The best VoIP services allow businesses to save on phone call costs, improve their remote or hybrid working setups, and benefit from significantly better call quality. This is why around 60% of US businesses are already now using a VoIP phone service.
To help you find the best IP phone service for your business, I’ve tested and reviewed the market-leading products. This final list of internet phone companies is based on key product criteria that are important to businesses. These include call uptime, data security and compliance, and value for money, as well as the VoIP services’ unique features and pros and cons.
The Best Business VoIP Phone Services Tested by Our Experts
Phone.com — The best VoIP service for businesses on a budget
The 10 Best IP Phone Services for Businesses Ranked
- Ooma — Best VoIP service for small businesses
- Vonage — Best internet phone service provider for automations
- Nextiva — The best VoIP phone provider for business conferencing
- Phone.com — The best VoIP service for businesses on a budget
- OpenPhone — Best VoIP internet phone service provider for teams
- MightyCall — Best VoIP phone system for call management
- RingCentral — Best VoIP provider for mid-sized businesses
- Voiply — The best IP phone service for remote work setups
- DialPad — Best VoIP phone system for global businesses
- 8×8 — Best VoIP service for call center businesses
- Show Full Guide
The Best Internet Phone Companies Reviewed
The market is filled with VoIP solutions and internet phone companies with varying price tags and features, making it increasingly difficult to choose one. My in-depth VoIP reviews cover all the best virtual phone number providers in more detail — including their key features, who they’re best for, and their pros and cons.
1. Ooma — Best VoIP for Small Businesses
Starting Price | $19.95/user/month |
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Free Version | ❌ |
Top Features | 50+ standard features, Virtual receptionist, Ring groups |
Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days |
Ooma stands out with an array of features at an unbeatable price point. During testing, I found that it offers business users stable connections and excellent voice quality.
If you need to connect with your organization, Ooma has great video calling features, which include screen sharing – not a feature that all top VoIP providers offer.
The platform also offers an incredibly useful Receptionist feature that automates incoming call management. With this, calls can be routed to the correct department or person with ease.
Finally, Ooma’s Hot Desking allows unassigned phones to be transformed into your business phone for the day, ensuring that no matter who’s using a phone, they can access their own VoIP line.
In short, Ooma is easily among the best VoIP phone services for residential office use and even more so for businesses. What’s even better is that the basic service is free if you get an Ooma Telo device.
Ooma Pricing
Ooma has three pricing plans that cater to the needs of different users. A plus is that no contract is required on any of its plans. You can also try it risk-free for a full month.
Plan | Essentials | Pro | Pro Plus |
---|---|---|---|
Monthly | $19.95/user/month | $24.95/user/month | $29.95/user/month |
- Essentials – Unlimited calling in US, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, a virtual receptionist, mobile app, and 50+ standard features
- Pro – Everything in Essentials, plus desktop app access, text messaging (up to 250/month), videoconferencing (up to 25 participants), and call recording
- Pro Plus – All Pro features, plus CRM integration, text messaging (up to 1,000/month), videoconferencing (up to 100 participants), team chat, hot desking, and call queueing
Pros
- Supports 70+ countries
- AI receptionist with hold music
- Offers call forwarding and call parking
- One-time cost only
- One of the best business phone systems
Cons
- Limited features with the basic plan
- Complex setup
2. Vonage — Best Internet Phone Service Provider for Automations
Starting Price | $13.99/user/month |
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Free Version | ✅ |
Top Features | Automatic unicode translation, experience composer, firewall traversal |
Money-Back Guarantee | ❌ |
Vonage lets you accelerate internal and external business communications, helping your team make the most of their working hours. That said, it stands out with its customizable Admin Portal.
The portal lets you manage your entire business phone system from one dashboard on desktop and mobile devices. Here, you’ll get detailed analytics of the calls categorized by extension.
You can check the number of calls made, answered, and missed, which will help you identify your best performers. This business VoIP system also has great automation and call management features.
