Corey McCraw

The best business phone systems offer value that just can’t be found in mobile or home plans designed for personal use. For one, a separate company phone number helps provide work-life balance. There are also features like dedicated voicemail, call handling, and call routing to help make business processes more efficient. We’ve created this guide to help you understand your options so you can pick the business phone service that is best for you. Top Business Phone Systems at a Glance See fullscreen table × Read more about the providers in our guide on the best small business voip service. Types of Business Phone Systems Modern VoIP business phone systems rely on a rich feature set. Not only are these systems powerful, but their costs are also typically much cheaper than landline phone systems. This has led many businesses to adopt VoIP as the underlying technology behind their business communication stacks. Another benefit of VoIP technology over its traditional landline counterpart is its portability. VoIP phone systems only need an internet connection to work. Some, less feature-rich systems, don’t even require you to maintain equipment like desk phones or even a physical office. These are known as virtual phone systems, and these are particularly good for solopreneurs. There are also phone systems that are designed specifically for businesses with higher than average call traffic. These are known as call center phone systems and can leverage either traditional landline or VoIP technology. You can learn more about the top providers in our guide on the best call center phone systems. How to Pick the Best Business Phone System Type Not all small business VoIP services are going to fit your precise needs, which is why a little due diligence is going to be required to determine what business phone type is best for you before researching providers. 1. Determine Your Budget There’s a variety of pricing options when you’re looking for the best business phone system. As a result, the service you pick can be either as low-cost or as expensive as you want it to be. For instance, a provider like , which is one of the best cheap VoIP services, lets you make entirely free calls using their personal plan, but you’ll be short on calling features. Still, as a general rule, VoIP costs tend to run much lower than the cost of a landline carrier, even as you scale to more lines. These providers also tend to provide several features, like call transfer, call routing, and call recording, as part of specific plans, whereas landline carriers tend to upcharge. 2. Consider Your Hardware Needs Equipping on-premise office phone systems can be expensive. You will need to decide if you want to purchase hardware, like desk phones, up front. Some systems also require additional equipment. For example, if you decide to use an on-premise PBX VoIP system, you’ll need an IP PBX, which will be housed within your office. You may also end up paying fees on a monthly basis for SIP trunking or a primary rate interface (PRI) circuit, which allows for 23 concurrent calls or data transfers on the network. Hardware requirements for cloud-based VoIP aren’t very extensive, but they do exist. For example, VoIP won’t work without a dedicated internet connection, so you’ll at least need an internet service provider (ISP) to make calls via a wired desk phone, a computer, or through Wi-Fi when you’re using a portable device like a softphone app on a tablet or mobile phone. In fact, there are several VoIP hardware and accessories that your business might need, such as call center phones, analog telephone adapters, and business VoIP routers. 3. Check Your Available Internet Speed If you’re operating out of a particularly rural area, then a traditional telephone may win out in the VoIP vs landline debate. This is due to the fact that not every area has the internet speeds to accommodate an internet-based business phone system. How to Choose the Best Business Phone Provider There’s a lot of competition in this space, so it’ll take some trial and error before you can find the right system to meet your specific business needs. Here are a few things to look for before you settle on a particular provider. Guaranteed Call Quality & Uptime As a rule of thumb, most VoIP providers have a service level agreement (SLA). This is a guarantee that their service will remain reliable up to a preset percentage. A reliable base for this is a 99% uptime guarantee, but many providers rise well above this, with some offering up to 100% guarantees. It’s important to understand that this offers a huge amount of variation. For example, while 99% and 99.999% might not seem far removed from each other, these actually account for a massive differential. Here’s a breakdown: 99%: Per year, this amounts to three days of potential service downtime. 99.9%: Per year, this amounts to almost nine hours of potential service downtime. 99.99%: Per year, this amounts to 52 minutes of potential service downtime. 99.999%: Per year, this amounts to five minutes of potential service downtime. Supported Phone Numbers Business phone systems typically offer several direct inward dialing (DID) number options. DID numbers are also called virtual numbers, and these allow your business to have a dedicated number for customer contact. There are four types of virtual numbers to consider: Local: This number features a local area code and can attract more nearby clients. Toll-free: The prefix for this type can be 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, or 888, and makes you more accessible across the country. Vanity: These can feature either a local or toll-free prefix, but end with a number combination that would spell something to make them more memorable. International: International numbers provide global customers with a number local to their country or area. This is very useful if you have agents who speak the same language as those calling in. Some providers, like , provide a completely free business phone number that you can use on your personal phone to separate calls. However, most require you to sign up for monthly service for business phone numbers, and additional phone numbers cost extra. Additionally, not all providers have every type. For example, has just about every toll-free prefix, but this provider doesn’t have numbers in international territories. For this reason, it’s critical to evaluate your needs before selecting a provider. You can learn more about the different options and their best use case in our more in-depth article on business phone numbers. Most providers include a local option, so if you need a number in a specific area, you’ll have no issue. Check out our video guide to local phone numbers, which explains the benefits and underlying features: Basic Call Routing Capability & Menu Support Effective inbound call routing is absolutely critical for businesses. Professional-grade phone systems allow you to create menu systems that will help customers navigate your business’ various departments. Both auto-attendant and interactive voice response (IVR) systems help your customers find their needed department, and more complex systems will help your customers perform tasks like bill pay and callback scheduling. It is also important to consider how you want calls to be answered. Some providers have virtual assistant-like software (where a computer speaks your text messages to callers), others allow you to record your own messages, and some have actual paid voice actors who speak each menu option. Added Calling Features Simply put, there are several calling features that many businesses will need. There are also some that your business might not need at all. For example, if you have employees who have to often take their calls on the go, a feature like remote call forwarding can really come in handy but would be near-useless for a company with office-bound agents. Advanced business calling features can include things like call routing, call recording, call analytics, and customer relationship manager (CRM) integration. Ideally, you should evaluate your calling needs to determine which provider has the best overall features for your company. The best small business phone system will also include conference calling. Whether you’re using audio or video conferencing, your team will be able to collaborate extensively with multiple colleagues simultaneously. Number of Supported Extensions Extensions and dial-by-name directories are very useful ways to link remote office locations and provide an easy means of customer contact. For example, , one of the leading virtual phone providers, offers three extensions for its base level plan, which scales to unlimited extensions at the top tier. This provides your company with one- to three-digit numbers that can be directly dialed within the call routing system to reach a department or a specific employee. For example, your customers can quickly reach John Smith by dialing 299 when they call your company. Colleagues can also dial this three-digit number when they need to collaborate. Integrations & Scalability One of the better features of a business phone system is its ability to adapt and grow with your company, especially if it’s cloud-based. For example, providers like have four plans with numerous business phone features to consider. When you’re first starting out, and you’re smaller, you can choose plan one. When you start to need more detailed analytics and integrations, you can easily scale upward to incorporate more features with higher-plan tiers. This also extends to the number of phones and endpoints you’ll need as you grow. Providers like also offer volume discounts, so that you actually end up paying less per month as you increase your agent count. There are also options for pay-as-you-go and prepaid VoIP that will provide benefits for businesses with low- and high-call volumes. Why Businesses Need a Professional-grade Phone System As a business, you need a dedicated service for reaching your customers. While some solopreneurs use their own smartphones and home phones for their business, this is problematic for your work-life balance. Also, a private cell or home phone will typically be lacking in calling features. A dedicated small business phone system simply packs in more dedicated features, and many are accessible using multiple endpoints, like laptops, smartphones, IP and desk phones, and desktop computers. With a business phone system, you can keep your personal number yet have your customers reach you via a dedicated 1-800 number on the same device. Here are a few other significant advantages to having a solid business phone system: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Is there a difference between a VoIP business phone system & a virtual phone system? Yes. Typically, a full-fledged VoIP system will include some extended capabilities, like unified communications as a service (UCaaS) features. With a virtual phone system, the focus tends to be on calling and calling features. For a deeper dive, take a look at our VoIP vs virtual phone system guide. Will I be able to send faxes to my partners with VoIP? Yes. By default, many VoIP and virtual phone providers include some form of electronic faxing, which is known as e-fax. We’ve created an entire guide on how to use VoIP fax so that you can send it through your provider. Do I need dedicated phones for VoIP calling? VoIP calling is very versatile. For example, you can call using most providers utilizing an IP phone, and some providers, like , even have telephone adapters so that you can call from landline devices. For those without extensive calling hardware, there are calling apps called softphones that you can use to make calls from desktop computers and mobile devices. Are these kinds of business phone systems secure? This depends on your provider and their encryption practices. Take a look at our guide on encryption at-rest and in-transit to learn more about VoIP security. Bottom Line Finding the right provider might seem a bit daunting at first, but the transition to a dedicated small business phone system will both save you money and provide you with excellent features. There are so many excellent providers out there that you never have to settle.

