Five9 is one of the largest cloud contact center platforms, serving enterprise organizations across industries. It’s also one of the more expensive options — and the pricing structure can be confusing.
If you’re evaluating Five9 for your contact center, this guide will help you understand the actual costs, what’s included at each tier, and how to evaluate whether it’s the right investment for your organization.
I’ve been in the contact center industry since 2001 and have helped hundreds of organizations navigate CCaaS vendor selection. Here’s what I’ve learned about Five9 pricing.
Five9 Pricing Overview
Five9 uses a five-tier pricing model. The first two tiers have published pricing; the higher tiers require custom quotes.
| Plan | Price/User/Month | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Digital | $119 | Digital-only (chat, email, SMS) |
| Core | $159 | Voice-only contact centers |
| Premium | Custom quote | Voice + digital combined |
| Optimum | Custom quote | WFM and quality management |
| Ultimate | Custom quote | Full suite with analytics |
Important: Five9 requires a 50-seat minimum for all plans. This isn’t a platform for small teams.
These are published list prices as of early 2026. Actual pricing depends on seat count, contract length, and negotiation. Always confirm current pricing directly with Five9.
Five9 Digital Plan ($119/user/month)
The Digital plan is Five9’s entry point for organizations that only need digital channels.
What’s Included:
- Email routing and response
- Web chat
- SMS/MMS messaging
- Social messaging
- Agent desktop
- Basic reporting
- Geo-redundancy
- Call recording
- 3,000 AI minutes per seat (transcription, summaries)
What’s Not Included:
- Voice/phone capabilities
- Outbound dialing
- Workforce management
- Quality management
- Advanced analytics
Best For: Organizations running digital-only support operations (no phone) with at least 50 agents.
The Reality: Pure digital-only contact centers are rare. Most organizations need voice at some point, which means upgrading to Premium (custom pricing) to get both channels.
Five9 Core Plan ($159/user/month)
Core is Five9’s voice-focused tier with inbound and outbound capabilities.
What’s Included:
- Inbound voice (ACD, IVR)
- Outbound dialing (predictive, power, preview)
- Agent desktop
- Call recording
- Basic reporting
- Geo-redundancy
- CRM screen pops
- 3,000 AI minutes per seat
What’s Not Included:
- Digital channels (email, chat, SMS, social)
- Workforce management
- Quality management
- Advanced analytics
- Speech analytics
Best For: Voice-only contact centers focused on outbound campaigns or inbound call handling.
The Reality: At $159/seat, Core is more expensive than many competitors’ omnichannel offerings. You’re paying a premium for voice-only when competitors include digital channels at lower price points.
Five9 Premium Plan (Custom Quote)
Premium combines voice and digital channels into a single omnichannel platform.
What’s Included (in addition to Core):
- All digital channels (email, chat, SMS, social)
- Blended inbound/outbound
- Omnichannel routing
- Expanded integrations
- Enhanced reporting
What’s Not Included:
- Workforce management
- Quality management
- Speech and text analytics
- Advanced AI features
Best For: Mid-size contact centers needing true omnichannel capabilities.
The Reality: This is where most organizations land. You need custom pricing from Five9 sales, but expect it to be significantly higher than the $159 Core plan. Industry estimates suggest $175-$200/seat range, though this varies by deal size.
Five9 Optimum Plan (Custom Quote)
Optimum adds workforce engagement management tools for scheduling, forecasting, and quality.
What’s Included (in addition to Premium):
- Workforce management (WFM)
- Quality management
- Schedule optimization
- Forecasting and adherence
- Performance dashboards
- Agent coaching tools
What’s Not Included:
- Advanced analytics
- Full AI suite
- Interaction analytics
Best For: Operations teams managing 100+ agents who need scheduling, forecasting, and quality management in one platform.
The Reality: WFM and QM are essential for larger contact centers. At this tier, you’re likely looking at $200-$230/seat based on industry benchmarks, though Five9 doesn’t publish these prices.
Five9 Ultimate Plan (Custom Quote)
Ultimate is Five9’s complete enterprise package with analytics and AI capabilities.
What’s Included (in addition to Optimum):
- Interaction analytics
- Speech analytics
- Sentiment analysis
- Advanced AI features
- Custom reporting
- Full platform access
What’s Not Included:
- At this tier, most features are included, though some advanced AI capabilities may have usage-based pricing.
Best For: Large enterprises wanting the complete Five9 feature set.
The Reality: Ultimate pricing is typically $229-$250/seat based on industry data. For a 200-agent contact center, that’s $550,000-$600,000/year in licensing alone — before telecom and add-ons.
The 50-Seat Minimum: What It Means
Five9 requires a minimum of 50 seats for all plans. This is a significant barrier for smaller organizations.
