Aircall vs. Nextiva: Which phone system is better for your team?

Ready to build better conversations?

Simple to set up. Easy to use. Powerful integrations.

Get free access

You’re comparing Nextiva vs. Aircall because your call volume is growing, and your current phone system isn’t keeping up.

Both Nextiva and Aircall are respected VoIP providers. Both let you make and receive calls over the internet. But they’re built for very different types of teams, and that difference matters more than any feature checklist.

Nextiva is a unified communications (UCaaS) platform. It combines phone, video, and team chat into a single system designed for general office use.

Aircall is a contact center (CCaaS) platform. It’s purpose-built for sales and support teams that rely on their CRM to close deals, resolve tickets, and measure performance.

If you need a traditional office phone system with video conferencing, Nextiva is a solid choice. But if your phone system is a revenue and support tool - deeply connected to HubSpot, Salesforce, or Zendesk - Aircall is designed specifically for that job.

Below, we break down the differences so you can choose the platform that actually fits how your team works.

Key takeaways: Nextiva vs Aircall

• Best for sales and support teams: Aircall. It’s purpose-built for CRM-driven workflows with deep HubSpot and Salesforce integrations, Power Dialer, and real-time coaching tools.

• Best for general office communication: Nextiva. It’s a unified communications platform with built-in video conferencing and desk phone support.

• Fastest setup: Aircall. It is fully app-based and live in minutes. Nextiva often requires days or weeks of provisioning.

• Best ROI for revenue teams: Aircall. It has critical features that aren't locked behind enterprise-only plans.

At a glance: Aircall vs. Nextiva comparison table

Deep dive: Key feature differences

Choosing software is about trade-offs. Here is a closer look at the "why" behind the differences, so you can decide which features matter most to your daily operations.

Integrations: Why Aircall is better for HubSpot and Salesforce users

If your team works inside a CRM, Aircall offers significantly deeper and more reliable integrations than Nextiva. Aircall’s HubSpot and Salesforce integrations are native, one-click, and designed for high-volume sales and support workflows, not retrofitted as add-ons.

Aircall’s integrations with platforms like HubSpot and Salesforce are built to be "set it and forget it." When a sales rep makes a call, Aircall automatically logs the call, the recording, the notes, and the outcome directly into the correct contact record. There's no manual data entry required.

Nextiva offers integrations, but many advanced CRM features are gated behind their most expensive "Enterprise" plans. Furthermore, users frequently report that setting up these connections requires technical workaround or third-party middleware, adding friction to what should be a seamless process.

If you’re looking at other solutions, be sure to check out our overview of Nextiva Alternatives.

Setup and usability: How fast can you get started?

Time is money, especially when you are scaling a team. Aircall is designed to be completely self-service, meaning you can sign up, purchase numbers, and start taking calls in minutes without any help from IT.

Think of it as "modern vs. legacy." Nextiva’s roots are in traditional telecom. This means their onboarding often involves hardware provisioning, complex routing setups, and navigating a backend interface that can feel dated. It works, but it takes time.

Aircall is an app you download. Whether you're on a desktop or mobile, the interface is intuitive and modern. You can add new users with a click, instantly assign them a number, and have them working immediately. This ease of use is frequently cited in G2 reviews, where users praise Aircall for removing the technical headache from telephony.

This difference shows up consistently in user reviews. On G2, Aircall is rated higher than Nextiva for ease of setup and speed to value, with customers frequently highlighting how quickly teams can go live without technical support.

Video and unified communications: The main difference

This is where the two platforms diverge completely. If your primary requirement is a single bill that covers your phone system and a Zoom replacement for internal video meetings, Nextiva is the better choice. They bundle video conferencing directly into their platform.

However, ask yourself this: Does your team already use Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom?

Most modern businesses do. If you already have a video solution you love, paying for a bundled one in Nextiva might be redundant. Aircall makes a strategic trade-off here. It focuses completely on being the best voice platform possible. It integrates with Slack and Teams to show status updates, but it doesn't try to replace them.

The question is simple: Do you want a phone system that tries to do everything okay, or a voice platform that does calling perfectly?

Reliability and call quality

Both providers are major players with high reliability standards. However, call quality is about more than just uptime; it’s about transparency.

Aircall operates on a global carrier network designed to make sure crystal-clear calls across international borders. But what truly sets Aircall apart is the call quality dashboard. This feature allows support managers and IT admins to monitor network health in real time. If a specific agent is experiencing jitter or latency, you can pinpoint the issue immediately (for example, a poor local Wi-Fi connection) rather than guessing why a call dropped.

