IVR software: 13 options + features and pricing

You’ve got one caller with a billing question. Another wants to speak with sales.  A third person needs directions. And it’s barely 9 a.m. If your business phone number feels less like a well-oiled machine and more like a noisy band rehearsal, it might be time to adopt some IVR software.

IVR software can help you route customers to the right place and answer common questions. It can even offer self-service workflows to customers. But there are literally dozens of IVR providers out there. So how do you choose the right platform?

In this guide, you can compare the 13 best IVR software options, including their features, ratings, and pricing, to find the perfect fit for your team.

The top IVR software for small businesses compared

Below is a side-by-side comparison of the best IVR systems for growing businesses:

Provider	Starting price	Unlimited calling to US & Canada	SMS & MMS to US & Canada	Shared phone numbers	Additional phone numbers
OpenPhone	$15 per user per month	✓	✓	✓	$5 per number per month
Nextiva	$15 per user per month	✓	100 SMS per user per month	Requires upgrade	Undisclosed fee
Five9	$119 per user per month, based on a minimum three-year commitment	X	Only on the Digital plan	X	Contact for a quote
JustCall	$29 per user per month	✓	500 segments per user per month	✓	Pricing varies based on plan and country
Dialpad	$15 per user per month	✔️	For US and Canadian customers only	✔️	Requires upgrade
Aircall	$30 per month	✓	✓	✓	$6 per number per month
Plum Voice	Pricing isn’t public	X	✓	✓	Contact for a quote
MightyCall	$15 per user per month	✔️	✔️	Calls only	$5 per number per month
CloudTalk	$19 per user per month	US and Canadian customers only, excludes toll-free calls	Requires upgrade	Ring groups only	$6 per number per month
CallHippo	$18 per user per month	Limitations on toll-free, premium, and specialty numbers	100 SMS per user per month	✔️	Cost varies
Talkdesk	$85 per user per month	X	✓	Ring groups only	Contact for a quote
GoTo Connect	Contact for a quote	✓	For US and Canadian customers only	Shared inbox only	Varies by country

We’ll start with the platform rated #1 in customer satisfaction on G2:

1. Quo: Best IVR software for growing businesses

Pros

• Unlimited calls and texts to the US and Canada
• Shared phone numbers
• Visual call flow builder
• 24/7 AI voice agent
• Basic and advanced call forwarding
• Call holding

Cons

• No verification through two-factor authentication*

*Nearly all virtual phone numbers share this problem. For safety reasons, companies like Facebook, Uber, and Google rarely let you authenticate accounts through a virtual phone number.

For 90,000+ businesses and counting, Quo, formerly OpenPhone, is the best phone system with IVR software for growing businesses. We offer unlimited calling and texting to US and Canadian numbers on the base plan, plus one local or toll-free phone number per member of your plan. 

On the Business plan, you’ll have access to IVR and a visual call flow builder that makes it easy to set up your routing. You can personalize your menus with custom greetings. You can upload an audio file such as MP3/WAV, record directly in Quo, or use text-to-speech for a professional voiceover.

You can easily use Quo to create phone menus so callers can reach the right team faster. For example, you can build a main menu with “Sales” or “Support.” Then nest as many submenus as your business needs, like “New customers” or “Billing questions.”

Each menu option can route calls to different destinations: 

• Connect callers to teammates
• Send the call to voicemail
• Play an audio message
• Forward the call to an external number
• Branch into another menu

You can also route them to Sona, Quo’s AI agent, which automatically answers calls, logs conversations, and responds to FAQs 24/7. That way, you don’t miss out on potential customers. 

If a caller doesn’t select from your menu, you can automatically route them to any of the above options or repeat the menu. 

Quo also makes it easy to set up time-based menus so you can offer different menu options during and after business hours. For example, you can set up a call flow for when your team is on the clock. And when you’re done for the day, you can have a different flow. This might be emergency support only, an AI agent, or routing callers directly to voicemail.

Of course, you’ll likely need more than just two IVR call flows for your business. You may also want to create different menus for different scenarios. For example, you can use one flow for normal business days and another during a big promotion or busy season. No need to reconfigure your settings each time — you can switch between them in just a few clicks with Quo’s temporary call flows.

The best part is, you can try us for free today.

Sign up today for a seven-day free trial and test Quo’s IVR tools with your team.