For example, to simplify team management and work distribution, Vonage offers a unique Busy Lamp feature that displays the current status of each extension in real-time.
It supports up to 50 lines at a time, which will also simplify call routing. The chatbot will help with customer queries, too, including sending automated notifications to follow up with customers.
Given all this — along with its flexible pricing and 99.99% uptime — it’s no wonder Vonage is the chosen business phone service for over 100,000 companies worldwide.
Vonage Pricing
Vonage offers three pricing plans, with each one catering to different user needs. Below, I’ve highlighted the pricing and features of each plan:
Plan | Mobile | Premium | Advanced |
---|---|---|---|
Monthly | $19.99/user/month | $29.99/user/month | $39.99/user/month |
Annual | $13.99/user/month | $20.99/user/month | $29.99/user/month |
- Mobile – Unlimited domestic calling, supports desktop and moible apps, SMS and MMS capabilities, and voicemail
- Premium – All features in Mobile, plus support for VoIP desk phones, unlimited video meetings (up to 200 participants), team messaging, single sign-on
- Advanced – All Premium features, on-demand call recording (15 hours/month), visual voicemail, and call groups
Pros
- Automatic speech recognition in over 120 languages
- A unique adaptive routing feature
- Access to local numbers in 76 countries
- GDPR and HIPPA-compliant
Cons
- Limited video call participants
- No free version
3. Nextiva — The Best VoIP Phone Service for Small Businesses
Starting Price | $20/user/month |
---|---|
Free Version | ❌ |
Top Features | Multi-level auto-attendant, caller greetings, custom music-on-hold |
Money-Back Guarantee | 14 days |
Nextiva integrates multiple communication mediums in one easy-to-use platform. Even on its most basic plan, you get access to unlimited calling and video calling—making it one of the top small business VoIP solutions.
It lets you set up conference calls with unlimited users. Audio conferencing will also come in very handy for employee training or onboarding, and the same applies to video conferencing.
Depending on the plan, you can add as many users on the call as you want. To simplify getting started, Nextiva also lets you import your contacts from Outlook or Google Contacts.
The platform also has extremely useful integrations with products like Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, and Hubspot, so you can streamline your business communication and processes.
That said, another big USP of Nextiva is that its plans are highly customizable, adding to its popularity as a business VoIP provider.
Nextiva Pricing
Nextiva has four pricing plans that are tailored to the different needs of its users:
Plan | Digital | Core | Engage | Power Suite |
---|---|---|---|---|
Monthly | $25/user/month | $35/user/month | $50/user/month | $75/user/month |
Annual | $20/user/month | $30/user/month | $40/user/month | $60/user/month |
- Digital – Omnichannel digital customer sales and service, website live chat, messaging apps, social media channels, review management, digital service helpdesk
- Core – All Digital features, plus inbound and outbound voice, business SMS, video meetings, screen and file sharing, and call routing
- Engage – Everything in Core, plus call center queueing, toll-free number and minutes, advanced reporting, MS teams integrations, and a website chatbot
- Power Suite – All Engage features, plus advanced IVR, intelligent routing, unified team interface, supervisor dashboard, transcribe and summarize conversations
Pros
- Detailed and informative call analytics
- Comes with IVR and an auto-attendant
- Easy integration with popular CRM solutions
- Conference calling for unlimited users with HD video
- Excellent voicemail transcription feature
Cons
- Top-tier plans can be expensive
- Most integrations locked to highest-tier plan
4. Phone.com — The Best VoIP Service Provider for Businesses on a Budget
Starting Price | $12.74/user/month |
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Free Version | ❌ |
Top Features | Advanced call management, custom call handling, call screening and blocking |
Money-Back Guarantee | ❌ |
Phone.com serves over 50,000 brands around the world, including big names like Zoho and LiftMaster. That said, my favorite feature of Phone.com is its flexible pricing.
