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Talkroute pricing looks affordable at first. The Basic plan starts at $19 per month for a single user, with unlimited calling, text messages, video meetings, mobile apps, web apps, and basic call routing.
However, the real Talkroute cost changes once you compare plan limits, user accounts, phone numbers, local numbers, MMS messages, call recording, HIPAA access, BAA availability, and add-ons.
Sure, Talkroute says it doesn’t pass separate regulatory fees or telecom surcharges to customers. So, the issue isn’t tax padding but the value it offers.
In this article, we’ll double down on the service’s pricing and pit it against iPlum, a powerful Talkroute alternative.
For starters, iPlum starts at $8.99 per user, offering small businesses a lower-cost virtual phone system for business calls, texting, incoming calls, outgoing calls, voicemail, mobile devices, and routing basics.
And, for regulated users, iPlum also brings HIPAA compliance and BAA at a much lower monthly price than Talkroute’s Pro plan.
Also read: iPlum vs. Talkroute—Which is the Better Phone System?
Table of Contents
1. Talkroute pricing at a glance
3. 7 things you need to know about Talkroute pricing plans
4. Talkroute vs iPlum pricing comparison
Talkroute pricing at a glance
Talkroute offers four pricing plans: Basic, Plus, Pro, and Enterprise.
The Basic plan costs $19 per month.
It gives a single user 1 number, 1 voicemail box, unlimited calling, text messages, video meetings, mobile apps, web apps, call forwarding, and basic call routing. However, Basic limits SMS and MMS to 500 messages per month.
The Plus plan costs $39 per month.
It adds 3 user accounts, 2 phone numbers, 3 voice mailboxes, menu options, single-digit extensions, simultaneous ring, live call transfer, and hours of operation. It’s a better fit for small teams that need to route incoming calls and forward calls to more users.
The Pro plan costs $59 per month.
It adds 10 users, 3 numbers, 10 mailboxes, submenus, multi-digit extensions, call recording, scheduled forwarding recording, reporting, Voice Studio, and BAA.
The Enterprise plan uses custom pricing for 20+ users.
It adds 10+ numbers, 20+ mailboxes, a service level agreement, a dedicated account manager, and bulk pricing.
So, Talkroute offers a decent virtual phone system. Still, the cost rises when you need more users, compliance features, recording, or extra numbers.
iPlum pricing at a glance
iPlum offers three pricing plans: Standard, Professional, and Enterprise.
The Standard plan costs $8.99 per user per month.
It gives users a US or Canada number, calling, texting, Phone Tree, voicemail, spam blocking, Out of Office, Business Hours, Auto-Text Reply, Text Signature, and iOS and Android apps.
The Professional plan costs $14.99 per user per month.
It adds web calling and texting, Share Number, voicemail transcription, secure, encrypted texting, group text, broadcast text, Text to Email, scheduled text, text templates, business contacts, 1-year text archiving, free iPlum accounts for clients, HIPAA compliance, and BAA.
The Enterprise plan costs $25.99 per user per month.
It adds call recording, a recording consent announcement, and 10-year archiving for recordings and texts.
iPlum also has two possible extra costs. TCR texting registration costs $20, one-time per business. A toll-free number costs $5 per month when chosen instead of a local number.
As you can see, iPlum starts much lower than Talkroute.
It also gives regulated users HIPAA compliance and BAA on the Professional plan, not at a $59 monthly tier. That makes iPlum easier to price for small businesses, solo professionals, and mobile-first users.
7 things you need to know about Talkroute pricing plans
As stated, Talkroute's pricing changes more quickly than iPlum's, particularly for users, texting limits, compliance tools, recording, and numbers.
Here’s what we mean:
Talkroute pricing starts at more than double iPlum’s entry price
Talkroute’s Basic plan starts at $19 per month for a single user. iPlum’s Standard plan, by comparison, starts at $8.99 per user per month.
So, Talkroute costs more than twice as much as iPlum at the basic level.
At first, Talkroute offers a decent package. You get unlimited calling, text messages, video meetings, mobile apps, web apps, call forwarding, and call routing.
However, iPlum offers core phone tools to small businesses at a lower monthly price. You still get business calls, texting, voicemail, Phone Tree, Business Hours, Auto-Text Reply, spam blocking, and mobile access.
The pricing difference becomes more obvious for a solo consultant, therapist, attorney, broker, or small business owner who only needs one business line on a cell phone.