If you have fewer than 50 agents:
- Five9 isn’t an option (they won’t sell to you)
- Look at alternatives designed for smaller teams
- Consider Platform28, which has no seat minimums
If you have exactly 50-60 agents:
- You’ll pay for 50 seats minimum regardless of actual usage
- Named-user licensing means you pay for every agent, active or not
- Seasonal businesses may pay for seats they don’t use
What’s Not Included: Add-Ons and Extras
Even with Five9’s higher tiers, several important features require additional purchases:
| Add-On | Description | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligent Virtual Agent (IVA) | AI-powered self-service bots | Usage-based |
| AI Agents | Advanced conversational AI | Usage-based |
| CRM Connectors | Salesforce, Zendesk, ServiceNow, etc. | Per connector fee |
| Advanced Analytics (Aceyus Vue) | Deep reporting and BI | Add-on cost |
| Additional AI Minutes | Beyond 3,000/seat included | Per minute |
| Technical Account Manager | Dedicated support contact | Premium fee |
| Professional Services | Implementation, customization | Project-based |
The CRM Connector Issue:
Five9 charges extra for CRM integrations. If you use Salesforce, you’ll pay an additional fee on top of your seat licensing. This adds to total cost of ownership in a way that many buyers don’t expect.
Implementation Costs:
Five9 implementations typically require professional services. Complexity depends on your integrations, migration requirements, and customization needs. Budget for implementation costs beyond the seat licensing.
How Five9 Pricing Compares to Alternatives
Here’s how Five9 stacks up against the major CCaaS platforms:
Mid-Tier Comparison (Voice + Digital)
| Platform | Monthly/User | Annual (100 agents) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Five9 Premium | ~$185 (est.) | ~$222,000 | Custom quote required |
| Genesys CX 2 | $115 | $138,000 | Published pricing |
| NICE CXone Core | $110 | $132,000 | Published pricing |
| Talkdesk Elevate | $115 | $138,000 | Published pricing |
| Platform28 Professional | $65 | $78,000 | Published pricing |
Enterprise Comparison (Full Suite)
| Platform | Monthly/User | Annual (100 agents) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Five9 Ultimate | ~$229 | ~$274,800 | Custom quote required |
| Genesys CX 4 | $240 | $288,000 | Published pricing |
| NICE CXone Ultimate | $135+ | $162,000+ | Varies by config |
| Platform28 Enterprise | $90 | $108,000 | Published pricing |
Note: Five9 Premium/Optimum/Ultimate prices are estimates based on industry data. Actual pricing varies by deal. Always confirm directly with Five9.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Five9 Ultimate | Genesys CX 3 | NICE CXone | Platform28 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omnichannel | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Workforce Management | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Quality Management | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI Call Scoring | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on | Included |
| Speech Analytics | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 99.999% Uptime SLA | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| No Seat Minimum | ✗ (50 min) | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Used-Seat Billing | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Five9: Pros and Cons
What Five9 Does Well
Outbound Dialing: Five9 has strong predictive, power, and preview dialer capabilities. If outbound campaigns are core to your operation, Five9’s dialer is competitive.
AI Investment: Five9 has invested heavily in AI features including IVA, agent assist, and transcription. The 3,000 AI minutes per seat is a reasonable inclusion.
Enterprise Scale: Five9 can handle large, complex deployments across multiple sites and geographies.
Market Presence: As a public company (FIVN), Five9 has stability and resources. They’re not going anywhere.
Where Five9 Falls Short
Pricing Transparency: Only two of five tiers have published pricing. You can’t budget without talking to sales first.
50-Seat Minimum: Smaller organizations are excluded entirely. Growing companies may outgrow alternatives before they can consider Five9.
CRM Connector Fees: Charging extra for Salesforce/Zendesk integration adds unexpected costs. Most competitors include basic integrations.
No 99.999% Uptime SLA: Five9 doesn’t offer the same uptime guarantees as Genesys, NICE, or Platform28.
Named-User Licensing: You pay for every seat, whether agents log in or not. Organizations with part-time staff, seasonal fluctuations, or high turnover pay for unused capacity. (Compare this to Platform28’s pricing model, which charges only for agents who actually log in.)
Who Should Consider Five9?
Five9 is a good fit if:
- You have 50+ agents (the minimum requirement)
- Outbound dialing is a major part of your operation
- You want a well-established, publicly traded vendor
- You have budget for premium pricing
- You need AI capabilities and are willing to pay for them
Five9 may not be the best fit if:
- You have fewer than 50 agents
- You’re budget-conscious and looking for value
- You want transparent, published pricing before talking to sales
- You have seasonal or part-time staffing patterns
- You want CRM integrations included without extra fees
Questions to Ask Before Signing
Before committing to Five9 (or any CCaaS platform), get clear answers on these questions:
-
What’s the total cost of ownership? Get a detailed breakdown including seats, CRM connectors, AI add-ons, telecom, and implementation.