It has pay-per-user pricing, under which you only pay for the exact number of team members you bring on board, making it much more cost-effective than many other VoIP systems.
As one of the best small business VoIP services, it offers excellent tools for setting call-handling rules, including call screening, blocking, and queues. Another benefit is that every account comes with a free business phone number.
Suppose you go for its Pro Plan, even better. Here, you’ll also get call recording, which is a great way to assess customer satisfaction and employee performance.
Phone.com also provides detailed call analytics, enabling you to make better business decisions about task distribution, resource allocation, and promotions.
Phone.com is one of the cheapest VoIP providers, too, offering great value for money by allowing 10 participants for video conferences, 500 pooled minutes, and 1,000 pooled text segments.
Phone.com Pricing
Phone.com has three pricing tiers to cater to different user needs:
Plan | Basic | Plus | Pro |
---|---|---|---|
Monthly | $14.99/user/month | $21.99/user/month | $31.99/user/month |
Annual | $12.74/user/month | $18.69/user/month | $27.19/user/month |
- Basic – 500 minutes, 1 number per account, video conferencing for 10 participants, 50 standard voice features, access to mobile and web apps
- Plus – Unlimited calling, 1 number per user, 25-participant video conferencing, voicemail transcription
- Pro – All Plus features, 100-participant video conferencing, call analytics, call recording, CRM integration
Pros
- Excellent call routing and call handling options
- HIPAA compliant
- Offers call transcription and voice tagging
- Plans based on usage
Cons
- No free trial
- Caller analytics costs extra
5. OpenPhone — Best VoIP Internet Phone Services Provider for Teams
Starting Price | $15/user/month |
---|---|
Free Version | ❌ |
Top Features | Shared inboxes, free number porting, detailed call analytics |
Money-Back Guarantee | ❌ |
OpenPhone is highly rated and used by many, including big names like Deel. Its interface reminded us of Slack—every conversation is centralized, and your team’s statuses make it easy to ensure you transfer calls to an available team member.
Each phone number gets a shared inbox, which I found incredibly helpful for keeping conversations organized by location. You can also see call logs alongside text messages for a unified view of all communications.
Your entire team will have one shared address book, ensuring everyone is on the same page about the lead’s status, for example. But what really stood out to me during testing was OpenPhone’s ease of use and customization.
You can also port your existing numbers for free, which is rare. The workflow setup for things like the phone menu, call transfers, and the order, duration, and agents for ring groups is incredibly easy – with simple drop-down menus.
In terms of customization, you’ll be able to specify whether you want calls to be recorded automatically, add a custom caller ID or greeting, and specify business hours for when a number will be active.
OpenPhone lets you integrate with some of the best CRM tools, too, including mammoths like Salesforce, to keep all your customer data centralized. Slack is another, as is Zapier, which gives you loads more.
As you’d expect, OpenPhone also offers a valuable dashboard for analyzing your team’s performance — the number of calls attended to, all text communications, and call recordings — all in one place.
OpenPhone Pricing
OpenPhone has three pricing tiers, with each one catering to different user needs:
Plan | Starter | Business | Enterprise |
---|---|---|---|
Monthly | $19/user/month | $33/user/month | Custom |
Annual | $15/user/month | $23/user/month | Custom |
- Starter – One new local or toll-free number per user,calling and messaging to US and Canadian numbers, and voicemail transcripts
- Business – Everything in Starter, plus OpenpHONE AI, group calling, custom ring orders, call transfers, UbSpot and Salesforce integrations, phone menus, as well as analytics and reporting
- Pro – All Business features, plus a dedicated account manager, priority support, and an audit log
Pros
- Simple yet highly intuitive
- Affordable, excellent value for money
- Boasts an incredible reputation
- Highly (and easily) customizable
Cons
- Some settings are tricky to find on mobile
- Could use more phone number options
6. MightyCall — Best VoIP Phone System for Call Management
Starting Price | $15/user/month |
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Free Version | ❌ |
Top Features | Supports web phones, AI-powered virtual receptionist, multi-level IVR |
Money-Back Guarantee | ❌ |
MightyCall offers over 30 VoIP features and is one of the few to offer a free trial. Unlike many VoIP services, it offers two business phone numbers, regardless of the plan you choose.
