Understanding the costs associated with business communication tools is vital for organizations of all sizes. Aircall, a well-regarded cloud-based phone system, is especially popular among sales and support teams, yet its pricing structure can be confusing for newcomers.
The question is, how does it compare in terms of value? Are there better options out there for your team?
This concise guide breaks down every aspect of Aircall’s costs, including plan features, required add-ons, and hidden fees.
We also compare Aircall’s value against KrispCall, giving small businesses and growing teams the information they need to choose the most cost-effective communication solution.
✨ Key Takeaways
- Aircall offers three main pricing options when you pay annually: Essentials for $30 per user per month, Professional for $50 per user per month, and a custom plan for which you can get a price. If you prefer to pay monthly, the cost will be higher.
- While Aircall’s base plans provide essential features, many advanced capabilities, such as AI Assist, Analytics+, WhatsApp integration, and additional phone numbers, are available as paid add‑ons.
- Aircall is not ideal for small teams or startups due to its minimum-user requirements and higher per-user pricing, which make it less flexible for businesses with limited budgets.
Aircall plans and pricing overview
Aircall offers its business phone apps solution across three distinct plans: Essentials for basic needs and integrations, Professional for advanced features and analytics, and Custom for large-scale enterprise requirements.
| Feature | Essential | Professional | Custom |
| Starting price | $30 per license | $50 per license | Contact sales |
| Minimum number of users | 3 | 3 | 25 |
| Data analytics | Basic Analytics (6 months) | Basic and Advanced Analytics (6 months) | Unlimited |
| Call coaching | No | Yes | Yes |
| SAML Single Sign-on | No | No | Yes |
| Max number of teams | 3 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Call summaries | AI Assist | AI Assist | AI Assist |
| Phone number included in the plan | 1 local or toll-free | 1 local or toll-free | 1 local or toll-free |
| Standard Onboarding (11 users minimum) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Voicemail transcription | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Power Dialer | No | Yes | Yes |
| Price of each additional number, per month | $6 | $6 | $6 |
1. The Essentials plan
Aircall’s essentials plan is a basic business phone system at about $30/user/month (minimum of 3 users). It includes unlimited US/Canada calls, 1 number, call recording (6 mo dashboard, 1-year request), and key integrations. However, additional fees apply for international calls, more numbers, and advanced AI features, making it suitable for small teams with core VoIP needs.
Features included:
- IVR (Vocal server)
- Time and date-based routing
- Ring groups
- Standard Analytics
- Pause-resume recording
- Voicemail transcription
- Role-based permissions
Small businesses or teams needing a simple, reliable cloud phone system with essential calling features and key integrations, without requiring extensive enterprise-level call center tools in the base package.
The limitations of this plan are that AI Features like AI call summaries and transcription require an add-on, and international calling requires contacting sales for rates or upgrading to the Professional/Custom plan. Also, basic analytics are available, but advanced features are in higher tiers.
2. The Professional plan
The Professional plan building on the Essentials plan with features like call tagging and CRM integrations, but requires a 3-user minimum and is usually priced around $50/user/month with annual billing.
Key features:
- Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)
- Call queuing
- Shared contacts
- Power Dialer
- Call summaries
- Messaging API
- Ring on Speakers
It is best for growing sales and support teams needing more than basic features. Businesses using the Salesforce call center system or other major CRMs. Companies want to monitor performance and coach agents in real time.
Here, you get limited call recording (1 year), no MMS in some regions, basic analytics data retention, and a minimum user requirement (often 3), with advanced features like deeper analytics (Analytics+) requiring paid add-ons.
3. The Custom plan
The Custom plan is built for enterprise-level organizations or large contact center companies that require full-feature access, unlimited international calling, and enterprise-grade support. It has a minimum of 25 users, and pricing is available upon request.
Includes:
- SAML Single Sign-On
- Premium Onboarding (Hands-on setup)
- Access to API developer support
- Key topic recognition
- Voicemail Drop
- Analytics+ add-on
- Mandatory tagging
Aircall’s Custom plan is ideal for organizations that need extensive customization, global reach, and enterprise-level support, but it comes with higher costs and greater complexity than standard plans.
