Table of Contents
What Is a Softphone App?
A softphone app is a software application that makes phone calls on a device that’s connected to the internet. Unlike a traditional phone, softphones can enhance and access VoIP features.
How Does a Softphone Work?
To use a softphone, all you need is a headset and either a desktop or laptop computer. The key is to use a device that can connect to the internet. Wired internet connections tend to be better than Wifi.
Once you have your equipment, you can install your softphone app onto your device (laptop, etc.).
Why You Should Be Using Softphones Instead of Desk Phones at Your Business
Many businesses love using softphone software for its efficiency with time, costs, and space. Since the softphone applications use the internet, companies can save thousands of dollars from not paying for a dedicated phone line. Many softphone software providers charge around $50 per month. All they need is a strong internet connection.
Another reason to switch to softphones is the space savings. Desk phones require wires and desk space, while softphones can conduct customer calls from anywhere since employees can use the applications on laptops.
Moreover, desktop and mobile softphone apps offer greater flexibility in your communication styles since they accommodate 3-way calling, video conferencing, message transcription, and caller information.
12+ Best Softphone Apps for Businesses
Here are some of the best softphone apps for businesses, including their features, pros and cons, and pricing.
Fastcall
Fastcall is a softphone application that was designed specifically for Salesforce. Founded in 2009 to integrate seamlessly with Salesforce. In the last decade, they’ve continued to evolve, launching from Version 1.0 to the most recent 7.50 Version, increasing their offerings to include outbound and inbound calls, SMS capabilities, data collection, and more!
Included Features
- Outbound calls
- Call routing
- Call transfer
- Customer recognition
- Custom dashboards
- Inbound calls
- SMS
- Video calls and conferencing
- Information management
- Call recording
- Call routing
- Call integration with Salesforce mobile app
Best for: Everyone
Pros
- Custom features and dashboards to fit your business’ needs
- Explicitly designed for Salesforce, offering seamless integration
- #1 Salesforce Native App for Phone, SMS, and Video
- Customer recognition for improved efficiency
- Worldwide calling and omnichannel support
- Concurrent calls
- Call recording and live listening to improve customer service strategy
Cons
None — no negative reviews on Salesforce Appexchange
Pricing
Free: 2-week trial
Essential: $24/user/month
Pro: $49/user/month
Custom: to fit varying business needs
RingCentral
RingCentral is a secure softphone app offering services across 100 countries. Its API platform integrates nicely with Google, Salesforce, Okta, Zendesk, and Microsoft and allows users to build custom mobile apps.
Included Features
- Unlimited US calls
- Call transfer
- Video conferencing capabilities
- Text messaging
- Voicemail-to-text transcription
- Document collaboration capabilities
- Click-to-call from web pages, Outlook, or Word document
- Voice and fax message consolidation into emails
Best for: Large teams
Pros: Super reliable, with a 99.9% uptime (the service is rarely down)
Cons: 24/7 support over live chat and phone, but not through email; some customers cite surprise fees in their reviews. Not dedicated to Salesforce.
Pricing
Essentials: $19.99/month for 20 users
Ultimate: $49.99/month for unlimited calls, users, storage, support, and video conferencing.
8×8
Founded in 1987, 8×8 is a San Jose telephony company and a leading cloud phone service provider. Integrated with both Salesforce Classic and Lightning, users love the advanced analytics capabilities for business communication.
Included Features
- Embeddable communications
- Works with Sales Cloud and Service Cloud
- Compatible with most browsers
- Call queue
- Voice integrations
- Meeting scheduling
- Video conferencing capabilities
Best for: Small teams and businesses
Pros: Reasonably priced
Cons: Some reviewers cite missed calls and poor customer support, with about 50% of all Appexchange reviews fair or negative.
Pricing
Small Business Phone System: $15/user/month
All-in-one Voice, Video, Chat: $24/user/month
Advanced Call Handling and Analytics: $44/user/month
Counterpath Bria Teams
Founded in 2009, Counterpath offers a full-stack cloud communications platform known for its strong customer support and high call quality. They were acquired by Alianza earlier this year (March) but continue to offer a variety of softphone app features to its clients.
Included Features
- Compatibility with Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices
- Click-to-call
- Call transfer
- Call recording capabilities
- HD audio codecs
- Video conferencing
- Instant messaging
Best for: Remote teams as the easy interface offers engagement
Pros: User-friendly interface and reliable; cost-effective
Cons: Some reviewers cite frequent crashes, but it’s important to note that those reviews are a few years old.
Pricing
Solo 1: Free, for one account
Solo for three users: $2.95/month
Teams: $4.95/user/month
Enterprise Basic, Standard, and Business bundles: Contact Bria Sales for custom pricing
Linphone
A well-known softphone app for Linux users, Linphone is the ultimate secure communications app. Launched in 2001, Linphone was the first open-source softphone application.
Included Features
- HD video calls and audio conferencing
- Call recording capabilities
- Call transfer
- Secure, ZRTP or SRTP-DTLS end-to-end encryption
- Compatibility with Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices, Linux
- Open-source licensing model
- File sharing
- User-friendly interface
- Linphone Instant Messaging Encryption (LIME)
Best for: Open-source companies
Pros: User-friendly interface and mobile app
Cons: Some reviewers cite issues with call recording memory
Pricing
Contact Linphone for pricing information.
