The Five9 Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Five9 in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Five9
The Insider’s Guide
Cloud contact center for voice and digital channels, sold in bundles
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among help desk and live chat tools, read from Five9’s own pages.
Made by Five9, Inc. · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Five9’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Five9’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
1.8
GPA, above 3 of the 66 other help desk and live chat tools we grade
Five9 is a cloud contact center platform covering voice, chat, email, SMS and social messaging, with AI summaries, live transcription and agent assist. Pricing is published as per-seat bundles for the two entry tiers and by quote for the rest. The site points to a 50-seat minimum.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Five9, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Enterprise rollout with adapters to connect.
- 1
Best for a contact centre with voice and digital channels
Five9 is a contact centre platform for voice and digital channels, from $119 per concurrent seat a month with a 50-seat minimum.
- 2
Paid plans start at $119 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $119 per concurrent seat / month, 50-seat minimum.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Voice and digital channels
Voice, chat, email, SMS and MMS, and social messaging, with blended inbound and outbound, a dialer and call recording.
- 5
AI for agents
AI summaries, live transcription, insights, agent assist and knowledge are listed on the bundles, with 3,000 AI minutes per bundled seat plus usage charges.
- 6
Intelligent virtual agents
Self-service virtual agents for web, chatbot, voice, SMS or WhatsApp, which can sit alongside an existing on-premises contact center.
- 7
A 1.8 GPA, above 3 of 66
That is against the other help desk and live chat tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
To replace Five9 you would be making phone numbers and calls carried over the phone network. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Five9 at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid, from $119 per concurrent seat / month, 50-seat minimum
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Five9, Inc.
- Category
- Help Desks & Live Chat
- Our grade
- 1.8 GPA, weak
The report card
Best for a contact centre with voice and digital channels
Five9 is a contact centre platform for voice and digital channels, from $119 per concurrent seat a month with a 50-seat minimum. That floor is about $5,950 a month, and only two of five tiers show a price.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | $119 per concurrent seat for Digital and $159 for Core, with a 50-seat minimum, so about $5,950 a month at the floor. |
| Free plan and trial | F | No free plan and no trial is listed on the pricing page. |
| Features | B | Voice and digital channels, AI for agents, virtual agents, workforce engagement and CRM adapters. Nothing in the listing is missing. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. Enterprise rollout with adapters to connect. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, with Salesforce, ServiceNow, Dynamics, Zendesk, Oracle, Teams, Zoom and RingCentral. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Five9 is for
- Fits if you run a contact centre with 50 or more concurrent seats
- Works for teams that want voice and digital on one platform
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you have fewer than 50 seats, as that is the minimum
- Watch out: Plus, Pro and Enterprise are quote-only
- Watch out: usage charges may apply, including SMS and AI minutes beyond the bundled ones
- Not for you if you want a free plan or trial, because neither is listed
Good to know
Good for
- Contact centers with 50 or more concurrent seats
- Teams that want voice and digital channels on one platform
- Organizations that need workforce management alongside the platform
Worth knowing
- Prices are per concurrent user with a 50-seat minimum, and usage-based charges may apply, including SMS and AI minutes beyond the bundled ones.
- Only Digital and Core show a price; Plus, Pro and Enterprise are by quote, and the page asks for a form to show a customized figure.
- Workforce engagement is offered on a named-user basis; extra named seats beyond the concurrent seats sold are add-ons.
- WhatsApp is described as coming soon in the voice bundle notes.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$119
A month to start, for each person
Five9 is a paid product, starting at $119 per concurrent seat / month, 50-seat minimum.
No free plan and no trial is listed on the pricing page.
Digital
$119
per concurrent seat / month, 50-seat minimum
Digital channels only, with a quote request on the page. The bundle grid lists AI summaries, insights and agent assist, with recording and a dialer on the other tiers.
Core
$159
per concurrent seat / month, 50-seat minimum
All channels including voice, SMS and social messaging, with essential AI, recording, dialer, a choice of CRM or UC adapter and 24/7 support.
Plus
Custom
All channels with advanced AI. Contact sales for flexible pricing.
Pro
Custom
All channels with essential AI and workforce engagement management. Contact sales for flexible pricing.
Enterprise
Custom
All channels with advanced AI and workforce engagement management. Contact sales for flexible pricing.
Read from five9.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Cloud contact center for voice and digital channels, sold in bundles. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: workflow automation, reports, live chat, AI support agent, business phone line.
Voice and digital channels, AI for agents, virtual agents, workforce engagement and CRM adapters.
- Voice and digital channels
- Voice, chat, email, SMS and MMS, and social messaging, with blended inbound and outbound, a dialer and call recording.
- AI for agents
- AI summaries, live transcription, insights, agent assist and knowledge are listed on the bundles, with 3,000 AI minutes per bundled seat plus usage charges.
