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Talkroute is a feature-rich virtual phone system allowing businesses to manage calls from their desktop, browser, and mobile phones. Aside from voice calls, it has unified communications features, including team chat and video conferencing. In this Talkroute review, we evaluate its pricing, features, ease of use, and customer service to help you decide if it’s the right communications platform for your business.
Talkroute earned an overall score of 4.31 out of 5, getting a perfect score on ease of use and customer service. However, it had a median expert score and pricing rating mainly because it lacks a free version and standout features.
Talkroute Review: At a Glance
What We Liked
- Unlimited multi-digit extensions are available, which benefit companies requiring several lines for different departments or team members
- Call stacking ensures no caller will get a busy tone
- Multi-level auto attendant promotes self-service among callers
- Works across different devices: macOS, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, and browsers
What’s Missing
- Lacks virtual fax feature
- Does not provide an open API or API access
- Meeting participant capacity is limited to 100, unlike other providers that accommodate more
When to Use Talkroute
- When you need local, toll-free, or vanity numbers: Talkroute offers a wide range of business phone numbers, making it one of our top picks for the best virtual phone number providers. It also allows number porting across all subscription plans.
- Businesses with small-scale contact centers: Take advantage of Talkroute’s call forwarding features, which direct calls to single or multiple phones. Ring them simultaneously, in sequence, or according to set dates and times.
- Companies needing reliable documentation for important deals: Talkroute features excellent recording capabilities for incoming and outgoing calls. It comes with unlimited storage to keep recordings as long as needed.
- Teams with employees in remote areas: Talkroute uses the traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN) to connect calls, which ensures great quality and 99.98% uptime, regardless of where team members are.
When to Use an Alternative
- When you have a global audience to connect to: Talkroute doesn’t offer international numbers. It doesn’t support international calling, either. If these features are essential to your customer service, it’s best to go for these voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) international calling providers.
- Companies with high call volume: According to Talkroute’s reasonable use policy, businesses are prohibited from using the service for bulk call-in lines. Explore these best call center systems instead when accommodating a high number of calls.
- Remote teams requiring advanced unified communication tools: Although Talkroute has meeting and team chat features, other providers have better collaboration features. RingCentral, for instance, accommodates up to 200 participants and hosts task management tools. Learn about the best unified communications platforms for remote teams.
Talkroute Deciding Factors
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Best For
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Small businesses needing an affordable virtual phone system to manage low call volume, send bulk texts to customers, and collaborate with colleagues remotely
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Standout Features
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Pricing Plans
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$19 to $59; customized pricing is also available
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Annual or Volume Discounts Available
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Annual billing option and volume discounts are not offered
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Platform Compatibility
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macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, and web browser
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Customer Service
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Talkroute Alternatives
Talkroute boasts excellent call management features but lacks international calling capabilities, integrations with third-party platforms, and a large meeting capacity. If these factors are essential for team collaboration and customer service, it’s best to go for Talkroute alternatives.
Cloud-based phone system Ooma allows international calling at affordable rates, starting at 2.5 cents. If you’re a solopreneur with a home office, opt for the provider’s residential package, which lets you access an unlimited calling plan to landlines in over 70 countries and to mobile phones in over 40 countries for only $25.99 a month.
Nextiva, on the other hand, is the ideal solution if you want a phone system equipped with robust unified communication features, including task management, team presence, and file sharing. It has audio and video conferencing, accommodating unlimited and 250 participants, respectively.
Meanwhile, RingCentral allows you to connect with over 200 popular apps. These are tools for customer relationship management (CRM), analytics, collaboration, customer support, and short messaging service (SMS).
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Best For
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Small businesses that frequently make international calls
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Companies requiring a complete, feature-rich unified communications platform with a large meeting capacity
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Organizations wanting to integrate their business phone system with third-party apps
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Monthly Starting Price (Billed Monthly)
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$14.99
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$30.95
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$30 per user
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Read Review
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Ooma Review
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Nextiva Review
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RingCentral Review
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Talkroute pricing got a score of 3.75 out of 5 since it’s relatively more affordable than leading competitors like Grasshopper and Aircall. Unlike Nextiva, it doesn’t offer volume discounts. It doesn’t have an annual billing option, either. The subscription costs $19 to $59, but a customized Talkroute pricing is available for businesses needing 20+ users.