G2 rating

• 4.7 out of 5 stars across ~3,000 reviews

Why we chose it

We’re biased, but we genuinely believe Quo offers the best IVR software for growing brands. You can easily set up phone menus using a visual call flow builder on any plan. Plus, it’s easy to add more IVR features as you grow, including Quo’s AI agent, Sona.

Key features of Quo

• 24/7 AI voice agent on every plan
• Custom ring order with an upgrade
• Visual call flow builder 
• Advanced call forwarding with an upgrade
• 8,000+ integrations with third-party tools via Zapier and Make
• AI call summaries and transcripts
• SMS and MMS support

Quo pricing 

Quo’s pricing plans are listed directly on the website:

• Starter: $15 per user per month for unlimited calls and texts in the US and Canada, on-demand call recording, voicemail-to-text, basic call forwarding, call hold, 1,000 free automation credits, or 10 calls, with Quo’s Sona, and more
• Business: $23 per user per month for automatic call recording, call transfers, HIPAA compliance, analytics, CRM integrations like HubSpot, phone menus, ring order, and more
• Scale: $35 per user per month for dedicated onboarding, priority live chat and email support, and AI call tags

2. Nextiva: Best for tracking shipments

Pros

• Simple IVR on the base plan
• Skills-based routing is available with an upgrade

Cons

• Add-ons don’t come with public pricing
• Limited texting and toll-free minutes
• Request a callback via live chat requires an upgrade

Nextiva is a communications platform built for omnichannel teams. It lets you manage customer interactions across calls, texts, and social media channels in one place. 

You can also set up a simple IVR on the base plan — like, “Press one for sales” or “Press two for billing.” Then, you can upgrade to an advanced IVR if you want to offer automated self-service options like tracking shipments. For example, callers can quickly check the status or location of their orders, so your team has more time to focus on complex issues.

But you should know the base plan is very limited for most business owners. Toll-free numbers and call recording, for example, aren’t available without upgrades. You’ll have to purchase an add-on first. 

Even if you’re willing to buy the add-on for toll-free numbers, you’ll have to upgrade again if you want toll-free minutes. You’re also limited to just 100 SMS per user per month, with no way to get extra unless you purchase the Engage plan at $25 per user per month.

This highest-tier plan, or Power Suite CX, costs five times the base plan at $75 per user per month. But it does unlock more IVR features, like letting customers request a callback through live chat. You’ll also be able to use skills-based routing to send callers to the best possible team member based on their area of expertise. 

But again, this is substantially more expensive than Nextiva’s base plan. If you want similar features without the nickel-and-diming, you might want to consider a Nextiva alternative.

G2 rating

• 4.5 out of 5 stars across ~3,300 reviews

Why we chose it

Nextiva allows you to route calls, texts, and social media platforms into one place. This is a helpful feature if you need to manage more than just phone messages. Plus, you can set up self-service workflows — but only if you have the budget for it.

Key features of Nextiva

• Simple IVR
• Smart call routing, requires upgrade
• Skills-based routing, requires with an upgrade or add-on
• Automatic call distribution, or ACD callback, with an upgrade
• Priority routing requires an inbound sales and service call center

Nextiva pricing 

There are three levels of Nextiva pricing:

• Core: $15 per user per month for calling and texting, up to 100 SMS messages, simple IVR, voicemail with AI transcriptions, team messaging, and mobile app support
• Engage: $25 per user per month for an integration with Microsoft Teams, 500 SMS messages, 2,000 toll-free minutes across your account, call recording, and priority and skills based routing with an add-on
• Power Suite: $75 per user per month for 100 reps max, skills-based routing, up to five smart call routing options, call transcriptions and summaries, and ACD callback

3. Five9: Best for contact centers 

Pros

• Visual IVR for accessibility
• Access to chat, email, SMS, and social messaging apps on the base plan

Cons

• Not all pricing is clearly listed online
• IVR with speech recognition requires a paid add-on
• CRM integrations require a paid add-on

Five9 is one of the oldest software providers built for contact centers. Keep in mind it’s a bit more complicated to unlock IVR for your business. You’ll have to purchase IVR with speech recognition as an add-on. Pricing for this isn’t publicly listed. And it only works if you already have a plan that includes Five9’s inbound, blended, or auto-dialer features.