RingCentral is a cloud-based phone system offering businesses a scalable platform for voice calls, video meetings, text, fax, and instant messaging. It has reliable, comprehensive features small business teams need in a complete voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) solution. Monthly plans start at $32.99 per user, with a 14-day free trial. Based on our RingCentral review, it’s best for growing businesses looking for a robust, centralized communications platform. RingCentral Review: At a Glance RingCentral Deciding Factors RingCentral Alternatives While is one of the leading business phone systems, it also has a few disadvantages. Its number of features may be overwhelming for solopreneurs or small teams with basic phone system needs. Meanwhile, businesses with a tight budget are better off with cheaper alternatives because of RingCentral’s pricey subscriptions. It also lacks unlimited international calling, free professionally recorded greetings, and mix-and-match plans. If you’re looking for a business phone system other than RingCentral, here are the top alternatives: VoIP pricing consists of four subscription packages for its all-in-one message, video, and phone (MVP) product. Monthly rates for accounts with one to 20 users start at $32.99 per user. All plans include essential business tools, such as unlimited domestic calls, business SMS, visual voicemail, and team messaging. A 14-day free trial is available for new users. *Pricing is based on one to 20 users. Volume discounts are available. RingCentral Add-ons Here is the list of RingCentral MVP add-ons for users needing additional virtual numbers, bulk SMS messaging, and RingCentral Rooms license: Additional local or toll-free number costs $4.99 per user, monthly Vanity numbers require a $30 one-time fee International numbers cost $5.99 per user, on a monthly basis International toll-free numbers cost $14.99 per user, per month, plus a one-time $25 fee High-volume SMS starts at $0.0085 per message sent or received A RingCentral Rooms license costs $49 per room, monthly (or $468 per room, annually) RingCentral Features is a cloud-based business phone system accessible across various devices. It comes with unified communication capabilities that enable you to connect with your teams and clients on whichever communication channel they prefer. Besides its premade app integrations, RingCentral lets you build your own custom integrations through developer tools and application programming interfaces (API). We awarded a perfect score when it comes to its excellent general features. The provider offers a unified platform for all communications needs, including business phone, instant messaging, video meetings, SMS, and internet fax. Its virtual phone system lets you instantly add new phone numbers, offices, devices, and remote teams. It is an intuitive and user-friendly software for users of all skill levels. It does not require technicians for setup, and many customizations are done from the mobile app, allowing you to configure its settings even on the go. However, since it comes with a wide range of highly customizable features, setting them all up according to your needs may take a while. Immersive collaboration features are available in its robust video meeting app, such as whiteboard and screen sharing. Its platform integrates with over 300 third-party applications, including the following: Salesforce Slack Microsoft Teams Google Chrome Zoho CRM Zapier Zendesk ServiceNow Skype Microsoft 365 Not every feature will be needed by every company, but it’s nice to know that you’re covered should you need a particular functionality. performs well in this regard. For example, not everyone needs to create an international footprint, but when they do, RingCentral provides numbers in hundreds of territories and also delivers very reasonable international rates when reaching foreign countries. Additionally, RingCentral excels in call routing and management. Its IVR system has a simple drag-and-drop interface that makes it easy to customize your customer experience. Here’s a detailed list of more of the key niche features found with RingCentral: RingCentral’s customer service features didn’t score as high as other criteria. This is partially due to the fact that only provides 24/7 unlimited support for customers who subscribe to its plan tiers at Premium and above. Email support is also missing from RingCentral’s support offering. While you won’t need a high level of technical skill to set up and use your system, it still takes a bit to get used to. The interface is fairly intuitive, and RingCentral’s own RingCentral University helps users traverse the system—however, at the same time, the interface is more difficult to set up than competitors like or . One of the best features of RingCentral is that it provides a one-hour professional implementation session for users, which does remove some of the strain of setup. scored highly in our expert score thanks to its full-featured design. For example, with both annual and volume discounts, users looking for an inexpensive solution can quickly reduce the seemingly expensive cost of a RingCentral account. Users also appreciate its fast and reliable service (with 99.999% uptime), excellent call quality, and convenient setup process. Here’s a breakdown of some of the RingCentral VoIP reviews from various internet-based platforms: TrustRadius: 7.0 out of 10 based on 257 reviews G2: 4 out of 5 based on 649 reviews Capterra: 4.2 out of 5 based on 1,036 reviews GetApp: 4.2 out of 5 based on 1,000 reviews Software Advice: 4.22 out of 5 based on 1,036 reviews How We Evaluated RingCentral As a basis for our ratings, we compared this platform with other leading VoIP and unified communications as a service (UCaaS) providers. We tested the software ourselves and checked the feedback that verified users posted on reliable review websites. From there, we used several criteria, including pricing, standout features, customer service, and ease of use. Learn how we evaluated RingCentral by clicking through the tabs below: Bottom Line provides a comprehensive communications platform that unifies messages across calls, faxes, voicemails, texts, and emails. Its tiered pricing plans work best for businesses with growing needs. Based on our RingCentral review, while its pricing points are more expensive than its alternatives, it offers valuable capabilities, third-party app integrations, and impressive call management features that match those with high call volumes. Sign up for a 14-day free trial or request a demo to learn if it suits your business needs.

