly
- Free plan
- No
- Rating
- 4.1 (515 reviews)
Best for: Teams of five or more that accept a ring-all add-on with no printed fee.
- Pro: Small Business includes four numbers, unlimited users and unlimited extensions
- Pro: Unlimited calling minutes and texting are listed on every plan, after carrier registration
- Pro: Seven-day free trial with no credit card
- Con: Ring-all (call blasting) rings up to 15 numbers but adds a monthly fee that is not printed
- Con: Each number beyond four costs $9 a month billed yearly, $10 billed monthly
Grasshopper's pricing is fair for solo entrepreneurs and small teams, but can become expensive for growing businesses.
Talkroute
Month-to-month plans that bundle users, numbers and mailboxes; Pro includes ten users, three numbers, unlimited phone menus and simultaneous ring.
- 4.6 on G2 (44 reviews)
- 4.3 on Capterra (30 reviews)
- 4.7 on SourceForge (3 reviews)
- Starting price
- Pro $59/mo, billed monthly
- Free plan
- No
- Rating
- 4.5 (77 reviews)
Best for: Small teams that want no contract and one flat monthly bill.
- Pro: Pro includes ten users, three numbers, ten mailboxes and 5,000 text messages a month
- Pro: Simultaneous Ring is ticked on Plus and Pro, and Ring All rings up to 10 forwarding numbers at once
- Pro: The FAQ says no telecom tax, Universal Service Fund or regulatory fee is added
- Con: No yearly price is printed; the FAQ only says annual plans exist
- Con: The total assumes one mailbox per user; on Plus, the same five users cost $79
TalkRoute offers a competitive pricing structure, especially for small to medium businesses.
Dialpad
Per-user plan with a personal number, a department phone menu and simultaneous ringing; monthly billing costs 80% more per user.
- 4.4 on G2 (4,205 reviews)
- 4.0 on Trustpilot (3,156 reviews)
- 4.2 on Capterra (570 reviews)
- Starting price
- Standard $15/user/mo billed yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- 4.2 (7,931 reviews)
Best for: Teams that can commit to yearly billing and will price the shared number.
- Pro: Department IVR and simultaneous ringing are ticked on Standard
- Pro: Unlimited US and Canada calling, excluding toll-free
- Pro: Dialpad Connect lists a 14-day free trial
- Con: The pricing page lists local numbers as an optional add-on and prints no fee for the shared line
- Con: Billed monthly, the same five users cost $135, which is $60 more than yearly billing
Dialpad offers solid VoIP with AI features at competitive pricing.
Watch out
SMS overage charges
Nextiva
Per-user plan with an auto-attendant, business texting and call routing; the help center documents call groups, but not which plan includes them.
- 4.5 on G2 (3,634 reviews)
- 4.6 on Capterra (919 reviews)
- 4.3 on SourceForge (67 reviews)
- Starting price
- Core $15/user/mo billed yearly
- Free plan
- No
- Rating
- 4.5 (4,620 reviews)
Best for: Teams that can sign a 12-month term and will confirm call groups on Core first.
- Pro: Auto-attendant and call menus, voicemail transcription and unlimited calls are ticked on Core
- Pro: Desktop and mobile apps for calls and texts are ticked on Core
- Pro: Business SMS is included, at 100 texts per user a month
- Con: The yearly rate is for new small businesses with 1 to 100 employees on a paid 12-month or longer term
- Con: Call recording and a shared customer text inbox are add-ons on Core
Nextiva's pricing is competitive for its entry-level Core plan at $15/user/mo, offering a solid feature set for small businesses.
Watch out
XBert AI Receptionist is an add-on
Zoom Phone
Per-user US and Canada plan with a direct number and domestic SMS; the yearly rate is billed as one upfront charge.
- Starting price
- US & CA Unlimited $16/user/mo yearly
- Free plan
- No
- Rating
- 4.6 (2,917 reviews)
Best for: Teams of 1 to 99 users that want the number fee printed.
