7 Best Call Tracking Software for Lead Attribution (2026)
February 21, 2026
You’re running Google Ads, SEO, email campaigns, and social media. A lead calls your sales line. Who gets credit? Without call tracking, phone calls are a black hole in your marketing attribution. You know they happened, but you have no idea which campaign, keyword, or landing page generated them.
Call tracking software assigns unique phone numbers to different marketing sources, so when someone calls, you know exactly where they came from. Here’s what’s available in 2026 and which tool fits your setup.
Quick Verdict
- Best overall: CallRail (best balance of features, integrations, and price)
- Best for Google Ads attribution: CallRail or WhatConverts (keyword-level tracking)
- Best for multi-location businesses: CallTrackingMetrics (location routing + queuing)
- Best free option: Google Ads call extensions (limited but free)
- Best for agencies: WhatConverts (client reporting built in)
Comparison Table
| Tool | Free Tier | Starter Price | Dynamic Insertion | AI Features | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CallRail | No (14-day trial) | $45/mo | Yes | Call transcription, keyword spotting | Most businesses |
| CallTrackingMetrics | No (trial available) | $79/mo | Yes | AI scoring, speech analytics | Multi-location, call centers |
| WhatConverts | No (14-day trial) | $30/mo | Yes | Basic | Agencies managing clients |
| Invoca | No | Custom (~$1,000/mo) | Yes | Advanced AI, signal detection | Enterprise with high call volume |
| Marchex | No | Custom | Yes | Conversation intelligence | Automotive, home services |
| PhoneWagon | No (14-day trial) | $45/mo | Yes | Basic transcription | Small businesses wanting simplicity |
| Ringba | Yes (limited) | $0 (pay-per-use) | Yes | Basic | Performance marketers, pay-per-call |
Detailed Breakdown
1. CallRail
CallRail is the most popular call tracking platform for small to mid-size businesses, and for good reason. It handles the core use case — attributing phone calls to marketing sources — better than anything else at its price point.
What it does well: Dynamic Number Insertion (DNI) automatically swaps the phone number on your website based on how the visitor arrived. Someone from Google Ads sees one number, someone from organic search sees another, and someone from a Facebook ad sees a third. When they call, you know the source, campaign, and even the keyword they searched (for PPC). Call recordings and AI-powered transcriptions are included. The Conversation Intelligence add-on ($50/mo extra) uses AI to score calls, tag topics, and identify qualified leads automatically. Integrations with Google Ads, Google Analytics 4, HubSpot, and Salesforce are tight.
What it does poorly: The $45/mo starting price includes only 5 local numbers and 250 local minutes — which runs out fast for businesses getting 100+ calls/month. Additional numbers cost $3/month each, and additional minutes cost $0.05/local minute. The Call Flow Builder (for routing calls to different team members) is functional but not as sophisticated as CallTrackingMetrics. Form tracking and live chat tracking (bundled into the “Lead Center” product) add cost: $50/mo per agent for the unified inbox.
Pricing:
- Call Tracking: $45/mo (5 numbers, 250 minutes)
- Call Tracking + Conversation Intelligence: $95/mo
- Call Tracking + Form Tracking: $95/mo
- Complete: $145/mo (all features)
- Additional numbers: $3/mo each
- Additional minutes: $0.05/min (local)
Who should pick this: Small to mid-size businesses spending $2,000+/mo on marketing who need to know which campaigns drive phone calls. If you run Google Ads and get 20+ calls/month, CallRail pays for itself by showing you which keywords generate calls (so you can stop wasting budget on keywords that don’t).
2. CallTrackingMetrics
CallTrackingMetrics (CTM) is built for businesses that need call tracking AND call management — routing, queuing, IVR menus, and agent assignment. If you have multiple locations, a call center, or a distributed sales team, CTM handles the complexity.
What it does well: The call routing engine is the most powerful in this category. You can route calls based on source (PPC → sales team, organic → support team), geography, time of day, or IVR selections. The automation engine triggers actions after calls: create a CRM record, send a follow-up SMS, add to a nurture sequence, or assign a score. AI-powered conversation analytics transcribe calls, detect sentiment, and score lead quality. Multi-channel tracking covers calls, texts, forms, and chats — all attributed to marketing sources. The queue management (hold music, position announcements, overflow routing) rivals dedicated call center software.
What it does poorly: The $79/mo starting price is higher than CallRail, and the platform is more complex to set up. Small businesses with simple call tracking needs will find it overkill. The interface has a lot of options, and the learning curve is steeper. Some features (like advanced routing rules and AI scoring) require the Growth plan ($179/mo) or higher. The sheer number of settings can overwhelm solo marketers.