The process of how to get a business phone number is fairly straightforward. However, the cost varies, as do the types of numbers and services available, so it’s essential to understand the differences between the options. We explain the pros and cons of various types of business phone numbers so you can determine which type is right for your company, compare providers, and choose the best option to get a business phone number for your organization. Types of Business Phone Numbers Virtual phone systems and voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) services often include a local business number, although some give the option of choosing a local or toll-free number. You may need one company phone number shared between staff using extensions or individual phone numbers for each or some of your employees. If you already have a number, you may be wondering if you can port it into a new business phone system. Below are some of the business phone number options available and the reason to choose each one: *Pricing varies by provider. The cost per number may decrease when purchasing more than one number at once and providers may charge activation fees for additional numbers. Local Numbers A local business phone number includes an area code, telephone prefix, and a line number. Companies can get a local business phone number from the local phone company or through a VoIP or virtual number provider. When purchasing phone service, the vendor may offer a selection of phone numbers based on the business’ address, but you can also request a different area code. For instance, businesses in small or rural areas may prefer an area code used in a nearby larger city. Local customers will recognize the area code and believe you’re calling from a location near them. Toll-free Numbers Toll-free numbers, also commonly called 800 numbers, work well for small businesses that want to foster a national brand presence. They also work well for companies with a customer service center and those wanting to offer a toll-free hotline for sales or support. You can make phone calls using your toll-free business phone number and receive calls on your business phone, personal cell phone, web-based interface, or another device. Customers within the United States can call an 800 number for free. However, international callers may pay more to call an 800 number than other types. Although a toll-free number is most commonly understood to be an 800 number, it also includes other prefixes, such as: 888 877 866 855 844 833 Currently, the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) has other toll-free phone number prefixes reserved but not open for use yet. These include 822, 880, 887, and 899. Unlike with a local phone number, a VoIP provider charges per-minute (metered) fees for inbound calls to a toll-free number. Some services, such as and , include toll-free minutes with subscriptions, but calls are still metered and not unlimited. Learn more by exploring our guide on how to get an 800 number for your company. Vanity Numbers Vanity phone numbers are customizable business phone numbers and can be local or toll-free. You choose the digits of the number to spell out a word or simply create an easy-to-remember combination. Examples of vanity numbers include 1-800-FLOWERS and 309-GET-RUGS. Vanity numbers can be impactful in helping to reinforce your brand or business type. Since they are generally more memorable, they also make it more likely someone will remember and call your business when looking for the types of products or services it sells. You may have one main vanity phone number that people dial to reach your business. Then your auto-attendant forwards calls to local numbers or to the extensions of various staff or departments. Providers like offer subscriptions with multiple phone numbers, and you can choose between vanity and standard local numbers. Others only provide vanity phone numbers as an add-on in addition to your business phone system. International Numbers If you want to establish a local presence in a foreign country, geography-specific direct inward dial (DID) numbers are a good choice. In this case, you don't need a physical office or employee in the region. When a customer calls your line, your provider routes the call to your domestic telephone number and phone extensions, which you can pick up on your mobile or office phone. Some VoIP vendors, such as , also provide toll-free international numbers for certain regions. But 8x8 says that “certain countries require you to have a local business address and/or a Letter of Intent that indicates your line of business and how you intend to use the number.” Types of Business Phone Number Providers Since a free business number typically comes with paid and free VoIP phone system subscriptions, many people go this route and use the provider’s options to choose a number. However, if you want to buy a business number to transfer to your existing phone service, you can also purchase these for a one-time fee. Here are the different provider options to consider: VoIP providers: Cloud-based phone services like and transmit calls over the internet and can replace your current system. The best VoIP phone systems tend to have far more features and flexibility than other business communications options, allowing you to use the phone service for customer service centers or collaboration with co-workers. VoIP services often support use on personal devices as well as existing desk phones, softphones, and other common business telephony hardware. Virtual number providers: A virtual number service is similar to VoIP, as it uses the internet to send and receive calls and comes with a phone number. However, a virtual service can only forward calls to an existing phone line (usually a cell phone, but in some cases, a landline). and offer virtual phone numbers for small teams and rank among the best virtual phone number providers. Free business phone numbers: Services like and provide a free business number for solopreneurs. These platforms lack advanced VoIP features such as a virtual receptionist and skills-based call routing, but they’re an excellent alternative for entrepreneurs who just need a second phone number for their business. Standalone business numbers: Several providers sell toll-free and vanity phone numbers online for a one-time fee. You can forward the number to your cell phone or port it into your phone system, but it’s a good idea to check with your carrier first to ensure that the selected number is portable. Business phone number apps: Phone number apps like use cellular data, whereas relies on the internet to make and receive calls. You can forward calls to mobile devices and access features through the app. If you’re looking for low-cost or free phone numbers, check out our picks for the best free business phone number apps. How to Get a Business Phone Number If you already know what type of number you need and have a provider type or specific service in mind, head straight to the vendor’s website. Need help choosing between business phone number providers? Take this quiz to learn which type is best for small business owners: Alternatively, if you want a business phone number but aren’t sure where to start, take the following steps: 1. Decide What Type of Number Your Business Needs While businesses often start with a local phone number, a toll-free number is better for brands wanting a national presence. Some VoIP providers let you create memorable vanity phone numbers using local or toll-free prefixes. Or if you have customers worldwide, you may want local numbers in other countries. Most VoIP providers include a free business phone number with paid subscriptions and guide you through the process of how to get a business phone number using pop-ups and on-screen instructions. However, some only include local numbers, whereas others let you choose between local, toll-free, and vanity numbers. Additionally, not all vendors supply international numbers. Those that do often require you to pick a local or toll-free number as your primary number, and then you can add an international phone number after signing up. For example, subscriptions include one local phone number with unlimited minutes and a toll-free number with 1,500 to 12,500 minutes, depending on your package. But Nextiva doesn’t offer international phone numbers. On the other hand, comes with a free local number and you can add toll-free numbers after setting up your subscription. If you sign up for or , you can choose an international number as an add-on. 2. Select a Provider When choosing a provider, the type of phone features included, business phone number types, and pricing can vary widely, so it’s important to understand your budget and needs before picking a phone provider. Additionally, although most VoIP plans include a local phone number, other numbers cost extra. Unless you purchase through a third-party standalone number provider, your business’ phone system will usually be your means of obtaining a business phone number. Which business phone system to choose depends on your size of business, the volume of inbound and outbound calls, and the types of business phone numbers you want. Virtual phone number providers like and offer a virtual business phone number and forward calls to an existing phone line. It keeps personal calls separate yet doesn't require another device, and usually comes with basic features like voicemail and do not disturb (DND). You can make personal and business calls from your mobile phone. Virtual business phone numbers may also work on a desk phone, laptop, or desktop computer. In comparison, a business VoIP phone service provider can replace your current phone system and provide one or more business phone numbers. Like virtual phone number providers, you can also receive and place calls from your personal cell phone, desk phone, or computer. VoIP systems often have many more features, such as an auto-attendant to route incoming calls to employee phone numbers or extensions, on-hold music, ring groups, and call queues. If you plan on buying multiple numbers, make sure you check out each provider’s fee list and see how much additional phone numbers cost per month. For instance, charges $4.99 for extra toll-free, vanity, or local phone numbers, whereas charges $9.99 a month for each additional local or toll-free number. Over time, these costs can really add up. 3. Sign Up for a Business Phone Service If you’re buying a standalone phone number without VoIP services or want an international number, you can skip this step and move to the next step. Otherwise, you’ll pick your new number as part of the sign-up process for a business phone system. Some vendors, such as , ask you to choose a phone number first before picking a plan. You may also have the option to start a free trial. In this case, you can sign up for the free trial and choose your number at the same time. But keep in mind that if you don’t continue your subscription after the trial ends, you will lose your business phone number. Others, including and , require you to select a plan and enter your contact details before choosing a number. Choose the subscription plan that has the features your business needs and sign up. Once you do, your new business phone number is typically ready to use. A vanity or toll-free number may take additional time to set up, but the provider will usually give you a temporary number to use until the new number is processed. 4. Choose One or More Business Phone Numbers A standalone number provider will let you pick one or more phone numbers using a number picker tool. You can add these numbers to your cart and follow the company's checkout process. However, suppose you want an international number along with a VoIP subscription. In that case, you must pay for your subscription and get a local or toll-free number first, then log into your service using the administrator portal. The portal shows a list of your current phone numbers, and you can click the appropriate menu box to add a new one. If your service offers international numbers, you can search for your desired country and view a list of available numbers. Once you select a number, you can assign it an extension or decide where to forward it. Some providers require a one-time fee for additional business numbers, and this may go on your upcoming bill or be required at the time of purchase. Alternatively, some VoIP providers also have number picking tools. This can make it easier to choose a business phone number that is easy to remember or to find available vanity numbers. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Can I keep my landline phone number & use it with a VoIP service? Yes. If you want to keep your landline phone number but take advantage of VoIP features, such as voicemail-to-email and call recording, you can port your current business phone number to your new provider. The process varies by service, but, typically, you must complete a form and ask your VoIP provider to port your number. In the meantime, you should keep your landline service active until your new VoIP provider says the process is complete. How can I get a free business phone number? The best way to get a free business phone number is through . All you need is a Google account to sign up. Once you sign in to your account, you can request a Google Voice number and agree to the terms of service. Google provides a list of telephone numbers to choose from. For more information, check out our step-by-step guide to getting a Google Voice number. Do business phone systems work on a cell phone? Yes. You can forward calls to a mobile device by configuring call routing rules and installing the provider’s mobile app. Some paid services also offer a follow-me feature, which can ring several devices in a designated order. Today’s leading VoIP and unified communications services are designed with distributed teams in mind and support a BYOD (bring your own device) workforce. Bottom Line A business phone number makes it easy for prospects and customers to reach your business, and makes your company look more professional and legitimate. Many providers offer several number types and subscriptions for different budgets. If you want a basic, cheap second phone number to separate business and personal calls, consider . On the other hand, check out if you need a full-featured VoIP system for unlimited business calls.