- Pro: A domestic phone number and domestic SMS and MMS are listed on the plan
- Pro: Additional phone numbers are a printed $5 a month
- Pro: The plan covers 1 to 99 licenses
- Con: A footnote says all plans bill annually upfront, yet Zoom's price service lists $18 per user month-to-month
- Con: SMS needs registration, and per-message rates sit on a separate rates page
Zoom Phone's pricing is generally fair, offering competitive rates for its features.
Watch out
Optional international add-on for Unlimited
RingCentral
Per-user plan with a multi-level auto attendant, basic call queues and shared lines; texting is capped at 25 SMS per user a month.
- Starting price
- Core $20/user/mo billed yearly
- Free plan
- No
Best for: Teams that want an established vendor and send few texts.
- Pro: Multi-level auto attendant, shared lines and basic call queues are included on Core
- Pro: Each user gets a dedicated number at no additional cost, with unlimited US and Canada calling
- Pro: A 14-day free trial, though SMS is not available during it
- Con: Advanced raises the text cap from 25 to 100 per user
- Con: Billed monthly, the same five users cost $154.99 against $104.99 yearly
RingCentral's pricing, starting at $30/month for Core, is competitive for its feature set, but can quickly become expensive for advanced needs.
Watch out
International calling not included
- Starting price
- Business $23/user/mo yearly
- Free plan
- No
- Rating
- 4.7 (3,412 reviews)
Best for: Small teams that live in texts and shared inboxes.
- Pro: Business ticks phone menus, ring order, call transfers and automatic call recording
- Pro: Every user gets one number, and a shared number can ring several teammates
- Pro: A seven-day free trial is listed
- Con: Starter has no phone menus or ring order, so this scenario needs Business
- Con: Billed monthly, the same five users cost $170 against $120 yearly
The Business tier at $33/user/month offers a good jump in functionality, making it a more balanced option.
Ooma Office
Per-user account at one monthly price with no contract; the main company number and ring groups come on every plan.
- 4.5 on G2 (134 reviews)
- Starting price
- Pro $24.95/user/mo, no contract
- Free plan
- No
- Rating
- 4.5 (134 reviews)
Best for: Teams that want no contract and a main number included in the plan price.
- Pro: A virtual receptionist, ring groups and a main company number are ticked on Essentials
- Pro: Pro adds 250 texts a month, a desktop app with calling and call recording
- Pro: The page says no contract is necessary
- Con: Essentials has no texting and its desktop app has no calling, so this scenario needs Pro
- Con: No yearly discount is printed, so the single monthly price is the whole story
- Starting price
- Essentials $30/license/mo yearly
- Free plan
- No
- Rating
- 4.3 (2,126 reviews)
Best for: Sales and support teams of three or more that value integrations over low price.
- Pro: Ring groups, IVR, shared inbox, call recording and SMS are in Essentials
- Pro: A softphone for desktop, Android and iOS is ticked on every plan
- Pro: The FAQ says there are no administrative recovery fees or hidden surcharges
- Con: Three licenses are required on both billing cycles, so a solo owner pays for three
- Con: One number is included per plan, and each additional number is $6 a month
The mandatory 3-user minimum and annual billing further increase the initial investment.
Watch out
Minimum 3 users required for all plans.
Other Call Center tools worth considering
More published tools from our Call Center category, ordered by our category ranking. They are not part of the editorial picks above.
What a business phone system is
A business phone system is software that gives a company local numbers, answers callers with a phone menu, rings people or groups, and carries calls and texts over the internet to apps and phones.
The bill has three parts: the plan price, the fee for each number beyond what the plan includes, and the carrier registration that US texting needs. For features beyond price, see Dialpad vs RingCentral and the RingCentral alternatives.
Why billing term and number count move the total
On the per-user plans here, monthly billing costs 12.5% (Zoom Phone) to 80% (Dialpad Standard) more per user than yearly billing. For five users that gap is $10 a month on Zoom Phone and $60 on Dialpad.
Number count is the second lever. Grasshopper and Talkroute charge for numbers and blocks, not seats, so they undercut every per-user plan priced here from five users, before Grasshopper's unpriced ring-all add-on, and cost more than Dialpad and Nextiva at four users or fewer.
Key Features to Look For
Billing term (Essential)
Monthly billing costs 12.5% to 80% more per user than yearly on the per-user plans. Ooma Office and Talkroute print only a monthly price.
