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Zello Review

Worth it

Should I use Zello?

The most reliable push-to-talk walkie-talkie app - zello.com

· 1 week ago

Buy for frontline, security, and field teams who want instant radio-style voice on phones they already own, at $8/user/month. Skip it if you need off-grid comms or strong privacy — it is VoIP-only and has been breached twice.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 40+ public sources: G2 and app reviews, Reddit threads, security press, and vendor pages.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo support-quality evidence found
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Zello Friends & Family

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Zello Work$8/user/month

Best for

  • Frontline retail and warehouse crews
  • Security and event staff
  • Field service and construction teams
  • Preppers and hobbyist groups

Not for

  • Off-grid use — it is VoIP, no signal without data
  • Privacy-sensitive orgs — breached in 2020 and 2024
  • Teams wanting async text, not live voice
  • Solo users — only useful with an active group

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

November 2024 attack forced mass password resets; verify current posture before rolling out

high

Second incident — the 2020 breach also made all users reset passwords

medium

Retail users report PTT cuts out when phone calls arrive

low

Work pricing is per user per month; large crews should budget headcount first

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Turns phones staff already carry into walkie-talkies
  • Rated 4.4/5 across 98 G2 reviews
  • Free consumer app; Work plan is $8/user/month
  • Runs a bug bounty and public disclosure program
  • Trusted by security and hotel frontline teams

Cons

  • Password resets urged after November 2024 cyberattack
  • Suffered an earlier breach in 2020
  • Some retail users call it extremely unintuitive
  • Incoming phone calls interrupt push-to-talk use
  • It's VoIP — needs cell/data, no true radio range

Sources & method

- 8 sources - Breached twice (2020 and Nov 2024) with mass password resets; now runs a bug bounty, VDP, and Trust Center.

official x4review x2security x2
  • November 2024 cyberattack, Zello urged all users to reset passwords after a suspected data breach.
  • 2020 data breach, Users were advised to reset passwords after an earlier breach of its systems.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 8

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free consumer tier; $8/user replaces radio hardware
  • Ease of use: 3/5. Many fans, but retail users call it unintuitive
  • Feature depth: 3/5. Deep for PTT and fleet management; voice only
  • Support quality. No support-quality evidence found
  • Security posture: 2/5. Breached 2020 and 2024; bug bounty now active
  • 4.4/5 G2 rating 98 seller reviews
  • $8/user/mo Starting price Zello Work plan
  • Yes Free tier Consumer app is free
  • $20M Funding Raised June 2022

Pricing

Zello Friends & Family

$0

  • Personal push-to-talk with contacts and channels
  • iOS and Android apps

Zello Work

$8/user/month

  • Management console for teams
  • Work-grade encryption

Security

Breached twice (2020 and Nov 2024) with mass password resets; now runs a bug bounty, VDP, and Trust Center.

  • November 2024 cyberattackZello urged all users to reset passwords after a suspected data breach.³
  • 2020 data breachUsers were advised to reset passwords after an earlier breach of its systems.⁴

What users say

Preppers and field teams praise its reliability, while some retail employees find it unintuitive and fragile around phone calls.

“Zello is just extremely unintuitive”
Reddit, r/samsclub
“Zello is just another VoIP app.”
Reddit, r/amateurradio

Companies that use it

  • Sam's Club⁷
  • Salling Group
  • Michaels (staff usage)
Full analysis

Based on 40+ public sources: G2 and app reviews, Reddit threads, security press, and vendor pages.

Solid, cheap radio replacement for phone-toting frontline teams; needs cell/data, and breached twice since 2020.

Methodology

Based on 40+ public sources: G2 and app reviews, Reddit threads, security press, and vendor pages.

Read how a report is made.

Sources

  1. Zello seller reviews on G2g2.com
    review
  2. Zello Pricingzello.com
    official
  3. Zello urges users to reset passwords following a cyber attacksecurityaffairs.com
    security
  4. Users Advised to Reset Passwords After Zello Data Breach (2020)bitdefender.com
    security
  5. Zello Raises $20 Million (2022)zello.com
    official
  6. Reddit: Zello opinions at Sam's Clubreddit.com
    review
  7. Zello customer storieszello.com
    official
  8. Is Zello Friends & Family free?support.zello.com
    official

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