Phone.com
Phone.com is a business communications service that offers many elite features from the standard enterprise plan without the high price tag.
Included Features
- Call recording
- Voicemail transcription
- Greetings and automated attendants
- Hold music
- Video conferencing capabilities
- Call analytics and CRM integration (pro plan)
- Mobile apps
- Discounts for multiple users
Best for: Small businesses
Pros: No contracts or long-term commitments
Cons: The Basic plan has limited minutes; no Salesforce package
Pricing
Basic: $12.99/user/month
Plus: $19.99/user/month
Pro: $29.99/user/month
Zoiper
A softphone software known for its security, Zoiper is a service-independent softphone application that has been renowned for its strong support for call centers, mobile operators, and other businesses.
Included Features
- End-to-end, military-grade encryption with TLS/SRTP and ZRTP
- Click-to-Dial capabilities
- Auto answer
- High audio quality
Best for: Companies that value strong security
Pros: No monthly fees
Cons: Fewer features than other softphone applications; no Salesforce package
Pricing
$49.95 one-time cost
GoToConnect
Formerly Jive, GoToConnect is one of the most reliable softphone apps out there, with support for webinars, video calling and conferencing, messaging, and calling. It boasts an uptime of 99.996% and has distributed cloud architecture.
Included Features
- Call routing
- Instant messaging
- Screen share capabilities
- One-click video calling and video conferencing
- Real-time collaboration
- Call flows
- Virtual voicemail
- Custom greeting
- Call monitoring
Best for: Businesses of all sizes
Pros: Reliable with 99.996% uptime
Cons: Some reviewers report call drops and a lack of customizable capabilities; no Salesforce package
Pricing
Basic: $22/user/month
Standard: $26/user/month
Premium: $39/user/month
Cisco Jabber
Cisco is a major player in the business communications field. Their Jabber softphone app offers businesses video conferencing, easy collaboration, instant messaging, and mobile applications all in one place.
Included Features
- Compatible with Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android devices
- Screen share
- Easy team collaboration
- Modern and user-friendly interface
- Document sharing
- Strong call quality
Best for: Teams that require frequent collaboration
Pros: Affordable, strong video quality
Cons: Automatic deletion of old messages; no Salesforce package
Pricing
$50 per license
Line2
Line2 is one of the more basic softphone apps, offering easy configuration and reliability for both mobile applications and desktops. Unfortunately, this option is limited when it comes to third-party integrations.
Included Features
- Merged phone calls
- Inbound call handling
- Local phone numbers
- Toll-free numbers
- Outbound calling
- Call recording
Best for: Small teams that don’t value video calling or video conferencing capabilities in their softphone app
Pros: User-friendly and intuitive
Cons: No video calling or video conferencing capabilities and limited integration capabilities
Pricing
Starter: $14.99/month
Growth: $19.99/month
Business: $24.99/month
Acrobits Cloud Softphone
Acrobits Cloud Softphone is a business communications tool that easily integrates with VoIP providers like Airwatch and MobileIron. Customers appreciate its features, such as click-to-call and screen sharing.
Included Features
- Unlimited calls and unlimited users
- Integration with MDM providers
- Multi-user collaboration
- Screen share
- Call routing
- Video calling and video conferencing capabilities
- Call logging
- Mobile apps access
Best for: Businesses of all sizes that use mobile devices
Pros: Affordable
Cons: No Salesforce package
Pricing
Full-featured: $69/month
Outbound only: $120/month
Whitelabel: $459/month
3CX Softphone
3CX Softphone is a free softphone system that connects to most VoIP providers. The company boasts 80% savings for businesses that choose their application.
Included Features
- Unlimited extensions
- Live chat
- Call reporting
- CRM integration
- Microsoft integrations
- Screen share
- Call recording
- Video conferencing
- Unique SIP trunk
Best for: Businesses on a budget
Pros: Very affordable, excellent call quality
Cons: Some reviewers cite a complicated setup process as well as a lack of fax functionality
Pricing
All 3CX plans, including enterprise, are entirely free for the first year. The prices below are from the second year onwards.
Standard: Free for the second year too.
Pro: $145
Enterprise: $180
Grasshopper
Grasshopper is a business communications service that offers desktop and mobile apps for many different kinds of businesses. It has various regularly updated features, like call transfers, voicemail transcription, and a live receptionist.
Included Features
- Business texting
- Call transfer
- Desktop and mobile apps
- Simultaneous call handling
- Call forwarding
- Unlimited calls for plus and pro plans
- Voicemail transcription
- Instant response
- Easy set up for extensions
- Compatible with Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android devices
Best for: Small businesses and marketing businesses
Pros: Call screening
Cons: Complicated set-up process, as cited by some reviewers
Pricing
Solo: $26/user/month
Partner: $44/user/month
Small Business: $80/user/month
Conclusion
Softphone apps are becoming the norm for thousands of businesses that want to be more productive will also save time, and money on phone calls, business communication, and video conferencing.
Fastcall allows the best integration with Salesforce and collaboration across international businesses and offers fully customizable plans to help fit your business needs.
Contact Fastcall today to take your business communication and VoIP service to the next level!
- 8×8 Review & Alternatives - January 7, 2022
- Grasshopper Review & Alternatives - January 7, 2022
- Talkdesk Review & Alternatives - December 29, 2021