If your small business doesn’t have full-fledged IT (information technology) support on staff, use Geek Squad for help with software installation, computer setup and repair, and other tech support issues. Run by Best Buy, Geek Squad pricing for individual tech services ranges from $19.99 to $1,450, while monthly service plans start at $24.99 per user. There’s also a simpler annual plan for very small businesses that costs $199.99 per year for six devices. Who Should Consider Geek Squad? works with businesses of all sizes—from small, local companies to large corporations. It handles huge projects as well as single repairs for a small business. For instance, uses Geek Squad for its customer support, and the Sheraton hired them to install new televisions in all its hotels. You may wonder about the Geek Squad cost per hour—note that Best Buy charges strictly by the visit. There’s currently no Geek Squad hourly rate for IT services. Who May Not Need Geek Squad? If your technical needs are small, you have an IT team, or you are a small business with tech-savvy employees, then may not be your best answer. In the few cases when you cannot solve an issue on your own, you may find a local computer repair shop quicker and more cost-effective. Be sure to check out our list of top Geek Squad alternatives below. Geek Squad Top Alternatives Before we get into dedicated features, it’s essential to understand that is not the only business IT support service. Here are four of the most reputable services that provide remote and onsite computer support: Per-service vs Monthly Plan Pricing & How to Choose So, how much does Geek Squad charge? The IT service provider charges $300 per onsite service visit for business locations. If it’s a one-time need, you may be able to order individual services from the homeowner menu or take your device into the store instead. Monthly plans incur a setup fee of $99.99 and a monthly fee of $24.99 or $49.99 per user, depending on the plan you choose. Since it’s a subscription, you pay this fee even if you don’t use the service that month, but it can save you money if you have a big problem or need frequent IT support. Geek Squad’s business service pricing is not easy to find online, so we recommend reaching out to customer support and asking questions based on your business needs. Geek Squad In-store Services offers in-store services that can be booked online through the . You can schedule a repair, tuneup, troubleshooting, or consultation. Once you have an appointment time, you can go into the store and drop off your device for repair or meet for your consultation or troubleshooting. You can also stop into Geek Squad without a reservation, but it’s not recommended as you may experience long wait times. Price List for In-store Services Geek Squad’s prices for in-store services varies by the type of device, the status of the device, and by the specific service. If you want to know how much does Geek Squad cost for in-store visits and for those thinking of taking their IT needs into their local , check out the breakdown below: Geek Squad In-home Services has in-home services pricing but also charges businesses a $300 minimum per onsite visit. Geek Squad prices may increase depending on the work needed. If you work from home, it’s more cost-effective to use the “in-home” service, depending on the repair needs. To use the in-home service, call your local or schedule the service online. When you schedule online, you pay at the time of scheduling. Keep in mind that many diagnostic and repair services can be accomplished remotely at a cheaper price, so consider that option first, depending on the repair or service you need. Appointment Cost for In-home Services Take a look at the rates below to determine if Geek Squad is within your budget and if it offers the services you need at your current work-from-home setup. Geek Squad Business Services & Onsite Pricing For businesses, onsite visits start at $300 per visit, and the price may increase from there, depending on the work needed. This is an ideal service for locations that need ongoing IT support. Call your assigned business adviser to book service appointments. They provide remote and onsite services. Some of the services Geek Squad provides businesses include the following: Network installation Add a device to an existing network Software installation/service Hardware installation/service Data backup/transfer (up to 1TB between two devices) Network added storage configuration OS installation Device diagnostics and repair PC setup and configuration VPN installation Geek Squad Prices for Remote Service Not every problem requires the physical presence of a agent. Many times, with your permission, they access your computer remotely to accomplish tasks or walk you through the physical actions of setup, while handling the software side. This is usually the faster and cheaper route, even though Geek Squad isn’t free for any service. Remote services include: Geek Squad TotalTech Plan: Another Option for Small Businesses TotalTech Support is promoted for homes but is recommended for small businesses as well as those dependent on IT needs. It costs $199.99 per year for six devices. A device could be a computer, a printer, or an A/V setup, for example. The plan includes the following: Unlimited support on all tech and appliances Virus removal and antivirus setup Remote PC tuneup Remote services, including software troubleshooting and repair, software installs, diagnostics, and data transfers and backup In-store support for software installs, tablet setups, and car electronics 24/7 online support $49.99 for standard onsite services like home Wi-Fi setup, or services that could be done remotely 20% off repairs and advanced services 20% off Geek Squad Protection and AppleCare products, including five-year warranties on products How to Choose Which Geek Squad Service Is Right for You With , as you can see from what we’ve covered thus far, you have options when it comes to service. Click on each service below and decide which works best for your specific tech needs and requirements. Bottom Line is a nationally recognized name for home IT, but it handles businesses of all sizes too. However, Geek Squad installation prices are very inexpensive compared to building an internal IT organization. The TotalTech support plan works for very small businesses and runs $199.99 per year. It offers setup, training, and diagnostic services, plus discounts on more costly repairs. If your needs are greater, you can purchase monthly business plans as well. You can also get onsite visits or purchase from an a la carte menu of services. Contact Geek Squad to learn more.

RingCentral has become the gold standard for many businesses, offering unified communications (UC) features, unlimited calling, texting, video conferencing, and collaboration tools. While it is a full-featured voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) service, not everyone finds its pricing or lack of unlimited international calling a good fit. For this reason, we’ve lined up seven RingCentral alternatives so you can find the right communications solution. Based on our research on dozens of providers, here are the best RingCentral competitors as well as one honorable mention: : Best overall RingCentral alternative with a similar VoIP or unified communications as a service (UCaaS)-friendly communication stack : Ideal alternative for businesses that need to establish an international presence : Top alternative for businesses needing longer meetings with a higher participant capacity : Great for businesses looking for strong artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities : Recommended for businesses looking for a virtual phone provider with an option for metered rates : Excellent pick for businesses in need of an office telephone system that scales easily : Our honorable mention, best for businesses for its simple phone system without built-in UC RingCentral & Best Alternatives at a Glance Here’s a quick quiz that will help you identify which VoIP provider offering services similar to RingCentral is best for you. See fullscreen table × Nextiva: Best Overall RingCentral Alternative When comparing two of the best business phone systems, and , it’s easy to find similarities as both deliver on business communications. For example, both provide VoIP calling and unified communications (UC). Similarly, most companies will be satisfied by the number of communication channels they offer. Still, Nextiva begins to display its value when taking a look at pricing. While both start out at similar price levels and offer volume and annual discounts, Nextiva’s pricing just ends up being more compelling. On a monthly basis, you pay approximately $24 per user for Nextiva’s service with an annual plan. As you scale, this is cut significantly. At 100 users, you’ll only be paying about $17.95 per user. RingCentral’s base plan isn’t available to that many users, and its second tier, Standard, will cost about $22.99 per user. Additionally, Nextiva has a higher number of video conferencing participants; whereas RingCentral permits 200 attendees, Nextiva allows for 250 participants per meeting. Nextiva also matches RingCentral for its uptime service level agreement (SLA); both have a 99.999% guaranteed uptime. In fact, these are two of the industry’s highest, only being beaten out by 100% guaranteed uptime. Nextiva Monthly Pricing at a Glance* Essential: $30.95 for unlimited voice and video calling as well as Google and Outlook integrations Professional: $35.95 with Call Pop for up to 250 contacts, unlimited conference calls for 40 participants, and unlimited video conferencing for up to 250 people Enterprise: $45.95 for unlimited voice and video conferencing, unlimited Call Pop, and unlimited video call and conference recordings *Prices are per user, and are based on a monthly payment for one to four users. With more users and paying annually, the price per user decreases significantly. Nextiva Features Call Pop: This call center technology gives agents information about the customer before (or during) the call, reducing call times and improving the overall customer experience. You have access to unlimited Call Pops from the Enterprise tier and up. Integrations: Third-party integrations for Microsoft Outlook and Google contacts are available starting at the Essential Plan. Similar to RingCentral, integrations like Salesforce, Zendesk, HubSpot, and Microsoft Dynamics also become available as you move up tiers. Multilevel auto-attendant: Available in the Professional Plan and above for more control over how you route calls, increasing efficiency and reducing transfer time. Not sure if this is the right RingCentral alternative for your business? Check out our detailed Nextiva review for more information. 