Shared main number (Essential)
Quo and Zoom Phone print a monthly fee for it, RingCentral prints $4.99, and Ooma Office includes it. Dialpad and Nextiva print none.
Phone menu and ring group by tier (Important)
Quo needs Business for phone menus. Talkroute has one menu on Plus and unlimited menus on Pro, with Simultaneous Ring on both. Grasshopper sells ring-all as a paid add-on.
What to check before you buy
-
Count numbers before seats: one per user plus the shared line decides whether a per-user or a per-number plan is cheaper.
-
Price the plan that carries the phone menu and texting, not the entry plan: Quo needs Business and Ooma Office needs Pro.
-
Ask for any fee a page leaves out in writing: the shared number, or Grasshopper's ring-all.
-
Treat a yearly price as a commitment: Nextiva's needs a paid 12-month or longer term.
Evaluation Checklist
Write down users, numbers and monthly texts first.
Price the same plan on the yearly and the monthly toggle.
Confirm the phone menu and the ring group belong to that plan.
Add each extra number, user and mailbox as its own line.
Pricing Overview
Grasshopper Small Business
One account with four numbers, unlimited users, a phone menu and unlimited texting after carrier registration.
$55 a month billed yearly, $70 billed monthly
Zoom Phone US & CA Unlimited
A direct number, domestic SMS and unlimited US and Canada calling for 1 to 99 licenses.
$16 per user a month billed yearly, $18 billed monthly
Pricing Comparison
| Tool | S1 plan and unit | S1 per month, billed yearly | S1 per month, billed monthly | Texting in that plan | Left out of the total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grasshopper | Small Business, per account, 4 numbers. Solo Plus: $70, or $76 with 2 extra extensions | $73, $876 a year ($55 + 2 extra numbers x $9) | $90 ($70 + 2 extra numbers x $10) | Unlimited, after carrier registration | Ring-all (call blasting) is a paid add-on, fee not printed. Texting registration: $19.50 once, $1.50 a month |
Talkroute | Pro, per account, 10 mailboxes. Assumes one per user; Plus: $79 | No yearly price printed | $74, $888 a year ($59 + 3 extra numbers x $5) | 5,000 messages a month | Simultaneous Ring ticked; help article: Ring All, up to 10 numbers. FAQ: no tax or regulatory fee added |
Dialpad | Standard, per user | $75, $900 a year (5 x $15) | $135 (5 x $27) | 250 outbound SMS pooled per account, inbound included | Shared-number fee not printed. Taxes and fees extra |
Nextiva | Core, per user | $75, $900 a year (5 x $15) | $115 (5 x $23) | 100 per user a month | Teams (call groups) in help center, plan not shown. Shared-number fee not printed |
US & CA Unlimited, per user | $85, $1,020 a year (5 x $16 + $5 number) | $95 (5 x $18 + number). Footnote says billed annually upfront | Domestic SMS listed, rates linked, registration required | Taxes and fees extra; SMS rates on a separate page. Call queues sit in Zoom's licenses paper | |
Core, per user | $104.99, $1,259.88 a year (5 x $20 + $4.99 number) | $154.99 (5 x $30 + number) | 25 SMS per user a month | Named regulatory fees, no amounts; TCR fees may apply | |
Quo | Business, per user | $120, $1,440 a year (5 x $23 + $5 number) | $170 (5 x $33 + number) | Unlimited US and Canada, fair use | Texting registration: $19.50 once, $1.50 to $3 a month. Taxes extra |
Pro, per user account; main number included | No yearly price printed | $124.75, $1,497.00 a year (5 x $24.95) | 250 messages a month | Monthly taxes and fees, no amounts printed | |
Aircall | Essentials, per license, 3 minimum | $180, $2,160 a year (5 x $30 + 5 extra numbers x $6) | $230 (5 x $40 + 5 extra numbers) | 4,000 outbound per user a month, but the compare table says contact us for US SMS rates | SMS rates: contact us. FAQ: no administrative recovery fees |
Prices checked 20 Oct 2026 on Grasshopper pricing and Grasshopper call blasting, Talkroute pricing and Talkroute Ring All, Dialpad pricing, Nextiva pricing and Nextiva Teams, Zoom Phone pricing, Zoom SMS article and Zoom licenses paper, RingCentral plans and pricing, Quo pricing (a price test runs: the default view prints Business at $23 yearly, a rendered view showed $27), Ooma plans and Aircall pricing. Totals are our arithmetic for five users: five user numbers plus one shared main number. Grasshopper's and Zoom's monthly columns use the monthly prices their own price services return. Talkroute and Ooma Office print only monthly prices, so the table orders them by that figure.
