Best Call Tracking Software: Which One Should You Actually Use?
If you're spending money on marketing and phone calls are part of your conversion path, you need call tracking software. Period. Without it, you're flying blind—unable to tell which campaigns, keywords, or ads are actually driving the calls that turn into revenue.
The market is crowded with options, and most comparison articles just regurgitate feature lists. Let's cut through that. Here's my take on the best call tracking software based on actual pricing, real limitations, and who should use each tool.
Quick Comparison: Call Tracking Software at a Glance
| Software | Starting Price | Best For | Free Trial |
|---|---|---|---|
| CallRail | $50/month | SMBs and marketing agencies | 14 days |
| CallTrackingMetrics | $79/month | Contact centers and agencies | Yes (credit card required) |
| WhatConverts | $30/month | Agencies tracking multiple lead types | Yes |
| CloudTalk | $25/user/month | SMBs wanting AI without enterprise complexity | Yes |
| Invoca | $1,000+/month | Enterprise teams with big budgets | Yes |
| Nimbata | Pay-per-call model | Marketers who hate per-minute billing | Yes |
| AvidTrak | $15/month | Budget-conscious SMBs | Yes |
What to Look for in Call Tracking Software
Before diving into specific tools, here's what actually matters when choosing call tracking software:
- Dynamic Number Insertion (DNI): This swaps phone numbers on your website based on traffic source. Essential for accurate attribution.
- Integration ecosystem: You need it to work with Google Ads, Google Analytics, your CRM, and whatever marketing tools you're already using.
- Call recording and transcription: Basic recording is standard, but AI-powered transcription and keyword spotting are becoming must-haves.
- Pricing transparency: Watch out for per-minute charges, transcription fees, and add-on costs that balloon your bill.
- Reporting clarity: If you can't easily show which campaigns drove which calls, what's the point?
1. CallRail – Best Overall for SMBs and Agencies
CallRail is the most popular call tracking platform for a reason. It hits the sweet spot between features and usability for most small to mid-sized businesses.
CallRail Pricing
CallRail offers four main plans:
- Call Tracking: $50/month + usage
- Call Tracking + Conversation Intelligence: $100/month + usage
- Call Tracking + Form Tracking: $100/month + usage
- Call Tracking Complete: $195/month + usage
Each plan includes 5 local numbers and 250 local minutes. Additional local numbers cost $3/month each, and overage minutes run about $0.05 each. Toll-free numbers are pricier at $5/month and $0.08/minute.
What's Good
- Fast setup and intuitive dashboard
- Strong Google Ads and GA4 integration
- Keyword-level tracking for PPC campaigns
- 14-day free trial without credit card
- Excellent for multi-location businesses
What Sucks
- Advanced features like AI call scoring and sentiment analysis are locked behind the $100+ plans
- Usage costs add up fast for high-volume callers
- Some users find the basic plan too limited for serious campaign optimization
Who Should Use It
If you're a marketing agency or SMB running Google Ads campaigns and need reliable call attribution, CallRail is the default choice. It's not the cheapest, but the combination of ease-of-use and features makes it hard to beat for most use cases.
2. CallTrackingMetrics – Best for Contact Centers and Power Users
CallTrackingMetrics goes beyond basic call tracking into full contact center territory. It's more complex but offers features that CallRail doesn't.
CallTrackingMetrics Pricing
- Marketing Lite: $79/month + usage
- Marketing Pro: $179/month + usage
- Sales Engage: $329/month + usage
- Enterprise: $1,999/month + usage
They charge per minute rather than per user, and there's no free trial without entering credit card info. The first month waives the base subscription fee, but usage charges still apply.
What's Good
- Full omnichannel tracking (calls, texts, forms, chat)
- Advanced call routing and IVR capabilities
- White-label options for agencies
- Strong automation and AI features on higher tiers
- Works even with a single phone number
What Sucks
- Steeper learning curve than CallRail
- Setup and onboarding can be slow—some users report delays
- Per-minute billing makes costs unpredictable
- Key integrations reserved for higher-priced tiers
Who Should Use It
Teams that need contact center functionality alongside call tracking. If you're managing inbound and outbound calls at scale and need advanced routing, CTM delivers more than basic tracking tools.
3. WhatConverts – Best for Multi-Channel Lead Tracking
WhatConverts isn't just call tracking—it's full lead tracking across calls, forms, chats, and transactions. Agencies love it because you can show clients exactly what's working.
WhatConverts Pricing
- Call Tracking: $30/month (includes $30 usage credit)
- Plus: $60/month (includes $30 usage credit)
- Pro: $100/month (includes $30 usage credit)
- Elite: $160/month (includes $30 usage credit)
- Agency: Starting at $500/month (includes $250+ usage credit)
Additional features like call transcription ($0.02/minute) and white-label ($50/month) are add-ons.