Pricing:
- Performance: $79/mo (call tracking, basic routing)
- Growth: $179/mo (AI scoring, advanced automation)
- Connect: $279/mo (agent tools, softphone, call queuing)
- Enterprise: Custom
Who should pick this: Multi-location businesses (clinics, franchise networks, home services) and teams with 5+ agents handling inbound calls. If you need both call attribution AND call center functionality (routing, queuing, IVR), CTM handles both in one platform.
3. WhatConverts
WhatConverts tracks all lead types — calls, forms, chats, and e-commerce transactions — and attributes every conversion to a marketing source. The agency-friendly reporting makes it a favorite for marketing firms managing multiple clients.
What it does well: The lead management dashboard shows every conversion (not just calls) with full attribution: source, medium, campaign, keyword, and landing page. This gives you a single view of “what’s working” across all conversion types. Agency features include white-label reporting, client accounts, and automated reports. The $30/mo starting price is the lowest on this list for a full-featured call tracking tool. Dynamic number insertion works well, and call recording is included. The Google Ads and GA4 integrations pass call conversion data back for bid optimization.
What it does poorly: AI features are basic — no conversation intelligence or automated call scoring on the lower plans. The call routing capabilities are minimal compared to CallRail or CTM. The $30/mo Starter plan limits you to 1 tracking number and 1 user. The Plus plan ($60/mo) opens up more numbers, users, and features. Phone tree/IVR capabilities are limited. The interface prioritizes data and reporting over workflow automation.
Pricing:
- Starter: $30/mo (1 number, 1 user, call tracking + forms)
- Plus: $60/mo (multiple numbers, users, keyword tracking)
- Pro: $100/mo (smart routing, API access)
- Elite: $160/mo (custom integrations, advanced reporting)
Who should pick this: Marketing agencies that need to prove ROI to clients across calls, forms, and chats. The white-label reporting and multi-client management make it the best option for agencies. Also good for small businesses that want call + form tracking in one dashboard.
4. Invoca
Invoca is enterprise call tracking with AI-powered conversation intelligence. If your business handles thousands of calls/month and you need to automatically categorize, score, and route those calls based on what’s said in the conversation, Invoca is the platform.
What it does well: Signal AI is Invoca’s differentiator. It analyzes call conversations in real-time and detects specific outcomes: “caller mentioned competitor pricing,” “caller requested a quote,” “caller scheduled an appointment,” “caller expressed frustration.” These signals feed back to Google Ads and Meta for bid optimization — telling the ad platforms which keywords and audiences drive not just calls, but qualified calls. Attribution is granular: session-level tracking connects each call to the specific ad, keyword, and landing page. Integration with major ad platforms, analytics tools, and CRMs is enterprise-grade.
What it does poorly: Pricing is enterprise-only — expect $1,000+/mo with annual contracts. The platform requires dedicated resources to implement and maintain. It’s overkill for businesses getting fewer than 200 calls/month. The sales process involves demos, POCs, and procurement timelines that small businesses don’t want to deal with. No self-serve signup.
Pricing:
- Custom pricing (~$1,000-5,000/mo based on call volume)
- Annual contracts required
- Implementation fee may apply
Who should pick this: Businesses handling 500+ inbound calls/month with average deal sizes above $1,000. Healthcare, insurance, home services, and automotive are Invoca’s sweet spots. If you need AI to automatically score and categorize every call and feed that data back to your ad platforms, Invoca is the right level of tool.
5. Marchex
Marchex focuses on conversation intelligence for industries where phone calls are the primary conversion event — automotive, home services, healthcare, and financial services. Their AI analyzes call content to determine lead quality, sales outcomes, and agent performance.
What it does well: Industry-specific AI models understand the language of automotive sales (“test drive,” “trade-in value,” “financing”), home services (“estimate,” “emergency repair”), and healthcare (“appointment,” “insurance accepted”). The Sales Edge product scores sales calls and provides coaching insights to improve close rates. Attribution covers calls, clicks, and texts across digital marketing channels. The data marketplace allows large brands to understand which dealer or location performs best.
What it does poorly: Pricing is custom and enterprise-focused — not accessible for small businesses. The platform is specialized for specific industries; general B2B SaaS companies won’t find the industry-specific features valuable. The interface is complex and designed for marketing teams at large organizations. Documentation and community resources are limited compared to CallRail.
