Krishi Chowdhary has half a decade of experience writing buying guides and product reviews for numerous leading technology websites. He spent two years writing for…
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The best VoIP services for small businesses can greatly enhance call quality, seamlessly integrate with other software, and lower monthly phone bills by up to 45%. In addition, traditional phone lines are gradually being phased out, so it’s best to make the switch before any potential last-minute price increases close to the 2025 deadline.
I’ve used my extensive experience to create a shortlist of the best VoIP services for small businesses on the market. I took into account important factors such as pricing, integration options, and ease of setup to present you with the best small business VoIP services available right now.
The Best VoIP Software For Small Businesses Tested by Our Experts
Eager to learn more about the best VoIP for small businesses? Read on as we dig deeper into the details of each of our top recommendations, including their features, pros, cons, and pricing.
1. Ooma — Best VoIP for Small Businesses that Work Remotely
Ooma provides a comprehensive VoIP solution for small businesses that’s reliable, feature-packed, and easy to use. For one, Ooma makes it easy and cost-effective to deliver an exceptional customer experience with its Virtual Receptionist feature.
This allows you to automate how you manage incoming calls. You can route (and message callers), set up multiple menus, and never miss another business opportunity. This is a great way for small businesses to provide their customers with fast and efficient service while staying organized.
What’s new for Ooma? As of its latest update in May 2024, Ooma has added features such as a ‘Contact Us’ widget for your website, mobile team chat, scheduled SMS messaging, and an auto-dialer.
Starting Price
$19.95
Top 3 Features
Virtual Receptionist, Videoconferencing, Ring Groups
Free Trial/Plan
30-Days
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days
In addition to providing excellent customer service, Ooma also allows small businesses to easily collaborate from anywhere with its Video Conferencing feature. With Ooma Meetings, you can host seamless video meetings and have easy screen-sharing capabilities.
This is incredibly useful for small businesses that need to stay connected regardless of where their employees are. And speaking of collaboration, Ooma also offers Ring Groups.
This allows you to easily enable callers to reach a group of extensions such as Sales or Customer Service. With this, small businesses can ensure that their customers are always able to get the help they need in the most efficient manner possible.
Ooma Pricing
Ooma Office offers three different business phone plans to meet the unique needs of businesses of all sizes. Each plan includes over 50 standard features, ensuring that you have everything you need to run your business seamlessly:
Essentials
Pro
Pro Plus
$19.95/user/month
$24.95/user/month
$29.95/user/month
Unlike most, you’ll get one toll-free number, a virtual receptionist, ring groups, and music on hold on the most basic plan. For extra nice-to-haves, Ooma’s Pro plan is a top choice for team collaboration as it includes text messaging, call recording, and enhanced call blocking, amongst others.
That said, the Pro Plus plan offers the most robust engagement tools available — including things like call queuing, advanced call, and hot desking. No matter the plan you choose, Ooma Office will provide you with the tools and features necessary to communicate effectively and efficiently with your customers and colleagues.
2. 8×8 — Renowned Small Business VoIP for Reliable HD Call Quality
8×8 is trusted by over 2 million businesses around the world, including recognized industry leaders such as Acer and Fred Loya Insurance. Needless to say, its experience also makes it one of the most credible options in the industry.
To start with, you’ll certainly appreciate its HD calling and audio conferencing feature. If there’s one thing that every customer appreciates about phone communication, it’s clear and audible audio, just like the one 8×8 provides.
What’s new for 8×8? As of its latest July 2024 updates, 8×8 has improved its mobile app by allowing users to manage agents and call queues while on the go, which is ideal for busy small business owners.
Starting Price
$15/user/month
Top 3 Features
Hot Desking, Presence Detection feature, Integration with team management platforms
Free Trial/Plan
30-day free trial
Money-Back Guarantee
30-day refund if you haven’t used the service for over 5 hours
Other noticeable features of 8×8 include a basic auto attendant (available even on its cheapest plan) that’ll handle your callers if you’re busy. For instance, if you’re on another call, the auto attendant will note the queries of the next caller in line and route them to the right agent.
In addition to simplifying customer communication, 8×8 also helps you improvise your internal team communication with features like team messaging and unlimited internet fax.
While its native team management feature is quite efficient, you can also opt to integrate with third parties like Microsoft Teams to accommodate your more extensive needs. Overall, 8×8 promises a smooth connection with every third party.
