Are you in the market for reliable business phone service, but you’re unimpressed by what the traditional phone company has to offer?

There are several companies like Talkroute and Nextiva that provide VoIP (voice over internet protocol) phone service, which can save your business lots of money, while also offering a level of convenience landlines can’t match.

This Talkroute vs Nextiva comparison takes an in-depth look at the commonalities and differences between these two popular business phone services. By sharing this information with you, I hope to make your decision a bit easier. Let’s get started!

Common Features

Nextiva and Talkroute are both reputable service providers in the business phone industry, and as such it’s no surprise that they have quite a few common traits. Take a look at the most significant ways in which these services overlap.

  • Whether you operate a sole proprietorship, a large corporation or anything in between, these companies have you covered. Nextiva and Talkroute are both capable of providing business phone service to companies large and small, and in any line of business.
  • If you encounter any questions or concerns regarding your business phone service, Talkroute and Nextiva are here to help. Their knowledgeable and professional customer support systems can help you find the answers you need quickly.
  • Talkroute and Nextiva both provide their customers with unlimited minutes, regardless of which service plan you choose. When some competitors restrict your minutes as low as 100 per month, it’s a huge advantage to have unlimited talk time.
  • Is security a major factor for you? With Nextiva and Talkroute, there’s really no reason to worry. Both services are as secure as the network you’re running.
  • Both Talkroute and Nextiva get good reviews from their customers. I always appreciate reading positive customer feedback, and these companies both have plenty of it.

What Sets Them Apart

Of course, for as much overlap as there is between these services, there’s also quite a bit setting them apart. Let’s discuss some of the most significant ways in which Talkroute and Nextiva differ.

  • Nextiva’s pricing is per user, meaning that your costs can add up relatively quickly if you have more than just a few employees. With Talkroute, all advertised prices are flat rates that do not vary depending on how many users you have.
  • While Nextiva offers customer support via phone to all of their clients, Talkroute provides only email support to customers who purchase their Basic ($19/month) package, and email/chat support for Plus ($39) customers. Phone support is only available for Talkroute’s Pro ($59) and Enterprise ($99) service packages.
  • Talkroute offers a 7-day trial of their business phone service, whereas Nextiva has a 30-day trial for their customers. If you like to try before you buy, Nextiva certainly has the advantage in this area.
  • Nextiva is a VoIP (voice over internet protocol) service that runs on your internet connection, whereas Talkroute operates on standard phone lines. In general, this could mean that Talkroute is slightly more reliable, but Nextiva is a bit more flexible and convenient.
  • With Nextiva, you can take advantage of their Skype integration, which is an exclusive feature not available from any other service provider.

Pricing & Features

Nextiva

Nextiva has a pricing model that varies based on two factors: The number of users on your account, and the length of your contractual commitment.

For example, a sole proprietor on a month-to-month plan will pay at least $34.95/month for their business phone service. However, if you’re a large corporation with over 100 users on the service and a 36-month contract, your costs could be as low as $19.95 per month per user.

To see a breakdown of Nextiva’s full pricing model, take a look at our full review on their service. For now, here’s how they advertise their main packages on their website:

A comparison of Nextiva's Office Pro ($19.95), Office Pro Plus ($22.95), and Office Enterpise ($29.95)

You can see the differences between these 3 standard levels of service, as the Pro Plus and Enterprise levels add some valuable features. As for the standard features bundled in with all 3 packages, they include:

  • Unlimited minutes, unlimited faxes, voicemail to email, free local and toll-free numbers, cloud management

Talkroute

Talkroute operates on a flat-rate pricing model with 4 different price points, each involving their own collection of features and extensions. Have a quick look at the way they present these options on their website, then we’ll explore a few more details.

Talkroute plan comparison: Basic ($19), Plus ($39), Pro ($59), and Enterprise ($99)

These packages vary quite a bit, and there isn’t really a “standard” feature set beyond unlimited minutes and iPhone/Android apps. With that in mind, here’s an overview of how Talkroute structures their business phone service plans.

  • Basic ($19/month): 1 local or toll-free number, 100 text messages, 1 voicemail inbox, email support
  • Plus ($39/month): 2 local or toll-free numbers, 10 extensions, 500 text messages, 3 voicemail inboxes, chat support
  • Pro ($59/month): 3 local or toll-free numbers, unlimited extensions, 1000 text messages, 10 voicemail inboxes, phone support, dial-by-name directory, 5 custom professionally recorded greetings
  • Enterprise ($99/month): 5 local or toll-free numbers, unlimited extensions, unlimited text messages, 20 voicemail inboxes, priority phone support, dial-by-name directory, 5 custom professionally recorded greetings, dedicated account manager, custom software integration

Customer Reviews

I’m always a big fan of reading customer feedback before I make a major purchase, because there’s really no better way to get a feel for what each company’s customer experience is like. Thankfully, both of these services have reviews easily available online.

There are some notable differences between Talkroute and Nextiva in this area though, primarily regarding the volume of feedback: Nextiva has about 200 reviews online, Talkroute has a couple dozen.

Given Nextiva’s position as an industry leader and Talkroute’s role as a more recent addition to the business phone service market, it’s not entirely surprising to see such a discrepancy here.

However, when it comes to the quality of customer feedback, both Talkroute and Nextiva shine. Talkroute’s clients like to point out that the service is highly reliable, and also compliment the quality of their customer support reps.

Nextiva garners similar praise from their customers, who again appreciate the service department, while also raving about the clear quality of calls.

Final Considerations

At the end of the day, either one of these companies is capable of providing reliable business phone service.

They’re both much cheaper than acquiring traditional landline service from the phone company, and they’re also considerably more convenient.

My personal preference is Nextiva, due to the high volume of great customer reviews and some welcome advanced features. Remember that if you would like to dive a bit deeper into either Talkroute or Nextiva, you can check out our full reviews on each service.