Top Alternatives and Competitors That Outshine Five9

While Five9 is a well-established player in the customer service landscape, there are numerous alternatives and competitors offering innovative features, competitive pricing, and seamless integrations. This guide explores top alternatives and competitors that outshine Five9 in specific areas, empowering you to find the perfect fit for your unique needs.

1. Distrobird

Distrobird is an excellent alternative to Five9 that offers great set of features at a competitive price point. Here's why Distrobird stands out:

Features

• Robust Omnichannel Capabilities: Distrobird provides seamless integration across multiple communication channels, including voice, email, chat, and social media. This allows agents to handle customer interactions efficiently from a single platform.
• Advanced AI and Automation: Distrobird leverages AI and machine learning to automate repetitive tasks, provide intelligent call routing, and deliver real-time insights. This helps optimize agent productivity and improve customer experience.
• Scalability and Flexibility: Distrobird is designed to scale with your business, accommodating growth in agents and interactions. Its flexible architecture allows for easy customization and integration with existing systems.

Pricing

Compared to Five9, Distrobird offers a more affordable pricing structure without compromising on features or quality. The basic plan starts at $15 per user/month and is ideal for essential communication features.

For advanced features like skills-based routing and detailed call analytics, the premium plan at $75 per user/month is the perfect fit.

Integrations

Distrobird's flexible architecture allows for easy integration with existing systems, enabling businesses to seamlessly connect the contact center platform with their other tools and workflows.

Overall, Distrobird is a powerful alternative to Five9 that excels in areas like omnichannel capabilities, AI-powered automation, scalability, and competitive pricing. Its robust feature set and integration flexibility make it a compelling choice for businesses looking to enhance their contact center operations.

2. Nextiva

Nextiva is a strong alternative that offers a feature-rich contact center solution with omnichannel support, advanced AI capabilities like chatbots and virtual agents, and robust workflow customization. Some key capabilities of Nextiva include:

Features

• Omnichannel Support: Nextiva enables seamless customer interactions across voice, email, web chat, SMS, and social media channels. This allows agents to provide a unified experience.
• Advanced AI Capabilities: Nextiva's contact center solution integrates AI-powered chatbots and virtual agents to handle routine inquiries and tasks, freeing up agents to focus on more complex issues.
• Robust Workflow Customization: Nextiva provides a user-friendly workflow engine that allows businesses to customize call routing, task assignment, and automated responses based on triggers and business rules.
• Intricate Routing Options: Nextiva offers advanced routing capabilities, including skills-based, time-based, relationship-based, and AI-driven routing to ensure customers reach the right agent.
• Custom Surveys and Analytics: Nextiva enables the creation of custom surveys and feedback forms across multiple channels, providing valuable customer insights and data for improving the experience.

Pricing

• Nextiva's contact center plans start at $99 per user per month when billed annually, which is higher than Five9's base plan.
• However, Nextiva's higher-tier plans provide more comprehensive functionality out-of-the-box, including the advanced AI, workflow, and omnichannel features mentioned above.

Integrations

• Nextiva offers a wide range of pre-built integrations with popular business applications, including Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, Zendesk, HubSpot, and many others.
• The platform also supports custom integrations via its REST API, allowing businesses to connect Nextiva with their existing systems and workflows.

Overall, Nextiva is a strong alternative to Five9 that excels in areas like omnichannel support, AI-powered automation, and workflow customization. While its pricing may be higher than Five9's entry-level plan, Nextiva's comprehensive feature set can provide greater value for businesses with more advanced contact center requirements.

3. Talkdesk

Talkdesk is easier to implement than Five9 and has exceptional call-handling capabilities, making it a good fit for inbound call centers. It offers a visual drag-and-drop interface to customize call flows without technical expertise.

Features

• Exceptional Call Handling: Talkdesk is known for its advanced call routing and management capabilities, making it a strong choice for inbound call centers. It offers features like automatic call distribution (ACD), interactive voice response (IVR), and no-answer call forwarding to ensure customers reach the right agent.
• Customizable Call Flows: Talkdesk provides a visual, drag-and-drop interface that allows users to easily customize call flows and IVR menus without requiring technical expertise. This makes it easier to implement and configure compared to the more complex Five9 platform.
• Reporting Limitations: While Talkdesk offers real-time dashboards and historical reporting, its analytics capabilities are not as advanced as Five9's. Five9 provides more robust and customizable reporting options.