MightyCall also offers Presence Status for each employee, just like Vonage. It tells you if a certain employee is available, away from the desk, or busy on another call.
Furthermore, MightyCall lets you add extra users to your plan at a nominal fee. On its Enterprise plan, you can add unlimited users. This is a godsend for growing businesses.
That said, beyond all this, handling calls is also a breeze with MightyCall’s Call Flow feature. It lets you create custom rules for how you want calls to be handled.
For example, you can automatically route all blacklisted calls to go to voicemail. Similarly, the white-listed callers or VIPs can be directly sent to a priority support number.
This not only gives your business a more professional look but also ensures that no employee wastes their time on unnecessary calls. You can also set up custom customer greetings.
MightyCall Pricing
MightyCall has four pricing tiers to cater to different user needs:
Plan | Core | Pro | Power | Enterprise |
---|---|---|---|---|
Monthly | $20/user/month* | $30/user/month* | $40/user/month* | $50/user/month** |
Annual | $15/user/month* | $23/user/month* | $30/user/month* | $50/user/month** |
- Core – Unlimited calling, unlimited messages, 2 business phone numbers, integrations and API access, advanced telephony features
- Pro – All Core features, plus a supervisor workspace, live cll monitoring, analytics and reporting
- Power – Everything in Pro, plus a preview dialer and a progressive dialer and a dedicated account manager
- Enterprise – All Power features, plus a predictive dialer, SIP trunking support, and custom integrations
*This plan requires a minimum of 3 users
** This plan requires a 10-user minimum
Pros
- Excellent call recording features
- Multi-level IVR and music on hold
- An easy-to-use interface
- Doesn’t require system installation
- Great call-routing tools
Cons
- Doesn’t offer video calling
- Limited third-party integrations
7. RingCentral — Best VoIP Provider for Mid-Sized Businesses
Starting Price | $20/user/month |
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Free Version | ✅ (Video conferencing and virtual events) |
Top Features | Push to Talk, Unlimited domestic calling, Free video conferencing |
Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days |
RingCentral is a name worthy of this list of the best VoIP providers as it’s easily one of the best business phone services.
Over 400,000 businesses worldwide know this, including the likes of big names like Toyota and Office Depot. To start with, it offers 99.999% uptime.
Beyond this, RingCentral takes VoIP security seriously and has over 11 certificates to prove it, including HIPAA and GDPR compliance. This makes it popular in the healthcare and retail sectors.
One interesting feature I found was the walkie-talkie capability called “Push to Talk”, allowing employees to use their work mobile phones for effortless communication.
It also offers fantastic team collaboration features. This includes file sharing and even task scheduling, with video conferencing and screen sharing being the cherry on top for an all-in-one business communication solution.
You also get standard features, including the ability to switch from one device to another, call monitoring, and call recording, which is great for training and customer-focused businesses.
Overall, RingCentral boasts an incredibly solid reputation, and you’ll struggle to find any major downsides. For some, the pricing is high, and features like Push to Talk come at an additional cost.