Mistakes to Avoid
- ×
Comparing a yearly sticker price with a monthly contract. Dialpad Standard bills $27 per user monthly, which puts five users $60 a month above yearly billing.
- ×
Forgetting the shared main number. Quo, Zoom Phone and RingCentral print a flat fee, Talkroute, Grasshopper and Aircall charge per extra number, Ooma Office includes it, and Dialpad and Nextiva print nothing.
- ×
Buying the entry plan and finding the tier gap. Quo Starter has no phone menus, and Ooma Office Essentials has no texting.
Expert Tips
- →
Price the same plan on both toggles before comparing vendors; the monthly premium here runs from 12.5% to 80% per user.
- →
Red Flags to Watch For
-
A monthly price with no yearly price printed, as Talkroute and Ooma Office show, leaves the yearly saving unknown.
-
A feature tied to an add-on or an unnamed plan: Grasshopper's ring-all has no printed fee, and no page says whether Nextiva Core includes Teams.
The Bottom Line
For five users who need a phone menu, a ring group and texting, start with Dialpad on yearly billing and ask what the shared number costs, or pick Zoom Phone if you want the number fee printed. Grasshopper and Talkroute cost less at five users, but price Grasshopper's ring-all add-on first and remember that Talkroute prints only monthly prices. Re-price on monthly billing before accepting a monthly plan.
Cite this: Toolradar, "Cheapest Business Phone Systems in 2026", Oct 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest business phone system for a 5-person team in 2026?
For five users with a shared number, phone menu, ring group and texting, Grasshopper is lowest on yearly billing at $73 a month, but its ring-all add-on has no printed fee. Talkroute is $74 on monthly billing, its only printed price. Dialpad Standard and Nextiva Core are $75 yearly before a shared-number fee neither prints, and Zoom Phone is $85. Prices checked 20 Oct 2026.
How much does a business phone system cost per user per month?
Yearly-billed prices top out at $30 per user (Aircall), with Dialpad and Nextiva lowest, and monthly-billed prices run from $18 to $40. Ooma Office prints one price, $24.95 per user account. Grasshopper and Talkroute price per account. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
Is there a free business phone system?
None of the nine plans priced here is free. Quo, Talkroute and Grasshopper list seven-day free trials, and Dialpad and RingCentral list 14-day trials. Checked 20 Oct 2026.
Is yearly billing worth it for a business phone system?
On the per-user plans here it is: monthly billing costs 12.5% (Zoom Phone) to 80% (Dialpad Standard) more per user, or $10 and $60 a month more for five users. The catch is commitment: Nextiva's yearly rate needs a paid 12-month or longer term, and Zoom bills its yearly rate as one upfront charge while its price service also lists a month-to-month price.
Which business phone plans charge per number instead of per user?
Grasshopper charges per account: Small Business includes four numbers and unlimited users, and each extra number is $9 a month billed yearly. Talkroute Pro includes ten users and three numbers for $59 a month. From five users they undercut per-user plans. Talkroute ticks Simultaneous Ring on Plus and Pro, while Grasshopper sells ring-all as an add-on with no printed fee.
Do business phone prices include taxes and fees?
Usually not. Dialpad, Zoom Phone and Quo say their prices exclude taxes and fees, and RingCentral and Ooma Office name regulatory fees without amounts. Talkroute says it adds no telecom taxes or regulatory fees, and Aircall says it has no administrative recovery fees. Texting adds carrier registration, such as $19.50 once at Quo and Grasshopper.
Cite this page: Toolradar, "Cheapest Business Phone Systems in 2026: What a 5-Person Team Pays", updated October 2026, https://toolradar.com/guides/cheapest-business-phone-systems
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