Want to jump straight to the answer? The best VOIP phone service for most small businesses is Ooma VoIP.
VoIP phone systems have been growing in popularity for businesses. That’s because these services are simple, cost-effective, and offer a wide range of features.
What is a VoIP phone system?
VoIP stands for “voice over Internet protocol.” The definition is exactly what it sounds like. Instead of a traditional phone line, VoIP systems use digital signals.
Even incoming calls from a non-VoIP number can be converted to a digital signal. So you can still receive calls from anyone, regardless of their phone system.
If you’re in the market for a new business phone service, this guide will help you find the right VoIP phone system for you.
Top 10 Best VOIP Phone Systems in 2020
With dozens of VoIP phone services on the market today, narrowing down your options can be a challenge. Fortunately, we’ve done all of the research and heavy lifting for you.
Below are the top ten VoIP phone systems that we recommend here at Quick Sprout.
I’ll give you an in-depth review of each one too. I’ll cover the pricing, features, benefits, and anything else that should be taken into consideration as well.
Ooma
Ooma VoIP is best for smaller businesses and startups. Whether you want to keep your existing number or get a new one, Ooma can get you set up in less than 15 minutes.
Some of the top small business features of Ooma VoIP include:
- Free mobile app
- Virtual receptionist
- SMS messaging
- Spam call blocking
- Call recording
- Multi ring
- Company directory
- Custom extensions
I like Ooma because you can get a great rate without a long-term contract. There are two main business phone plans offered by this provider:
- Ooma Office — $19.95 per month per user
- Ooma Office Pro — $24.95 per month per user
To me, the Office Pro plan is worth the extra $5. This plan comes with the most advanced features like call recording, call blocking, and voicemail transcription.
For small businesses looking for an all-in-one solution, you can use Ooma to build your own system from scratch. This will include hardware, separate conference phones, and a physical fax machine if needed.
If you’ve got a small company with five or ten employees, Ooma VoIP is a top choice for you to consider.
RingCentral
RingCentral is the best overall VoIP phone system. They offer a wide range of features and services to meet the needs of any business, regardless of its size.
To get started, you can easily use your existing phone number and preconfigured phones to make and receive calls over the Internet. You don’t need any complex hardware.
A top benefit of using RingCentral is the ability to access your business line from anywhere. You can use the phone service from any device.
In addition to traditional phone calls, RingCentral offers a wide range of business phone needs. You can have access to messaging and video conferencing as well. In fact, RingCentral also ranked first on our list of the best video conferencing services.
Whether you’re looking for an all-in-one calling solution, or VoIP phones only, RingCentral has you covered.
Pricing for a phone plan starts at $29.99 per month per user. But that’s for a month-to-month contract. You can save 33% with the annual rate.
If you have 20 or more users, you’ll need to upgrade to an all-in-one plan, which starts at $24.99 per month per user with an annual contract.
RingCentral has everything you need and more in a VoIP phone system.
Phone.com
If you’re on a budget, Phone.com has some of the most cost-effective VoIP phone plans on the market today.
There are definitely cheaper plans offered elsewhere, but none that I would recommend. With Phone.com, you know you’re getting high-quality service from a reputable provider.
Here’s a brief overview of the pay-per-minute plans and pricing. All rates are for annual contracts.
Base — $9.99 per month
- 300 minutes per month
- Unlimited user extensions
- 1 local or toll-free number
- 5,000 SMS messages
- 40+ standard features
Plus — $14.99 per month
- 500 minutes per month
- Unlimited user extensions
- 2 local or toll-free numbers
- 10,000 SMS messages
- Automated voicemail to text
- Premium hold music
Base — $29.99 per month
- 1,000 monthly minutes
- Unlimited user extensions
- 3 local or toll-free numbers
- 20,000 SMS messages
- 300 call recording minutes
- Call analytics
- HD video conferencing
While the plans are affordable, they are definitely limited. If you’re going to exceed those monthly minute restrictions, you can consider switching to a Phone.com unlimited plan.
The unlimited plans start at $24.99, $32.99, and $49.99 per month, respectively. They are nearly identical to the plans listed above, except you’ll get unlimited monthly minutes.
Nextiva
Nextiva has a wide range of product offerings. In addition to its VoIP phone services, the company provides sales and service CRM software.
The plans from Nextiva can be segmented into two main categories; small business and enterprise.
Like most VoIP phone services, the rates vary based on the number of users you have and the length of your contract. Nextiva has month-to-month and annual rates.
The basic small business package starts at $26 per month per user for 5-19 users. The same plan drops to $22 per month if you have 20-99 users.