RingCentral Pricing
RingCentral offers three pricing plans, each catering to the different needs of its users. I’ve broken down each plan below:
Plan | Core | Advanced | Ultra |
---|---|---|---|
Monthly | $30/user/month | $35/user/month | $45/user/month |
Annual | $20/user/month | $25/user/month | $35/user/month |
- Core – Unlimited domestic calling, SMS and MMS, IE, Google and Microsoft integrations, visual voicemail, unlimited AI-powered meetings (up to 100 participants), AI meeting transcriptions, access to APIs
- Advanced – Everything in Core, plus auto call recording, advanced call monitoring, multi-site management, unlimited internet fax, CRM integrations, custom roles and permissions
- Ultra – All Advanced features, plus unlimited AI-powered meetings, unlimited storage for files and recordings, and customizable business analytics
Pros
- Offers 300+ app integrations
- Compatible with softphones, mobile, and desktop
- Boasts a solid reputation in the VoIP space
- Offers plans for various needs, including free options
- Mobile and desktop apps are very user-friendly
- Comprehensive abilities at an affordable price
Cons
- Small businesses find it a bit costly
- Some features, like Push to Talk, are add-ons
8. Voiply — The Best IP Phone Services for Remote Work Setups
Starting Price | $4.96/user/month |
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Free Version | ❌ |
Top Features | HD VoIP phone services in 50+ countries, unlimited international calling, number porting |
Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days |
Voiply has become a dominating service among businesses, largely thanks to its unlimited international calling and excellent call quality.
While many VoIP services offer unlimited calling as well, most limit it to the USA and Canada. But with Voiply, you can make countless phone calls to these two countries, plus 50+ others.
Another feature that most businesses will find useful is Ring Groups. All devices linked to an extension will ring simultaneously or in chronological order so that you never miss out on any important call.
This can be exceptionally beneficial for small businesses that are short on employees. What’s more, it offers stellar customer support that’ll be there for you round-the-clock over call, email, and chat.
Put Voiply to the test today with the 30-day money-back guarantee. If you don’t like it, you can get a full refund.
Voiply Pricing
Voiply has three pricing tiers to cater to different user needs:
Plan | Starter | Advanced | Premier |
---|---|---|---|
Monthly | $5.95/user/month | $11.95/user/month | $16.95/user/month |
Annual | $4.96/user/month | $9.96/user/month | $14.13/user/month |
- Starter – Unlimited nationwide calling, mobile app, support for one user, free local number, port your existing number, voicemail to email, text messaging
- Advanced – Everything in Starter, plus desktop and mobile apps, supports up to 5 users, one new local and toll-free number, call blocking, custom auto attendants, ring groups, call recording, and conferencing
- Premier – All Advanced features, plus support for VoIP desk phones, analytics and reporting, and call queues
Pros
- An excellent VoIP uptime of 99%
- Several customizable options
- Handy spam blocker tools
- Affordable and great customer support
- Easy to set up and launch
Cons
- Doesn’t have a free trial/plan
- Limited call analytics
9. DialPad — Best VoIP Phone System for Global Businesses
Starting Price | $15/user/month |
---|---|
Free Version | ❌ |
Top Features | Unlimited calling on all plans, Automated spam detection, Visual voicemail |
Money-Back Guarantee | ❌ |
DialPad is an AI-powered VoIP service provider that centralizes customer and business communications, helping you streamline your day-to-day team activities.
From the cheapest plan, you get access to unlimited calling, SMS, and MMS. Another benefit of DialPad is that you can get local business phone numbers for over 70 countries.
This will help businesses expand into new markets. If you’re approaching an international market, you’ll have better luck connecting with the locals if you have a local business number.
In addition, DialPad is one of the few phone system platforms to guarantee 100% uptime. Furthermore, DialPad lets you have multiple phone numbers on each account.
This lets you better categorize calls. For example, if you have a separate number for new leads and resolving customer queries, it’ll reduce the traffic on individual lines and help you direct the callers to the best-suited employee.