8×8 Pricing
8×8 no longer publicly advertises its pricing, so we won’t either. It offers five plans suitable for various team sizes and demands.
x2
x4
x6
x7
x8
All-in-one voice, video, and chat
Advanced call handling and analytics
Voice Contact Center
One interface for voice and digital interactions
Advanced contact center with QM and interactions analytics
Besides the paid plans, 8×8 also offers the longest free trial — you get 30 days to try the platform without spending any money.
Pros
First-rate front desk functionalities
Facilitates unlimited calls with up to 500 participants
3. Vonage — Popular VoIP for Small Businesses Looking for Powerful Automation
Vonage has a massive customer base of over 100,000 businesses across the globe. Thanks to its 1.15 million registered developers, the platform offers guaranteed 99.99% uptime.
Beyond this, Vonage is an automation-heavy business communication tool which makes it the perfect platform for small businesses that can’t afford a large team. For instance, it’ll let you set up automated responses to commonly asked questions on live chat.
What’s new for Vonage? In addition, the smart conversation sentiment analysis and summary features, included in Vonage’s July 2024 updates, allows you to gain better insight into your customer communications.
The first few queries are often similar for most new leads, so save time on typing individual messages with Vonage’s auto-reply feature. Besides this, you can also build your own chatbot. This can help you qualify leads, close sales, and provide support to your customers through personalized one-on-one conversations.
After all, each target audience is different, and Vonage’s default auto-replies might not resonate with your brand voice. Speaking of automation, Vonage also provides automated notifications. You can send automated reminders for payment renewals, cart checkout, and much more — it’s more than just a VoIP service.
Vonage Pricing
Vonage charges depending on the number of users. The lowest it charges is on its Mobile plan, which is just $13.99/line/month for less than 50 members.
Mobile
Premium
Advanced
$19.99/line/month
$29.99/line/month
$39.99/line/month
However, this plan doesn’t tag along with Call Groups, Call Recording, and more such advanced features. Bump your plan up to a premium one to enjoy them. Don’t take out word for it, though. Try Vonage yourself with the free trial.
Pros
Detailed communications history reports
Easy-to-embed videos with one line of HTML
Comprehensive performance data for detailed review
4. Phone.com — Best Small Business VoIP Provider for Custom Call Handling
Phone.com is one of the few top virtual phone number services that have a flexible payment model where you only pay for the number of team members you bring on board. But that’s not its only specialty. Phone.com’s biggest USP is that you get to set custom call-handling rules.
Depending on your resources, you can route all incoming calls to a single destination or to different destinations. For example, if your employees are working in shifts, you can have all the morning calls routed to the day employees and the night calls to the ones on night duty.
Another feature of Phone.com is you get a detailed report on your Call Analytics. Here, you’ll be able to get a list of all your new and returning callers. You can also track the total duration of these calls and identify your busiest hours and the top performers of your time.
All the information you need to make the right business moves is available here. If you need more context on your caller’s experience with the team, turn on the call recording feature and keep a copy of every conversation. These records will also come in handy for resolving any company-client conflicts in the future.
Phone.com Pricing
Starting at just $12.74/month, Phone.com’s basic plan is as cost-effective as a VoIP service can get. Plus, 500 minutes and 1,000 pooled text segments at this price point are practically a lottery.
Basic Users
Plus Users
Pro Users
$27.19/user/month
$18.69/user/month
$12.74/user/month
Beyond this, we’re impressed by how Phone.com’s premium plans are priced close to some of the basic plans of other VoIP services in the industry. These plans unlock unlimited minutes and text messages and features like call recording and voicemail transcription.
Unfortunately, there’s no free trial with Phone.com. However, given its cheap monthly plan, we recommend signing up for it to try the tool before committing to a long-term plan.
5. DialPad — Flexible VoIP Solution for Small Businesses that Need International Numbers
DialPad makes communication easier for both your team and customers. For your team, it offers unlimited video meetings so that the entire team can connect better, whether they’re in the office or working remotely.
Beyond this, for your customers and callers, DialPad offers local numbers from over 70+ countries. After all, when you’re approaching an international market, the callers will be more comfortable dialing a local number than an international number they don’t recognize.
What’s new for Dialpad? Dialpad’s latest July 2024 update includes a Sales Launchpad app view that gives you additional analytics and insights on your customer interactions to ensure calls are being handled to the best of your team’s ability.
