We had the exact same pricing concern when budgeting for our first customer support line. While Aircall has name recognition, we needed something more flexible with no hidden costs. A friend shared this comparison https://esimplus.me/blog/best-aircall-alternative-full-comparison-guide. It was super detailed — comparing not only features, but also onboarding experience and customer service. Based on that, we went with a more agile provider that offered month-to-month plans and native CRM integration. No regrets so far — uptime has been consistent, and the support team is actually responsive. If you’re on a tight budget but still want a robust VoIP solution, that guide is a great place to start your research.