OpenPhone has earned its spot as a go-to virtual phone system for startups.
With its minimalist UI and seamless text-first features, it’s a favorite among solo founders and lean teams, particularly those working remotely across the U.S. and Canada.
But if you’re reading this, chances are you’ve hit a wall. Maybe it’s:
- The lack of structured call routing
- No tools to delegate calls across teammates
- Or simply that it doesn’t support African numbers, Naira billing, or regional support
And let’s face it-when you’re building a real business in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, or anywhere across Africa, those limitations quickly turn from minor annoyances into deal-breakers.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through 5 top OpenPhone alternatives, with a special spotlight on platforms that serve African teams, offer smart call control, and provide a truly business-ready experience.
Why Look Beyond OpenPhone?
Let’s break it down:
1. Built for Texting, Not Voice
OpenPhone excels when SMS is your primary channel. Its shared inbox and CRM-like contact cards work great for message-driven workflows.
But voice? That’s where OpenPhone lags behind.
You don’t get:
- Call routing by availability or department
- Missed call delegation
- Escalation rules or team-based workflows
As your team grows, and phone conversations become critical, OpenPhone starts to feel like a solo tool in a team sport.
2. Not Built for African Teams
If you run your business from Lagos, Nairobi, or Accra, OpenPhone quickly becomes frustrating:
- No Nigerian number supports
- No billing in Naira or local currencies
- No regional support teams in your time zone
That means you’re constantly:
- Paying in foreign currencies
- Waiting hours (or days) for support
- Trying to appear local while using a foreign number
For a phone system, that’s a huge red flag.
3. Doesn’t Scale With Voice-Driven Teams
As soon as your operations require:
- Smart routing
- Call monitoring or feedback
- Team visibility into missed and answered calls
…OpenPhone hits a ceiling. It was never designed for structured, team-based call management.
Let’s explore better-fit alternatives that support your team’s growth.
1. PressOne – Best OpenPhone Alternative for African Teams
If you’re building a real business in Africa, you need more than texting; you need structure, visibility, local support, and professional voice handling.
PressOne was purpose-built for African startups, customer-facing teams, and founders scaling remote operations.
Why PressOne Outshines OpenPhone
- Smart Call Routing with Fallback Logic – So clients never hit a dead end again. Unanswered calls get reassigned to the next available teammate.
- Delegate & Escalate Calls in Real Time – Assign calls like tasks. Escalate issues. Track who’s following up-without switching tools.
- Unified Dashboard for All Calls – See every call, contact, and note in one place. Zero guesswork.
- Virtual Numbers in Nigeria, U.S., and U.K. – Build trust globally-while staying based in Lagos, Accra, or Nairobi.
- Naira Billing + 24/7 Local Support – Avoid forex issues and get help from people who understand your market.
- No Hardware or IT Setup Required – Run it from your phone, tablet, or laptop. No cords. No stress.
Explore PressOne’s call routing features for all teams
Best For: African businesses, growth-stage support teams, remote-first startups
Get The Best Alternative to OpenPhone
Fill out the form below and get a Business Phone Number in minutes!
Set up custom greeting messages that customers hear when they call your business, record all business calls, forward calls to team members, and more…
2. JustCall – Best for Sales Teams with CRM Workflows
If your team thrives on outbound sales and pipeline velocity, JustCall is worth considering.
Built with sales teams in mind, JustCall integrates with CRMs like HubSpot and Salesforce to streamline:
- Lead follow-up
- Call tracking
- Automated outreach
JustCall Pros:
- CRM integrations (HubSpot, Pipedrive, Zoho, etc.)
- Auto-dialers and SMS workflows
- Real-time call monitoring and coaching
Limitations:
- Pricing climbs quickly with added features
- No local billing or African team support
- Not designed for support or multi-role teams
Best For: U.S./Europe-based SaaS sales teams and structured outbound operations
3. Google Voice – Best Free Tool
Coming from the stables of Google, Google Voice is perfect for founders or freelancers getting started, especially those already deep in Google’s ecosystem.
