Bell business phone alternatives: 8 options for your business

Bell’s business phone system is like an old flip phone.

Sure, it can handle the basics. But once your team starts growing, it feels clunky. Pricing is high and features are thin. And the design can actually slow down your workflows instead of speeding them up.

No wonder so many teams end up looking for Bell business phone alternatives. After all, the right platform should help save money and keep your customers happy as your business grows.

In this guide, we’ll compare the best Bell alternatives and highlight what makes each one stand out. We’ll also break down pricing.

By the end, you’ll know how to pick the right system for your business.

Comparing the best Bell business phone alternatives

Here’s how the top eight solutions stack up side-by-side:

Provider	Best for	Starting price	Unlimited calling to US & Canada	SMS/MMS to US & Canada	Shared phone numbers	Additional phone numbers
Bell	Instant messaging	Pricing isn’t public	Not disclosed	X	Shared call appearance	Cost varies
Quo	Best Bell business phone alternative for small and growing businesses	$15 USD per user per month	✓	✓	✓	$5 USD per number per month
Rogers	Best alternative for cell phone and internet bundles	$26 CAD per user per month	✓	X	Ring groups only	Undisclosed fee
TELUS business phone	Best alternative for video meetings	$25 CAD per user per month	✓	MMS not supported outside the TELUS network	✓	Cost varies
Grasshopper	Best for multi-digit extensions	$14 USD per user per month	✓	Toll-free numbers can’t text Canadian numbers	X	$9 USD per number per month
RingCentral	Best for desk phones	$30 CAD per user per month	✓	️25 messages per user per month	Calls only	$4.99 USD per number per month
Dialpad	Best for call centers	$20 CAD per user per month	✓	For US and Canadian customers only	✓	Requires upgrade
Ooma	Best for unlimited calling in Mexico and Puerto Rico	$24.95 CAD per user per month	✓	️Requires upgrade	Requires upgrade	Starts at $9.99 USD per number per month
Callture	Best for enterprises	$26.50 CAD per month	✓	✓	X	Cost varies

1. Quo: Best Bell business phone alternative for small and growing businesses

Quo, formerly OpenPhone, is a business phone system that lets you build personal customer relationships at scale. It gives you unlimited calls and texts across the US and Canada. You’ll also get access to affordable toll-free numbers, which cost $5 per number per month. Bell business phone charges $11.95 CAD — almost double the price.

How easy the system is to use is another big difference. Quo’s interface is clean and intuitive. Bell’s, on the other hand, feels dated and can slow you down. Bell users have also reported trouble making outgoing calls on its iOS app. Quo’s iOS and Android apps, in contrast, are reliable and user-friendly.

Quo also has advanced features that Bell doesn’t offer:

• Phone menus that let customers route calls to the correct department — with the option to add nested menus as your team grows.
• An AI voice agent, also known as Sona, that can automatically answer phone calls, handle FAQs, and take messages when you’re unavailable. 
• Transparent pricing that starts at less than half of Bell’s known reference cost of $64.80 per number.
• SMS and MMS so your team can communicate with customers without getting on the phone. Bell doesn’t support texting at all.

Quo also integrates directly with tools like HubSpot. This means you can automatically log calls and texts straight into your CRM. Bell Total Connect doesn’t support HubSpot at all — you’ll have to log all call activity manually.

Try Quo for yourself with a seven-day free trial.

Quo pricing

Quo pricing has three tiers:

• Starter: $15 USD per user per month for unlimited calling and texting in the US and Canada, voicemail transcripts, Quo API, email ticket support, business hours, and more
• Business: $23 USD per user per month for automatic call recording, AI summaries and transcripts, custom ring orders, integrations with HubSpot and Salesforce, and more
• Scale: $35 per user per month for AI call tags, dedicated onboarding support, and priority live chat and email ticket support

2. Rogers: Best alternative for cell phone and internet bundles

Rogers is best known in Canada for mobile plans, internet, landlines, and TV services. It also lets you buy the latest devices, like Samsung Galaxy watches. On top of that, it offers a cloud business phone system called Advantage Voice.

Advantage Voice includes standard business communication features like three-way calling, call blocking, and call forwarding. You also get unlimited calling within Canada and the US. 

