The short answer
GoHighLevel vs Dialpad comes down to what you need to run. Dialpad is the better fit for teams of several people who need a dependable business phone system with AI transcription and CRM integrations. HighLevel is the better fit for small businesses and agencies that want the AI receptionist, CRM and marketing follow-up in one tool with unlimited users and published per-minute AI rates. Dialpad's Standard plan is $15/user/mo billed annually; HighLevel starts at $97 a month with usage billed on top.
Dialpad is a cloud business phone system with built-in AI for calls, meetings, messaging and contact centers. Its Connect plans cover HD calling and meetings, business texting, real-time transcripts and call summaries, with CRM integrations such as Salesforce, HubSpot and Zendesk from the Pro plan. Dialpad also sells a separate AI Agent product: voice and digital agents that answer routine calls, chats and texts, schedule appointments, look up orders and hand off to people. It is aimed at teams that need a phone system first, with AI layered on top, rather than a marketing platform.
Independent comparison. We are a HighLevel affiliate, not HighLevel or Dialpad, and we do not speak for either company. Prices come from each vendor's own website, checked 2026-09-29.
At a glance
| Feature | HighLevel | Dialpad |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $97/mo (Starter) | $15/user/mo billed annually (Standard) |
| Pricing model | Flat plan plus usage for texts, calls, email and AI | Dialpad Connect is priced per user per month (the $15 and $25 rates are annual billing, read from Dialpad's own plan page because the main pricing page loads prices by script), and AI Agent credit rates are not published, so see Dialpad's pricing page. |
| CRM and pipelines | Yes | Not listed |
| Funnels | Yes | Not listed |
| Websites | Yes | Not listed |
| Email marketing | Yes | Not listed |
| Two-way texting | Yes | Yes |
| Calling | Yes | Yes |
| AI voice agent | Yes, billed by use | Add-on |
| Review requests | Yes | Not listed |
| Courses and memberships | Yes | Not listed |
| White label for agencies | Yes, from Unlimited | Not listed |
Dialpad pricing
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $15/user/mo billed annually | HD calls and meetings, real-time transcripts and call summaries |
| Pro | $25/user/mo billed annually | Adds CRM integrations and 24/7 support |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | Adds SSO, user access controls and unlimited office locations |
| AI Agent | See vendor pricing page | Pool of conversation credits; a conversation is billed only when the AI retrieves information or takes an action; rates not published |
Where Dialpad is stronger
Dialpad advantages
- A full phone system with HD calling, meetings, IVR, call recording and business texting in one app.
- AI transcripts and call summaries are included from the entry Standard plan.
- The Pro plan adds CRM integrations with tools such as Salesforce, HubSpot and Zendesk, plus 24/7 support.
- AI Agent bills only conversations where the AI looks something up or takes an action, not every call it touches.
Where Dialpad falls short
- Priced per user, so a 10-person team on Pro pays $250 a month on annual billing before any AI Agent credits, while HighLevel plans include unlimited users.
- AI Agent credit prices are not published, so an AI receptionist's cost cannot be estimated without a sales conversation.
- Dialpad does not list funnels, websites, email campaigns, pipelines or review tools; it is a communications platform, not a marketing CRM.
Where HighLevel is stronger
HighLevel puts CRM, funnels, websites, two-way texting, calling, review requests, courses and an AI phone agent in one login, and agencies can put their own brand on it from the Unlimited plan. The trade-off is a steeper learning curve and usage charges on top of the plan, which our cost calculator adds up. For the full picture read our GoHighLevel review.
Who should pick which
| Choose Dialpad | Teams of several people who need a dependable business phone system with AI transcription and CRM integrations. |
|---|---|
| Choose HighLevel | Small businesses and agencies that want the AI receptionist, CRM and marketing follow-up in one tool with unlimited users and published per-minute AI rates. |
Switching
Numbers are the main job when leaving Dialpad for HighLevel: move them to LC Phone or a Twilio account, then rebuild IVR menus, routing and voicemail in HighLevel's phone system. Set up Voice AI for after-hours or overflow answering and test transfers to staff before the cutover. Teams that rely on Dialpad Meetings or its contact center tools will need a separate product for those, since HighLevel's phone system is built around the CRM.
Verdict
Dialpad is the better phone system: per-user plans from $15 a month on annual billing, strong AI transcription and summaries, CRM integrations, and meetings and contact center options as a team grows. It is not a marketing platform, and its AI Agent pricing sits behind a sales call. HighLevel's calling is simpler, but it pairs the phone line with a CRM, pipelines, texting campaigns and a Voice AI receptionist priced openly at $0.045 a minute plus voice, tokens and phone. Choose Dialpad when a phone system is what you need; choose HighLevel when calls are one step in winning and keeping customers.
Try HighLevel