This is not suitable for small businesses or startups due to the high minimum user requirements. Additional costs apply for add-ons and extra SMS usage beyond monthly limits.
4. Other options and add-ons
Aircall also offers add-ons such as Aircall AI and Analytics+, which can increase costs. The AI add-on provides AI-powered call summaries and insights, while Analytics+ offers deeper reporting and advanced analytics. Additional numbers cost $6 per number per month.
- AI Assist: Starts at $9/license/month
- AI Assist Pro: $49/license/month
- AI Voice Agent: From $0.49/minute
- Analytics+ add-on: $15/license/month
- WhatsApp in Aircall: $10/license/month
- Aircall for Salesforce Force: $30/license
All plans include access to 100+ integrations and API access, but some features, like modern AI contact suggestions and message responses, are not available even in the Custom plan. Businesses can choose the add-ons that best fit their needs and budget, with pricing details provided upon request for the Custom plan and add-ons.
5. Extra costs and hidden fees in Aircall plans
Aircall plans include several extra costs and hidden fees that can increase your total bill. Here are the most common hidden fees, explained in brief bullets:
- Toll-free minutes are not unlimited; extra charges apply for outbound toll-free calls in the US and Canada, with prices varying by destination (landline, mobile, premium area codes).
- Advanced SMS/MMS features like shared inboxes, A2P 10DLC compliance, SMS templates, and scheduled messages require an add-on at $20 per user per month, plus $0.01 per SMS and $0.04 per MMS.
- AI-powered features such as call summaries, sentiment analysis, and CRM logging are not included in base plans; the Aircall AI add-on costs $9 per license per month.
- Additional phone numbers cost $5 to $6 per number per month, depending on the plan.
- International outbound calls may have separate rates not listed on the main pricing page; exact costs depend on the destination and are not always transparent.
- Analytics+ and other advanced reporting features are add-ons and not included by default, even in the Custom plan.
Aircall’s plan & pricing compared to competitors
Aircall and KrispCall are both popular VoIP business phone systems, but they differ significantly in pricing, global reach, and feature sets. KrispCall is often considered a more budget-friendly and scalable alternative to Aircall, especially for small- to mid-sized businesses and teams that need broad international coverage.
G2 review: “KrispCall has been a game-changer for our communication workflow. The dashboard is super intuitive, making it easy to manage multiple numbers, track calls, and collaborate with the team. The call quality is consistently clear, and I love that everything, from call logs to voicemail, is neatly organized in one place.”
— Srushtidhar L. AI Voice Agent & amp; AI Automation Strategist, Small-Business (50 or fewer employees)
Essential plan
The Essential Plan of KrispCall starts at $12 per user per month when billed annually, or $15 per user per month when billed monthly.
It includes basic calling features, call forwarding, a limited number of agents (usually 5), and messaging, and is designed for small businesses, startups, and freelancers.
Standard plan
KrispCall’s Standard Plan starts from $32 per user per month when billed annually, or $40 per user per month when billed monthly.
It adds to the basic features of the essential plan line, such as advanced reporting, unlimited call recording and storage, call transfer, and power dialer.
Enterprise plan
The KrispCall Enterprise plan is designed for businesses needing advanced features and scalability. The plan offers enterprise-grade reliability, security, and flexibility, ensuring your contact center can grow with your business.
Pricing details are available by contacting their sales teams, as it’s not listed upfront like the Essential and Standard plans. KrispCall emphasizes its AI-powered platforms as a key benefit for enterprises.
Core features you’ll get with every plan
Every KrispCall plan includes all the fundamental features of a cloud telephony solution that effectively manage business communications across multiple devices. Some common features across all plans include unified callbox, phone number porting, call management, voicemail, basic call analytics & logs, multiple-device access, one free phone number, 24/7 customer support, and more.
Best features of Aircall and KrispCall
Both AirCall and KrispCall are cloud-based phone systems that offer essential features for modern business communication, particularly for sales and support teams.
Aircall
Aircall provides simplicity and integration that excels in providing an effective contact center solution using various features:
- Extensions: Assign each team member a personalized three-digit extension that their colleagues can quickly dial.