Keep in mind that Rogers pushes you to bundle its services together. For example, you can save money by choosing a three-year plan that includes internet, business phone, and business TV.

The platform also provides handsets on its lowest and highest plans, which is only useful if your office still uses them.

Rogers has several more drawbacks for small teams:

• Microsoft Teams integration requires an update to the Remote with Teams plans, which costs $28.95 CAD per user per month.
• Team messaging is locked behind the Remote with Teams plan. This means you won’t get a simple way to chat internally unless you pay extra.
• Text messaging isn’t supported, so you could lose customers who prefer texting instead of talking on the phone.

Rogers pricing

Rogers’ pricing is split into three plans:

• Basic: $26 CAD per user per month for unlimited calling within Canada and the US, voicemail-to-email, caller ID, and handsets
• Remote with Teams: $28.95 CAD per user per month for Microsoft Teams integration,instant messaging, and video conferencing, but doesn’t include handsets
• Office with Teams: $39.95 CAD per user per month for everything in Remote with Teams, plus one handset per user

3. TELUS: Best alternative for video meetings

TELUS is a Bell business phone alternative that offers traditional phone lines and business internet. This makes it a good choice if you want to purchase all your services from one provider. 

TELUS Business Connect is its cloud phone system that brings calls, messages, and video meetings together in one platform.

TELUS also provides mobile and desktop apps so your team can make and receive calls anywhere with an internet connection. Every plan includes unlimited calling to Canada and the US, which is helpful if you have customers in both countries. You also get call management tools like auto-attendant, call display, and call logs to help run your business more efficiently.

But TELUS has some downsides that can frustrate most small business owners. You can’t send images or documents to customers through MMS unless they’re also TELUS users. 

Also with TELUS, call recording costs extra. You’ll pay $30 per user per month for on-demand recording or $35 per user per month for automatic recording. Even toll-free calling gets expensive, since you’ll have to buy separate minute packs starting at $6 for just 100 minutes.

If these limitations sound like deal-breakers, you may want to check out other Bell business phone alternatives.

TELUS pricing

There are three TELUS Business Connect plans to choose from:

• Voice Plus: $25 CAD per user per month for unlimited calling to Canada and the US, mobile and desktop apps, and auto-attendant
• Enhanced: $30 CAD per user per month for video conferencing and on-demand call recording
• Complete: $35 CAD per user per month for automatic call recording and Zendesk integration

4. Grasshopper: Best for multi-digit extensions

Grasshopper has been around since 2003, making it one of the older VoIP providers in this article. You can buy toll-free, local, or vanity numbers for your business. All plans include unlimited calling across the US and Canada. You also get multi-digit extensions on each plan, making it easy to route calls to different team members.

Grasshopper’s SMS feature comes with limitations. For example, you won’t be able to send text messages from toll-free numbers to Canadian phone numbers. Its toll-free numbers also don’t support MMS or group texts. If texting is how you stay in touch with customers, this might force you to choose a different Bell business phone alternative.

Grasshopper also has other drawbacks for growing businesses:

• Call recording isn’t included with the base plan, so you’ll need to upgrade if you want to record customer conversations.
• Grasshopper doesn’t support any third-party integrations, so you can’t connect it to your CRM or other business tools.
• Extra phone numbers cost $9 per month.
• Additional extensions are only available if you upgrade, and cost $3 per month.

Grasshopper pricing

You can choose from three different Grasshopper pricing plans:

• True Solo: $14 USD per month for one user, one phone number, and one extension
• Solo Plus: $25 USD per month for unlimited users, one number, and three extensions
• Small Business: $55 USD per month for unlimited users, four phone numbers, and unlimited extensions

5. RingCentral: Best for desk phones

RingCentral is a unified communications platform that launched in 1999. It offers basic features on its base plan, such as call routing, team messaging with limited storage, and video calling features. It also works with desk phones if you’re not ready to ditch the handset for your computer or mobile device. You can rent desk phones directly from RingCentral, but only if you sign a multi-year contract.

But RingCentral has some restrictions that might annoy you. For example, RingCentral SMS comes with a limit of just 25 messages per user per month on the base plan. Upgrading to the Advanced plan increases that limit to 100 messages, but that’s still not much if you text customers regularly. Even the top-tier Ultra plan has limits — you can’t send more than 200 messages per user per month. 