Starting Price
$15/user/month
Top 3 Features
Unlimited calling on all plans, Automated Spam Detection feature, Visual Voicemail
Free Trial/Plan
14-day free trial
Money-Back Guarantee
No
That said, the calls that you missed will go straight to voicemail so that you don’t miss out on what the caller had to say. If you don’t have the time to listen to voicemails, DialPad will have them transcribed so that you can read the messages at your own pace.
On its Pro and Enterprise plan, you can also make use of the ring group feature. Under this, every time you get a call, a designated group of devices will ring at the same time so that one of your many employees can receive it and you don’t miss an important call.
DialPad Pricing
If you’re a small business, there are fewer plans better for you than DialPad’s Standard plan. This is because it comes with unlimited calling, SMS, MMS, and video meetings.
Standard
Pro
Enterprise
$15/user/month
$25/user/month
Contact DialPad
Is DialPad for you? Find out without risking any money, thanks to the 14-day free trial.
Pros
Easy distribution of calls between departments
Voicemail transcription backed by AI
Easy integration with Microsoft, Google, and other CRM solutions
6. Nextiva — Popular VoIP Solution for Small Businesses with Integrations
Nextiva isn’t just a VoIP solution — it’s an all-in-one centralized communication system where you can manage your emails, text messages, and video calls all in one place. With that said, one of our favorite things about it is the one-click contact integration feature.
Most of your business contacts might be saved in Outlook or Google Contacts. Nextiva will help you centralize your client database by importing all your contacts from these platforms to your Nextiva account automatically.
What’s new for Nextiva? One of Nextiva’s latest July 2024 updates includes HIPAA-secure voicemail to email with encryption. This is a huge plus for any businesses dealing with confidential or sensitive information, such as doctors’ or dentists’ offices.
Starting Price
$20/user/month
Top 3 Features
Multi-level auto-attendant, Professionally recorded caller greetings, Custom music-on-hold feature
Free Trial/Plan
7-day free trial
Money-Back Guarantee
14 days
What’s more, all of Nextiva’s plans come with a free demo so that you can check what the platform offers for that price before actually committing to it. Plus, for all the needs that it can’t meet, it’ll provide you with excellent integration options with other renowned business applications.
For instance, although it has its own video and audio conferencing features, it’ll also let you integrate with Microsoft Teams to hold meetings from one place. Similarly, if you’re looking for additional team management features, it’ll also let you integrate with Salesforce.
Plus, for your marketing, you can always integrate with HubSpot. In short, integrations with Nextiva are simple and quick and will go a long way in strengthening your business.
Nextiva Pricing
Like Ooma, Nextiva, too, bases its pricing depending on the number of users and time commitment, and its Digital plan is priced similarly to Ooma’s Essentials plan at $20/user/month.
Digital
Core
Engage
Power Suite
$20/user/month
$30/user/month
$40/user/month
$60/user/month
Try Nextiva and see for yourself whether it’s the one for you. A 7-day free trial will ensure you don’t lose any money if the tool isn’t your cup of tea.
7. MightyCall — Best VoIP Phone Service for Small Businesses for Taking Customer Calls
MightyCall gives you and your team the flexibility to work from anywhere in the world. On top of that, it’s designed for both small businesses and large enterprises.
That said, our favorite feature of this VoIP is the custom greeting tool. Each caller is different and needs a unique approach. After all, the customers on your most basic plan don’t get the same treatment as your VIP clients.
Starting Price
$15/user/month
Top 3 Features
It supports web phones, AI-powered virtual receptionist, Multi-level IVR
Free Trial/Plan
7-day free trial
Money-Back Guarantee
No
The difference in the approach needs to reflect in your greeting messages — make them feel like they’re at the right place. And speaking of VIP clients, MightyCall has a special call routing feature that lets you route important calls to a different number after business hours.
This way, you’ll never miss out on any important client, even when you’re out of the office. However, not every caller needs the same attention. If you’re looking for an efficient way to manage unimportant calls, try MightyCall’s call screening feature.
It’s different from regular caller ID because it gives you full control over what you want to do with the calls — either decline or send them to voicemail — and that too, in just one click.
MightyCall Pricing
MightyCall is simply priced, and there aren’t tons of ifs and buts with its plans.
Core
Pro
Power
Enterprise
$15/user/month
$23/user/month
$30/user/month
$50/user/month
Similar to Dialpad, MightyCall’s cheapest Core plan offers unlimited calling and messaging. Plus, MightyCall offers a 7-day free trial, so you can try it without any financial investment.