Pricing

• Talkdesk's pricing starts at $75 per user per month for the Essentials plan, which includes core contact center features like voice engagement, routing, and real-time dashboards.
• The Elevate plan at $95 per user per month adds digital channels like chat, email, and SMS, as well as quality management and screen recording.
• The top-tier Elite plan at $125 per user per month includes custom reporting, workforce management, and advanced analytics.
• Talkdesk also offers industry-specific "Experience Cloud" packages that are priced on a custom quote basis.

Integrations

• Talkdesk integrates with over 60 third-party business applications out-of-the-box, including popular CRM, helpdesk, and collaboration tools like Salesforce, Zendesk, Slack, and Microsoft 365.
• The platform also features an "AppConnect" marketplace with additional pre-built integrations for specialized use cases and industry-specific tools.
• Talkdesk's open API allows for custom integrations to be built, further extending its capabilities to fit an organization's unique needs.

Talkdesk is a strong alternative to Five9 that excels in areas like intuitive call flow customization and robust call handling, making it a good fit for inbound-focused contact centers. However, businesses that require more advanced reporting and analytics capabilities may find Five9 to be a better fit.

4. Dialpad

Dialpad is an affordable cloud-based contact center solution that is well-suited for mid-sized organizations with remote agents. Here's a closer look at its key features, pricing, and integrations:

Features

• AI Integration: Dialpad has deeply integrated AI capabilities throughout its contact center platform, including:
  • AI-powered chatbots for handling routine customer inquiries
  • AI-driven quality assurance that automatically scores agent interactions
  • Speech-to-text transcription with sentiment analysis to monitor call sentiment in real-time
  • AI-based call routing to match customers with the best-suited agent
• Remote Agent Support: Dialpad's cloud-native architecture makes it easy to support remote agents, with features like mobile apps, softphones, and web-based calling. This makes it a good fit for organizations with distributed teams.
• Integrations Limitations: While Dialpad offers integrations with popular business tools like Salesforce, Zendesk, Google Workspace, and Microsoft 365, it lacks the depth of integrations found in Five9. Five9 has a larger ecosystem of pre-built integrations and a more robust API for custom integrations.

Pricing

• Dialpad's pricing starts at $15 per user per month for the Standard plan, making it one of the more affordable options compared to Five9.
• The Pro plan at $25 per user per month adds features like international calling, call recording, and AI-powered coaching.
• The Enterprise plan at $35 per user per month includes advanced reporting, API access, and a dedicated account manager.
• Dialpad also offers industry-specific plans for sales and support teams starting at $60 per user per month.

Integrations

• Dialpad integrates with popular CRM, helpdesk, and productivity tools like Salesforce, Zendesk, Google Workspace, and Microsoft 365.
• It also offers an open API for building custom integrations and workflows.
• However, Dialpad's integration ecosystem is not as extensive as Five9's, which has a larger network of pre-built integrations and a more mature API.

In summary, Dialpad is a cost-effective contact center solution that excels in areas like AI-powered features and remote agent support. Its affordable pricing makes it a good fit for mid-sized organizations. However, businesses that require a wider range of pre-built integrations or more advanced custom integration capabilities may find Five9 to be a better fit.

5. NICE CXone

NICE CXone is a robust, enterprise-grade contact center platform that excels at orchestrating seamless customer journeys. It is particularly well-suited for businesses with complex compliance requirements.

Features

• Customer Journey Orchestration: NICE CXone takes a comprehensive, five-pillar approach to managing the entire customer experience across digital and voice channels. This includes features for digital entry points, smart self-service, proactive engagement, unified agent desktop, and advanced analytics.
• Compliance and Security: NICE CXone is designed to meet the stringent compliance and security needs of enterprises, with features like PCI DSS certification, HIPAA compliance, data encryption, and role-based access controls.
• Omnichannel Capabilities: The platform supports over 30 native and integrated communication channels, including voice, email, chat, SMS, social media, and more. It provides a unified agent desktop and seamless customer journey across all touchpoints.
• Workforce Engagement: NICE CXone offers advanced workforce management tools for forecasting, scheduling, adherence, and performance management. This helps enterprises optimize agent productivity and customer experience.
• AI and Analytics: The platform leverages AI and analytics throughout, from intelligent self-service and routing to real-time interaction insights and voice of the customer analysis.