8x8: Best for Reaching International Customers For small businesses looking to reach overseas markets, is a great option, thanks to its unlimited calling plans and international number availability. While there was a time when small business was almost exclusively local, today, any business can establish inroads in foreign countries. This is primarily thanks to VoIP and its underlying technologies that help users avoid the expensive infrastructure of landline communications systems. Unlike and , which have metered rates to popular countries, 8x8 has unlimited calling to 47 countries, perfect for those consistently making calls overseas. Some included countries for unlimited international calling are the U.K., Ireland, China, Brazil, Hungary, Israel, and Poland. If you need a way for those international customers to reach you, 8x8 also offers international virtual phone numbers, making those international calls local. From a call management perspective, 8x8 is a very competitive RingCentral alternative, which you’ll see in our RingCentral vs 8x8 piece. Regardless of plan, 8×8 is fully HIPAA-compliant for those businesses that deal with sensitive patient information. You even get call monitoring features like call barge and whisper, which are useful for most businesses with call centers and client-facing agents. Also, accessing contact center features merely requires an upgrade with 8x8. With RingCentral and Nextiva, this requires a totally different plan structure. 8x8 Monthly Pricing at a Glance* Express Plan: $15 for unlimited domestic calls, unlimited chat, and audio and video conferencing with up to 100 participants X2 Plan: $28 for unlimited calls in 14 countries, integration with Salesforce, and video and voice conferencing for up to 500 participants X4 Plan: $57 for unlimited calling in 48 countries and agent monitoring features like call whisper and call barge *Pricing is per user, and is based on monthly payments. 8x8 does offer annual rates for its X2 and X4 plans that reduce the monthly cost by up to 23%. 8x8 Features HD audio and video: HD-quality audio and video ensure teams can collaborate easily—making tasks more efficient—and improving the customer experience. Integrations: Similar to RingCentral, integrations with popular apps, like , , , and , are available right out of the box to make your team more productive. Mix-and-match plans: Mix-and-match plans for better communication and team collaboration to create an ideal plan for your business needs. RingCentral plans are less flexible, so if you need a feature only available at a higher tier, you must upgrade to get it. Check out our deep-dive 8x8 review to learn more about the provider. GoTo Connect: Best RingCentral Alternative for Conferences , part of GoTo suite of software, has a more robust conferencing setup with no duration limits and accommodates 250 attendees. With GoTo Connect, you’re able to view 25 video feeds at a time—significantly more than the 16 simultaneous views on RingCentral. Pricing-wise, like and , GoTo Connect offers annual and volume discounts. With both annual and volume discounts active, GoTo Connect’s Basic monthly plan cost will reduce from $32 per user to $24. Like , international calling is easy with GoTo Connect. Unlimited calling is available in more than 50 countries. Still, despite having slightly more unmetered options, you have more countries to dial with the metered plan using 8×8, including Antarctica. Additionally, GoTo Connect is missing international calling numbers, GoTo Connect is also known for its ease of use. As we covered in our article on GoTo Connect vs RingCentral, the app functionality is very intuitive, and it’s easy to video conference, text, send team messages, and call directly from the mobile application. GoTo Monthly Connect Pricing at a Glance* Basic Plan: $32 for smart call routing as well as local, toll-free, and vanity numbers Standard Plan: $43 for unlimited auto-attendant greetings, 1,000 toll-free minutes, and unlimited meetings for up to 150 participants Premium Plan: $54 for free international calling in over 50 countries, 5,000 toll-free minutes, and unlimited meeting duration for up to 250 participants *Prices are based on a monthly payment for one user. GoTo Connect does offer annual rates that reduce the monthly cost by up to 11%. Volume discounts are also available. GoTo Connect Features Customizable dial plans: Set call flow according to your business needs using a drag-and-drop system to implement things like hours and holidays so calls are routed properly. International calling: At the Standard and Premium tier, calling to more than 52 countries is included. This is not quite as much as the RingCentral Global Office Unlimited plan, but GoTo Connect is a good option to consider if you are calling only within these 52 countries. Team messaging: A simple, easy-to-use way for team members to communicate and stay connected. Check out our GoTo Connect review for a closer look at the provider’s numerous features. Dialpad: Best for Its Artificial Intelligence (AI) Capabilities For the past few years, , which we covered in this review, has been one of the leading providers of the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). Its Voice Intelligence (Vi) is designed to engage with customers. It uses natural language processing and machine learning to boost agent performance and create a bigger picture from each interaction. Dialpad says Vi is there “before, during, and after every call.” This means your agents will be provided pertinent information before a call, coached during the call, and prompted to contribute additional customer data after the call. Dialpad also recently purchased , another AI platform the provider will use to further improve customer experiences. With , there are AI options like sentiment analysis, but this is done using external apps like Theta Lake and Velvetech. Put simply, these aren’t nearly as advanced as the AI features offered by Dialpad. Dialpad comes in at a much cheaper price point than RingCentral, which starts at $19.99 per user, per month, when using both annual and volume discounts. At the base plan level, you pay a per-user price of just $15 each month for Dialpad when paying annually. You are instantly granted access to several integrations, such as those for Google Workspace and Office 365. In fact, Dialpad’s annual discount is about 35% per month, which beats RingCentral’s maximum 33% annual discount rate. Read more about how these two competitors match up in our Dialpad vs RingCentral guide. Dialpad Monthly Pricing at a Glance* Standard Plan: $23 per user for as little as one license Pro Plan: $35 per user for more than three licenses, local numbers in more than 50 countries, and integration with Salesforce Enterprise Plan: Contact Dialpad if you need more than 100 licenses *Pricing is based on a monthly payment, but annual billing is also available at a significant discount. Dialpad Features Voice Intelligence: When used across a company, agents can provide better customer service, improve sales, and reduce call time by being prepared for customer conversations by pulling up past interactions. IVR system: IVR menus route calls more efficiently when agents are unavailable, minimizing call transfers and getting customer calls where they need to be quickly. Integrations: Like RingCentral and Nextiva, Dialpad has a variety of integrations available that improve productivity, starting with Google Workspace and Office 365 on the lowest tier. Phone.com: Best for Metered Communications Of the various competitors of RingCentral, and our honorable mention, , serve more as virtual phone systems rather than VoIP or UCaaS providers. This means that you’ll be using this provider primarily for inbound and outbound calls. This is great for a small business that doesn’t need complex communications solutions. Phone.com also offers mix-and-match as well as metered and unmetered plans, so small businesses have options with the provider. In addition to this, like and , Phone.com is a RingCentral alternative that offers both volume and annual discounts. Baseline features include an automated attendant, call forwarding based on business hours, and follow me, which forwards calls to your preferred device when inbound calls come in. Phone.com is one of the rare virtual phone systems that also includes limited, 25-attendee video conferencing. Phone.com Monthly Pricing at a Glance* Basic Users: $14.99 for one number per account, 300 minutes and 1,000 pooled text segments per user, 50 standard VoIP features, an auto-attendant, and video conferencing with 10 participants Plus Users: $19.99 for one phone number per person, unlimited minutes and texting, video recording and whiteboarding, 25 video meeting participants, and voicemail transcription Pro Users: $29.99 for one phone number per person, unlimited minutes and texting, video recording transcription, customer relationship management (CRM) integrations, call analytics, and 100 video conferencing participants *Pricing is per user and based on monthly payments. Switching to annual payment saves businesses an additional 20% Phone.com Features Mix-and-match plans: Phone.com lets you choose different packages for each user, which helps you save money. Your team shares minutes and text message allotments on the metered plans or uses an unlimited subscription for added features. Collaboration tools: While Phone.com provides fewer features than a full-featured business phone system like RingCentral, it comes with content sharing, team chat, and conferencing tools. Add-on options: Phone.com packages come with more than 50 VoIP features. However, you don’t have to upgrade to a higher plan tier if you want to add call recording or a live receptionist to a phone line. Instead, simply add these features to one line or all of them. Take a look at our Phone.com review for more information about its dedicated features. Ooma: Best RingCentral Alternative for Scalability One of