Pros
A complete cloud-based solution
Facilitates after-hour call routing
Offers unlimited storage for recordings
Top-notch voicemail transcription functions
Cons
Data sync is sometimes slow
Can be hard to get customer support unless on enterprise plan
8. VoIPLy — The Cheapest VoIP Telephone System for Small Businesses
VoIPLy has managed to garner a loyal customer base of 25,000+ customers thanks to its 99.99% uptime guarantee, which will drastically improve your caller’s experience.
Beyond this, if you’re looking for a feature to manage and route your calls automatically without hiring an actual receptionist, you’ll appreciate VoIPLy’s auto-attendant feature.
Starting Price
$4.96/user/month
Top 3 Features
HD VoIP phone services in 50+ countries, Beginner-friendly setup process, Seamless number porting
Free Trial/Plan
No
Money-Back Guarantee
30 days
It’ll manage your calls and route them to the right team member, even when you’re busy on another call. A receptionist can only handle one caller at a time, whereas this auto-attendant feature can cater to unlimited calls simultaneously.
Another huge benefit of using VoIPLy is its simultaneous ring feature. If you’re a small business, it can be hard to manage a plethora of calls at times. With this feature, all devices connected to the line will ring at the same time, ensuring you never miss a call.
If you still miss the call, it’ll go straight to voicemail so that you can go back and listen to it at your convenience. If required, you can also have these voicemails directly emailed to you.
VoIPLy Pricing
All in all, VoIPLy offers the cheapest plans on our shortlist, with plans starting at $4.96 per month. Regardless of the plan you choose, you’ll get unlimited calling to 50+ countries, number porting, and customized call routing.
Starter
Advanced
Premier
$4.96/user/month
$9.96/user/month
$14.13/user/month
Try VoIPLy today with the 30-day money-back guarantee and get a full refund if you don’t like it.
We’ve summarized the critical differences between our top picks in a crisp table so that you can make a quick, well-informed decision on the one best suited to your small business:
Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, allows you to make calls directly from a computer, a VoIP phone, or other data-driven devices. It refers to making phone calls using the internet rather than a mobile network or traditional landline.
When using a VoIP system, your analog speech signals are first converted to digital signals and then sent as data over your broadband line.
It’s a really useful way to make calls since, for one thing, all calls are made through the Internet, which makes both local and long-distance (international) calls incredibly affordable.
Benefits and Advantages of VoIP Phone Systems for Small Businesses
Let’s explore the key advantages of VoIP for small businesses so you can choose whether you need to update your organization’s phone system.
High Call Quality
When it comes to connection speed and reception quality, VoIP considerably outperforms classic phone technologies like landlines. VoIP only interacts with video or voice data by converting it from analog to digital packets.
Additionally, VoIP has minimal to no interference from outside noise since it transfers across IP networks. Therefore, VoIP transmissions are also latency-free, so conversations never jitter or break.
Increased Flexibility and Mobility
One advantage of VoIP for small businesses is that it enables users to connect phone hardware and wireless headsets with a broad range of software applications, including email, file sharing, and remote conferencing. Users always on the go, especially corporate workers who regularly travel, can greatly benefit from this flexibility and mobility.
Lower Cost
Money is crucial for every new firm just to get off the ground and spread its wings. The VoIP phone system is an excellent choice for such firms since it’s a cloud-based technology that doesn’t require hardware installed on the office premises. Additionally, it uses the internet to make and receive calls, which is more affordable than conventional ISDN lines.
Loaded with Features
VoIP phone systems come with many handy features for any small business. Some features include caller ID, caller blocking, voicemail to email, call monitoring, call whispering, call transfer, and call flipping.
These effective features make it easier for employees and managers to track and obtain real-time analytical information for each call made or received to efficiently study business performance.
The PSTN Switch Off: Why Your Business Needs a VoIP Phone System
Since 2014, the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) is slowly being phased out. Hosted VoIP phone systems are expected to become the primary calling method by 2025. With that in mind, I strongly recommend switching to a small business VoIP phone service before that deadline, as you may run into last-minute price increases if you delay.
In addition, since there are so many providers to choose from, it’s wise to begin evaluating your options now so that you have time to carefully consider what sort of VoIP phone system best fits your needs.
How Much Will VoIP Cost My Small Business
VoIP costs range from $5 to $60 per month, depending on the number of users, extensions, and system complexity. Additional charges, such as hardware costs and optional extra features, may be incurred during a set-up period.
That said, many VoIP systems do not require extra hardware, so this is not a given. Overall, VoIP phones tend to be up to 45% cheaper on average than traditional phone systems and over time are more cost-effective if you need to add extra extensions.
