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Nextiva Review

Tuesday, March 21st

2023 Business Phone System Reviews

Nextiva Review 2.5 Star Rating

Nextiva

2.5 Star Rating
  • "A+" rated and accredited by the BBB
  • Integrations with top productivity, CRM, ERP and helpdesk apps
  • Monthly or annual pricing available
  • 7-day free trial on Essential, Professional, Enterprise plans
  • Four service levels to choose from

Nextiva got our attention by being selected as U.S. News' best business phone system for two consecutive years. Companies ranging from small-scale to industry leaders are featured in Nextiva's customer stories - like Nothing Bundt Cakes, Stanley Steemer, and even Conan O'Brien's roadshow team. Read on to see how this provider's business phone systems measure up against the competition (or how they don't!).

Big discounts with annual payment plans

Keep an eye on the settings when you go to price your company's business phone system. The Nextiva site defaults to annual pricing, which comes at a significant discount over month-to-month payments.

No shortage of included features

You'll find four total service packages on business phone systems here: Essential, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate. All of them come with unlimited calling within the US and Canada, unlimited video calling, team messaging/collaboration/video, voicemail-to-email notifications, integrations with MS Outlook and Google Contacts, 24/7 customer support, hold music, call groups, call history and log reports, plus a handful of other features. If that's all you need, the Essential plan will be your pick: it's priced from $24.95 to $30.95 per user per month.

Business Phone System Costs

  • $24.95 to $30.95 per user per month for Essential plan
  • $29.95 to $35.95 per user per month for Professional plan
  • $39.95 to $45.95 per user per month for Enterprise plan
  • $60.95 to $75.95 per user per month for Ultimate plan

Jump to the Professional plan for greater capabilities

Moving on to the Professional package at $29.95 to $35.95 per user per month, your business phone system will include unlimited conference calls with up to 40 participants, unlimited video conferencing with up to 250 participants, call pop for up to 250 contacts, more integrations (with apps like Hubspot, Salesforce and Zendesk), mobile SMS/MMS, and professional setup.

Enterprise package adds even more

Small-to-medium teams may want the extra features included with Nextiva's Enterprise package, priced at $39.95 to $45.95 per user per month. Your users gain extended integrations (Microsoft Teams, ServiceNow, Oracle Sales Cloud), voice analytics and voicemail transcription, single sign-on, and unlimited call pop, voice and video conferencing, and video conference/call recording.

Best Business Phone Systems

Most management and productivity tools with Ultimate

Finally, the Ultimate package incorporates every feature of the first three tiers and adds automated surveys, customer journey analytics, plus management of sales productivity, pipeline management, service productivity, and ticket management. As you'd expect, the business phone systems at this level aren't cheap: $60.95 to $75.95 per user per month.

7-day trial but may need a rep to authorize

Nextiva offers a 7-day trial on three of their four plans - but the main pricing page only makes that obvious for the lowest tier, Essential. We saw the free trial options for the other plans when we went to the comparison page. When we reached out to a sales rep via live chat, he confirmed that Nextiva offers that trial period for the Essential, Professional and Enterprise plans, but that it would be best to set that up directly with a representative (because it might not show up during the online quote process otherwise). That comparison chart also had different pricing than the dynamic page, so don't trust it to be up-to-date.

Compliments from some users

At the outset, Nextiva seems to check all the boxes to have a good reputation, like an "A+" rating and accreditation from the BBB. And it's true that you'll find some businesses who have nothing but sunshine for this provider, saying that their account reps and support team have been friendly and available whenever needed.

Not just minor failures here

Unfortunately, it appears that when Nextiva lets a client down, it's in grand fashion. We found reviews from doctors' offices and emergency responders whose phone numbers gave callers a "this call cannot be completed as dialed" - for a week at a time! Some business owners who have been Nextiva users for years theorize that this service grew too quickly and now puts too much emphasis on sales and not enough on service. From hidden or erroneous charges on accounts to monthly fees skyrocketing within a short time after starting service, there are indicators that even the billing aspect of Nextiva service is subpar.