What's Good
- Tracks calls, forms, chats, and ecommerce transactions in one place
- Excellent lead qualification and management features
- Customer journey tracking across touchpoints
- Great customer support (consistently praised in reviews)
- HIPAA compliance on Pro+ plans
What Sucks
- Interface has a learning curve
- Base plans include minimal usage credits
- Single email address per agency account is limiting
Who Should Use It
Marketing agencies managing multiple clients who need to prove ROI across all lead types, not just phone calls. If you're tired of stitching together data from different tools, WhatConverts consolidates it.
4. CloudTalk – Best Budget Option with AI Features
CloudTalk is primarily a VoIP platform, but its call tracking and AI features make it a compelling alternative to pricier options.
CloudTalk Pricing
- Starter: $25/user/month
- Essential: $30/user/month
- Expert: $50/user/month
- Custom: Contact for pricing
All plans include core call tracking features. AI capabilities like call summaries and sentiment analysis are available at higher tiers.
What's Good
- Significantly cheaper than CallRail for similar features
- AI-powered call intelligence included
- Smart routing and call workflows
- Good for international operations with broad number coverage
What Sucks
- More of a phone system than a pure marketing attribution tool
- Marketing attribution features less robust than dedicated call tracking platforms
- May be overkill if you just need basic tracking
Who Should Use It
SMBs and agencies that want AI call intelligence without paying CallRail's premium prices. Especially good if you also need VoIP functionality.
5. Invoca – Best for Enterprise
Invoca is the enterprise-grade option. If you're a large company spending serious money on marketing, this is the platform that can handle scale and complexity.
Invoca Pricing
Invoca doesn't publish transparent pricing. Reports suggest plans start around $1,000-$2,000/month, with enterprise deployments going much higher. You'll need to get a custom quote.
What's Good
- Best-in-class AI and conversation analytics
- Premium integrations with Salesforce, Adobe, and enterprise tools
- Designed for high-volume, multi-location businesses
- Strong support and dedicated account management
- G2 enterprise leader for 5+ years
What Sucks
- Expensive—way overkill for SMBs
- Pricing lacks transparency
- Complex setup and longer onboarding
- Transcription accuracy can be inconsistent for niche industries
Who Should Use It
Large enterprises with significant marketing budgets who need enterprise-grade security, compliance, and integrations. If you're spending six figures on ads and need sophisticated attribution, Invoca is built for you.
6. Nimbata – Best Pay-Per-Call Model
Nimbata stands out by charging per answered call instead of per minute. For businesses with longer call durations, this can mean significant savings.
Nimbata Pricing
Pay-per-answered-call model (specific pricing varies). Key integrations like HubSpot and Salesforce are included even on lower-priced plans.
What's Good
- Predictable costs—no per-minute surprises
- Modern, marketer-friendly interface
- Essential integrations included on all plans
- Good for businesses with longer average call times
What Sucks
- Smaller company with fewer enterprise features
- Less brand recognition than CallRail
- Fewer advanced AI capabilities
Who Should Use It
Marketers and agencies tired of per-minute billing models. If your calls tend to run long (legal, healthcare, B2B sales), the pay-per-call model could save you money.
7. AvidTrak – Best Budget Option
AvidTrak offers call tracking starting at just $15/month—making it one of the most affordable options on the market.
AvidTrak Pricing
Starting at $15/month with flat-fee pricing. Includes AI-powered transcription and conversation outcome detection.
What's Good
- Extremely affordable entry point
- No extra cost for support, integrations, or customizations
- White-labeling available for agencies
- AI features included at low price point
What Sucks
- Fewer advanced features than premium platforms
- Smaller ecosystem of integrations
- Less robust reporting than enterprise options
Who Should Use It
Budget-conscious SMBs who need basic call tracking and attribution without breaking the bank. Good for businesses just getting started with call tracking.
How to Choose the Right Call Tracking Software
Here's my quick decision framework:
- Budget under $50/month? Start with AvidTrak or WhatConverts' basic plan.
- Standard SMB/agency needs? CallRail is the safe choice. It just works.
- Need more than calls? WhatConverts tracks forms, chats, and transactions too.
- Contact center functionality? CallTrackingMetrics has you covered.
- Enterprise with big budget? Invoca is built for scale.
- Hate per-minute billing? Look at Nimbata's pay-per-call model.
- Want AI on a budget? CloudTalk delivers at lower price points.
Final Thoughts
Most businesses will be well-served by CallRail. It's the Toyota Camry of call tracking—reliable, popular, and gets the job done without drama.
But if you have specific needs—agency-level lead tracking, contact center features, enterprise scale, or tight budget constraints—there are better-fit options on this list.
The worst mistake is not using call tracking at all. If phone calls matter to your business, pick one of these tools and start measuring. You'll immediately see which campaigns are worth your money and which are wasting it.
Looking for other tools to improve your sales and marketing stack? Check out our guides on best CRM software and best email marketing software.