- Queue callback: Give callers the power to opt out of a waiting line and receive your outbound reply at a later time.
- AI-generated call summaries: Instantly grasp the essence of a conversation by reading a summary and reviewing calls twice as fast.
- Parallel calls: Put your current conversations on hold and start a separate call with a third party at the same time.
- Conversation center: Drive sales and customer support performance with a filterable log of calls and voicemail, and access call recording and transcripts in one click.
KrispCall
KrispCall offers a wide array of features, ranging from core call management functions to advanced AI-powered tools and seamless CRM integrations. They are:
- Custom caller ID: Protect your privacy by using an external caller ID service to hide your real phone number.
- Bulk SMS: Quickly send a message to many people at once. This helps you efficiently announce important information to your audience.
- SMS forwarding: Set up automatic forwarding of your incoming SMS to another number. This makes it easier to monitor messages and work together with others.
- Custom greeting: Personalize your welcome messages, auto-attendant responses, hold music, and voicemail greetings to help route your customers correctly.
- Webphone: Make voice calls directly from your web browser. Stay connected with anyone, anywhere, at any time, on any device that supports it.
KrispCall vs. Aircall: Direct comparison
KrispCall and Aircall are both leading VoIP phone systems, but they appeal to slightly different business needs, with pricing and feature sets that differ.
| Aspect | KrispCall | AirCall |
| Pricing | Starts at $12 per month per user (annual basis) | Starts at $30 per license (which is billed annually) |
| Global calling | 100+ countries | 38 countries |
| Free phone numbers | UK, USA, or Canada | No |
| Unified Callbox | Yes | No |
| Minimum users | 5 | 3 |
| Outbound domestic call | Pay per minute | $0.01/min |
| Messaging (US & Canada) | Pay per segment | Contact sales |
| Call recording access | Unlimited | Limited |
| Phone number sharing | Yes | No |
Is Aircall still the best choice?
Aircall is a strong choice for small to medium-sized businesses that prioritize a user-friendly, cloud-based phone system with robust CRM integrations, but it may not be the best choice for all businesses. Especially those specific needs for unified communications (video/chat), advanced international calling flexibility, or extensive enterprise-level requirements.
Pros and cons of Aircall pricing plans
Aircall pricing plans offer CRM integrations, powerful call routing for sales and support teams. Apart from providing benefits, they also have some common cons.
| Pros | Cons |
| Offers local and toll-free numbers in 100+ countries, with unlimited outbound international calling. | Plans often require a minimum of 3 users, excluding solo/small teams. |
| Annual billing gives a 20% discount. | No free plan, only a 7-day trial. |
| You can add extra features only if you need them. | 24/7 support is not available on lower tiers. |
| Scales for teams with unlimited users and teams on higher plans. | Pay per license, not per active user. |
| Includes advanced features like unlimited calls, call recording, and CRM integrations. | Extra phone numbers and services increase the price. |
Related 👉: Aircall vs Vonage: Which One is Actually Built for Your Team?
Final Verdict: KrispCall edges out on price
When evaluating cloud-based phone systems, both Aircall and KrispCall offer strong solutions for business. Aircall provides enterprise-grade features, advanced analytics, and robust CRM integrations, making it suitable for large teams and organizations with complex requirements. However, its higher pricing, minimum user requirements, and additional fees for add-ons can make it less practical for small to mid-sized businesses.
On the other hand, KrispCall, as a VoIP call center, stands out as a more affordable, flexible, and scalable alternative. With lower starting prices, essential features included in base plans, broader international coverage, and an intuitive interface, KrispCall delivers excellent value for businesses looking to optimize costs without compromising functionality.
For small businesses, startups, or growing teams seeking cost-effective communication tools, KrispCall offers a compelling choice. It combines powerful features, global reach, and ease of use, making it the smarter choice over Aircall for businesses seeking reliability, flexibility, and transparent pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Aircall vs. KrispCall — Which Is Right for Your Business?
KrispCall is the best option over AirCall in terms of pricing and features, especially for businesses prioritizing affordability, flexibility, and ease of use.