- Intelligent virtual agents
- Self-service virtual agents for web, chatbot, voice, SMS or WhatsApp, which can sit alongside an existing on-premises contact center.
- Workforce engagement
- Quality management, workforce management and analytics, from Five9 or partners Verint and Calabrio, on the Pro and Enterprise bundles.
- CRM and UC adapters
- Adapters listed are Salesforce, ServiceNow, Dynamics, Zendesk or Oracle for CRM, and Microsoft Teams, Zoom, RingCentral and AT&T Office@hand for UC.
- Geo redundancy and 24/7 support
- Geo redundancy and 24/7 support are listed as part of the bundles.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Salesforce
- ServiceNow
- Microsoft Dynamics
- Zendesk
- Oracle
- Microsoft Teams
- Zoom
- RingCentral
Five9 is made by Five9, Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
3/66
Other help desk and live chat tools it is graded above
Five9's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 3 of the 66 other help desk and live chat tools we grade, and level with 11.
It stands best on features (B, above 46 of 66) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $119 a month for each person, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 53 of the 57 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 4 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 67 help desk and live chat tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Five9’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 66
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 66
- BFeaturesAbove 46 of 66
- CEase of useAbove 5 of 66
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 6 of 66
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 59 help desk and live chat tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Five9 is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Five9 you would be making phone numbers and calls carried over the phone network. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 52 of the 66 other help desk and live chat tools grade higher. It costs $1,428 a year.
What you could make
- Reports: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Phone numbers and calls carried over the phone network.
- An AI model answering your customers from your own help articles.
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- A chat box on your site that reaches you the moment a customer types.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Five9’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Talkdesk, Zendesk, Dixa, Kustomer and Gladly
The 5 tools Five9 is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 1.8GPA
Talkdesk
Free plan · from $85/mo
Cloud contact center for voice and digital channels, with AI agents.
- Talkdesk has a free plan. Five9 does not.
- 2.4GPA
Zendesk
Free trial · from $19/mo
Ticketing, messaging, help center and AI agents for support teams.
- Only Zendesk lists iOS and Android apps.
- Five9 also covers workflow automation and business phone line.
- Zendesk also covers help desk and help center.
- 1.8GPA
Dixa
From €49/mo
Customer service platform with phone, chat, email and an AI agent.
- Five9 also covers reports.
- Dixa also covers help desk and whatsApp messaging.
- 2.0GPA
Kustomer
Paid
CRM-style customer service platform with AI agents, sold via sales.
- Five9 also covers live chat and business phone line.
- Kustomer also covers shared inbox, help desk and help center.
- 2.0GPA
Gladly
Paid
Customer service and commerce AI built for retail brands.
- Five9 also covers reports and business phone line.
- Gladly also covers shared inbox, help desk, sMS marketing and whatsApp messaging.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Five9 free?
No. Five9 is a paid product, starting at $119 per concurrent seat / month, 50-seat minimum.
How much does Five9 cost?
Five9 lists 5 plans. Digital: $119 per concurrent seat / month, 50-seat minimum.
What platforms does Five9 work on?
Five9 is available on Web.
Does Five9 have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Five9 is listed for Web.
Does Five9 have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Five9 is listed for Web.
Is Five9 open source?
Five9 is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
What does Five9 integrate with?
Five9's listing names Salesforce, ServiceNow, Microsoft Dynamics, Zendesk, Oracle, Microsoft Teams, Zoom and RingCentral.
Who makes Five9?
Five9 is made by Five9, Inc.
What are the alternatives to Five9?
The closest alternatives to Five9 in our directory are Talkdesk, Zendesk, Dixa, Kustomer and Gladly.
How does Five9 compare with other help desk and live chat tools?
Five9's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 3 of the 66 other help desk and live chat tools we grade, and level with 11.
Is Five9 good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Five9 D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $119 a month for each person, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 53 of the 57 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Five9?
To replace Five9 you would be making phone numbers and calls carried over the phone network.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Five9’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Five9's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Five9, Inc. Prices change, so check five9.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Five9, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/five9
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Five9: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/five9
Know someone choosing between help desk and live chat tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/five9/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded help desk and live chat tools after Five9, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Help Desks & Live Chat Insider's GuideEvery one of the 67 help desk and live chat tools we grade, compared
- Zoho Desk Insider's GuideLow-cost ticketing help desk with a free plan for three users3.4 GPA
- Tidio Insider's GuideLive chat, ticketing and the Lyro AI agent priced by conversations3.2 GPA
- tawk.to Insider's GuideFree live chat, ticketing and help center, with paid add-ons3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Five9’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Five9 is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Five9, Inc. Prices and plans change: check five9.com before you buy.