Pricing

• NICE CXone pricing is structured across six different plans, ranging from $71 to $209 per user per month.
• The entry-level "Digital Agent" plan at $71/user/month provides digital-only capabilities, while the "Voice Agent" plan at $94/user/month adds voice support.
• The "Omnichannel Agent" plan at $110/user/month combines digital and voice channels.
• Higher-tier plans add features like quality management, workforce management, and advanced analytics.
• Pricing is quoted on a custom basis for enterprise-level deployments.

Integrations

• NICE CXone offers a wide range of pre-built integrations with popular CRM, helpdesk, and business applications such as Salesforce, ServiceNow, Zendesk, and Microsoft Dynamics.
• The platform also features an open API and SDK that allow for custom integrations to be developed, enabling enterprises to seamlessly connect NICE CXone with their existing systems and workflows.

NICE CXone is a robust, enterprise-grade contact center solution that excels at orchestrating omnichannel customer journeys. Its advanced compliance, security, and workforce management capabilities make it a strong fit for large organizations with complex operational requirements.

6. Genesys

Genesys is another enterprise-focused alternative that powers some of the largest contact centers globally. It offers both voice-only and digital-only options. Here's an expanded overview of Genesys' features, pricing, and integrations:

Features

• Enterprise-Grade Capabilities: Genesys is a highly scalable and feature-rich contact center solution designed to meet the needs of large, complex enterprises. It is used by some of the world's largest contact centers.
• Omnichannel Support: Genesys provides comprehensive omnichannel capabilities, allowing customers to seamlessly engage across voice, email, chat, SMS, social media, and other digital channels. This enables a unified customer experience.
• Voice and Digital Options: Genesys offers both voice-only and digital-only deployment options to cater to businesses with varying communication needs. The voice-only solution focuses on advanced call routing and management, while the digital-only version emphasizes digital channels like chat, email, and social.
• AI and Automation: Genesys leverages artificial intelligence and automation throughout its platform, including features like intelligent self-service, virtual agents, and predictive analytics to enhance the customer experience.
• Workforce Optimization: Genesys provides robust workforce management tools for forecasting, scheduling, quality monitoring, and performance management to help enterprises optimize agent productivity and efficiency.
• Customization and Integrations: The platform offers extensive customization capabilities through its open APIs and integration with leading CRM, helpdesk, and business applications like Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Microsoft Dynamics.

Pricing

• Genesys pricing is structured as a custom enterprise solution, with pricing based on the specific requirements and scale of the deployment.
• Factors like the number of agents, channels, features, and deployment model (cloud, on-premises, or hybrid) all influence the final pricing.

Integrations

• Genesys offers a wide range of pre-built integrations with popular CRM, helpdesk, and business applications, including Salesforce, ServiceNow, Zendesk, Microsoft Dynamics, and many others.
• The platform's open APIs and developer tools also allow for custom integrations to be built, enabling enterprises to seamlessly connect Genesys with their existing systems and workflows.
• Genesys also has a robust partner ecosystem, providing access to a wide range of complementary applications and services through its AppFoundry marketplace.

Overall, Genesys is a highly capable, enterprise-grade contact center solution that is used by some of the largest organizations globally. Its robust omnichannel capabilities, AI-powered features, and extensive customization and integration options make it a strong choice for enterprises with complex contact center requirements. However, the lack of publicly available pricing information may require a more in-depth evaluation process for potential customers.

7. 8x8

8x8 is a cloud-based contact center solution that offers tight integration with team collaboration features, making it a good choice for businesses that value seamless communication across their organization.