Some of the top Nextiva features include:
- Nextiva desktop and mobile app
- Text messaging
- Auto attendant
- Voicemail to email
- Unlimited calling
- Call queuing
While Nextiva is definitely a viable option for small businesses, they offer exceptional plans for enterprises and call centers. It’s used by big national brands like Taco Bell, Stanley Steamer, and DirectBuy, and Ashley HomeStore.
Call center plans start at $50 per month per user, and enterprise rates start at $100 per month per user. These rates can save you tons of money for a large-scale calling operating.
Nextiva is easy to use and provides high-quality customer service. From small businesses to enterprises, Nextiva is a top choice consider.
Grasshopper
For those of you who need a business VoIP system for calls on the go, Grasshopper will be a top choice to consider.
Lots of VoIP phone services have a mobile app, but Grasshopper really stands out from the crowd. You’ll be able to use Grasshopper with your existing phone; no additional devices are required.
The setup process is extremely simple.
Just choose the app (Grasshopper or Grasshopper Connect) based on your business needs. Then select a number (toll-free, vanity, local, current number) and download the app. Then you can start calling and texting using your number right away.
You can try using Grasshopper for free with a 7-day trial. No credit card required.
Assuming you’re happy with the service (which I’m sure you will), here’s an overview of the paid plans and pricing:
Grasshopper Solo
- $29 per month ($26 with annual contract)
- 1 number
- 3 extensions
Grasshopper Partner
- $49 per month ($44 with annual contract)
- 3 numbers
- 6 extensions
Grasshopper Small Business
- $89 per month ($80 with annual contract)
- 5 numbers
- Unlimited extensions
Grasshopper Connect
- $39 per month ($35 with annual contract)
- 1 number
- Email, text, and phone integration
As you can see, the Grasshopper plans are perfect for smaller organizations, startups, and solo entrepreneurs. The fact that you can sign up and use your VoIP phone service without any additional hardware is a huge bonus.
8×8
8×8 has more than one million business users across the globe. It’s trusted by international brands like McDonald’s, Regus, and NetSuite.
They offer a wide range of phone services, including VoIP phones, contact centers, and video conferencing. I’d recommend 8×8 to small and medium-sized organizations that need international calling capabilities.
Here’s an overview of the small business pricing plans for all-in-one communications.
8×8 Express — $12 per month per user
- Unlimited calling in the US and Canada
- Auto attendant
- HD secure voice
- Voicemail
- Team messaging
- HD audio and video meetings with screen sharing
- Mobile and desktop apps
X Series X2 — $25 per month per user
- Unlimited calling within 14 countries
- Advanced caller ID, call forwarding, and call queues
- Voicemail transcription
- Single sign on and CRM integration
- Call recording
- Unlimited Internet fax
- Cross-platform team messaging
X Series X4 — $45 per month per user
- Unlimited calling within 47 countries
- All X2 features
- Operator switchboard
- Analytics and call quality reporting
X Series X6 — $115 per month user
- Unlimited calling within 47 countries
- 4,000 minutes of contact center calling zone within 47 countries
- Skills-based routing
- Interactive voice response
- Queued and web callback
- Post call surveys
- Native CRM
- Contact center reports and analytics
If your organization has more than 100 users, you can contact the 8×8 sales team for a quote on an enterprise VoIP phone solution.
Vonage
In terms of flexibility and product offerings, Vonage is second to none for business VoIP plans. They offer a wide range of communication packages, including:
- Business phone systems
- Office phone systems
- Contact center solutions
- Mobility
- Conferencing
- Marketing automation
- Phones, accessories, and other hardware
Vonage integrates with popular tools and technology like G Suite, Salesforce, Office 365, Slack, and HubSpot.
Another unique standout of Vonage is that the company offers industry-specific solutions as well as services based on business needs. For example, they have tools for accounting, law firms, healthcare, retail, real estate, and more.
The company also has tools for things like reducing communication costs, starting a call center, recording employee calls, or connecting virtual teams.
For VoIP phone plans, Vonage has three main plans; Mobile, Premium, and Advanced.
The rates vary based on how many lines you need, so there are a wide range of prices offered. To give you some perspective, here are the rates of each plan for businesses who need 20+ lines:
- Mobile — $14.99 per month per line
- Premium — $24.99 per month per line
- Advanced — $34.99 per month per line
If you need four lines or less, those rates would jump to $19.99, $29.99, and $39.99, respectively.
Based on the pricing structure and wide range of product offerings, Vonage is the perfect VoIP phone solution for growing businesses.
Jive
Jive is an affordable VoIP phone service with arguably the most extensive feature list on the market today. It’s tough to get Jive’s offerings at a better price point elsewhere.