the most noteworthy features of the phone system is how well it scales. A very small business can easily start out with its base plan that requires an Ooma Telo analog telephone adapter and make calls virtually for free. While this does require roughly a $100 investment, this gives new businesses a dedicated phone number for customers. Even at its cheapest, you’ll quickly outstrip this cost with within a few months. As the company grows, it’s relatively easy to scale up to one of the Ooma Office plans, which serve as its VoIP or UCaaS business communication systems. For those looking for different plan levels, the Office plans include Office Essentials, Office Pro, and Office Pro Plus. These have all of the basics, including auto-attendants, virtual fax, and call management features. Ooma has unlimited international calling to more countries than 8x8 (in total, 70). This means that regular calling to specific countries will be cheaper. Still, Ooma doesn’t quite win for building an international presence due to its lack of international call forwarding. It does help new businesses build inroads without worrying about international calling rates building up to unmanageable levels. Ooma Monthly Pricing at a Glance* Ooma Home: Free with the purchase of an Ooma Telo device. Includes several add-on options, such as enhanced voicemail, voicemail transcription, and additional virtual numbers. Ooma Office Essentials: $19.95 for a virtual receptionist, extension-to-extension dialing, call forwarding, call flip, and multidevice ring Ooma Office Pro: $24.95 for video conferencing, call recording, enhanced call blocking, and voicemail transcription Ooma Office Pro Plus: $29.95 for features like Salesforce integration, hotdesking, find me, follow me, and call queueing *Pricing is per user; Ooma doesn’t provide volume or annual discounts Ooma Features Extensive hardware and software support: While Ooma is known for the Telo, there are other VoIP-powered phone options. Ooma has several device options from Grandstream and other VoIP phone manufacturers. Multidevice ring: With many businesses shifting to hybrid work, the multidevice ring allows inbound calls to ring on multiple devices. This allows agents to select the device they want to use to engage customers. Devices supported include the softphone, IP phone, and smartphone app on their Android or iOS device. Enhanced call blocking: Ooma Pro plans have the ability to block more than 2 million confirmed telemarketing companies. Subscribers also have the ability to add numbers to the Ooma Office block list as needed. Wondering about more of Ooma’s in-depth features? Check out our Ooma review, and for a better understanding of how it compares to RingCentral, check out our Ooma vs RingCentral write-up. Honorable Mention: Grasshopper Like , is a virtual phone system that’s dedicated to providing small companies with VoIP-assisted inbound and outbound calling. Unlike RingCentral and alternatives that provide UC in addition to calling features, Grasshopper focuses only on phone-based business communication. As such, it didn’t perform as well based on our criteria, since it is a different type of product than other RingCentral alternatives. For more details, read out Grasshopper vs RingCentral head-to-head comparison. With that said, not every business needs UC features, especially if it’s very small or a solopreneur. Grasshopper delivers simplicity with business calling features like internet faxing, call transfers, and robust reporting. Call blasting is also available, so up to 15 lines can ring simultaneously when your business receives calls. Additionally, unlike RingCentral and Nextiva, you get three extensions at the base tier. Grasshopper Monthly Pricing at a Glance* Solo: $31 for unlimited users with up to three extensions Partner: $51 for unlimited users with up to six extensions Small Business: $89 for unlimited users with unlimited extensions *Grasshopper has annual pricing, which helps businesses save over 10%. Grasshopper Features Virtual numbers: By default, you receive one virtual phone number to use as a second number with the Solo plan, three with the Partner plan, and six with the Small Business plan. Ruby Receptionist integration: Grasshopper has a partnership with for those needing a virtual receptionist, and Grasshopper subscribers get a 35% discount. International calling: Grasshopper offers international calling using a per-minute billing structure. If your business makes frequent international calls, there are also customized plans that can help you save. Considering Grasshopper? Get a closer look at this office phone system using our dedicated review. How We Evaluated the Best RingCentral Alternatives While doing our research, we selected several RingCentral competitors that provide a wide range of features most businesses find attractive. We took a look at cost, general features all users need, specific and advanced features that could be useful for various businesses, popularity, and ease of use. Here's a breakdown of how we measured each provider: Bottom Line Having a stable and reliable VoIP provider is critical for most businesses, and while RingCentral is a great provider, there are several worthy RingCentral competitors to consider. Which small business VoIP service RingCentral alternative you consider will depend significantly on your business needs. Based on our research, the best on the market is . It provides strong local and international calling, extensive UC features, and advanced AI, as well as integration capabilities and calling features that are on par with RingCentral.

With the advent of the contact center as a service (CCaaS), the concept of opening a call center for your business to support customers is easily attainable. CCaaS software costs significantly less than old-school call center hardware and software ranging into hundreds of thousands. CCaaS makes it an inexpensive move for businesses to enter the call center industry. We’ve compiled critical contact center market trends to help you understand the benefits of the technology. 1. CCaaS solutions are 27% cheaper & experience 35% less downtime (Source: Talkdesk) Compared to traditional on-premise contact centers, CCaaS solutions deliver better reliability and lower costs. This is a critical aspect of the technology since there’s little investment in hardware and software, and the provider is tasked with maintaining the servers. In fact, in many cases, there’s geo-redundancy, allowing the provider to forward service to various globally dispersed servers should a server go down. For this reason, providers like and have 99.999% uptime guarantees. You’ll scarcely have more than five minutes of downtime per year. Additionally, services like these make for a more scalable and affordable solution than on-premise call centers. For example, you may opt to scale back to a lower plan tier when you don't need specific features, helping contact center businesses reduce costs. 2. 90% of on-premise contact centers switched to the cloud for financial flexibility (Source: Aberdeen Group) Cloud-based contact centers phone systems provide more flexibility and scalability, driving the current push for adoption. For example, nonprofit organizations have a tendency to have pushes where they reach out to a preset list of individuals. While this may happen frequently, a full-fledged contact center setup might be overkill since there will be periods of time when agents aren’t making calls. A CCaaS solution enables you to easily cancel the service when it’s not needed. You can also opt to purchase a metered plan from some providers, which charges per call. This is perfect for organizations that need to make contact but might not need the high volume of calls required to justify an unlimited plan. A plan with a preset number of minutes might also be useful for this type of organization. 3. 73% of companies have increased personalization efforts (Source: GetFeedback) Since the onset of the pandemic, contact centers have increased their attempts to provide a more personalized experience for their customers. This is done via various technologies. For example, in order to keep customer experiences (CX) well-documented, customer relationship management software, like , is often employed. This provides a one-stop solution for keeping customer interactions chronicled and easy to access. In addition to this, artificial intelligence (AI) is a tool designed to help make experiences more personalized. Software like sentiment analysis is critical, and many AI solutions listen in and help agents respond appropriately with additional services or references to past interactions. Finally, with the advent of omnichannel outreach, agents are now able to reach out to customers on their preferred platforms. This is one of the reasons why the call center industry has evolved into the contact center industry. Agents are able to reach out via social media, online chat, or over the traditional phone. This ensures that the customer is comfortable and feels the company is attuned to their preferences. 4. 80% of contact centers are planning on growth (Source: ICMI) With the ease of CCaaS, many contact centers are planning to increase the size of their workforces. While contact centers have always had a high turnover rate, an increase in the overall number of agents hired is a clear indication of industry growth. In fact, out of the respondents queried, 17% are under a hiring freeze, and only 1% are considering the elimination of positions. 5. Calls are commonly routed even with the best contact centers (Source: Invoca) Despite a business' best efforts, in most cases, inbound calls are rerouted at least once in most contact centers. One critical contact center metric is call transfer rate (CTR). While high CTR scores indicate an issue, it’s expected that, from time to time, you’ll have to reroute customers when an agent can’t handle a customer’s problem. Transferred calls equate to a higher resource spend, but with routing happening to at least 79% of centers, clearly, some rerouting is unavoidable. 6. The pandemic increased the number of difficult calls by 50% (Source: Harvard Business Review) While the pandemic was at its highest in 2020 and 2021, the number of difficult calls increased by 50% overall. This is due to the fact that agents were not equipped with the right tools to help manage distressed customers. As a result, there was a 68% increase in issue escalations since agents had to manage more problematic customer issues. In the end, hold times increased significantly by as much as 34%. Today, technologies such as artificial intelligence and sentiment analysis help route calls correctly. 