DialPad Pricing
Dialpad has three pricing tiers, with each one catering to different user needs:
Plan | Standard | Pro | Enterprise |
---|---|---|---|
Monthly | $27/user/month | $35/user/month | Custom |
Annual | $15/user/month | $25/user/month | Custom |
- Standard – Unlimited calling; unlimited AI meetings for up to 10 people; SMS, MMS, and team messaging; AI call and voicemail transcriptions; integrations with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365; real-time analytics and porting; web and chat support
- Pro – All Starter features, plus 24/7 live agent support, CRM integrations, Microsoft Teams integrations, 10 office locations, multiple numbers per account, open APIs and webhooks, global SMS capabilities, local number support in 70+ countries, and 25 ring groups
- Enterprise – A 99.99% uptime guarantee, unlimited office locations, unlimited ring grounds, dial-by-extension, integrations with SSO providers, data retention policies, and priority live agent support
Pros
- Several CRM integration options
- A unique geographic call-routing feature
- A central platform for both client and team communications
- Easy VoIP number porting
- Great customer support
- Unlimited video meetings
Cons
- Reports aren’t detailed
- No access to 24/7 support on basic plan
10. 8×8 — Best VoIP Service for Call Center Businesses
Starting Price | $15/user/month |
---|---|
Free Version | ❌ |
Top Features | Hot desking, Presence detection, Team management integrations |
Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days |
8×8 is recognized as one of the best business communications solutions for calls, video chat, and contact centers. Currently, over 2 million people use its internet phone services.
Its secure HD audio calling will give your customers a seamless calling experience. That said, my favorite feature offered by 8×8 is its multiple call-handling features.
For instance, its Hunt Group feature lets you automatically route calls to the correct department. This is basically the job of a receptionist, but only 8×8 will do it more efficiently.
Similarly, you can also create Ring Groups where several devices receive phone calls simultaneously. This way, whoever’s free can pick up the call first, reducing your chances of missing calls.
Beyond this, for internal communication, 8×8 provides audio and video conferencing with up to 500 participants simultaneously. Both the audio and the video are of HD quality.
8×8 Pricing
8×8 no longer advertises its pricing, so you’ll need to contact its sales team directly for a quote. This is what is included with each of its five plans:
- X2 – Unlimited voice calling to 14 countries, HD video and audio conferencing for up to 500 participants, SMS, MMS and team chat, Microsoft Teams integration
- X4 – Everything in X2, plus unlimited calling to 8 countries, 8×8 frontdesk for receptionists and operators, supervisor analytics; and monitor, whisper and barge.
- X6 – All X4 features, skills-based routing, IVR, call recording,, reporting and analytics, CX journey mapping, choice between metered and unmetered call bundles
- X7 – Everything in X6, plus omnichannel support for social media, chat, email, SMS and video, and co-browsing
- X8 – All X7 features, plus quality management and speech and text analytics
Pros
- Unique sentiment analysis to detect the customer’s behavior
- Customized scheduled reports
- Several independent third-party certifications
- An unsurpassed speech-based Virtual Agent
Cons
- Services are limited to a few countries compared to rivals
- Complex setup
The 10 Best VoIP Providers Compared
This table will help you compare VoIP providers — their features, pricing, and sign-up offers to find the ideal solution for your needs:
Providers | Ooma | Vonage | Nextiva | Phone.com | OpenPhone | MightyCall | RingCentral | Voiply | DialPad | 8×8 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Best For | Small businesses | Automation | Business conferencing | Startups | Teams | Call management | Mid-sized businesses | Remote work | International calling | Call centers |
Starting Price | $19.95/user/month | $13.99/user/month | $20/user/month | $12.74/user/month | $15/user/month | $15/user/month | $20/user/month | $4.96/user/month | $15/user/month | $15/user/month |
Free Plan | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days | ❌ | 14 days | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | 30 days | 30 days | ❌ | 30-day refund policy |
We base our recommendations on first-hand testing. All the VoIP products we feature, have been tested based on the following criteria:How We Review And Test VoIP Services
What is VoIP?
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a technology that allows for voice communications to be transmitted online. This means that you can place and receive calls over the internet rather than via an analog phone line.
VoIP solutions don’t actually require any physical hardware, unlike conventional POTS phones. VoIP providers only require that you have a high-speed Internet connection.
How Does VoIP Work?
A VoIP service is sometimes referred to as a virtual telephony service, cloud-based phone system, virtual calling tool, or online phone system.