The platform has solutions for small businesses, mid-market and enterprise, as well as products for voice, video, contact centers and more.
But for now, we’ll just stick to the VoIP phone features:
- Auto attendants
- Custom greetings
- Time-baed routing
- Virtual fax
- Voicemail to email
- Fax to email
- Hold music
- Call recording
- Call queues
- Call analytics
- Desktop integration
- Conference bridge
The list is seemingly a mile long. In fact, there are over 80 different VoIP phone service features available with Jive. The best part? Features are all-inclusive with all Jive plans.
Pricing is based on the number of users you have, and ranges between $19.95 and $29.95 per month, per user. No long-term contracts or annual commitments. All plans are available month-to-month.
If you need a phone plan with 100+ users, contact Jive for a custom quote.
1-VoIP
1-VoIP has been providing phone services for 10 years. On average, business customers switching to 1-VoIP save 53% compared to their current plan, which makes this provider one of the most cost-effective options on the list.
Some of the top 1-VoIP business features include:
- Call recording
- Hold music
- Virtual fax
- Auto attendant
- Hours of operation
- Queues
- Extension transfers
While 1-VoIP does have some traditional plans, I’d recommend the metered pricing option. This will be the best choice for businesses that only want to pay for what they use.
If you’re a low-volume caller, the base rate is $14.97 per month for each extension. From there, you’ll pay just $0.02 per minute.
The package comes with all features included. There are no long-term contracts and no cancellation fees either.
Mitel
Mitel offers a VoIP phone service that runs on Google Cloud. So you know that you’re getting support from an industry leader in reliability, scalability, and security.
It has a modern interface that’s extremely easy to use. You’ll benefit from real-time management and a seamless experience across all of your devices.
Mitel is an all-in-one solution for communication, collaboration, and contact center services. It’s used by well-known names like Netflix, Smile Doctors, and Rewards Network.
Here’s a brief overview of the plans and pricing:
Essentials — Starting at $20.99 per month per user
- Unlimited minutes
- 8-party audio conferencing
- Instant messaging
- Mobile apps
- Outlook and G Suite integration
Premier — Starting at $26.59 per month per user
- Unlimited minutes
- 25-party audio conferencing
- Salesforce CRM integration
- Voicemail transcription
- On-demand call recording
Elite — Starting at $38.49 per month per user
- Unlimited minutes
- 100-party audio conferencing
- Constant call recording
- Archiving
- Operator
As you can see, Mitel has the ability to meet the needs of multiple business types and sizes. It’s a top solution for anyone who wants to take advantage of Google’s Cloud reliability.
How to Choose the Best VOIP Phone Service For Your Business
Now that you’ve had a chance to see some of the top VoIP phone services on the market today, it’s time to choose one for your business.
This is the methodology that we used to narrow our options. We recommend that you do the same for your business.
Hardware Requirements
Not every VoIP phone service is created equally. Some will allow you to use your existing hardware, while others will require you to get specific devices.
There are even VoIP business plans with no hardware requirements. You can simply make and receive calls directly from the mobile app.
It all depends on the needs of your business. A solo entrepreneur and an enterprise-grade calling center will obviously have different hardware preferences.
Pricing
For the most part, VoIP business plans are priced based on the number of users or lines you have. The more lines you need, the lower the per-user cost will be.
Some services charge you per-use, some give you unlimited minutes, and others provide minute restrictions based on your plan.
It’s important that you find a price point that’s within your budget, while still meeting your needs. If you’re a low-volume caller that only makes and receives two or three calls per day, you probably won’t need an unlimited plan.
You should also consider the length of your contract. Some companies force you to sign an annual contract to get the best rate, while others bill month-to-month.
Setup and Ease of Use
In theory, VoIP phone services are supposed to be easier than a traditional business landline. So avoid companies that have a lengthy setup process and complex functionality.
You can usually request a demo or free trial to test out a service before you commit.
See what the company’s existing customers say about the products and services by reading third-party reviews.
Features
It’s easy to get drawn toward a VoIP phone service with an extensive feature list. But with that said, you might not need every feature under the sun.
While some of these will definitely be useful, think about which ones you actually want or need. There’s no reason to pay extra for features you’ll never use. Feature lists are always a top selling point, but focus in on the features that will help your business.
Some services provide features all-inclusive, and others offer features based on your package.
Conclusion
If your business is ready to make the switch to a VoIP phone service, then the options above are the top ten that I’d recommend.
Overall my top 2 favorites are Ooma VoIP and RingCentral. Compare them all to find the best for you.
No matter how big or small your business is, I’m confident that the perfect VoIP phone for your company can be found on this list.
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