7. 57% of companies are testing AI as a contact center tool (Source: DeloitteDigital) One of the most interesting contact center industry trends is the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). Based on a Deloitte survey, at least 57% of companies are testing the technology in live call center settings. As mentioned previously, AI helps agents with customer interactions and can even help analyze customer sentiment to make better customer service decisions. Outside of the 57% already testing the technology, 76% of contact centers are planning to invest in AI within the next two years. 8. 53% of consumers have to repeat their reason for calling multiple agents (Source: Invoca) The reason for the advent of many new contact center technologies is to improve the customer experience. Unfortunately, many customers explain they often have to repeat their issues to multiple agents when being transferred. This type of experience leads to customer dissatisfaction in most cases. Compared with the 15% who stated they rarely have to repeat themselves to various agents, it’s clear this could be a major sticking point for customer interactions. Fortunately, many call centers are using AI to help fill in the blanks for succeeding agents. With AI, agents are clued in on customer issues, so the customer doesn‘t have to continuously repeat their problem. 9. 25% of companies have already moved their contact centers to the cloud (Source: DeloitteDigital) With the increased efficiency, uptime, and cost reduction of a CCaaS provider like or , it’s clear why many businesses are switching. On-premise models are a thing of the past, and new technologies inherent in CCaaS, such as built-in interactive voice response (IVR) and artificial intelligence, are only enhancing the customer’s experiences. Clearly, this technology is setting contact center trends in 2022, and of the respondents who haven’t adopted it, 30% stated they will move to the cloud in the next two years. Like most industries, the contact center market faced a resource crunch from 2020 to 2021. Some had to downsize or implement a hiring freeze. However, customer demand kept growing, which is why eight out of 10 contact centers are now ready to hire, according to ICMI’s latest State of the Contact Center Report. Half of this segment will create new roles, in addition to filling vacancies. 10. Two-thirds of customers prefer self-service solutions (Source: Microsoft) One integral technology used in many contact centers is IVR systems. These systems provide a selection of menus for customers to navigate through, which will help them reach the right department. Companies with the correct IVR best practices help customers entirely preclude the need for an agent since IVR can automatically help customers with bill pay or appointment scheduling. Two-thirds of all customers prefer to solve issues on their own, which is why self-service should be a major consideration for any center looking to embrace omnichannel best practices. While not all issues are resolved this way, it helps agents to tackle the problems that require a human touch. 11. Despite a love of self-service, 95.5% still want the ability to speak to human agents (Source: NTT) Even with the increased use of AI and IVR to propel customers through the process, it’s essential to maintain proper human-based customer service. For this reason, modern call centers are increasingly hiring and training agents to tackle customer needs. While it’s critical to get digitalization and automation right, there are times when people prefer the human touch. In fact, 95.5% of customers agreed with the statement, “I want to have the ability to speak with a human when I want to.” Bottom Line Contact center industry news is consistently bright, especially considering how cloud-based solutions are making the process of entry much easier, even for small businesses. At increasing levels, in addition to a strong and fully featured best business phone system, small companies are adopting CCaaS technology in order to enhance their customer experience (CX). Now that you understand more about contact center news and trends, check out our top picks for the best CCaaS providers. Read our reviews of Freshdesk, 8x8 Contact Center, and RingCentral Contact Center. Each provider delivers all the features to help your company thrive in the industry.

Vanity phone numbers make business numbers more memorable so your customers always know how to reach you. Most voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) providers deliver virtual or direct inward dialing (DID) options so you can have a business number, but not all provide vanity numbers. Buying phone numbers from a standalone provider is an option, but in many cases, it’s easier and less expensive to seek a business phone provider with them. We researched dozens of vanity phone number VoIP providers with affordable local and 1-800 options for small businesses to arrive at the top six options: : Best overall vanity phone number provider with a full-fledged unified communications system : Great for organizations needing multiple virtual number options with every plan tier : Excellent for businesses needing a provider with custom numbers and mix-and-match plans : Solid pick for small teams looking for a basic virtual phone system that supports vanity numbers : Best for teams seeking a custom number and a free professionally recorded greeting : Good for companies seeking out a 1-800 prefix without extra fees : Great free vanity phone number provider See fullscreen table × Take our quiz to find out which vanity phone number provider is best for you. RingCentral: Best Overall Vanity Phone Number Provider *Pricing is based on a monthly rate per user. Each added vanity phone number costs $4.99 and will be added to the monthly rate of the plan selected. There is also a $30 setup fee. stands out as one of the best business phone systems that also comes complete with unified communications functionality. You add numbers as needed through the control panel, and a local and toll-free number is included with every plan. It’s important to note that RingCentral charges a $30 setup fee and a rate of $4.99 per month, but the process of getting one is very easy. As we covered in our RingCentral review, this provider brings most of the features a small business needs. This includes call management, call routing, and analytics capabilities. RingCentral also has most other virtual number types, including toll-free, local, and international numbers. Comparatively, other providers like offer a toll-free vanity number with every plan, which could save you money compared to RingCentral. Also, the five-day turnaround could put some companies off, especially considering offers these numbers in as little as 24 hours. Still, neither of these competitors offers the overall experience available with RingCentral. RingCentral Features Multilevel IVR: RingCentral has an interactive voice response (IVR) system that allows you to receive and direct calls. The IVR editor also permits drag-and-drop functionality, so you can easily customize call flows. International presence building: With RingCentral, you’ll have access to both international numbers and metered international calling. In fact, numbers are available in more than 100 countries. Unified communications: In addition to inbound and outbound business calling, RingCentral has dedicated unified communications as a service (UCaaS) features. This folds in team collaboration, video conferencing, and task management features. GoTo Connect: Best Provider With Vanity Phone Numbers at Every Tier *Pricing is based on monthly billing per user. is one of the few providers that allows users at any plan tier to immediately start using vanity numbers for business once they are allocated. This is particularly useful for new companies that do not have the budget for more advanced tiers. While GoTo Connect lacks international phone numbers, it has virtually every other type of DID number, including local and toll-free numbers. In addition to this, GoTo Connect’s advanced call handling features actually cost less than other providers, such as and . This means that smaller companies will derive more value from the provider. In addition to this and its robust virtual number options, GoTo Connect also has strong international calling capabilities. With the provider, you’re granted access to unlimited international calls in more than 50 countries. For more feature information and to determine if this provider is the right fit for your team, check out our GoTo Connect review. GoTo Connect Features Custom auto-attendants: GoTo Connect allows you to create an unlimited number of customized messages and greetings for use in your auto-attendant. These messages are then easily added to the visual call flow editor. Customizable call flows: GoTo Connect has a drag-and-drop visual dial plan editor so that you can easily customize how calls are received. Each square provides detailed options for when calls arrive. Unlimited international calling: Similar to providers, such as and , GoTo Connect offers unlimited international calling to multiple countries. This is useful for businesses who make regular calls to the 50-plus countries available through this provider. Phone.com: Best Vanity Phone Number Provider for Mix & Match Plans *Pricing is based on monthly billing per user. Save 20% with annual billing. Like GoTo Connect, has three virtual number options for subscribers: local, toll-free, and vanity. In addition to its metered plan options, Phone.com also includes unlimited plans for those making extensive calls. While there are robust options for vanity numbers, it’s critical to understand that Phone.com has different pricing options for each. You could pay anywhere from $99 to $4,995 for their one-time setup fee. While you have options with lower-cost tiers, like , Phone.com charges a monthly fee. While this is only $4.99, it could cause some smaller businesses to consider another cheaper option. Still, as we covered in our Phone.com review, this provider has a strong