You can use Five9’s phone menu add-on to create a visual IVR that helps customers automatically route to the right team member. For example, when a customer clicks a contact button on your website, they’ll be guided to choose what they need in a visual prompt. Once they close the window, a team member with the right set of skills will call them back.

But as you’ve seen by now, Five9’s pricing can be complicated. You’ll likely need to contact sales to understand how much you’ll pay for plans plus add-ons. Even its CRM integrations require another paid add-on. This can get pricey if you want to sync data without switching apps or manually logging information.

G2 rating

• 4.1 out of 5 stars across ~560 reviews

Why we chose it

Five9 is a fit for contact centers that already have a strong web presence, social media profiles, and web chat. If you’re not worried about budgets, it could be a solid choice.

Key features of Five9

• Chat, email, SMS, and social messaging apps on every plan
• Inbound and outbound calling, requires upgrade
• Visual IVR, requires upgrade and add-on
• CRM connectors, requires with an add-on
• Agent desktop

Five9 pricing 

Five9’s pricing is only publicly listed for two out of five plans. Here’s a quick breakdown of what to expect from each:

• Digital: $119 per user per month for chat, SMS, email, and social messaging
• Core: $119 per user per month for voice calling, IVR, call recording, and the dialer
• Plus: Contact sales for a quote to access AI Agent Assist and AI Knowledge
• Pro: Contact sales for a quote to access screen recording, agent portals that let you request time off, and analytics, but you’ll lose access to AI Agent Assist and AI Knowledge
• Enterprise: Contact sales for a quote to access all the features on the Digital, Core, Plus, and Pro plans

Keep in mind that usage-based pricing may apply, with a minimum of 50 seats. 

4. JustCall: Best for international phone numbers 

Pros

• Local numbers in 70+ countries
• Phone menus

Cons

• Intelligent call routing is only for the Pro plan
• User minimums on every plan
• Text segments are limited

If you need to establish a familiar presence overseas, JustCall can help you do that. This is a VoIP provider that lets you buy local phone numbers in over 70 countries and connect them to your IVR system. You can set up single or nested phone menus in your call flow. You can also upload greetings that play based on customer actions. That way, different menu options trigger different messages.

But you should know many of JustCall’s best features require more expensive plans. Intelligent call routing, for example, is only available on the Pro plan, which costs $49 per user per month. This means you can’t route calls directly to the contact owner listed in your CRM. This  feature can save time and effort for your team.

Other features, like SMS, come with limits. The base plan is capped at 500 text segments per user per month, and the only way to get more is to upgrade your plan. And keep in mind the most expensive plan requires a 10-user minimum. 

G2 rating

• 4.3 out of 5 stars across ~2,220 reviews

Why we chose it

JustCall makes it easy to set up phone menus in all the countries where you currently do business. It’s not a great fit for teams that need to text customers, but it’s an otherwise solid IVR software solution for routing calls overseas.

Key features of JustCall

• Unlimited inbound and outbound minutes for voice calls to the US and Canada
• SMS and MMS support
• Intelligent call routing, requires upgrade
• 100+ CRM and data integrations
• IVR on the base plan

JustCall pricing

There are five JustCall pricing plans to consider:

• Team: $29 per user per month for 500 SMS segments, IVR, unlimited inbound and outbound calls to the US and Canada, call forwarding, AI call transcriptions, and integrations
• Pro: $49 per user per month for 1,000 SMS segments, power dialer, intelligent call routing, Salesforce integration, and advanced analytics and reporting
• Pro Plus: $89 per user per month for 1,000 SMS segments, AI call scoring, sentiment analysis, and coaching comments
• Business: Custom price for unlimited minutes and SMS, single sign-on, personalized onboarding, and a dedicated phone line for support

5. Dialpad: Best for companies with a multilingual customer base

Pros

• IVR supports six languages
• Unlimited calling in your home country, plus the US and Canada

Cons

• User minimums for upgraded plans
• IVR is only automatically available in the US, Canada, and Mexico
• Additional phone numbers and international SMS require an upgrade

Are you not located in the US or Canada, but still need to call customers in North America? Dialpad’s cloud-based communications platform can help you make unlimited calls in the US, Canada, and your home country on all plans. Each plan lets you set up IVR workflows that support multiple languages. These include English, Japanese, French, Spanish, Chinese, and Italian. This is helpful if you have a multilingual customer base that speaks different languages.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to purchase additional numbers on Dialpad without upgrading to the Pro plan, which is $10 more per user per month. You can’t even send international texts without upgrading. This can become limiting as your business grows.

