If you search online for a phone number for business, in all likelihood you’ll come across Mitel. Boasting a strong and secure system with a host of features, it seems like a solid option. But if you’re a small business, it’s well worth looking at some Mitel phone system alternatives.

Business solutions that might work well for medium and large businesses can become a burden for small and independent businesses. Using Mitel might make sense for larger firms, but small businesses should take the time to search for some Mitel alternatives.

Why are small businesses looking for Mitel alternatives?

Mitel is a PBX provider that has been in the industry for a long time – way before the popularisation of cloud or anyone had heard of unified communications (UC). While it’s a leader in the UC space, small businesses are looking for alternatives to the Mitel phone system because it does have its drawbacks.

To begin with, it’s expensive. Mitel’s plans start at $20.99 per user per month. If you want additional features, you’ll have to opt for even pricer plans that start at $26.59.

The second reason why people search for alternatives to Mitel is the lack of integrations. As small businesses use more and more apps to increase productivity, there’s a greater need for these to work well with their communication system.

The third reason for businesses looking for Mitel alternatives is customer service. Since the service has over 35 million customers, small businesses find it difficult to reach reliable customer support.

In the market for a Mitel alternative? Things to look for

If you’re interested in Mitel phone system alternatives, these are the parameters you should have in mind:

Pricing: What you choose should suit your budget, especially when you consider that you would be paying per user.

Quality of service: Large businesses have IT departments to take care of their problems. For small businesses, even an hour of outage could mean a loss of revenue.

Ease of use: If it’s complex, you may not end up using it to its full potential.

Customer service: Would it be easy to reach customer support or will you have to call multiple times and go through tedious online forums?

Value to the business: Can you get all the features your business needs at a comfortable price? Or will you have to pay a premium for the tools you need?

5 of the best Mitel alternatives

Chalkboard

One of the second phone number apps, Chalkboard is a virtual number built to improve productivity and increase collaboration for small businesses. With the latest update, team members can share phone numbers, which means that you won’t need a traditional landline or an expensive and complex cloud phone system.

By giving Chalkboard to your employees, you can have a modern, remote-friendly phone system in a few minutes. Users can organise contacts and lists and broadcast messages without having to type them out manually. The messaging features allow you to engage in conversational marketing with your customers.

Grasshopper

With this second number app, you get all the basic tools like custom greetings. A standout feature is the rules for answering calls. This lets you decide when to accept calls and when to direct them. You can also choose how long you would want it to ring before the call gets forwarded to another connected device.

But users have noted that Grasshopper doesn’t integrate with project and communication management apps like Salesforce, Hubspot or Slack. The app is also on the pricier side, which is less likely to suit small businesses.

Sideline

Another Mitel phone system alternative is Sideline, a non-VoIP phone that uses mobile service to make and receive calls. You get auto-attendant, auto-reply, broadcast SMS and international calling, along with MMS and contact management.

If you’re looking for integration with other apps or analytics, however, you might be left disappointed. The app also has a complex pricing plan that doesn’t give you all the features with every tier.

Google Voice

Those checking for alternatives to Mitel also end up considering Google Voice. What you’ll love about this virtual number app is how well it integrates with the other apps from Google Workspace. Along with number porting, it also gives you call forwarding and voicemail. What’s more, it’s more cost-effective than Grasshopper.

But its customer support is unreliable and you may have to search online forums for solutions. The app also doesn’t offer multi-extension support.

Line2 Pro

Armed with voice recognition and IVR, Line2 Pro is another popular Mitel alternative. What businesses like about the service is its contact and call centre management. The app also allows you to record and monitor calls, which will help improve customer service.

But Line2 Pro doesn’t come with a free version or a trial period, which makes it impossible for small businesses to try out the features of the app.

Best alternative to Mitel phone system? Chalkboard – A reliable second line for work

Among all the Mitel phone system alternatives, none can match Chalkboard in terms of features, affordability, flexibility and ease of use. The app comes with advanced team collaboration tools, high-quality service and enhanced features specifically designed for small businesses and solopreneurs.

Download Chalkboard today and try it now. It’s the only phone system your business needs.