VoIP uses the real-time protocol (RTP) to ensure the timely delivery of data packets and can be accessed through an Ethernet cable or high-speed Wi-Fi internet connection. The technology uses the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), a communication protocol for VoIP calls and other multimedia sessions.
Depending on whether you are using Software or hardware installation, you may need certain equipment to use VoIP, such as a VoIP PBX, VoIP or IP phones, and network-ready devices with VoIP apps installed.
Types of Internet Phone Services
There are different types of VoIP services, here are the core ones explained:
A Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) VoIP service offers a mixture of general VoIP functions alongside SIP solutions.
Beyond placing calls over the Internet, these services can integrate with tools your business already uses, ultimately streamlining your daily operations.
These subscription services include text messaging, video conferencing and meetings, document sharing, voicemail transcription, and more, depending on the provider.
Combined, the functionality is designed to help businesses streamline communication and their business processes.
Hosted VoIP, also known as cloud-based VoIP, is a type of service hosted and managed by a third-party provider. You access the service via the Internet and typically pay a monthly subscription fee.
Hosted VoIP systems are popular among businesses because they require minimal upfront investment and offer great scalability and flexibility.
A CPaaS VoIP service empowers developers to incorporate voice calling capabilities into their applications without the need to build and maintain complex telephony infrastructure.
These services offer flexibility, scalability, and customization options, making them ideal for a wide range of use cases, including customer service chatbots, for example.
The Difference Between VoIP and Landline
VoIP vs landline and what is the difference between the two?Landlines are fixed services that run independently of the internet, and although this does have its advantages, VoIP solutions are quickly making landline connections obsolete.
While some landlines can have features like caller ID and call forwarding, overall, the functionality of many VoIP service providers far surpasses what’s possible with a landline.
This includes advanced features spanning reporting, IVR options, and call queue management, to name a few, not to mention that VoIP systems let you streamline your business with integrations and mobile and desktop apps.
Beyond features, a traditional landline offers little flexibility, whereas a cloud phone system like those reviewed here can be used on any device with an internet connection and is easily scalable.
When you choose a VoIP system, you don’t need to worry about installing a new line when your business scales (or the hefty initial and ongoing investments)—simply upgrade your subscription.
Why Do I Need a VoIP Solution?
Whether you’re after the best home office or business phone system, you’re not just buying features. Here are the key benefits to know in the VoIP advantages and disadvantages debate:
A traditional landline can cost businesses $50 per line each month, while VoIP plans are available for less than $20 per line.
Whether you need to make international calls or manage many lines, a VoIP solution is likely to be preferable. Switching to VoIP can result in significant direct and indirect cost savings.
Direct cost savings include lower PBX costs, as seen at LSU, eliminating copper wiring charges, and reduced calling expenses. Indirect cost savings include:
- Increased remote work efficiency
- Reduced utilities and office space expenses, and
- Improved collaboration among team members
All in all, it can be a great tool for making calling faster and easier. You can access a whole host of features, like call recording and call forwarding, that you would never have been able to use with a traditional landline.
Cloud VoIP services let you direct calls from landline phone numbers and phone systems to your mobile phone – so calls can be directed wherever they’re needed.
What’s more, beyond desk phones, by plugging in mobile users, you can move your entire operation if needed without losing access to your lines or business phone numbers.
Hence, VoIP solutions provide an enormous amount of flexibility, which would have been simply impossible in the past. And if you need to scale up?
Rather than installing new lines, you just need to get additional licenses and handsets and can get started straight away.
The quality of voice calls using VoIP technology has improved significantly since its early days, when VoIP calls occasionally suffered from poor voice quality and latency.
With a strong and stable broadband internet connection and ample bandwidth, you should have absolutely no problem with getting superb call quality with any modern VoIP service.
Advanced technologies like noise-cancelling microphones and audio compression help cloud VoIP phone systems deliver exceptional sound quality, allowing for seamless communication without interruptions.