You should also know that Dialpad’s IVR feature is only automatically available to companies in the US, Canada, and Mexico. If you’re located in another region, you’ll need ‌to contact customer care to enable it on your end. This can be slow and clunky if you’re looking to scale quickly or set up an IVR workflow on your own terms.

Dialpad also comes with user minimums. The Pro plan requires at least three users, and the Enterprise plan jumps up to 100. For small or growing teams, that can mean paying for extra seats you don’t need.

G2 rating

• 4.4 out of 5 stars across ~3,900 reviews

Why we chose it

Dialpad can make it easier to communicate with international customers and help them navigate your phone menus. Just keep in mind you may have to upgrade for the best possible features, and you’ll need to accommodate for user minimums. If you want an IVR system without user minimums, you may want to explore Dialpad alternatives.

Key features of Dialpad 

• Auto-attendants
• Custom call routing
• Call forwarding to other devices
• Natural language processing for consumer sentiment
• Number extensions, requires upgrade

Dialpad pricing 

Dialpad’s pricing has stayed the same for years. Here’s what you can expect to get on each plan:

• Standard: $15 per user per month for unlimited calling and texting within your country, the US, and Canada, auto attendant, visual voicemail, custom call routing, and call forwarding to other devices
• Pro: $25 per user per month for additional numbers, hold queues, and international SMS with a three-user minimum
• Enterprise: Contact for pricing for unlimited office locations, ring groups, and phone number extensions 

6. Aircall: Best for outbound sales teams

Pros

• IVR, call recording, and click-to-dial on the base plan
• Customizable routing by skills, time of day, account owner, and more

Cons

• Potentially frustrating limitations for phone menus
• User minimums on every plan
• Add-ons can get expensive

Similar to Nextiva, Aircall is a phone system that lets you manage calls, texts, and messages from WhatsApp on a single platform. But unlike Nextiva, it’s specifically designed for sales teams. The base plan comes with features like IVR, call recording, and click-to-dial that make it easier for your team to manage calls. 

You’ll have lots of options for customizing your call flow. For example, you can set up time-of-day routing, which can help teams handle peak hours differently from slower ones. Aircall also gives you options for different types of hold music to choose from.

But you should know Aircall’s IVR does have some limitations. For example, there’s no back navigation. This means if a caller makes the wrong menu selection, they’ll need to hang up and start over. Plus, callers only have three seconds to make a selection after a menu option plays. This may not be enough time for them to select the right rep or department from the list. And keep in mind Aircall’s add-ons can get expensive fast. AI Assist, which unlocks call summaries, requires an additional $9 per user per month.

When it comes to collaboration, Aircall is more difficult to use compared to other IVR software, like Quo. For example, users who moved from Aircall to Quo say it’s far easier to transfer calls. They also shared that it’s simpler to monitor teammate activity and add notes to every customer interaction.

G2 rating

• 4.4 out of 5 stars across ~1,300 reviews

Why we chose it

Aircall offers useful tools like call whispering, call coaching, and time-of-day routing. Just keep in mind it’s harder for teams to collaborate compared to Quo, since features like transferring calls and tracking teammate activity aren’t as intuitive. Its pricing can also add up fast as your team grows.

Key features of Aircall

• AI Voice Agent, requires add-on
• Time and date-based routing
• Shared call inbox
• Smart routing, requires upgrade
• Queue callback, requires upgrade

Aircall pricing 

Aircall’s pricing has three tiers. Keep in mind there’s a three-user minimum on the Essentials and Professional plans, and a 25-user minimum on the Custom plan:

• Essentials: $30 per user per month for unlimited calls in Canada and the US, limited SMS and MMS messaging, IVR call flows, and call routing
• Professional: $50 per user per month for smart routing, queue callback, Salesforce integration, and the Power Dialer
• Custom: Custom pricing for API developer support, plus unlimited international calls

7. Plum Voice: Best for IVR templates

Pros

• Highly customizable IVR flow
• HIPAA-compliant for sensitive industries

Cons

• Not a full business phone system
• No transparent pricing
• May require IT professionals

Unlike the business phone systems on this list, Plum Voice is a standalone cloud communications platform. It lets you build automated communication tools like IVR systems, chatbots, and virtual agents. It’s also a HIPAA-compliant organization, which means you can use it in more restricted industries, such as healthcare.