-
What tier do we actually need? Map your requirements to features. Don’t pay for Ultimate if Optimum covers your needs.
-
How does licensing work? Named user or concurrent? What happens when agents leave or you downsize?
-
What are the contract terms? Length, auto-renewal clauses, price increase provisions, seat minimums.
-
What’s included in support? Response time SLAs, access to technical resources, training.
-
What CRM connectors cost extra? Get specific pricing for Salesforce, Zendesk, or whatever you use.
-
Can we see reference customers? Talk to organizations similar to yours about their experience.
The Bottom Line on Five9 Pricing
Five9 is a capable enterprise platform with pricing to match. The 50-seat minimum and custom quoting for most tiers make it difficult to evaluate without engaging sales.
For large outbound-focused operations with budget for premium pricing, Five9 is worth considering. For mid-market organizations, smaller teams, or budget-conscious buyers, there are alternatives that offer comparable capabilities at lower cost with more transparent pricing.
The right platform is the one that fits your requirements, budget, and operational reality — not the one with the biggest market presence.
Calculate Your Potential Savings
Want to see how Five9 compares to alternatives for your specific situation?
Our Five9 Cost Comparison Calculator lets you enter your agent count, estimated Five9 pricing, and call volumes to see a detailed side-by-side comparison.
No email required. Results in 60 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Five9 cost per user?
Five9 pricing starts at $119/user/month for the Digital plan (digital channels only) and $159/user/month for the Core plan (voice only). Premium, Optimum, and Ultimate tiers require custom quotes, with industry estimates ranging from $175-$250/user/month depending on features.
What is Five9’s minimum seat requirement?
Five9 requires a minimum of 50 seats for all plans. Organizations with fewer than 50 agents cannot purchase Five9 and should consider alternatives without seat minimums.
Does Five9 include CRM integrations?
Five9 offers CRM integrations with Salesforce, Zendesk, ServiceNow, Microsoft Dynamics, and Oracle, but these connectors typically require additional fees beyond the base seat pricing.
Is Five9 worth the price?
It depends on your requirements. Five9 is feature-rich with strong outbound dialing capabilities, but it’s also one of the more expensive options with limited pricing transparency. Large outbound-focused operations may find it worthwhile, while mid-market companies often find better value with alternatives.
What’s the difference between Five9 Digital and Core?
Digital ($119/user/month) includes only digital channels (email, chat, SMS, social) with no voice capabilities. Core ($159/user/month) includes only voice with no digital channels. To get both voice and digital, you need the Premium tier (custom quote).
Does Five9 offer a free trial?
Five9 offers demos and proof-of-concept evaluations for qualified prospects. Contact their sales team to discuss evaluation options. Due to the 50-seat minimum, trials are typically only available to organizations meeting that threshold.
How does Five9 compare to Genesys?
Both are enterprise CCaaS platforms. Genesys CX 2 ($115) is cheaper than Five9 Core ($159) for voice. Genesys offers more pricing transparency with published rates for all four tiers. Five9 has stronger outbound dialer capabilities, while Genesys has broader global presence.
How does Five9 compare to NICE CXone?
NICE CXone is generally less expensive than Five9 at comparable tiers and offers more transparent pricing. Both platforms have strong enterprise capabilities. NICE is particularly strong in workforce optimization. Five9 has stronger outbound dialing features.
What AI features does Five9 include?
All Five9 plans include 3,000 AI minutes per seat for transcription, summaries, and insights. Advanced AI features like Intelligent Virtual Agent (IVA) and AI Agents require additional usage-based fees.
What are the main Five9 alternatives?
The main alternatives include Genesys Cloud, NICE CXone, Talkdesk, 8x8, RingCentral Contact Center, Amazon Connect, and Platform28. Each has different strengths — some focus on pricing transparency, others on specific features or verticals like government or healthcare.
Related reading:
- Platform28 vs Five9 Comparison — detailed feature-by-feature comparison
- Five9 ROI Calculator — calculate your potential savings
- Contact Center AI Guide — how AI is transforming contact centers
Disclaimer: Pricing information in this article is based on publicly available sources and industry data as of February 2026. Five9 Premium, Optimum, and Ultimate pricing are estimates as these tiers require custom quotes. Actual pricing may vary based on your specific requirements, deal terms, and negotiations. Five9 is a registered trademark of Five9, Inc. Platform28 is not affiliated with Five9. Always confirm current pricing directly with vendors.