The short answer
GoHighLevel vs Quo (OpenPhone) comes down to what you need to run. Quo (OpenPhone) is the better fit for small teams that want an inexpensive business number with texting, shared calling and a light AI answering agent. HighLevel is the better fit for businesses and agencies that need the phone line tied to a CRM, pipelines, campaigns and an AI receptionist that books appointments. Quo (OpenPhone)'s Starter plan is $15/user/mo billed annually, $19 monthly; HighLevel starts at $97 a month with usage billed on top.
Quo, formerly OpenPhone, is a business phone service that gives each user one local or toll-free number, new or ported, with calling and texting. Calling and messaging to US and Canadian numbers is unlimited under fair use. Every plan includes Sona, an AI agent that answers calls 24/7, plus voicemail transcripts and AI message responses. Higher plans add AI call summaries, phone menus, call transfers, automatic call recording and HubSpot and Salesforce integrations. It is a simple, low-cost phone system rather than a CRM or marketing platform, and openphone.com now redirects to quo.com.
Independent comparison. We are a HighLevel affiliate, not HighLevel or Quo (OpenPhone), 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 | Quo (OpenPhone) |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $97/mo (Starter) | $15/user/mo billed annually, $19 monthly (Starter) |
| Pricing model | Flat plan plus usage for texts, calls, email and AI | Quo charges per user per month with one number each, includes 1,000 Sona credits (about 10 AI-answered calls) on every plan, and sells more Sona calls in monthly credit tiers priced per call rather than per minute. |
| 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 | Yes |
| Review requests | Yes | Not listed |
| Courses and memberships | Yes | Not listed |
| White label for agencies | Yes, from Unlimited | Not listed |
Quo (OpenPhone) pricing
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $15/user/mo billed annually, $19 monthly | One number per user, unlimited US and Canada calling and texting (fair use), Sona AI agent with 1,000 credits |
| Business | $23/user/mo billed annually, $33 monthly | Adds AI call summaries and transcripts, call transfers, phone menus, auto recording, HubSpot and Salesforce |
| Scale | $35/user/mo billed annually, $47 monthly | Adds AI call tags, priority phone support, dedicated onboarding |
| Sona credit tiers | $25 to $199/mo | 1 call uses 100 credits; $25 for 40 calls, $49 for 100, $99 for 250, $199 for 600; overage $0.75 to $0.45 a call |
| Add-ons | $5/mo per extra number | Automated SMS $0.01 per segment; international rates apply; 7-day free trial |
Where Quo (OpenPhone) is stronger
Quo (OpenPhone) advantages
- Low entry price: $15 per user a month on annual billing with unlimited US and Canada calling and texting under fair use.
- The Sona AI agent is included on every plan, so a small team can try AI answering without another vendor.
- Sona is priced per call, not per minute, which keeps long calls predictable.
- HubSpot and Salesforce integrations from the Business plan.
Where Quo (OpenPhone) falls short
- The included Sona credits cover about 10 calls a month; 250 AI calls a month need the $99 credit tier.
- Sona calls cost roughly $0.33 to $1.00 each depending on tier, more than a two-minute HighLevel Voice AI call at about $0.14 in engine, voice and inbound phone before tokens.
- Quo does not list pipelines, email marketing, funnels or review requests, so marketing follow-up needs another tool.
- Call summaries, transfers and phone menus need the Business plan at $23 per user a month or more.
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 Quo (OpenPhone) | Small teams that want an inexpensive business number with texting, shared calling and a light AI answering agent. |
|---|---|
| Choose HighLevel | Businesses and agencies that need the phone line tied to a CRM, pipelines, campaigns and an AI receptionist that books appointments. |
Switching
Quo, formerly OpenPhone, supports ported numbers, so moving to HighLevel usually means porting the number out to LC Phone or a Twilio account; confirm the steps with both vendors. Before moving, export contacts and message history from Quo, recreate phone menus and call routing in HighLevel, and rebuild Sona's greeting and answers as a Voice AI prompt. Start A2P 10DLC registration for the texting number in HighLevel early, because carrier approval can take a while.
Verdict
Quo is a clean, affordable business phone: $15 to $35 per user a month on annual billing, unlimited US and Canada calling and texting, and a Sona AI agent on every plan. For a small team that mostly needs a shared number, it is hard to beat on price. It is not a CRM or marketing system, and Sona's per-call credits get expensive past a few dozen calls a month. HighLevel costs more at the start ($97 a month) but combines calling, texting, pipelines, campaigns and Voice AI at per-minute rates, with unlimited users. Pick Quo for simple phones; pick HighLevel when calls need to feed a sales process.
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