Once you sign up for Plum Fuse, you can tap into its visual call flow editor to build your IVR applications. It also offers templates for different industries and use cases. These include templates like appointment scheduling, card activation, and prescription management. Just keep in mind there are no published pricing tiers on the website. There’s no way to know exactly how much you get — and how much you’ll pay — when signing up.

And as mentioned earlier, Plum Voice isn’t a true business phone system. This means you’ll be forced to switch between platforms to track when customers call. That’s not ideal for growing businesses that want to move quickly and scale up over time.

G2 rating

• 4.5 out of 5 stars across ~1 review 

Why we chose it

Plum Voice offers a HIPAA-compliant IVR. You’ll get access to templates for building IVR applications. Plus you’ll be able to use plenty of customization options if you have developer resources. So, if you don’t mind the lack of a phone system or the hidden pricing, you can contact their sales team for a quote.

Key features of Plum Voice

• Call flow builder
• Chatbots
• APIs
• Reports and analytics
• Customer survey IVR

Plum Voice pricing

Plum Voice’s pricing isn’t public at this time. But it does list some tools you’d have access to after signing up:

• Plum Fuse: A low-code visual builder for creating IVR systems and virtual agents
• Plum Dev: Build IVR systems and virtual agents by generating your own code
• Plum SecureAssistant: A virtual voice agent designed to accept and mask payment details
• Plum Insight: Lets you set up customer surveys and generate reports
• VoiceTrends: Tracks your IVR usage and performance with reports and analytics
• Plum Chat: A self-help chatbot designed for WhatsApp Business, Facebook Messenger, Instagram DMs, and Twitter DMs
• Plum Message: Creates SMS, MMS, Push, and OTT messages using Plum APIs and a no-code design platform

9. MightyCall: Best for SIP trunking support

Pros

• Supports existing phone hardware
• 10-tier multi-level phone menus

Cons

• SIP trunking requires the Enterprise plan
• No real-time analytics without upgrading
• Free trial limited to 100 minutes

MightyCall is a call center software that gives you unlimited calls and texts to the US and Canada. It also supports SIP trunking. This means you can connect your existing desk phones or PBX phone system to an internet connection to make and receive calls and texts. Just keep in mind you’ll need to upgrade to the Enterprise plan to unlock SIP trunking for your team.

MightyCall lets you build IVR call flows with up to 10 nested menus. This is useful if your company serves customers in different languages or needs to route calls across multiple offices. It also includes all IVR call flow features on every plan. For example, you’ll get access to call queuing, ring groups, simultaneous ring, and custom greetings.

But you should know most of MightyCall’s best features are locked behind more expensive plans. For example, real-time analytics aren’t included on the base plan — you’ll need to upgrade to the Pro plan, which costs $23 per user per month. And no matter how much you upgrade, AI call summaries are only available upon request. You won’t even have much time to try before you buy. You’re limited to a max of 100 minutes during the free trial, which will likely not be enough time to test MightyCall for yourself.

G2 rating

• 4.4 out of 5 stars across ~290 reviews

Why we chose it

If your team still wants to rely on your office setup but you’re ready to make calls over the internet, MightyCall could be the right IVR software for you. Just know you’ll need to budget more than $30 per user per month to access its SIP trunking support. 

Key features of MightyCall

• SIP trunking, requires upgrade
• Call queueing
• Ring groups
• Simultaneous ring
• Custom greetings

MightyCall pricing

MightyCall’s pricing offers four different plans:

• Core: $15 per user per month for IVR, call routing, and unlimited calling and texting in the US and Canada
• Pro: $23 per user per month for live call monitoring, advanced reports, real-time analytics, and AI call summaries upon request
• Power: $30 per user per month for the preview and progressive dialer, answering machine detection, and priority support
• Enterprise: Custom quote for SIP trunking and custom integrations

10. CloudTalk: Best for outbound contact centers

Pros

• Skills and caller-based routing with an upgrade
• Visual call flow builder is available

Cons

• IVR is not available on the base plan
• Must pay extra for calls to toll-free, special, and premium numbers
• May be complex to set up without technical know-how

CloudTalk lets you make and receive unlimited calls across the US and Canada. Plus, it lets you buy local numbers in over 160 countries. This call center software also provides international SMS and MMS so you can reach customers abroad.