A service that disappoints

Perhaps if you've got a well-known, large-scale business, Nextiva makes sure to keep you happy. But from what we've seen, solo-preneurs and small companies don't get the customer support they need from this platform. And, given the higher-than-average cost of service and the number of options out there that seem to do a better job of taking care of "the little guys" , we can't recommend Nextiva for most business phone system needs.

Which Company Offers the Best Business Phone System?

To answer that question, you first need to decide what exactly you need your system to accomplish. Is it just the basics, like having a separate number for business calls and being able to route them to different employees? Or are you looking for something fully-featured, with the ability to handle video conferencing and file sharing, integrate with apps you're already using, and extend your reach globally?

No matter what type of phone system your business needs, you've got options! Even if you're a solo entrepreneur, there's a provider for you. If you're wondering whether it's going to be a huge investment to set up your business phones, that depends on how you look at it.

The Best Business Phone Systems Compare Business Phone Systems Compare Business Phone System Reviews What are the best Business Phone Systems Best Business Phone System Reviews

Business Phone System FAQ

A business phone system allows you to manage all of your company's telecommunications. Packages may include a toll-free phone number, call routing to multiple users, and voicemail retrieval via email.
Whatever your company's size, there's a system that fits. Most providers have packages and plans that scale well, so even if you start with just a few features and phones, you can expand as needed - or keep it exactly the same. Business phone systems are a fantastic way to manage multiple phones and users with little hassle.
They don't have to be! Monthly plans start at $9.95 for smaller packages of users and minutes.
There will probably be a slight learning curve, but the best providers of these systems will walk you through every step of setup and give you great tech support as long as you have your plan. Most services let you use an online dashboard to configure and manage every aspect of your system.
Yes, most of the time. If you've already invested in phones for your business, you don't want to have to spend a lot more to set up a business phone system - so choose a provider that lets you incorporate existing equipment.
Most customers use these systems to route phone calls among team members. It's easy to change which numbers are directed to which phones, for easy coverage when someone is out of the office or unavailable. Other popular features are creating a virtual PBX, receiving and sending faxes, automated voicemail-to-text, call screening, and even premium hold music!
Very! Some providers have been in business for more than 20 years, and they know exactly how to help you get your system up and running the way you want. You can always check out a company's customer feedback and their rating from the Better Business Bureau, for assurance that a provider is on the up-and-up.
Of course. Because you're not physically installing phone lines in your business, changing your business phone system is easy to do. And, many services have a 30-day money-back guarantee to protect you even more.
Compare the Best Reviews

Continued from above...

Gone are the days of having to buy equipment and install landlines: most business phone systems today rely on mobile phones and can often use what you already have, minimizing hardware expenses like never before. That doesn't mean it's going to be cheap, though: expect monthly costs ranging anywhere from $12 to over $100 per user, depending on the features you require and which provider you choose.

However, that doesn't mean you'll end up spending more money. Those costs can quickly be offset by increased productivity, getting more customers because of faster response times, and all-in-one packaging that eliminates the need for multiple vendor contracts.

There are a lot of business phone system services out there, and it can be a little daunting narrowing down the possibilities. Want some help? Keep these four Cs in mind as you look for the one that will be the best fit for your company:

  • Convenience. How easy is it to set up and use the business phone system? Will it save you time and hassle over the long run? Does it work well with the phones, apps, and other processes your company already uses?
  • Cost. How much will you pay to get the business phone system that meets your day-to-day operational needs? How do those fees compare with rival systems? Do you get a good value for the money?
  • Contracts. Do you have to make a commitment of a year or longer? Does paying for a year-long contract get you a discount on your monthly fees? What happens if you need to break your contract?
  • Customer Support. It's easy to make big promises about service and savings but not as easy to keep them. How does the provider respond after the sale, to keep your system up and running with little to no downtime?

To help you get the right phone system for your business, TopConsumerReviews.com has evaluated and ranked the top providers on the market today. We're confident that this information will help you easily sort through the options and find the perfect match for your company!

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