Customer Experience 
When shopping for cloud software for your contact center, you’ll likely come across Talkdesk. It offers many features for managing your call center operations, including interactive voice response (IVR), custom reporting, and advanced security tools.
But is Talkdesk the right tool for your contact center? To answer that, you’ll need to dig deeper to understand the costs and features you get with each pricing plan.
This guide will break down Talkdesk’s pricing, what you get for your money, and whether it aligns with your contact center’s goals. Let’s find out if Talkdesk’s cost is justified or if there’s a better option for your budget and needs.
Talkdesk Pricing Plans at a Glance
Talkdesk has four pricing plans:
- CX Cloud Digital Essentials
- CX Cloud Essentials
- CX Cloud Elevate
- CX Cloud Elite
Here’s a quick table highlighting the features and pricing of each plan:
| Plan | Best For | Top Features | Pricing (per user/month) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CX Cloud Digital Essentials | Small teams looking for a simple contact center tool with voice or digital capabilities | Digital engagement API access Real-time dashboards | $85 |
| CX Cloud Essentials | Small teams looking for a simple contact center tool with voice capabilities | Voice engagement 70+ out-of-box integrations Real-time dashboards | $85 |
| CX Cloud Elevate | Midsized teams that require omnichannel support and AI workflows | Screen recording Feedback Automated notifications | $115 |
| CX Cloud Elite | Enterprise organizations looking for an advanced contact center to scale end-to-end support | Custom reporting Workforce management Customer experience analytics Proactive outbound engagement | $145 |
Talkdesk Pricing Assumptions
Before we get into the particulars of its plans, you should know that list pricing assumes a three-year contract just to get started, and you are responsible for telecom-related costs.
Here’s the fine print:
You might not know the out-the-door cost of running a contact center with Talkdesk, but there’s plenty of literature on its features. Let’s take a closer look at the plans and pricing the company offers.
1. CX Cloud Digital Essentials
- Ideal for: Small teams with digital-first contact centers
CX Cloud Digital Essentials is great for smaller teams looking for a simple way to integrate all their digital channels for seamless communication. It lets you coordinate customer interactions across email, SMS, instant messaging chat, and social media.
Top features
- IVR
- Digital channel routing
- API access
- Conversations mobile app
Limitation
It doesn’t offer any VoIP capabilities.
2. CX Cloud Essentials
- Ideal for: Small businesses looking for a comprehensive VoIP solution for their call centers
CX Cloud Essentials is ideal for organizations handling a high volume of inbound and outbound calls. It provides features and capabilities for optimizing call center efficiency and agent performance.
Top features
- Voice engagement
- Basic automation
- Call routing
Limitation
It lacks advanced analytics and omnichannel options (only available as an add-on).
3. CX Cloud Elevate
- Ideal for: Midsized teams delivering omnichannel support and AI-driven workflows
CX Cloud Elevate is a decent option for midsized contact centers looking to streamline customer interactions across voice and digital channels. It provides everything you need to communicate and deliver personalized experiences across all your customer channels (omnichannel).
Top features
- Digital engagement
- Quality management
- AI-powered notifications
Limitation
Advanced features are still restricted, and AI tools are basic.
4. CX Cloud Elite
- Ideal for: Enterprise organizations looking for an advanced contact center to scale end-to-end support
CX Cloud Elite offers comprehensive solutions for enterprise businesses scaling omnichannel support. Beyond advanced contact center solutions, it also provides workflow management tools for scaling agents’ productivity and efficiency.
Top features
- Full access to omnichannel tools
- Custom reporting
- Advanced AI tools and security management
Limitation
It still lacks some advanced contact center features. For example, you must purchase the Talkdesk autodialer as an add-on feature.
Talkdesk vs. Nextiva: Detailed Comparison
Talkdesk is a decent contact center platform, but it’s a good idea to explore other options. Maybe you want more pricing flexibility or a platform with fewer disruptions. In any case, you may want to consider Talkdesk alternatives that might better fit your business.
Let’s see how Nextiva’s contact center solutions measure up against Talkdesk’s offerings.
1. Pricing
Nextiva offers more comprehensive and affordable pricing plans than Talkdesk, featuring sophisticated call center software capabilities without the enterprise price tag.
Nextiva’s Engage plan is a compelling alternative to Talkdesk’s CX Cloud Essentials. At just $40 per user/month, Nextiva Engage is a fraction of the cost of the Talkdesk offering, which starts at $85 per user/month.
But affordability doesn’t mean sacrificing features. Nextiva Engage equips your team with essential call center tools like:
- Toll-free numbers: Establish a professional presence with a dedicated toll-free number.
- Advanced call routing: Ensure calls reach the right agents efficiently with intelligent routing options.
- Queue callback: Reduce caller frustration with automated callbacks during lengthy hold times.
- Voice analytics: Gain key insights into call performance with detailed reports.
Nextiva also includes omnichannel features so you can connect with customers on their preferred channels. With Talkdesk, you might need to pay extra for these essential capabilities.
Talkdesk’s plan likely includes features around advanced workforce management and integrations. But for businesses prioritizing core call center functionality with omnichannel capabilities at a lower cost, Nextiva Engage offers a more complete package out of the box.
2. Uptime and reliability
Nextiva offers 99.99% uptime SLA, guaranteeing minimal disruptions to your contact center setup and workflows. As one of its customers says:
“Nextiva excels in call quality. The system’s reliability is outstanding, with minimal downtime, ensuring we can always stay connected with our clients and team members.”
Nextiva customer
On the other hand, some user reviews suggest that Talkdesk experiences frequent outages, leading to call center disruptions. For example, this customer lost thousands of euros to service downtimes the previous year:
“Over the last 2 years, we’ve experienced a series of outages between the actual voice service and components of the reporting suites, resulting in client penalties totaling tens of thousands of euros in 2023.”