Pricing:
- Custom pricing (enterprise, contact sales)
- Annual contracts typical
- Pricing varies by industry and call volume
Who should pick this: Large automotive, home services, or healthcare businesses with dealer/location networks. If you’re a brand managing 50+ locations and need to understand which marketing drives calls and which locations convert those calls best, Marchex is purpose-built for that.
6. PhoneWagon
PhoneWagon keeps call tracking simple. If you want dynamic number insertion, call recording, and basic attribution without the complexity of CallRail or CTM, PhoneWagon delivers a clean, straightforward experience.
What it does well: Setup takes about 10 minutes. Buy numbers, install the DNI snippet, and calls are tracked. The dashboard is clean — see calls by source, listen to recordings, and export reports. The $45/mo plan includes unlimited users and 10 local numbers with 500 minutes. Whisper messages (a brief message to the agent before they pick up, like “Google Ads caller”) help reps prepare. SMS tracking is included. The interface stays out of your way — no feature bloat.
What it does poorly: No AI conversation intelligence. No call scoring or automated lead qualification. No IVR/phone tree. The integration list is shorter than CallRail’s — you get Google Analytics, Google Ads, HubSpot, and Zapier, but not the 50+ native integrations CallRail offers. Reporting is basic: call volume, source breakdown, call duration. No keyword-level attribution for PPC (CallRail handles this; PhoneWagon shows campaign-level but not keyword-level for organic search).
Pricing:
- Starter: $45/mo (10 numbers, 500 minutes)
- Pro: $110/mo (25 numbers, 1,000 minutes, advanced features)
- Additional numbers: $2.50/mo each
- Additional minutes: $0.05/min
Who should pick this: Small businesses (local services, contractors, small agencies) that need basic call tracking without complexity. If you just want to know “did this call come from Google Ads or my SEO?” and listen to recordings, PhoneWagon does that cleanly.
7. Ringba
Ringba is built for performance marketers running pay-per-call campaigns. Instead of tracking calls for your own business, Ringba manages call routing and attribution across publisher networks — buyers, sellers, and affiliates.
What it does well: The pay-per-call marketplace management is Ringba’s niche. Publishers generate calls, Ringba routes them to buyers based on rules (geography, time, capacity), and the platform handles attribution and billing. Real-time call bidding lets buyers set prices per call based on source quality. The free plan includes basic call tracking, and the pay-per-use model (based on call volume) means you only pay when calls happen. For marketers running lead gen campaigns where phone calls are the conversion, Ringba’s routing flexibility is unmatched.
What it does poorly: This is not a traditional call tracking tool. If you’re a small business wanting to track marketing sources for your own phone line, Ringba’s pay-per-call marketplace features are irrelevant. The interface is complex because it’s built for a specific use case (performance marketing). AI features are basic compared to CallRail or Invoca. Small business call tracking is functional but not the focus.
Pricing:
- Free: $0 (basic tracking, limited features)
- Premium: $0 (pay-per-use based on call minutes)
- Enterprise: Custom (dedicated support, SLAs)
- Usage-based: ~$0.04-0.07 per minute depending on volume
Who should pick this: Performance marketers and lead gen companies running pay-per-call campaigns. If you generate phone call leads for other businesses and need to route, track, and bill those calls across a network, Ringba is built for exactly that.
Decision Framework
- Small business, first time tracking calls? → CallRail ($45/mo) or PhoneWagon ($45/mo) for simpler needs
- Agency managing multiple clients? → WhatConverts ($30/mo, white-label reports)
- Multiple locations with call routing needs? → CallTrackingMetrics ($79/mo)
- Enterprise with 500+ calls/month? → Invoca (AI scoring, ad platform integration)
- Running pay-per-call campaigns? → Ringba (performance marketing focus)
- Specific industry (auto, home services)? → Marchex (industry-trained AI)
FAQ
How does dynamic number insertion work? A JavaScript snippet on your website detects how the visitor arrived (PPC, organic, referral, direct) and swaps the displayed phone number. Each source gets a unique number. When someone calls that number, the call is attributed to the source. The visitor doesn’t notice anything different — they see a regular phone number.
How many tracking numbers do I need? One per marketing source you want to track separately. At minimum: one for Google Ads, one for organic search, one for offline (business cards, signage). If you want keyword-level tracking for PPC, you’ll use a dynamic number pool (5-10 numbers that rotate based on active website sessions).
Does call tracking affect my local SEO? It can if not set up correctly. Your primary business number (NAP) should stay consistent across directories for local SEO. Use call tracking numbers on your website and ads, but keep your real number as the primary listing in Google Business Profile. Most tools offer “number swap” that only tracks website visitors without changing directory listings.