Talkroute Basic costs $228 per year before any local number registration or campaign fee. iPlum Standard costs $107.88 per year before TCR registration. That’s a yearly difference of $120.12 for one user.
Sure, Talkroute can still make sense for a business that wants video meetings bundled into the same plan. However, for basic business calling and texting, iPlum offers a lower starting cost.
The Basic plan limits SMS and MMS messages
Talkroute’s Basic plan includes text messaging, but caps SMS and MMS at 500 per month.
That limit can become a problem if your business uses text messages for appointment reminders, follow-ups, missed call replies, intake questions, or client updates.
The cap also makes the Basic plan less appealing for a business that gets regular incoming calls and needs to reply quickly by text.
Talkroute Plus, Pro, and Enterprise list unlimited SMS and MMS. However, you’ll pay $39 per month to move from Basic to Plus.
iPlum Standard starts at $8.99 per user and gives calling and texting as core plan features. iPlum Professional then adds secure, encrypted, group, broadcast, Text-to-Email, scheduled, and text templates for $14.99 per user.
So, Talkroute’s cheapest plan costs more than iPlum Standard and still places a monthly cap on SMS and MMS.
A small business should check real texting volume before choosing Basic. If 500 messages won’t be enough, the Talkroute cost rises from $19 to at least $39 per month.
Local number registration can raise the first Talkroute charge
Talkroute says it doesn’t pass on separate regulatory, USF, or telecom surcharges to customers.
That’s fair.
However, messaging registration can still result in a higher first bill for local numbers.
The Basic plan lists a $19 one-time fee for local number registration. It also lists a $1.50 monthly campaign fee for a local number.
The Plus plan lists a $15 one-time fee for local number registration. Pro and Enterprise mark local number registration and campaign fees as part of the plan.
So, Talkroute doesn’t add taxes as a separate line item, but a business on Basic or Plus can still see extra messaging-related costs.
iPlum also has a TCR texting registration charge. It costs $20 one-time per business.
The difference is in the plan price around it. iPlum starts at $8.99 per user. Talkroute starts at $19 per month.
So, a single user on Talkroute Basic pays $19 per month, plus the $19 local number registration fee, plus $1.50 per month for the local campaign fee.
A single user on iPlum Standard pays $8.99 per month, plus the $20 one-time TCR fee.
HIPAA and BAA cost less with iPlum
Talkroute can serve regulated businesses, but the pricing page makes the BAA comparison difficult for smaller users.
The Pro plan includes BAA. Pro costs $59 per month.
That means a solo healthcare provider, therapist, or medical office owner may need to price Talkroute at the Pro level when a BAA is required.
iPlum Professional costs $14.99 per user per month and gives HIPAA compliance and BAA.
That’s a major pricing difference.
Talkroute Pro costs $708 per year. iPlum Professional costs $179.88 per year for one user.
That’s a yearly difference of $528.12 before any optional add-ons.
The comparison becomes sharper when encrypted texting is introduced. iPlum Professional adds secure, encrypted texting, 1-year text archiving, client accounts, web calling, web texting, and voicemail transcription.
Talkroute offers useful business phone features, including call routing, incoming call routing, call receiving, voicemail greetings, caller ID name, mobile apps, web apps, and desktop/mobile access.
However, iPlum offers HIPAA and BAA compliance to regulated users at a lower monthly price.
Call recording costs much more with Talkroute
Talkroute puts call recording in the Pro plan.
That plan costs $59 per month.
Talkroute Pro also adds submenus, multi-digit extensions, reporting, Voice Studio, 10 user accounts, 3 phone numbers, and 10 voice mailboxes.
The bundle may appeal to a business that needs more users. However, a single user who only needs call recording has to pay the full Pro price.
iPlum Enterprise costs $25.99 per user per month. It adds call recording, a recording consent announcement, and 10-year archiving for recordings and texts.
So, a single user needing call recording pays $59 per month with Talkroute Pro. The same user pays $25.99 per month with iPlum Enterprise.
Over a year, Talkroute Pro costs $708. iPlum Enterprise costs $311.88.
That’s a $396.12 yearly difference for one user.
Talkroute gives you more bundled user accounts in Pro. However, that doesn’t mean a smaller business gets better value.
A lawyer, broker, insurance agent, consultant, or healthcare provider may need to record more than one extra user.