You can tailor VoIP services to your exact requirements rather than limiting yourself to what’s technically possible with a traditional phone system.
A VoIP provider provides a multitude of advanced features, many of which aren’t supported by traditional telephone systems or are only available for an extra cost.
Beyond simply placing voice calls, a residential and business VoIP system includes functionality such as:
- Call forwarding
- Interactive voice response
- Ring groups and queues
- Hold music
- Call recording
All VoIP services offer enhanced communication and efficiency, and they’re increasingly essential for complex organizational business communication.
With a fast and stable broadband internet connection, you can take advantage of these advanced features and boost your competitiveness – and you’ll find that VoIP services are actually more reliable than traditional telephone operators.
VoIP installation is simple and hassle-free compared to traditional phone systems. With a VoIP service, there’s no need for physical phone lines — all you need is an Ethernet connection to the corporate network.
Hosted VoIP services also allow individuals and businesses to focus on their core competencies, as the service provider handles all the technical aspects of the operation.
This makes VoIP an ideal choice for small businesses, start-ups, and home offices without expert technical support – getting started is quick, easy, and painless.
Of course, if you’re in an enterprise business, then the cost savings are only multiplied as you deploy phone services at scale.
Preparing for Landline Service Sunset
In August 2022, the Federal Communications Commission’s order 19-72 passed, allowing telecom companies to stop providing traditional landline services across the country — as long as they offered another option. VoIP is the welcome alternative.
Switching to a VoIP system now will allow your business to get ahead of any mass migration issues and future-proof your services— or, if you’re just getting started, you can avoid this headache entirely.
As VoIP statistics show, VoIP solutions are the modern communication standard, and they can provide an enduring, scalable platform to serve all your organizational needs.
How to Choose the Best VoIP Phone System
With the vast array of VoIP providers, choosing the best VoIP service, whether for personal or business needs, can be challenging. Here are the key factors that you need to consider when deciding:
This is a crucial factor, as the cost of international calls can vary significantly between VoIP providers.
Choose a provider that offers reasonable costs for both local and international calls based on the location of your customers or loved ones, and consider whether you’ll primarily be fielding incoming calls or outgoing calls.
If you need a small business VoIP, this can be a deciding factor for the service you pick.
Different VoIP providers offer a wide range of advanced features, so it’s essential to choose a provider that offers the features that best meet your needs.
Do you want to make regular international calls to family, or do you need a call center set up? Do you want to port your existing mobile phone number, or do you want VoIP phone numbers?
Is a toll-free number important to you? Or perhaps unlimited calls? You should be make this clear when choosing the best business VoIP service.
Pay close attention to the core features included in each plan and any additional features that may be sold as separate add-ons, as this can significantly increase your costs.
If it’s at the right price, though, you may find business VoIP services come with tools that are great time savers for your personal life.
A key aspect of choosing the best VoIP phone provider is ensuring it integrates seamlessly with other tools and systems you use, such as CRM software, email marketing services, and other APIs.
Look for a provider that offers robust third-party integrations and APIs to ensure you can get the most out of your VoIP provider – saving you from spending time on needless data entry tasks and manual tracking and recording of communications.
The quality of the VoIP provider’s network is critical to ensuring that your call quality is top-notch. Most cloud VoIP systems have a reliable, scalable network and offer real-time, 24/7 customer service to ensure that you can get support when you need it.
All of the best business VoIP services included on this guide are rated as providing excellent service regarding voice-over-IP-phone call quality.
FAQs
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References
- Controlling and Monitoring Voice Quality in Internet Communication (Digital Commons @ University of South Florida)
- HIPAA Compliance Checklist (The HIPAA Journal)
- LSU Phone System (PBX) Replacement Project (LSU)
- Landline Service Shutdown (Community Phone)
- Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP) (GeeksforGeeks)
- Use of Call Recording and/or Call Monitoring for Customer Service Improvement (NYU)
- Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) (Federal Communications Commission)
- Web APIs – Introduction (W3Schools)