And with features like Call Whispering, team leads can provide on-call coaching, giving your team a real edge.

Pricing: Is Aircall cheaper than Nextiva?

Pricing transparency is critical when comparing SaaS tools. On the surface, Nextiva often markets an entry-level "Essential" tier that looks cheaper than Aircall. However, the devil is in the details.

For teams that make or receive customer-facing calls all day, pricing should be evaluated by total cost of ownership, not base seat price. When CRM integrations, call automation, analytics, and coaching tools are required, Aircall often eliminates the need for paid add-ons or third-party tools.

Nextiva’s lower-tier plans often gate the features that revenue teams actually need. If you want CRM Integrations, call recording, voicemail transcription, or advanced analytics, you are frequently forced to upgrade to their "Professional" or "Enterprise" plans, which significantly jumps the cost.

Aircall takes a different approach. The pricing model is inclusive of the features sales and support teams need to do their jobs. The Power Dialer feature, CRM Integrations, and IVR menus aren't hidden behind massive paywalls. When you look at the total cost of ownership (TCO) for a sales team (factoring in the time saved by automation and the lack of hidden add-on fees) Aircall often delivers a significantly better ROI for revenue-generating teams. For more details, review Aircall's pricing.

Pros and cons summary

To help you make an objective decision, here's a balanced look at the strengths and weaknesses of both platforms:

Nextiva pros

• Built-in video conferencing and team chat: A true "all-in-one" UCaaS platform.

• Good for physical hardware: Excellent support for traditional desk phones.

• Reliable for back-office: A solid choice for general administrative use.

Nextiva cons

• Setup: Can take days or weeks; often requires IT support to configure correctly.

• Usability: The interface is frequently described as "dated" or "clunky" compared to modern apps.

• Integrations: Basic tiers lack deep CRM features, often requiring expensive upgrades to access.

Aircall pros

• Speed: Instant setup (minutes) with no hardware required.

• Integrations: The deepest native HubSpot, Salesforce, and Pipedrive integrations on the market.

• Features: Power Dialer, Call Whispering, Conversation Intelligence, and advanced analytics are included to help sales teams win.

Aircall cons

• No video: Focused completely on voice (requires you to use Zoom, Slack, or Teams for video).

• No hardware: Completely cloud-based (softphone focus), though limited hardware support exists.

The verdict: Who should choose Nextiva?

Nextiva is a strong contender for businesses that fit a traditional mold. You should choose Nextiva if:

• You're a small business (like a dental office or law firm) that primarily needs a basic back-office phone system.

• You want to consolidate your video conferencing and phone bill into a single vendor.

• Your team doesn't rely heavily on a CRM to do their daily work.

• You have a strong preference for physical desk phones over headsets and software.

The verdict: Who should choose Aircall?

Aircall is built for performance. You should choose Aircall if:

• You have a sales team that needs a Power Dialer and seamless syncing with your CRM to close more deals.

• You have a support team that needs faster ticket resolution and deep integration with Zendesk or Intercom.

• You're a modern business that values user-friendly software over legacy telecom complexity.

• You want to be up and running in minutes, not weeks.

What’s next? Try Aircall for yourself

Choosing between Aircall and Nextiva comes down to how you use your phone system. If it’s a general office utility, Nextiva may fit your needs. If it’s a core part of how you sell, support, and grow, Aircall is built for that reality.

The easiest way to see the difference is to use it. Aircall offers a free seven-day trial with full access—no hardware, no IT setup, and no sales demo required.

Start your Aircall free trial and experience a phone system designed for modern sales and support teams.

Commonly asked questions

Is Aircall a VoIP provider?

Yes, Aircall is a modern CLOUD-based voice solution (VoIP) designed specifically for sales and support teams using CRMs. It uses your internet connection to make crystal-clear calls from anywhere in the world.

Does Nextiva need a contract?

Nextiva typically requires a contract (ranging from one to three years) to lock in their advertised lower rates. Aircall offers more flexible terms to suit growing businesses.

Can I use physical phones with Aircall?

Aircall is designed primarily as a softphone (desktop and mobile APP) for maximum flexibility and data integration. However, it does support select SIP hardware phones if your environment absolutely requires them. Nextiva, by contrast, focuses heavily on hardware desk phone support.

Which is better for HubSpot: Nextiva or Aircall?

Aircall is generally better for HubSpot users because it offers native, one-click integration with automatic call logging, recordings, and notes. Nextiva’s HubSpot functionality is more limited and often requires higher-tier plans.

Published on February 5, 2026.