Features

• Unified Communications: 8x8's platform combines contact center capabilities with unified communications, allowing agents to collaborate with subject matter experts across the company through features like team messaging, video conferencing, and screen sharing.
• Integrated Collaboration: The platform's contact center and unified communications components are deeply integrated, enabling agents to easily pull in colleagues from other departments to assist with customer inquiries. This helps break down silos and improve first-call resolution.
• Workforce Optimization: 8x8 provides workforce management tools like call recording, quality management, and performance analytics to help contact centers optimize agent productivity and the customer experience.
• Omnichannel Support: The solution supports voice, video, chat, email, and SMS channels, allowing customers to engage through their preferred method and receive a consistent experience.
• AI and Automation: 8x8's platform leverages artificial intelligence for features like intelligent call routing, conversational IVR, and sentiment analysis to enhance the customer experience.

Pricing

• 8x8's contact center pricing starts at $99 per user per month for the X4 plan, which includes basic call center functionality.
• The X6 plan at $149 per user per month adds workforce optimization tools, advanced analytics, and integrations with CRM and helpdesk systems.
• The top-tier X8 plan at $199 per user per month provides additional features like speech analytics, predictive dialing, and custom reporting.
• 8x8 also offers custom enterprise-level pricing for larger deployments with more advanced requirements.

Integrations

• 8x8's contact center solution integrates with a wide range of popular business applications, including Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, Zendesk, Slack, and Google Workspace.
• The platform's open API also allows for custom integrations to be built, enabling businesses to connect the contact center with their existing systems and workflows.
• 8x8's tight integration with its own unified communications suite, including team messaging, video conferencing, and file sharing, is a key differentiator and strength of the platform.

8x8 is a strong choice for businesses that value the benefits of having their contact center tightly integrated with team collaboration features. The platform's unified communications capabilities, combined with its contact center functionality and AI-powered features, can help organizations improve agent productivity, customer experience, and cross-departmental collaboration.

8. Aircall

Aircall is a cost-effective, user-friendly option, but it lacks some of the omnichannel capabilities of Five9.

Here's an expanded overview of Aircall's features, pricing, and integrations compared to Five9:

Features

• User-Friendly Interface: Aircall is known for its intuitive and easy-to-use contact center platform, making it a good choice for businesses that want a straightforward solution without a steep learning curve.
• Cost-Effective Pricing: Aircall's pricing starts at $30 per user per month, making it a more affordable option compared to the higher-end Five9 platform.
• Limited Omnichannel Capabilities: While Aircall supports voice, SMS, and web-based calling, it lacks the robust omnichannel features found in Five9. Five9 offers a wider range of communication channels, including email, chat, and social media integration.
• Basic Call Center Functionality: Aircall provides core call center features like call routing, call recording, and basic analytics. However, it lacks the advanced workforce management, AI-powered automation, and customization capabilities that are available in Five9's more comprehensive platform.
• Mobile-Friendly: Aircall's mobile apps and softphone integration make it a good fit for businesses with remote or distributed teams that need to access the contact center on-the-go.

Pricing

• Aircall's pricing starts at $30 per user per month for the Essentials plan, which includes basic call center features.
• The Professional plan at $50 per user per month adds more advanced capabilities like call analytics, call transcription, and team collaboration tools.
• The Enterprise plan at $70 per user per month provides additional features like custom integrations, advanced reporting, and dedicated support.
• Aircall also offers custom pricing for larger enterprises with more complex requirements.

Integrations

• Aircall integrates with a range of popular business applications, including Salesforce, Zendesk, HubSpot, and Microsoft Dynamics.
• The platform also offers an open API that allows for custom integrations to be built, enabling businesses to connect Aircall with their existing systems and workflows.
• However, the depth and breadth of Aircall's integration ecosystem is not as extensive as Five9's, which has a larger network of pre-built integrations and a more mature API.

Aircall is a cost-effective and user-friendly contact center solution that may be a good fit for smaller businesses or those with simpler communication needs. However, organizations that require more advanced omnichannel capabilities, workforce management tools, and a wider range of integrations may find Five9 to be a more suitable option.

In Conclusion

Finding the ideal cloud contact center solution goes beyond brand recognition. By exploring Five9 top alternatives, you can discover platforms that align with your budget, prioritize ease of use, or provide deeper integrations with your existing CRM. Competitors like Distrobird offer compelling options for businesses seeking user-friendly interfaces and cost-effective pricing. Ultimately, the best choice hinges on your specific requirements and priorities.