CallTower vs Nextiva (2026): which should you pick?

Pick CallTower if

• Fits if your company already runs on Teams, Webex or Zoom
• Works for IT partners who resell business phone service

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want a posted price, as quotes go through sales
• Watch out: the Teams, Webex or Zoom licenses are a separate cost
• Not for you if you want a standalone phone system, as it adds calling to other platforms
• Tight if you want to buy direct, as the listing shows it sells largely through resellers

Pick Nextiva if

• Fits if you also answer website chat and online reviews and want them in one inbox
• Works for offices on Linux, which Nextiva's desktop app runs on

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want to try before paying, as there's no free trial of the phone plans
• Pricey if you pay monthly, at $23 for NEXT Core and $50 for NEXT Engage
• Tight if you need call recording or a toll-free number, as both are add-ons on NEXT Core
• Watch out: Salesforce, HubSpot and other CRMs are add-ons on every plan
• Not for you if you want to buy online, as all three plans go through a sales demo

CallTower

• No pricing is published, so pricing is unverified and goes through sales or channel partners.
• It supplies calling for other collaboration platforms, whose own licenses are bought separately.
• Partner, agency and MSP programs show it sells largely through resellers.

Nextiva

• Annual prices apply to new small businesses with 1-100 employees on a 12-month term; paid monthly, NEXT Core is $23 and NEXT Engage $50.
• On NEXT Core, call recording, a toll-free number, fax and Microsoft Teams are add-ons; Salesforce, HubSpot and other CRMs are add-ons on every plan.
• There is no free trial of the phone plans; all three are offered through a demo with sales, and XBert AI conversations cost $1.50 each on top of any plan.
• Contact center plans, from $75 per agent a month, are a separate product line on the Enterprise tab.

CallTower

Teams, Webex and Zoom calling

Provides calling for Microsoft Teams through Operator Connect and Direct Routing, Webex Calling and Webex Dedicated Instance, and Zoom Phone.

Voice add-ons

Lists Dynamic E911, one-click failover, voice spam blocking, CRM integration, compliance recording and call analytics for Teams and Webex.

Texting and faxing

Offers texting for Microsoft Teams and for Webex Calling, a fax service, and CT SIP trunking.

Contact center platforms

Supplies Five9, Genesys Cloud, Webex Contact Center and Zoom Contact Center, along with its own CT Contact Center and consulting services.

Support and portal

Lists 24/7/365 support, a service level agreement and the CallTower Connect portal for controlling services.

Nextiva

Calling and phone menus

Unlimited calls with an auto-attendant and call menus on every plan. Smart call routing comes with Scale or with the call center add-on on Engage.

Business texting

Texts from the business number: 100 per user a month on NEXT Core, 500 on NEXT Engage and unlimited on NEXT Scale. Customers texting the team needs Engage.

Video meetings and team chat

Video calls with screen and file sharing and team messaging sit in the same app. Recording video meetings needs Engage or Scale.

Shared inbox and reviews

One inbox gathers calls, texts and email, with shared team email accounts and a set number of connected social media and online review accounts per plan.

AI transcripts and summaries

Every plan now includes AI transcriptions, summaries and answer suggestions: 50 a month on NEXT Core, 200 on NEXT Engage and unlimited on NEXT Scale.

XBert AI Receptionist

An add-on that answers calls, texts and chats around the clock. It costs $99 a month for 100 AI conversations and has a 14-day free trial.

CallTower

Pricing could not be confirmed. See calltower.com.

Nextiva

• NEXT Core$15

  per user / month, billed annually ($23 billed monthly)

  Calls, video, team chat, 100 texts per user a month, skills-based routing, a basic CRM and 50 AI transcriptions and summaries a month. Annual price needs a 12-month term.

• NEXT Engage$25

  per user / month, billed annually ($50 billed monthly)

  Adds live chat and a chatbot, 2,000 toll-free inbound minutes, 500 texts per user a month, single sign-on, fax and 200 AI transcriptions and summaries a month.

• NEXT Scale$75

  per user / month, billed monthly or annually

  Adds unlimited texts, 10,000 toll-free inbound minutes, directory sync, unlimited AI transcriptions and summaries, supervisor monitoring and dedicated onboarding.

CallTower

No public discounts listed.

Nextiva

• Annual discount

  Save up to 50% with annual pricing

  Nextiva's pricing page lists NEXT Core at $15 per user a month annually against $23 monthly, and NEXT Engage at $25 against $50.

• Other savings

  Switch and Save: up to 12 months free

  Businesses under 200 employees leaving another provider's contract get free months matching its remaining term, with proof and a 12-month Core or Engage plan.