You should know IVR is only available on CloudTalk if you upgrade to the Essential plan, which costs $29 per user per month. Then, you can tap into skill-based routing — a way to connect customers with the right rep based on their skills and expertise. You can also set up caller-based routing, which helps to route calls based on factors such as location and purchase history.

Keep in mind that past CloudTalk customers say its IVR system can be difficult to set up. Despite the visual builder, it can be technical and overwhelming. See for yourself in this user review:

“The initial setup—especially for call routing and IVR—can be a bit overwhelming without some technical know-how…” — G2

G2 rating

• 4.4 out of 5 stars across ~1,480 reviews

Why we chose it

CloudTalk offers a highly customizable IVR, ideal for large teams that need hyper-specific setups. It may be an IVR software worth considering if you’re an enterprise brand with existing IT resources.

Key features of CloudTalk

• One ring group
• Visual call flow builder
• Local numbers in 160+ countries
• Skill and smart condition-based routing, requires upgrade
• Time-based routing, requires upgrade

CloudTalk pricing

There are three different CloudTalk pricing plans to choose from:

• Lite: $19 per user per month for unlimited domestic calls in the US and Canada, call recording, one ring group, visual call flow builder, international SMS and MMS, and click-to-call
• Essential: $29 per user per month for IVR, skill, and smart condition-based routing, time-based routing, business hours, queue callback, multiple ring groups, and 100+ third-party integrations
• Expert: $49 per user per month for Salesforce and WhatsApp integrations, mandatory call tagging, live call monitoring, and access to the power dialer

Keep in mind that “unlimited” calls don’t account for “toll-free, special, and premium numbers.” CloudTalk claims certain “high cost countries” require you to pay extra, which could increase your monthly bills.

11. CallHippo: Best for omnichannel communication

Pros

• Multi-lingual and multi-level IVR with upgrades
• Customizations such as holiday call routing

Cons

• “Unlimited” minutes aren’t technically unlimited
• IVR requires an upgrade
• Add-ons required for basic features

For customer support centers helping customers through more than just text and calls, CallHippo is worth a look. You can integrate with WhatsApp Business to send messages directly from the CallHippo app, but you’ll need to pay for every message. Plus, you can purchase local and toll-free numbers in over 50 countries. 

Just keep in mind your “unlimited” minutes only apply to calls made to landline and mobile phone numbers. You might have to pay extra for “special” and “premium” numbers, although it can be hard to tell if it applies to your customers.

You should also know that IVR isn’t available on CallHippo’s base plan. You’ll need to upgrade to the Professional plan for multi-lingual IVR. And you’ll need to upgrade again to the Ultimate plan for multi-level IVR. Considering the Ultimate plan costs $42 per user per month, it’s substantially more expensive than other platforms on this list.

Just want to stick with multilingual IVR? Keep in mind you’ll miss out on other IVR software features. For example, call blocking and custom ring times are only available on the Ultimate plan. You can’t even access holiday routing unless you upgrade, so there’s no way to route calls during specific holidays in the countries you serve.

G2 rating

• 4.4 out of 5 stars across ~360 reviews

Why we chose it

CallHippo offers plenty of IVR customization features. These include holiday routing and menus in multiple languages. Just be prepared to keep upgrading until you unlock all the features you want. And remember, you pay per-minute rates for calls, so pricing will be higher than initially expected.

Key features of CallHippo

• Simultaneous ring
• Shared inbox
• Holiday routing, requires upgrade
• Multi-lingual IVR, requires upgrade
• Multi-level IVR, requires upgrade

CallHippo pricing

CallHippo’s pricing depends on the size of your team. Assuming you’re a team of one to four users, here’s how much you’ll pay:

• Starter: $18 per user per month for “unlimited” minutes for landline and mobile calling only, 100 SMS, and shared inbox
• Professional: $30 per user per month for 500 SMS, custom greetings, multi-lingual IVR, cascading call distribution, and call recordings
• Ultimate: $42 per user per month for 1,000 SMS, custom integrations, multi-level IVR, holiday routing, and call tagging
• Enterprise: Custom pricing for a minimum of 20 users, unlimited calling in 48 countries, custom reports, custom onboarding, and priority and developer support

12. Talkdesk: Best for workforce management tools

Pros

• Build IVR flows for digital-only channels, like email
• Unlimited call recording storage with an upgrade

Cons

• One of the priciest options on this list
• No unlimited outbound calls
• SMS and MMS require per-message pricing

Talkdesk is a global contact center solution designed for large enterprises. It comes with some unique workforce management tools to help manage your team. For example, you’ll get access to business intelligence dashboards and integrations with 170+ apps.