Talkdesk customer
3. Support and customer service
One of the main reasons contact centers choose Nextiva is its reliable and timely customer support. Beyond the support provided during the onboarding and implementation process, Nextiva guarantees a quick response whenever you have questions or need to resolve an issue:
“The first thing I look into when researching a vendor is how well they support the product. Quality of service from the product itself is crucial, but when things go wrong, or a need arises, how well will the problem be attended to?
“Nextiva provides a quality communication platform backed by a knowledgeable customer support department. From ease of implementation to phone use, a group of well-trained and friendly technicians handled everything. Sales were simple and easy, with a couple of quotes and a great demonstration of the features of the services offered. What is there not to like when you have a quality product teamed with a great customer support team?”Nextiva customer
Talkdesk, on the other hand, isn’t very responsive when customers need help after implementation. For example, one customer complained that Talkdesk doesn’t provide phone options for contacting the support team quickly. And another customer spent a lot of time waiting for an issue to be resolved:
“We’ve been somewhat disappointed by Talkdesk’s slow response to our noncritical support cases and the unnecessarily lengthy time to resolution.”
Talkdesk customer
4. Generative AI features
While both platforms offer AI features, Nextiva’s AI is included in its lower pricing tiers.
For example, as a Core Plan subscriber, you can access AI automation tools like intelligent call routing and voicemail with AI transcriptions. This gives smaller businesses access to advanced AI functionalities to help them run and scale their contact center efficiently.
Meanwhile, Talkdesk’s AI Copilot and Autopilot are only available as add-ons that you pay extra for, or as part of the Elite Plan, which starts at $145 per user/month. For a premium price, Talkdesk delivers polished AI experiences.
5. User experience
Nextiva also provides a smooth user interface and a more intuitive user experience than Talkdesk. You don’t need advanced technical skills to deploy or use its contact center software. Nextiva also provides comprehensive help documentation for self-service users who prefer to implement or configure the contact center tool independently.
Here is what one of Nextiva’s customers says about their experience:
“Nextiva is extremely easy to set up. The Contact Center Software is sharp, easy to use, and exceptional! The sound is pristine. The Call Center Infrastructure (CCI) Software is hands down the best! Their customer service is super helpful and always available. I consider it to be in the top tier of the UCaaS Platforms. Of all the VoIP Providers in the market, Nextiva is the most reliable!”
Nextiva customer
The user experience is different with Talkdesk. Multiple user reviews suggest that the software can be hard to navigate, and you’ll need expert help to implement simple changes and workflows:
“The ease with which you can navigate the system is tedious. We have to have specialists in the business to aid in getting some of the reports and making changes to the system. Calls are delayed between us and customers as there is no tower on our continent for the system.”
Talkdesk customer
Which Contact Center Software Is Right for Your Business?
The right contact center software for your business depends on several factors, such as your budget, existing contact center software, and overall workflow.
Talkdesk might be a great fit if:
- Your organization has mature AI and machine-learning demands.
- You’re looking to customize your contact center capabilities with expensive add-on features.
- You have a tech team that can handle ongoing configurations and setup adjustments.
However, if you’re looking for a comprehensive and affordable contact center solution that scales with your business, Nextiva should be at the top of your list.
With Nextiva, you get:
- Better pricing transparency: Talkdesk requires custom quotes for advanced features, while Nextiva offers transparent pricing, making it easier for businesses to plan.
- Omnichannel support from day one: Unlike Talkdesk, Nextiva’s omnichannel tools (voice, email, chat, and SMS) are accessible for lower plan subscribers, providing immediate value.
- Reliable support: Nextiva’s 24/7 personalized support ensures consistent help, regardless of your plan, making it ideal for teams needing reliable assistance.
The Verdict: Nextiva Is Your Contact Center Solution
Talkdesk offers decent contact center features, especially for enterprise businesses. However, its high pricing, complexity, and frequent downtime make it unsuitable for growing companies looking to scale their contact center operations efficiently.
That’s where Nextiva comes in. Nextiva’s flexible pricing and features make it scalable for businesses of all sizes, from startups to large enterprises, providing essential tools without complex upgrades.
Want to see if Nextiva’s contact center solutions are right for your business? Check out our complete features, or book a demo.
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Talkdesk Pricing FAQs
Have more questions about Talkdesk pricing plans? We’ve answered them below.
Talkdesk has different pricing tiers. Its cheapest tier costs $85 per user/month — offering features like dashboards and contact center APIs. As a midsized or enterprise business, you can upgrade to its Elevate or Elite plans, which cost $115 and $145, respectively. You can also purchase add-ons with each plan, increasing your costs.
No, Talkdesk doesn’t offer discounts on annual contracts or volume purchases. You can enjoy special rates for per-hour login consumption and concurrent pricing — but you’ll have to commit to a three-year contract.
No, there are no hidden costs tied to Talkdesk’s pricing plans. However, if you want features beyond your specific package, you must purchase them as add-ons. You can purchase Talkdesk Autopilot, Copilot, and analytics as add-ons to your existing plan.
Nextiva is the best alternative to Talkdesk because it offers a comprehensive communication solution at a more affordable price. With Nextiva, you get robust features like advanced call management, analytics, and automation, all bundled into an intuitive platform.
Unlike Talkdesk, Nextiva includes unlimited calling, SMS, and collaboration tools in its plans, reducing the need for add-ons. Its user-friendly interface makes it easy for teams to adapt quickly, while excellent customer support ensures smooth onboarding. Nextiva also scales well with business growth, offering flexible plans that accommodate every business, from small startups to large enterprises.
