Avaya phone system: The best alternatives

If you’re thinking about upgrading your business phone, in all likelihood, you will be considering a VoIP system. Among those, the Avaya phone system is a popular option that’s famous for its unified communication services. While some of its features are indeed business-friendly, it may not be the right solution for small businesses.

Why should you look at Avaya phone system alternatives?

Entrepreneurs are ditching their legacy landlines for modern phone systems. Avaya phone system with VoIP offers unified communications and contact centre management for businesses. It also has features that will help remote workforces.

But the Avaya phone system doesn’t have the flexibility that small businesses generally need. It’s also difficult to scale the system as your business grows. That’s why those looking for a good business phone should look for Avaya phone system alternatives.

What to look for in your next business phone system

If you’re looking beyond the Avaya phone system for your business, these are the key parameters you should have in mind.

Pricing

The number one factor for small businesses to consider should be the cost of the phone system. This includes the initial investments, requirement for hardware and infrastructure, maintenance costs, need for technical staff on the payroll and monthly charges.

Value to business

The next big factor is how your phone system will optimise your business communication. It should make it easy to organise your contacts, send promotional messages and address customer queries. If the company has a free trial period, it will be easier for you to figure these out.

Ease of use

The phone you choose should be easy to set up and use. Your business shouldn’t be interrupted for installation or maintenance. With an intuitive and easy interface and dashboard, you should be able to effortlessly add or remove features.

Mobility

It should meet the demands of increasingly remote workplaces and not bind you to a workstation or office. You should be able to make and receive calls from your office, home, worksite or even when travelling.

Customer service

While searching for Avaya phone system alternatives, you’ll come across free virtual number apps from tech giants. But these come with unreliable customer service. If you have a problem, you’ll have to resort to online forums for help.

Some of the best Avaya alternatives

Chalkboard

If you’re looking at the Avaya phone system, why not consider a phone solution made for the unique needs of small businesses, freelancers and startups? Chalkboard gives you a virtual number that you can start using in a matter of minutes. It’s easy to set up, affordable and loaded with features to grow your business.

Chalkboard allows teams to share phone numbers, which can replace your landline or cloud phone system. You get a unified communication system with auto-reply, contact organisation and broadcast SMS.

On top of everything else, Chalkboard's chat feature allows you to better engage with customers and market your products. With a free trial, you have everything you need to try this small business-specific phone system.

Google Voice

If your small business uses apps from the Google Workspace ecosystem, Google Voice is another Avaya phone system alternative you should consider. It’s a free service noted for its ease of use. Google Voice gives you voicemail transcription and auto-attendant among other features. You can also screen calls before you take them and block calls and messages.

But Google Voice doesn’t have the business tools that small businesses need. For starters, you can’t send mass texts to your consumers. This severely limits your ability to use your phone for marketing. In case you have a problem with the service, the only customer support you can find is through online forums.

Grasshopper

Among top-rated virtual numbers, Grasshopper is another popular Avaya phone system alternative. The service has been available since 2003 and was one of the first phone systems aimed at business users.

Grasshopper lets you choose from toll-free or vanity numbers. You can forward calls and be notified of missed calls in real-time. The app also transcribes voicemails and sends those as emails to users. But why do people search for Grasshopper alternatives? Because the app is expensive for small businesses.

Sideline

When searching for Avaya phone system alternatives, you would come across Sideline. For sole traders with basic needs, this is a viable option since it comes with auto-attendant, auto-reply to calls and texts, MMS, contact and list management and international calling.

But Sideline doesn’t have analytics that you would need to manage and improve your communication. The service also disappoints with its lack of integration with popular project management tools.

Try the best Avaya phone system alternative: Chalkboard

Whether you’re looking for Avaya phone system alternatives or Mitel phone alternatives, Chalkboard is the modern phone system you need to grow your business, improve collaboration and better engage with customers.

It’s a communication, collaboration and marketing tool, all rolled into an affordable package.