Talkdesk does include IVR on its base plan. But keep in mind it’s only for digital channels like SMS or email, not phone calls. For phone IVR, you’ll have to upgrade to Voice Essentials, which starts at $105 per user per month. And you’ll have to pay for all outbound calls. Talkdesk’s support documentation says you’ll need to download a rate card from your account to see what you’ll pay, which can add up as your call volume grows.

These prices don’t include add-ons, fees, or plans that aren’t three-year contracts, so keep in mind your monthly bill can go up fast. You even have to pay per message to send SMS and MMS messages. This isn’t ideal, considering Talkdesk alternatives offer unlimited messages per user per month.

G2 rating

• 4.4 out of 5 stars across ~2,460 reviews

Why we chose it

Talkdesk may not be the most cost-effective option on this list, but it does offer digital-only IVR software for growing businesses. If you want a navigational menu for your email or SMS inbox, it’s likely a solid fit. But if you’re more interested in creating a phone menu for your business, there are certainly cheaper options out there.

Key features of Talkdesk

• Phone and digital IVR software
• Access to the mobile app
• Business intelligence tools
• 170+ integrations, such as Zendesk, requires upgrade
• Outbound customer engagement, requires upgrade

Talkdesk pricing

Talkdesk’s pricing is based on a three-year commitment:

• CX Cloud Digital Essentials: $85 per user per month for IVR for channels like SMS, chat, or email, API access, and real-time dashboards
• CX Cloud Voice Essentials: $105 per user per month for IVR for incoming calls, call routing based on caller data, business hours, and unlimited call recording storage
• CX Cloud Elite: $165 per user per month for screen recording, custom reports and dashboards, and automated notifications

Keep in mind this pricing doesn’t include additional telephony and usage fees.

13. GoTo Connect: Best for multilocation organizations

Pros

• IVR on the base plan
• Free calling to 50 countries

Cons

• No publicly listed pricing
• Limited to 1,000 toll-free minutes on every plan
• Set number of SMS credits per month

GoTo Connect is a cloud phone system that includes IVR on the base plan. You also have the flexibility to route calls to any extension, mobile device, or external phone number. The base plan offers a few other bells and whistles. For example, you’ll get access to free calling to 50 countries. And you’ll also get a limited number of toll-free minutes shared across your account. Plus you’ll get unlimited custom messages and greetings — so you can set up basic phone menus in the locations you serve.

Beyond this, GoTo Connect isn’t upfront about its pricing. The cost of its plans isn’t publicly listed. There’s also no public pricing for add-ons. Case in point: you won’t know how much it costs for its AI Receptionist until you contact the sales team. This will make it harder to estimate what you’ll pay for your specific needs.

You should also know that many GoTo Connect features have unnecessary limitations. Each plan locks you into a set amount of undisclosed SMS credits and a set number of contacts shared across the account. This makes it difficult to scale as your business grows — or know how much scaling  your use of GoTo Connect will cost, for that matter.

G2 rating

• 4.4 out of 5 stars across ~1,360 reviews

Why we chose it

GoTo Connect makes sense for international businesses that serve callers and clients across countries. It’s better suited to enterprise brands that don’t need to know about pricing up front.

Key features of GoTo Connect

• Simple IVR
• Calls to 50+ countries
• Intelligent call routing, requires upgrade
• Prioritize calls, requires upgrade
• AI receptionist, requires upgrade

GoTo Connect pricing

GoTo Connect’s pricing is no longer public. You can get more details by contacting the sales team.

What is IVR software?