Toll-free minutes are also heavily restricted. On the base plan, your whole account gets only 100 minutes. The advanced plan raises that to 1,000 and the Ultra to 10,000, but those caps can still be limiting if customers call you often.

RingCentral pricing

RingCentral pricing is based on three different tiers:

• Core: $30 CAD per user per month for unlimited calling in the US and Canada, desktop and mobile screen sharing, 25 texts, call queues, and AI call transcriptions
• Advanced: $35 CAD per user per month for automatic call recording, 100 texts, and CRM integrations like HubSpot
• Ultra: $45 CAD per user per month for customizable analytics and reporting, 200 texts, and unlimited storage for files and recordings

6. Dialpad: Best for contact centers

Dialpad is a business phone system that’s popular with large contact centers and customer service teams. It offers call management features like auto attendants and call queues, which come in handy during busy periods. 

Want to stop those after-hours calls from interrupting your personal time? You can use advanced call routing and set up business hours so calls only come through when you’re actually working.

While Dialpad might seem like a solid Bell business phone alternative for handling customer calls, it can quickly become expensive:

• Outbound SMS is capped at 250 messages per month, and after that, each message costs you $0.008. 
• International texting requires upgrading to their $30 per user per month plan. 
• Zapier integration is locked behind the Pro plan.

All these costs can add up quickly if you text customers often or want to connect Dialpad to other apps.

Dialpad pricing

Dialpad pricing comes with three plan options you can choose from:

• Standard: $20 CAD per user per month for unlimited domestic calling in the US and Canada, visual voicemail, custom call routing, and auto attendant
• Pro: $30 CAD per user per month for international SMS, local numbers in 70+ countries, and up to 25 ring groups
• Enterprise: Custom pricing for a service level agreement, extensions, and priority live agent support

7. Ooma: Best for unlimited calling in Mexico and Puerto Rico

Ooma is a VoIP phone system that stands out for one specific reason: it includes unlimited calling to Mexico and Puerto Rico on every plan. Most other phone services charge international calling rates for these countries, but Ooma includes them at no extra cost.

You get mobile and desktop apps for iOS and Android, plus call forwarding when you don’t have internet access. It also provides simultaneous ring that makes multiple devices ring at once. Nothing groundbreaking. However,the platform covers the basics.

Keep in mind, Ooma’s base plan has a big limitation. You can’t make calls from the desktop app — only receive them. Actually dialing out from your computer requires upgrading to their Pro plan at $29.95 per user per month. Call recording and text messaging also require the Pro upgrade.

The kicker? Ooma’s Pro plan only gives you 100 text messages per user each month, which isn’t much if you text customers regularly.

Ooma pricing

Ooma pricing breaks down into three different plans:

• Essentials: $24.95 CAD per user per month for a virtual receptionist, ring groups, and unlimited calling to the US, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico
• Pro: $29.95 CAD per user per month for the desktop app with calling, call recording, and call analytics
• Pro Plus: $34.95 CAD per user per month for call queuing, hot desking, and the Jobber integration

8. Callture: Best for enterprises

Callture is one of the older cloud-based enterprise phone systems, launched in 1997. That’s nearly thirty years of experience in the business phone game. It includes unlimited calling to and from any phone number in Canada, so your reps can always talk to your Canadian customers.

You get more than 40 features, including call forwarding, caller ID, and conference calling with up to 10 participants. There’s also a 30-day free trial to test everything out and see if it’s the right Bell business phone alternative for your team.

Plot twist: all that experience comes with baggage. One user on Capterra mentioned there was a “Slight learning curve on some additional features that I really don’t use, so it took me a little longer to set them up to try them out.” That’s a polite way of saying you might spend hours setting up features you’ll never actually use.

There’s also a texting situation with Callture: they don’t include messaging on any plan. You’ll need to shell out an additional $4.95 per user per month for the SMS add-on.

Callture pricing

Callture pricing is user-based at $26.50 per user per month across all plan sizes:

• 1 User: $26.50 CAD per user per month for unlimited calling, plus a free first month*
• 2-4 Users: $26.50 CAD per user per month for unlimited calling and toll-free number, plus a free first month
• 5-20 Users: $26.50 CAD per user per month for unlimited calling and toll-free number, plus a free first month
• 21+ Users: $26.50 CAD per user per month for unlimited calling and toll-free number, plus a free first month

*The free first month is limited to 60 minutes of calling.