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Talkroute Plans
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Basic
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Plus
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Pro
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Enterprise
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Best For
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Solopreneurs who need a professional phone number
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Solopreneurs requiring basic call handling and meeting capabilities
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Small businesses that need enhanced call management features
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Small-scale contact centers that need multiple phone numbers for customer service
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Monthly Pricing
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$19
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$39
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$59
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Customized quote
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Account Users
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1
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3
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10
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20+
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Local & toll-free numbers
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1
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2
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3
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10
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Voicemail boxes
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1
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3
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10
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20+
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Auto attendant and interactive voice response
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✕
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✓
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✓
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✓
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Single-digit extensions
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✕
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✓
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✓
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✓
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Call recording
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✕
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✕
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✓
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✓
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Whiteboard and file sharing in meetings
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✕
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✕
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✓
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✓
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Click on the options below to know more about Talkroute’s plans and inclusions:
Basic
Plus
Pro
Enterprise
Talkroute Features
A complete virtual phone system, Talkroute lets businesses route and forward calls, create phone extensions, manage voicemails, and send texts. It also comes with video conferencing capabilities, supporting a 100-participant capacity across all plans. Included in the meeting features are the collaboration tools, namely whiteboards and file sharing.
In this Talkroute review, the general features of the provider earned a score of 5 out of 5 since it has the essential capabilities businesses consider in a virtual phone system. For one, it offers local and toll-free numbers, unlimited calling minutes within the US and Canada, and SMS and MMS messaging. Here are some more Talkroute general features:
- Call forwarding and routing
- Live call transfer
- Call stacking
- Custom greetings
- Caller ID name
- Voicemail
- Dial-by name directories
- Hours of operation
- Single-digit extensions
- SMS and MMS messaging
For niche features, Talkroute got a 4 out of 5 score because the provider offers vanity numbers and voicemail transcription, among other advanced capabilities businesses look for in phone systems. However, it lacks international numbers leading phone systems RingCentral and Phone.com provide. Nonetheless, Talkroute has valuable features:
Live Call Transfer
Voice Studio
Video Conferencing
Team Chat
Screen Sharing
Given Talkroute’s wide range of support channels, we gave the provider a perfect score in the aspect of customer service. It offers phone and chat support on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Email support is open at all times every day. Talkroute also has a help center, a centralized hub for all the how-to guides.
If you don’t want to wait by the phone for assistance, the provider offers a scheduled set-up call, an exclusive consultation that lasts 30 minutes to an hour. Another customer support option is a live demo, where a Talkroute representative will take you through the platform’s features.
In this Talkroute review, we rated the provider a perfect score on ease of use because the platform is relatively straightforward to set up and operate. After downloading the software and signing in, you can use the tool right away. The interface is simple and easy to navigate. The main menu on the left side of the interface contains all the communication tools you need, avoiding confusion: keypad, history, messages, voicemail, and meetings.
Talkroute has a simple, intuitive interface. (Source: Talkroute)
As for finding business phone numbers, Talkroute’s website hosts the number search portal. Choose from the extensive catalog of phone numbers in all of the major toll-free area codes. If you prefer a vanity number, simply key in the word you want, and the system will provide options.
We gave Talkroute an expert score of 3.75 because we didn’t find several standout features that give the platform a competitive edge over other providers. However, many users noted on third-party review sites that the platform is easy to use. Its simplicity benefits new users and small teams. As of writing, here are the user ratings based on Talkroute reviews from third-party sites:
- G2: 4.4 out of 5 based on 20 reviews
- Trustpilot: 4.5 out of 5 based on 15 reviews
- GetApp: 4.4 out of 5 based on 16 reviews
How We Evaluated Talkroute
To assess Talkroute and see how it stacks up against the best business phone systems in the market, we listed criteria points we deemed most crucial in choosing a communication tool. We also referred to third-party review platforms to learn about existing users’ experience with the phone system.
Bottom Line
Talkroute is a robust business phone system allowing businesses to manage calls more efficiently, organize text messages, and collaborate remotely via video conferencing. The easy-to-use platform and the provider’s responsive customer service particularly benefit teams transitioning from landline systems to virtual phone services. Sign up for Talkroute’s free trial or the basic plan for only $19 a month.
Visit Talkroute