Callata vs Zoom Phone: Pricing, AI and Fit

Short answer: Zoom Phone is a per-user cloud phone system sold in bundles with Zoom Workplace, starting at $16 per user per month on annual billing ($18 monthly) for unlimited US and Canada calling. Callata is $99 per month with five users included, then $20 per additional user. Zoom's base bundle costs less than Callata at every team size, and it is the natural choice if your company already runs on Zoom meetings. Callata only comes out cheaper against Zoom's higher Pro Plus and Business Plus bundles, from four or five users depending on bundle and billing term; its case rests on its AI receptionist billed by the minute, voicemail urgency triage and shared texting inbox rather than price.

Zoom figures are from Zoom's phone product and pricing pages as checked on October 1, 2026. Callata figures are from callatta.com.

Plans and pricing

Zoom presents its phone plans as bundles with a Zoom Workplace tier:

Zoom bundle	Annual billing	Monthly billing	Notable inclusions
US & CA Unlimited Phone + Workplace Basic	$16/user/mo	$18/user/mo	Domestic number, SMS and MMS, call recording, post-call summaries, voicemail prioritization, task extraction
Pro Plus (Phone + Workplace Pro)	$20.50/user/mo	$24/user/mo	Adds unlimited AI note-taking and AI document creation from Workplace Pro
Business Plus (Phone + Workplace Business)	$24.50/user/mo	$29/user/mo	Adds Workplace Business features

Zoom lists add-ons including additional phone numbers (local, toll-free or international premium) at $5 per month, unlimited international calling to more than 15 countries and regions at $10 per month, and a Customer Engagement Pack for call queue analytics at $25 per month.

Side by side

	Zoom Phone (US & CA Unlimited)	Callata Office
Price	$16 to $18 per user/mo	$99/mo total for up to 5 users
Users	Per user	5 included, +$20/user/mo after
Numbers	One per user; extra $5/mo	Up to 3 local
Calling	Unlimited US and Canada	Unlimited inbound; 1,500 pooled outbound US & Canada minutes per user, then $0.01/min
Texting	Domestic SMS and MMS	Shared inbox after $49 10DLC registration
Call recording	Included	Included
AI after calls	Post-call summaries, task extraction	AI summaries with sentiment and action items
Voicemail AI	Voicemail prioritization	Transcription with urgency triage and scheduled callback
AI receptionist	Virtual Agent Receptionist; Zoom lists a free trial with 100 minutes	AI agents at $0.25/minute, prepaid
Video meetings	Included via Workplace	Not offered
Apps	Zoom desktop and mobile apps	Browser plus cell ringing

Cost by team size

Team size	Zoom, annual ($16)	Zoom, monthly ($18)	Zoom Pro Plus, annual ($20.50)	Callata Office
1 user	$16	$18	$20.50	$99
3 users	$48	$54	$61.50	$99
4 users	$64	$72	$82	$99
5 users	$80	$90	$102.50	$99
10 users	$160	$180	$205	$199

Zoom's base bundle is cheaper than Callata at every team size on either billing term, because Zoom charges $16 to $18 per user and Callata charges $20 for each user beyond the five included. Callata only costs less than Zoom's Pro Plus bundle, from five users ($99 versus $102.50 at five, $199 versus $205 at ten), and Pro Plus adds AI note-taking that Callata does not offer.

AI features compared

Zoom has put AI into the base phone plan: post-call summaries, voicemail prioritization and task extraction are listed on the US & CA Unlimited bundle. The Pro Plus and Business Plus bundles add unlimited AI note-taking across Zoom meetings, third-party meetings and in-person conversations.

Callata's AI covers similar ground for calls: recorded calls are transcribed and summarized with sentiment and action items, and the summary is saved to the contact. Voicemails are transcribed and triaged for urgency, and a callback is scheduled around business hours. Callata's distinct addition is its AI workforce: receptionist, sales, support or scheduler agents that answer on a dedicated line, after hours or when nobody picks up, text, email, take messages, schedule callbacks and transfer to a person. Agents bill from prepaid minutes at $0.25 per minute, with no subscription.

Support and administration

Zoom's pricing pages describe support through a knowledge base, the Zoom Community and a virtual agent for chat and phone, with live chat and phone support available to admins and owners on Premier Support packages above certain subscription levels. Administration happens in the Zoom admin portal alongside meetings, chat and rooms, which is convenient if one person already manages Zoom for the company.

Callata's support is by email at [email protected] with a reply target of one business day. Administration is a single admin area for numbers, 911 address, business hours, ring groups, extensions, team invitations, texting registration and AI agents. There is less to configure because there is less in the product.

The AI receptionist question

Both vendors now offer an AI that can pick up the phone. Zoom's is the Virtual Agent Receptionist, and its pricing page mentions a free trial with 100 minutes included with phone plans; beyond that, check Zoom's current Virtual Agent pricing. Callata's agents are part of the product, with no separate license: you choose a role, a voice and the jobs it handles (a dedicated line, after hours, missed calls or texts), buy a pack of minutes and publish. If the balance reaches zero, the agent pauses and calls go to voicemail, so there are no surprise overages.

Where Zoom Phone is stronger

• One app for meetings and calls. If your team already lives in Zoom, adding phone service avoids another tool.
• Lower price at every team size on the base US & CA Unlimited bundle.
• Native apps on desktop and mobile, with desk phones and headsets available as device add-ons.
• Flexible numbers. Extra local, toll-free or international numbers at $5 each, and unlimited international calling to 15+ countries for $10 per month.
• Scale. Zoom Phone serves large organizations and offers call queue analytics and contact center products.

Where Callata is stronger

• Five users included in the $99 base price, with up to three local numbers.
• AI agents with published per-minute pricing and no add-on subscription.
• Voicemail urgency triage with scheduled callbacks.
• Shared team texting inbox with templates, delivery receipts and AI reply suggestions.
• Single-purpose simplicity. One plan, one admin area, no bundle choices.

Picking between them

If your company is a Zoom shop, Zoom Phone keeps meetings, chat and calls together, and the per-user cost may be partly offset by consolidating your Workplace licenses.

If your team uses other meeting tools and you want a business phone system with built-in AI agents and a shared texting inbox, Callata includes five users for $99 and adds $20 per user after that. Expect to pay more than Zoom's base bundle.

If you want an AI receptionist live this week, Callata's agents are self-serve; you create one in the app, buy minutes and publish it.

Switching checklist

• List which users need a direct number and which can share a main line.
• Decide whether you still need Zoom Workplace for meetings.
• Port numbers to Callata for free through [email protected].
• Register for texting on Callata early (3 to 10 business days typical).
• Recreate auto-receptionist menus as Callata business hours, ring groups and extensions.

Related reading: Zoom Phone pricing explained, Zoom Phone alternatives and the best phone system for remote teams.

Try Callata

If your team wants a business line, shared texting, recorded calls with AI summaries and an AI receptionist in one plan, Callata costs $99 per month for up to five users, plus $20 per additional user, with free porting. Sign up for Callata.