Pricing
subscription
Best For
Sales teams that want AI coaching, real-time transcription, and call intelligence during every conversation
Rating
8.2/10
Last Updated
Mar 2026
TL;DR
Dialpad is the AI-first VoIP platform. Real-time transcription during calls is the headline feature — you see every word as it's spoken, searchable and archived. The AI Coach nudges sales reps with suggested responses during live calls. Sentiment analysis flags unhappy customers in real-time. If you believe AI-powered calling is the future, Dialpad is ahead of the pack. The phone system itself is solid: clean interface, good call quality, reasonable pricing at $15-25/user. The downside is that the contact center product costs significantly more and the international calling options are weaker than 8x8.
What is Dialpad?
AI Built Into Every Call
Dialpad was founded by the team behind Google Voice. That pedigree shows in the AI capabilities. Every phone call, video meeting, and voicemail gets transcribed in real-time. Not after the call — during the call. You see words appearing on screen as people speak. The transcripts are searchable, shareable, and archived. For anyone who's ever forgotten what was discussed on a call, this changes everything.
The AI doesn't just transcribe. It detects action items, summarizes key points, and creates post-call recaps automatically. Sales managers can search across thousands of call transcripts for specific topics, competitor mentions, or pricing discussions.
Dialpad AI for Sales Teams
The AI coaching features are where Dialpad shines brightest. During a live sales call, AI Coach displays suggested responses, product details, and competitive battlecard information based on what the prospect is saying. If a prospect mentions a competitor, relevant talking points appear. If they ask about pricing, the latest rate card pops up.
Sentiment analysis tracks the emotional tone of conversations in real-time. Supervisors see a dashboard showing which calls are going well and which are struggling. They can jump into a call with whisper coaching — the agent hears the manager, but the customer doesn't.
The Core Phone System
Beyond the AI, Dialpad is a competent business phone. HD voice, video meetings up to 150 participants, team messaging, SMS/MMS, and call routing. The interface is cleaner than most VoIP admin panels. Setup takes under an hour for small teams. Number porting from previous providers works smoothly.
Where Dialpad Falls Behind
International calling is not their strength. No unlimited calling to dozens of countries like 8x8. You'll pay per-minute rates for most international destinations. The desk phone support is limited compared to RingCentral — Dialpad pushes softphone-first. The contact center product (Dialpad AI Contact Center) is powerful but priced separately at $80+/agent, making the total cost climb fast if you need both UCaaS and CCaaS.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Real-time AI transcription during calls is best-in-class — every word searchable and archived automatically
- AI Coach suggests responses, battlecards, and product info to sales reps during live calls
- Sentiment analysis flags struggling calls in real-time so supervisors can intervene with whisper coaching
- Clean, modern interface that takes under an hour to set up for small teams
- Competitive pricing at $15/user/month for Standard with AI features included, not add-on priced
Cons
- International calling charges per-minute rates — no unlimited international bundles like 8x8 offers
- Desk phone support is limited — Dialpad pushes softphone-first which frustrates traditional phone users
- Contact center product priced separately at $80+/agent adds significant cost for full UCaaS + CCaaS
- Video meetings max at 150 participants compared to 200-500 on RingCentral and 8x8 higher plans
- Standard plan requires only 1 user but Pro requires 3 minimum, which limits solo users wanting CRM integrations
Dialpad Pricing
Standard
- Unlimited calling (US/CA)
- AI transcription
- Google/Microsoft 365 integration
- SMS/MMS
- Call recording
- Visual voicemail
Pro
- Everything in Standard
- Local number in 70+ countries
- CRM integrations
- Multiple offices
- Advanced analytics
- 25 ring groups
Enterprise
- Everything in Pro
- Unlimited ring groups
- SSO
- 100% uptime SLA
- Priority support
- Custom integrations
Pricing last verified: March 25, 2026
Who is Dialpad Best For?
- Sales teams that want AI coaching, real-time transcription, and call intelligence during every conversation
- Small to mid-sized businesses looking for an affordable modern phone system with built-in AI
- Companies that prioritize call searchability and want every conversation transcribed and archived
- Remote teams that prefer softphone-first workflows over traditional desk phone setups
Technical Details
The Bottom Line
Dialpad scores 8.2/10. It stands out for real-time ai transcription during calls is best-in-class — every word searchable and archived automatically. Best suited for sales teams that want ai coaching, real-time transcription, and call intelligence during every conversation. Keep in mind that international calling charges per-minute rates — no unlimited international bundles like 8x8 offers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on editorial analysis