Will VoIP Work With My Network?
To enjoy smooth, uninterrupted call quality via your new business VoIP system, you’ll need a stable, high-speed internet connection with sufficient bandwidth and a proper network infrastructure.
For the best chances of success, make sure that your router supports VoIP and prioritizes VoIP traffic by configuring Quality of Service (QoS) settings. Additionally, check for any specific network compatibility requirements with your VoIP service provider to ensure smooth operation from the word go.
How Does VoIP Work for Small Businesses?
VoIP phone systems work for small businesses by reducing overall calling costs and offering advanced call management features like call forwarding, call recording, and voicemail-to-email.
They are ideal for supporting flexible remote work setups by supporting video conferencing, mobile compatibility, and built-in team chat functions.
Additionally, VoIP takes your customer service to the next level, with features like auto-attendants and call analytics.
Lastly, you may not be a small business forever, so it’s important to choose a phone service that can grow alongside you. VoIP is as easy as pie to scale, needing no manual adjustment if you need to add extra numbers or extensions and minimal hardware investment. Need I go on?
How to Choose the Best Small Business VoIP
How did we zero in on the best VoIP for small businesses? Here are a few things we considered:
VoIP security
Strong security features are essential for business communications. VoIP data travels across the internet, a public network that isn’t secure. So look for VoIP companies that offer reliable end-to-end encryption.
Advanced security features like multi-factor authentication and secure data access should be offered in addition to a robust encryption system.
Customer Service
If you plan to use VoIP to communicate with prospects, clients, and other team members, it must be backed up with efficient customer service.
A VoIP may experience issues during initial setup and third-party integrations. Additionally, there has to be specialized customer service that responds to problems around-the-clock.
Compare Prices and Features
Compare features and prices after you’ve narrowed down the VoIP solution providers for your company. Most of the market’s leading internet phone services provide price structures based on the structure of your business.
Creating a list of all the VoIP service plans and cross-referencing them with your requirements is a wise way to compare them. It’ll offer a high-level overview of the systems that can perform your business’s necessary functions.
Check Out Online Reviews
Online reviews might be helpful if you’re still not convinced which VoIP provider is best for your company. You can determine whether to use a particular VoIP provider’s service by reading reviews written by actual consumers that include notable advantages and disadvantages.
FAQs
Is VoIP good for small businesses?
Yes. They’re often less expensive than conventional phone systems and provide more features and flexibility. These days, many VoIP systems are cloud-based, which makes them simple to set up and operate and does away with the need for pricey on-premises hardware. Overall, you get a more efficient communication system for your small business, quicker client service, and smoother internal communication.
Does VoIP work without the internet?
VoIP requires an internet connection to work. VoIP phone calls are made via the Internet rather than traditional phone lines. If the internet connection fails or breaks down, so does the ability to place phone calls.
Is VoIP the same as Wi-Fi calling?
Not exactly. VoIP uses the Internet to send your voice signals as data packets, while Wi-Fi calling uses a mobile carrier’s network via Wi-Fi. Both rely on Internet connections but operate differently in terms of network and technology.
Are VoIP phones secure?
There are some valid concerns about VoIP’s security due to its reliance on internet connection and its susceptibility to hacking. That said, many VoIP providers take measures to ensure its security. Some features to look out for before committing to a contract include encryption, secure SIP protocols, strong authentication methods, firmware updates, VPN and firewall compatibility. These are especially important for businesses dealing with confidential or sensitive information.
What’s the best small business VoIP phone service?
The best VoIP phone service for small businesses depends on your needs. Ooma is a great option for teams working remotely as it offers video conferencing and internal communication features for you to stay connected. If you’re looking for an external calling solution to take customer calls, Phone.com or MightyCall could be more suitable.
How do I get a VoIP phone service?
Getting started with VoIP is a breeze. Here’s a general overview of the steps: (1) Identify your business needs. (2) Check your internet connection. (3) Choose a VoIP provider based on the features you need and your budget. (4) Your preferred provider will help you with the installation and other requirements.
Techopedia’s editorial policy is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.
Krishi Chowdhary has half a decade of experience writing buying guides and product reviews for numerous leading technology websites. He spent two years writing for Business2Community.com before joining Techopedia.com. He has a degree in Commerce and extensive experience in the technology industry. He's also the key driver behind TechReport.com's news content, delivering expertise insight into the latest tech and cybersecurity news daily.
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