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Comparison · Comms
OpenPhone vs Zoho Cliq
A side-by-side editorial comparison of OpenPhone and Zoho Cliq — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
OpenPhone vs Zoho Cliq: at a glance
| Feature | OpenPhone | Zoho Cliq |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | Comms | Comms |
| Velocity score | 0.0 | 6.3 |
| Sparks · 30d | 0 | 1 |
| Top themes | business voip, ai phone agent, call routing, smb communication | ai-messaging, enterprise-collaboration, zoho-suite, developer-platform |
| Last editorial update | 4mo ago | 2d ago |
| Website | — | Visit → |
What is OpenPhone?
OpenPhone turns Sona into a deployable front-line AI agent with transfers and per-scenario instructions.
OpenPhone is hardening Sona, its AI phone agent, into something businesses can actually put in front of customers. Sona can now route calls to the right teammate when a human is needed, and admins can give it custom instructions per scenario (lead qualification, cancellations, booking) with templates to start from. Around it, the call flow builder keeps maturing: multiple routing setups with quick switching, in-place inbox switching during flow construction, and a Go-to Step primitive for cleaner branches.
What is Zoho Cliq?
Zoho Cliq 7.0 bets on AI conversation summaries and Neat hardware to close the gap with enterprise messaging platforms
Zoho Cliq is mid-cycle on its most substantial release in years. Cliq 7.0 (August 2026) introduced AI-powered thread summaries, automatic task extraction from conversations, voice transcription with AI notes, and a redesigned developer platform. The guest user feature was overhauled for external collaboration, and the product now runs natively on Neat conferencing hardware — moving from software into physical meeting rooms.
OpenPhone vs Zoho Cliq: editorial side-by-side
OpenPhone
0.0COMMS
OpenPhone turns Sona into a deployable front-line AI agent with transfers and per-scenario instructions.
◆ Current state
OpenPhone is hardening Sona, its AI phone agent, into something businesses can actually put in front of customers. Sona can now route calls to the right teammate when a human is needed, and admins can give it custom instructions per scenario (lead qualification, cancellations, booking) with templates to start from. Around it, the call flow builder keeps maturing: multiple routing setups with quick switching, in-place inbox switching during flow construction, and a Go-to Step primitive for cleaner branches.
◆ Where it's heading
The core bet is an AI-handles-first-contact, humans-handle-edge-cases pattern. Each Sona release is closing a deployment-blocker (instructions, transfers, free trial), while the call-flow tooling underneath is getting more flexible so AI and human routing can coexist in one config. Plan-tier expansion (call hold on Starter) suggests OpenPhone is also chasing volume in the lower segment.
◆ Prediction
Expect Sona to gain CRM-aware context (caller history, deal state) and outbound use cases — proactive callbacks, scheduled follow-ups. Pricing for Sona usage is likely to evolve from a flat add-on toward usage- or outcome-based once volume appears.
Zoho Cliq
6.3COMMS
Zoho Cliq 7.0 bets on AI conversation summaries and Neat hardware to close the gap with enterprise messaging platforms
◆ Current state
Zoho Cliq is mid-cycle on its most substantial release in years. Cliq 7.0 (August 2026) introduced AI-powered thread summaries, automatic task extraction from conversations, voice transcription with AI notes, and a redesigned developer platform. The guest user feature was overhauled for external collaboration, and the product now runs natively on Neat conferencing hardware — moving from software into physical meeting rooms.
◆ Where it's heading
Cliq is running a dual-layer play: embed Zia AI deeply enough in conversations that task tracking happens inside the messaging layer rather than alongside it, while simultaneously opening to the agentic ecosystem through MCP integration and a more accessible developer platform. The Neat hardware integration points toward a longer-term push for enterprise room-system budgets, typically owned by IT rather than team leads.
◆ Prediction
Expect deeper Zia integration within the Cliq developer platform — bots triggered by conversation context rather than scheduled tasks. The MCP path suggests Cliq is positioning itself as a target for external AI agents, not just a source of data for them.
Alternatives to OpenPhone and Zoho Cliq
Other Comms products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either OpenPhone or Zoho Cliq.
Superhuman
Superhuman rebuilt its mobile apps and wired every inbox into AI assistants — the email client is becoming a suite.
Chatwoot
Chatwoot is building an AI-first support platform, with Captain gaining audience targeting and macro automation reaching the keyboard-native workflow.
Signal Desktop
Signal adds granular notification controls: badge content, muted threads, restore defaults
Krisp
Krisp adds deepfake detection and expands Voice Translation as its Call Center AI platform deepens enterprise compliance tools.
Netcore Cloud
Netcore's recent entries are blog content, not product releases — the signal is a BFSI and ecommerce vertical sales push.
See all OpenPhone alternatives → · See all Zoho Cliq alternatives →
Recent activity from OpenPhone and Zoho Cliq
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 2d agoZoho CliqStep into smarter meetings: Zoho Cliq Rooms is now available on Neat devices
- 6d agoZoho CliqBring external collaborators into the right Cliq conversations with the revamped guest user feature
- 15d agoZoho CliqAI that moves work forward: Inside Zoho Cliq 7.0 ⚡
- 28d agoZoho CliqCliq 7.0: Built to fit the way you work
- 28d agoZoho CliqCliq 7.0: From hours to minutes with the Cliq developer platform
- 28d agoZoho CliqCliq 7.0: Persistent mini-chat embedded across Zoho apps
- 0y agoOpenPhoneCall hold now available on Starter plan
- 1y agoOpenPhoneTransfer calls from Sona to your team ⚡
- 1y agoOpenPhoneControl how Sona responds in different situations
- 1y agoOpenPhoneCreate multiple call flows, and switch back and forth easily
- 1y agoOpenPhoneImproved navigation for call flow building
- 1y agoOpenPhoneBuild cleaner call flows with the Go-to Step feature
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between OpenPhone and Zoho Cliq?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Zoho Cliq is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 0.0), with 1 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is OpenPhone better than Zoho Cliq?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Zoho Cliq is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 0.0), with 1 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Comms products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to OpenPhone?
Top OpenPhone alternatives in Comms are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "OpenPhone alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/openphone for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to Zoho Cliq?
Top Zoho Cliq alternatives in Comms are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Zoho Cliq alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/zoho-cliq for the full list with editorial commentary on each.