20 rules in 6 groups, worth 100 points in all. They were set before any product was scored and apply the same way to all 10.
Version 1, published 9 Oct 2026
In short
Each rule is a yes-or-no fact, a list (such as the systems with an app) or a number with published thresholds, read from the vendor's own pages.
A fact the vendor does not publish earns nothing. A feature in beta or preview does not count.
The list follows the points. A tie goes to the lower price on "cheapest plan with recording and IVR", then to the name.
Cloud phone and call center systems for small and mid-size teams that run in a browser or a Windows app. Quote-only plans earn no price points. A line that says "on at least one plan" counts only plans a team can buy without a sales call, unless the line says otherwise.
Price and trial 22 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Cheapest plan with recording and IVR
The cheapest plan whose own price or plan-comparison page lists both call recording and an IVR menu without an add-on, priced per user per month in US dollars, billed yearly, at its regular price. Usage charges, phone numbers and add-ons are not included. A product with only quote-based prices counts as null. $15 or less earns 12 points, $25 or less 9, $35 or less 6, $50 or less 3.
12
Smallest team you can buy for
The minimum number of users the vendor sets for the plan priced above, as printed on its pricing page. Null if the price line is null. One user earns 4 points, up to three users 2.
4
Free trial
The vendor's own pricing or sign-up page offers a free trial of a paid plan for a stated period or with no payment details. A demo request does not count.
3
Free plan
A free plan (not a trial) that lets a user make or take calls, with usage charges allowed.
3
Calling 26 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Call recording
Calls can be recorded and played back, on at least one plan. A paid add-on counts if its price is published.
3
IVR menu
A press-a-number menu that sends callers to a team or queue, on at least one plan.
5
Call queues
Waiting callers are held in a queue and handed to agents by a rule such as round robin or longest idle, on at least one plan.
5
Skills-based routing
Calls can be routed by a named agent skill, language or tag, on at least one plan. Routing by CRM owner, region or time of day alone does not count.
3
Power or progressive dialer
The system dials the next number in a list automatically when an agent is free, on a plan or a paid add-on with a published price.
6
Listen, whisper and barge
A supervisor can listen to a live call and also whisper (coach the agent) or barge in (join the call), on at least one plan, documented on the vendor's own page. A page that says only "live monitoring" does not count.
4
Channels 8 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Messaging channels
Agents can handle the channel with customers inside the same product, on a plan or a paid add-on with a published price. Email or chat support from the vendor, and email reports or notifications, do not count. Each one earns 2 points.
8
Integrations and reports 20 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Named CRM and help desk links
The vendor lists an integration with each one on its own integrations or pricing page. Each one earns 2 points.
10
Public API documentation
The vendor publishes API documentation for calls or call data that anyone can read without logging in.
3
Live wallboard
A real-time view of waiting calls and agent status, documented on the vendor's own page, on at least one plan.
4
Call transcripts
Recorded calls can be turned into text inside the product, generally available and not beta, on a plan or a paid add-on with a published price.
3
Reach and uptime 12 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Countries with phone numbers
The number of countries where the vendor says you can get local numbers, as printed on its own page ("70+" counts as 70). 100 or more earns 6 points, 60 or more 4, 30 or more 2.
6
Uptime SLA in the terms
A terms or SLA document that anyone can open names an uptime percentage. A marketing page or a claim shown only to sales leads does not count.
6
Security 12 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001
The vendor names a SOC 2 Type II report or an ISO/IEC 27001 certification for this product or the company running it.
5
Single sign-on (SAML)
The vendor's page names SAML single sign-on for agents, on at least one plan. Sign-in with Google or Microsoft accounts alone does not count.
4
Pause recording for card payments
The vendor documents a way to pause or mask call recording while a caller reads out a card number.