In that case, iPlum gives the recording feature at a much lower price.
Talkroute bundles users, which can raise the bill for smaller businesses
Talkroute pricing groups users into larger plan bundles.
Basic gives 1 user. Plus gives 3 users. Pro gives 10 users. Enterprise starts at 20+ users.
Additional users cost $5 per month.
That pricing can suit a business with several team members using the same virtual phone system.
However, a smaller company may pay for a higher plan mainly to get one feature. For example, a two-person office that needs BAA or call recording has to look at Pro.
That’s $59 per month, even if the business doesn’t need 10 users, 10 mailboxes, multi-digit extensions, submenus, reporting, or Voice Studio.
iPlum prices per user, so smaller businesses can scale with less waste.
Two users on iPlum Professional cost $29.98 per month. They get HIPAA compliance, BAA, secure texting, web calling, web texting, text archiving, voicemail transcription, group text, and broadcast text.
Two users on Talkroute Plus cost $39 per month, and Plus still doesn’t list BAA or call recording.
So, Talkroute’s user bundle may look generous. However, the total plan cost can climb when a small business needs compliance tools, not more seats.
Add-ons can change the final Talkroute cost
Talkroute says it has no hidden fees. It also says it doesn’t separately charge customers for taxes, USF fees, or regulatory fees.
Still, add-ons can change the final monthly bill.
Talkroute charges $5 per additional phone number per month. Additional users also cost $5 per month. Additional voice mailboxes can also be purchased.
The pricing page also mentions toll-free phone number registration, local number registration, and monthly campaign fees for local messaging on the Basic plan.
So, the plan price doesn’t always tell the whole story.
A business should price the full setup before choosing a plan. That means checking user accounts, phone numbers, voice mailboxes, SMS MMS volume, toll-free number needs, add-ons, and compliance requirements.
Talkroute offers useful features for small businesses, such as auto attendants, menu options, custom greetings, simultaneous ring, live call transfer, call forwarding, call routing, video meetings, desktop and mobile apps, native integrations through Zapier, and links to other apps.
However, iPlum’s lower plan prices make it harder for Talkroute to compete.
If a business needs HIPAA, BAA, encrypted texting, call recording, consent announcement, and long-term archiving, iPlum gives those features at a lower monthly cost.
Talkroute vs iPlum pricing comparison
Talkroute and iPlum price their plans differently.
Talkroute bundles users into fixed plans. iPlum charges per user. So, the better deal depends on how many users you have and which features your business needs.
Compared to Talkroute, iPlum wins in the more common small-business scenarios.
A solo user pays less for calling, texting, voicemail, and mobile access. A regulated user pays far less for HIPAA compliance and BAA. A user who needs call recording also pays less with iPlum Enterprise.
The point is, iPlum offers better value when price, HIPAA compliance, BAA, encrypted texting, call recording, and archiving are top priorities.
Is Talkroute worth it?
Talkroute can be worth it if you need a general virtual phone system with bundled users, video meetings, menu options, call forwarding, call routing, custom greetings, and desktop and mobile apps.
It also gives small businesses useful tools for receiving, routing, forwarding, setting voicemail greetings, and managing multiple calls from mobile devices.
However, Talkroute pricing becomes harder to justify when you need HIPAA compliance, BAA, call recording, encrypted texting, and long-term archiving.
The Basic plan starts at $19 per month, but iPlum starts at $8.99 per user.
The Plus plan costs $39 per month, but it still doesn’t list BAA or call recording. The Pro plan costs $59 per month, and that’s where Talkroute adds call recording and BAA.
For comparison, iPlum Professional costs $14.99 per user and gives HIPAA compliance, BAA, secure, encrypted texting, web calling, web texting, and 1-year text archiving.
iPlum Enterprise costs $25.99 per user and adds call recording, a recording consent announcement, and 10-year archiving for recordings and texts.
So, Talkroute may be a good fit for a business that needs several users bundled into one plan.
But for solo professionals, small teams, healthcare providers, therapists, attorneys, financial professionals, and insurance brokers, iPlum offers a better price-to-feature match.
Sign up for iPlum to get a lower-cost business phone line with calling, texting, HIPAA-ready features, call recording, and archiving built for regulated communication.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for general informational purposes and may not reflect the most current features or capabilities of the products or companies mentioned. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, please refer to the official sources of each company.