Why businesses move to Bell business phone alternatives

Bell is Canada’s largest telecom company, offering mobile, TV, and internet services. It also offers a cloud phone system called Bell Total Connect.

Bell Total Connect includes basic communication features:

• Call recording
• Microsoft Teams integration
• Shared numbers for calling and texting
• Instant messaging for team members to chat
• Auto-attendants so callers can choose who they want to reach

While Bell covers a lot, it’s not always the best fit for small and growing teams. That’s why many businesses explore alternatives. Here’s a closer look at why.

The cost of its pricing plans isn’t public

Bell doesn’t share its business phone pricing online. You have to contact support to get a custom quote. This slows down decision-making and makes it harder for you to compare your options. A known reference price is $64.80 per number. That makes Bell far less cost-effective than other providers on this list.

You can’t send text messages

Bell Total Connect doesn’t support SMS or MMS at all. Without texting, you miss out on a fast way to answer customer questions. You also won’t be able to send appointment reminder texts or share updates like promotions. This can be a huge blow to the customer experience.

Users have problems making outgoing calls from the mobile app

Your phone system’s mobile app should be reliable for modern teams. Bell users have reported serious issues making outgoing calls.

On the Apple App Store, one review said: “The app no longer allows outgoing calls since the most recent iOS update. It’s a problem for my business for sure.”

Another added: “After I updated to iOS 16.4.1, the app started crashing, which is a problem. I can’t make outgoing calls.”

These problems leave teams disconnected and frustrated.

Toll-free numbers are expensive

Many businesses rely on toll-free numbers to build trust and make business communication easier. Bell Total Connect charges $11.95 CAD per month for each toll-free number. That’s almost double Quo’s price of $5 USD per month. Over time, those extra costs add up fast.

Extremely outdated interface

Your phone system should help your team move faster, not slow them down. Bell’s interface feels outdated and clunky. That can frustrate employees and waste valuable time on simple tasks. It can also make training your team harder than it should be.

Only available for certain addresses and upon request

Flexibility is key for growing businesses. Unfortunately, Bell limits where its service is available. You need to request access, and it’s only offered at certain business addresses. If you move offices or go remote, Bell may no longer be an option.

No HubSpot integration

HubSpot is one of the most popular CRMs for small businesses. With Bell Total Connect, you can’t integrate it at all. That means your calls and texts won’t log automatically. 

Plus, your team will need to enter all call activity manually. The result is wasted time, missed details, and a workflow that feels less connected.

How to choose a Bell business phone alternative

Not every business phone solution will be the right fit. When weighing Bell alternatives, look for these top factors:

• Transparent pricing: Pick a service provider that publishes its costs upfront. Hidden fees and required quotes can make it hard to plan and compare.
• Text messaging support: Whether you’re an entrepreneur, startup, or growing business, customers expect to text your business as easily as they call. Make sure SMS and MMS are included.
• Reliable mobile apps: Your team should be able to make and receive calls from anywhere using a mobile app on their devices. And they should do so without experiencing glitches or crashes.
• Affordable toll-free numbers: Is toll-free important for your business? If so, choose a VoIP service that doesn’t charge steep monthly fees on business phone numbers and minutes.
• Modern, user-friendly interface: A clean design saves time and reduces training. It also helps your team work faster.
• Wide availability: Look for a service that’s available nationwide. This way, your business isn’t tied to one location if you ever need to move or add more locations when it grows.
• Tool and CRM integrations: Integrations cut down on manual and technical work, for example, by  keeping your customer records accurate in real time in your CRM.

Quo: The best Bell business phone alternative

Bell’s business phone service covers the basics, but it falls short for small and growing teams. The lack of texting, high costs, and outdated design make it hard to scale and deliver good customer support.

Quo solves those business needs. It gives you free calls and texts across the US and Canada and affordable toll-free numbers. You get a clean interface and reliable mobile apps for better ease of use. It also offers modern features like AI call transcriptions and summaries, phone menus, and HubSpot integration. And it’s all at a fraction of Bell Total Connect’s cost.

If you’re looking for the best Bell business phone alternative, Quo is the clear choice.

Try Quo for free for seven days and see what you’ve been missing.