Google Voice Pros:
- Free number for personal use
- Call forwarding and voicemail transcription
- Integrates with Gmail and Google Calendar
Limitations:
- No support for Nigerian or African numbers
- No call routing, delegation, or dashboards
- Not scalable for real business workflows
Best For: North American solopreneurs and early-stage side hustlers
4. Ringover – Best for Unified Comms (UCaaS)
An all-in-one Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) solution, RingOver combines voice, video conferencing, team messaging, call analytics, and integrations under one roof.
It’s well-suited for large organizations with dedicated IT departments that can fully utilize its expansive feature set.
For businesses looking to centralize communications across multiple global offices, Ringover delivers depth.
You can manage everything from internal calls to client interactions and even detailed call tagging and reporting, all from a central dashboard.
Ringover Pros:
- Analytics dashboards and call tagging – Useful for contact centers and support-heavy teams that want visibility into call outcomes and agent performance.
- Global number availability – Access numbers in multiple countries, which is ideal for international brands and distributed teams.
- Rich integrations and APIs – Works well with CRM systems, helpdesk tools, and internal apps for customized workflows.
Limitations:
- Steep learning curve for small teams – Ringover’s powerful features can feel overwhelming if you don’t have technical support or IT experience.
- Expensive for startups or lean teams – Many valuable features are locked behind higher pricing tiers, which can be overkill for small businesses.
- No African billing or local support – Without Naira billing or regional help desks, African teams may face billing complexity and delayed support.
Best For:
Large, enterprise-grade setups with the resources and bandwidth to manage advanced UCaaS platforms, especially those that prioritize omnichannel communication and deep analytics across a global footprint.
5. 8×8 – Best for Enterprise Communication at Scale
If you’re managing 500+ agents or require strict uptime and compliance, 8×8 offers full-stack enterprise telephony.
8×8 Pros:
- HIPAA & GDPR compliance
- Call transcription with AI summaries
- Contact center-grade scalability
Limitations:
- Pricey and complex
- No regional support in Africa
- Requires IT onboarding
Best For: Large global teams with complex infrastructure needs
Comparison Table: Best OpenPhone Alternatives
| Feature | PressOne | JustCall | Google Voice | Ringover | 8×8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smart Call Routing | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Team Delegation | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Nigerian Number Support | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Naira Billing | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| SMS Support | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Free/Low-Cost Entry | ₦6,000/mo | $24/mo | Free | $21/mo | $28/mo |
How to Choose the Right OpenPhone Alternative
Here’s how to match your needs to the right platform:
- Scaling in Africa? You need Naira billing, local numbers, and regional support – PressOne
- Sales automation or CRM-first? Choose JustCall for CRM syncing and call queues
- Solo SMS or side hustle? Google Voice works, but don’t expect team control
- Large-scale video + voice operations? Use 8×8 or Ringover for enterprise needs
Need smarter routing? See how PressOne call routing works
Get The Best Alternative to OpenPhone
Fill out the form below and get a Business Phone Number in minutes!
Set up custom greeting messages that customers hear when they call your business, record all business calls, forward calls to team members, and more…
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best alternative to OpenPhone for African teams?
PressOne is purpose-built for African startups, with local billing, call control, and Nigerian/U.S. virtual numbers.
Does PressOne support SMS and OTPs?
Yes. You can receive SMS and OTPs from platforms, banks, and clients.
Can I use PressOne with a remote team?
Absolutely. Assign calls, monitor performance, and manage everything from one dashboard.
What’s the starting price for PressOne?
Plans begin at ₦6,000/month. No hardware required.
Does PressOne support U.S. or U.K. numbers too?
Yes. You can pick Nigerian, U.S., or U.K. virtual numbers and manage them all in one place.
Conclusion
OpenPhone is great for solo operators.
But if you’re building a real team, serving real clients, and operating from Africa or globally, you need more:
- Smart delegation
- Team visibility
- Nigerian + global numbers
- Local billing and support
- Seamless voice + SMS management
PressOne gives you all of this, without the complexity, forex stress, or “foreign tool” limitations
