You're a small team that texts customers a lot, wants an AI agent included, and doesn't need meetings or a contact center.
You want AI transcription and call recaps on every call from the cheapest plan, video meetings, and room to grow.
Billed annually they start at the same price, $15/user. Month to month, Dialpad Standard is $27 and Quo Starter is $28. What differs is what's included: Dialpad's entry plan has AI transcripts and recaps, while Quo's has an AI agent with about 10 calls of credits a month, and its AI call summaries start on Business.
Entry prices, how each one bills, and what you get on the cheapest plan. We added a third row so you can see where Fast Response fits.
| Vendor | Starting price | How it's billed | Cheapest plan includes | AI answering | Business texting | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenPhonenow Quo | $15/user/mo (Starter, billed annually) | Per user; $28/user/mo billed monthly | 1 number per user, unlimited US and Canada calling and texting, voicemail transcripts, Sona AI agent | Sona AI agent included with 1,000 credits (about 10 calls)/mo; more from $25/mo | Unlimited US and Canada, plus $19.50 one-time and $1.50 to $3/mo carrier fees | Small teams that text customers a lot and share numbers |
| Dialpad | $15/user/mo (Standard, billed annually) | Per user; $27/user/mo billed monthly | Unlimited calling, SMS and MMS, real-time transcription, AI call summaries (AI Recaps), 1 office | AI Agent sold separately, conversation-based pricing via sales | SMS and MMS on every Connect plan | Teams that want AI transcripts and summaries on every call |
| FAST RESPONSE AIThe third option | $29/mo (Starter, 1 user) | Flat monthly plan, no per-seat fees; Pro is $79/mo for your whole team; no contract | Business number, calls and texts answered 24/7, recording, transcripts and summaries, built-in CRM, web chat | Built in on every plan, in 29+ languages; your team can pick up first | Included; we handle your texting registration so you text from day one | Small teams that want your team and an AI answering the same number |
OpenPhone and Dialpad figures are list prices from each vendor's own pricing page, checked September 30, 2026, in USD before taxes and fees. Annual prices assume a yearly commitment. Check each vendor's site for current pricing. Fast Response figures are exact.
Quo, the company formerly called OpenPhone, prices per user. Billed annually, Starter is $15/user/month, Business is $23 and Scale is $35. Billed monthly, those are $28, $33 and $47. Each user gets one local or toll-free number, and extra numbers are $5/month each.
Sona, Quo's AI agent, is included on every plan with 1,000 automation credits a month, which Quo equates to 10 calls. More credits are a monthly add-on, from $25/month for 40 calls up to $199/month for 600, with per-call overage of $1.00 down to $0.45 depending on the tier. US texting also carries carrier registration fees: $19.50 one-time and $1.50 to $3 a month.
Dialpad Connect, its business phone product, has three tiers. Standard is $15/user/month billed annually or $27 month to month, with a one-seat minimum and one office. Pro is $25/user/month annually or $35 monthly, needs at least three seats, and adds CRM integrations, 24/7 support and up to 10 offices. Enterprise is quoted by sales, with a 100-seat minimum. Dialpad notes prices can vary by region.
Dialpad's AI Agent, the autonomous agent that can answer calls and chats, is a separate product with conversation-based pricing through sales. It isn't a line item on the Connect plans. There's a 14-day free trial of Connect.
Both give you business numbers, unlimited calling, texting, voicemail transcription and desktop and mobile apps.
Quo (OpenPhone) keeps it simple and team-friendly: numbers per user plus extra numbers for locations or teams, each with its own inbox, the Sona AI agent on every plan, and an API on Starter. Business adds AI call summaries and transcripts, phone menus, call transfers, automatic recording, and HubSpot and Salesforce integrations.
Dialpad puts AI into every call: real-time transcription, voicemail transcription and AI Recaps with summaries and action items are included on Connect plans, along with video meetings. Pro adds CRM integrations, 24/7 support and up to 10 offices, with a three-seat minimum.
For AI that answers calls, Quo includes Sona with a monthly credit allowance; Dialpad sells its AI Agent separately through sales.
Choose OpenPhone (Quo) if you're a small team that lives in texts, wants a shared inbox and an AI agent included, and doesn't need meetings.
Choose Dialpad if you want automatic transcripts and summaries on every call from the entry plan, built-in video meetings, or a path to a contact center as you grow.
On both, every person you add is another seat on the bill.
Already leaning toward leaving one of them? Quo (OpenPhone) alternative
Quo and Dialpad both charge per seat, and AI answering is either capped by credits or sold separately. Fast Response gives your whole team one number where people answer first and the AI covers every call they miss, with no per-seat fees.
Weighing it against a traditional service too? See our breakdown of answering service cost, or compare Fast Response plans.