IVR software, also known as an interactive voice response system, lets businesses set up an automated phone menu. You can use IVR in three ways:

1. To guide callers to the right place, person, or department
2. To share information through an audio recording
3. To create a self-service workflow that doesn’t require anyone on your team to assist the caller

Let’s say you have a caller who wants to request a quote. They’ll hear “Press one for Sales” on your phone menu. Then they’ll dial the number and be connected with a member of your sales department. You could also have an audio recording that explains how to fill out a quote request on your website. 

You may have heard IVR software referred to as an auto-attendant, or just plain IVR. Either way, the meaning is the same: an automated phone menu that helps callers get to their destination.

How does IVR software work?

IVR software works by:

• Creating menu options for callers to choose from, like “Press one for Sales” or “Press two for Billing”
• Listening for a caller’s spoken response or keypad input, also known as a touch tone
• Routing the call or triggering an automated action in real time

This allows the conversational IVR to route inbound calls automatically,  scaling your business without hiring more reps.

Mistakes to avoid when setting up IVR software

Whether you’ve already found your IVR software or you’re still figuring it out, it’s easy to not set everything up correctly.

Here are some common phone menu mistakes to help you avoid any awkward or unnecessary caller experiences:

1. Long menus: Don’t overload callers with too many menu options or lengthy greetings. Keep it to 3-4 options so they don’t hang up.
2. Too short of a ring duration: Make the ring duration a minimum of 15 seconds if you plan to ring all your team members, so the call has time to register.
3. Ignoring analytics: Use call data and recordings to identify signs of confusing menu paths or high hang-up rates.
4. Poor routing: Sending callers to the wrong team or making them repeat themselves creates frustration and wasted time. Instead, set up advanced call routing like a phone menu so that every call goes to the right person or department the first time.
5. Unclear greetings: Starting with confusing or overly formal greetings can frustrate callers before they even reach the menu. Use a short, friendly greeting that tells callers exactly what to expect next.
6. No call recording notifications: Not having an automated way to inform callers that the call is being recorded puts the burden on your team and can create compliance issues. You can fix this by setting up an automatic voice notification that callers will hear at the start of ‌every phone call.

How we chose these 13 IVR solutions

First, we rounded up the top IVR solutions based on their ratings on G2. Then, we sifted through each company’s website for more information about their features, pricing, and scalability.

Once we whittled down the list, we were left with 13 providers. We ranked these best-of-the-best IVR solutions using the following six factors:

1. Pricing: We wanted providers that gave the best value for small businesses, not necessarily the lowest cost.
2. Call routing customization: We looked at how well each system supports call routing. This includes business hours call routing, which handles calls differently depending on the time of day. Plus ring groups that let you customize how to send incoming calls to your team, such as simultaneous or sequential ringing.
3. Ease of use: We considered how simple each system was to set up and use for small and growing business owners. This included IVR features that didn’t require technical expertise to implement.
4. Global calling: We factored in each platform’s international and toll-free features for global teams.
5. Customer reviews: We reviewed real user feedback. This includes sites like Reddit, G2, Trustpilot, and Gartner to look for popular benefits and common frustrations.
6. Integrations: We compared the number of third-party integrations available. For example, connections with CRMs, help desks, and messaging tools.

How to choose the best interactive voice response software provider

Before settling on an IVR provider, be sure it can accommodate your:

• Team size: How many team members will be using your IVR? Will you need collaboration features like shared phone numbers or AI voice agents?
• Call volume: The last thing you want is a system that caps your monthly calls unless you upgrade. Think about how many calls your business handles daily so you can choose a provider that makes sense for your needs.
• Budget: It doesn’t always come down to dollars and cents, but you still want to make sure you’re getting good value for your money. It can help to determine what you can realistically spend each month and check if IVR features are included or locked behind higher tiers.
• Customer needs: First, look at the most common reasons people call your business. You’ll want an IVR system that can handle those. For example, offering skill-based routing to automatically route callers to technical support reps.
• Growth plans: Next, consider the features you’ll need as your business expands. Can the system easily scale as your team and customer base grow?

Quo: The best IVR software for small businesses

Your call routing process shouldn’t feel clunky and disjointed. With Quo’s IVR software, it’s never been easier to bring harmony back to your customer calls.

We offer IVR menus, call routing, and shared phone numbers to give your team the structure it needs to serve customers consistently. Then, automate more with our AI voice agent, Sona, and integrations to help save your team time.

Sign up today for a seven-day free trial and test Quo’s IVR software with your team.

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