feature set. This includes built-in click-to-call and reverse calling, native integrations, and video conferencing. This last feature is relatively uncommon on a virtual phone system like Phone.com. Phone.com Features Call handling: This provider has a wide range of call handling features, including call queues, an auto-attendant, schedule-based routing, and a dial-by-name directory. Live receptionist: To increase the professionalism of your business, use Phone.com’s live receptionist option. This feature provides a live answering service for taking calls. Plans are as cheap as $90 for 50 minutes of the service. Voice tagging: Since callers are presented with a list of options before being connected, voice tagging provides an audio cue based on their selection before you pick up. For example, if they selected “Business Line,” the voice tag corresponding to this option would play. Grasshopper: Best Virtual Vanity Phone Number Provider *Pricing is based on monthly billing. Save more than 10% by switching to annual billing. is one of the best small business VoIP services on the market today, delivering everything needed for business calling. While its unified communications features are non-existent, it delivers all of the call management features you need with options for unlimited extensions and no per-user fees. By default, you’re provided both local and toll-free virtual numbers with your subscription. Toll-free vanity numbers are provided, so if you need a local variation, you’ll have to choose another provider, such as or . Still, it’s critical to note that Grasshopper doesn’t charge an activation fee or require a commitment when picking a number. For more information about this virtual phone provider, take a look at our deep-dive Grasshopper review. Grasshopper Features Instant response: This feature allows you to send an instant short message service (SMS) message when you receive a call you can’t answer. The response is sent from your Grasshopper phone number and allows your customer to send a text reply with callback details if needed. Professional greetings: Grasshopper has an in-house studio for the recording of your auto-attendant or voicemail scripts. This service costs $75 for 250 words. Voicemail transcription: Unlike other VoIP and virtual phone providers, Grasshopper provides this feature at its base tier of service. Every subscription tier automatically transcribes voicemails to text so that you can peruse them at your convenience on a mobile device or computer. eVoice: Best Vanity Phone Number Provider With Professionally Recorded Greetings *Pricing is based on monthly billing per user. Save $2 per month with annual billing. While lacks the online number picker for vanity numbers that many of its competitors have, its customizable plans will surely be attractive to many businesses. For the most part, picking a number requires businesses to fill out a web form, but eVoice also allows customers to call in and request numbers as well. In addition, eVoice also grants access to toll-free, local, and international virtual numbers, but it’s worth noting that international numbers are definitely pricey. In fact, expect to pay about $30 per month for a number of this type. Still, as we covered in our eVoice review, this provider is well-suited for teams that need multiple numbers to track ad campaigns since there’s a wide variety of number types to use. eVoice, like , also offers a live receptionist, which is useful for adding a professional veneer to businesses. Curious about how these two compare? Check out our eVoice vs Grasshopper guide. eVoice Features Simultaneous or sequential ring: This allows multiple lines to ring at once or to ring one after the other so that the customer experience is better when an agent is unavailable. Custom greetings: Each plan offers a professionally recorded greeting that can be recorded in the language of your choice. Advanced call routing: A number of advanced call routing options are available for different types of contacts. Route customers and vendors differently and have options for holidays and after-hours. 800.com: Best Vanity Phone Number Provider Without Extra Fees *Pricing information is based on monthly payment. Save 15% with an annual payment plan. One of the chief advantages of 800.com is its simplicity. is designed specifically for businesses in need of virtual phone numbers. As a result, the provider has a vast selection of numbers to choose from, and these include numbers with a dedicated picker on its website. 800.com provides easy access to vanity 800 numbers. Subscribers are presented with numbers in the full 800 through 888 range. Learn more about this in our 800.com review. Still, it’s worth noting that 800.com doesn’t provide international numbers, so if you need local numbers in foreign jurisdictions, this isn’t the provider to choose. If you need this, we recommend a provider like or . Both provide just about every type of business phone number. 800.com Features Prefix availability: With 800.com, all toll-free prefixes are available when selecting a new number (800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, and 888). Voicemail-to-email: Voicemails are sent to an email address as an audio file that is convenient to listen to. Call recording: Record and store calls for future reference. When previous calls are accessible, a better customer experience is achievable. MightyCall: Best Free Vanity Phone Number Provider *Pricing based on monthly payment per user. Like Grasshopper, eVoice, and Phone.com, is a virtual number provider that specializes in providing business phone numbers. As a result, there’s not much in the way of unified communications features, but many small businesses don’t necessarily need a full communications system. With a MightyCall subscription, you’re granted access to two to 10 phone numbers. These include options for local, toll-free, international, and vanity. MightyCall also stands out because it grants absolutely free vanity numbers. Compare this to , which charges $29.99 a month, and you can see how a business might save money with MightyCall. MightyCall also doesn’t charge a setup fee, which you’ll find with other cheaper providers, such as . Check out our MightyCall review for more details. MightyCall Features Client contact book: Store client information and communication history to serve them better and improve their customer journey. Voicemail transcriptions: Voicemails received will be sent to your email in a readable message. Advanced routing: Prioritize top customers by adding them to a list that enables special call routing rules to ensure they get extra care and attention during every call. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What’s the difference between a toll-free number & a vanity number? A toll-free number doesn’t necessarily have an alphanumeric meaning behind it. For example, a standard number could be 1-888-555-1234, which while memorable, isn’t a vanity number. Conversely, these numbers could have either a local or a toll-free prefix. So, a number could be 1-888-CALL-ROB, or it could be 1-321-CALL-ROB, which would mean that the local number would be based in Orlando. Both would benefit from the potential name recognition, but one would be dialable from anywhere in the U.S. without incurring extra charges. Why might a business prefer a vanity phone number? A vanity number is typically easier to remember, so once a customer hears the number, it becomes easy to recall when they need a specific service. For example, a common custom number is 1-800-FLOWERS. If a customer is looking for a flower arrangement, they will be able to recall the number quickly. Is it free to get a vanity number? Not always. Most of the providers listed above do offer at least one free number with a paid plan. If you need more than what is offered, check other providers. For example, provides three numbers at their second tier, and provides two at their basic tier. Also, some providers charge a monthly or one-time fee for this type of service. How We Evaluated the Best Vanity Phone Number Provider We compared various voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) and virtual phone number business calling systems offering free or add-on vanity phone numbers to determine which providers deliver the best feature sets and prices. During our evaluation, we rated each business phone system based on the types of phone numbers and features provided while considering overall value, popularity, and ease of use. Learn how we evaluated the best vanity phone number provider by clicking on the tabs below: Bottom Line A dedicated vanity number enhances your business and makes your customers memorize your number more easily. When combined with one of the best business phone systems, you can ensure every customer has a completely curated experience when reaching out that includes advanced call handling and caller metrics. Our top pick for vanity phone numbers is since it offers a comprehensive feature set. It offers useful business features with this provider and a full list of virtual number options. There’s even the ability to add toll-free, local, and international numbers, which isn’t something every provider delivers. Get started today by signing up for a 14-day trial.

When searching for an office-based communications system, two names always appear: Nextiva and RingCentral. They are two of the best voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) solutions, so determining a winner in the Nextiva vs RingCentral head-to-head comparison can be difficult. RingCentral offers robust integrations and boasts powerful call management, while Nextiva has dynamic pricing that gets more affordable as you add more users and switch to an annual plan. Choosing the best provider for your business comes down to both your needs and communications budget. Based on our comparison, the best use cases for Nextiva vs RingCentral are as follows: : Best for businesses planning on adding users over time : Better for companies slowly adopting features as needed Nextiva vs RingCentral at a Glance Best Alternatives While and are solid choices, they aren’t your only options. Both providers might be overkill for some who might not need unified communications (UC) features, and neither are equipped with features for frequent international communications. A few alternatives to consider for both Nextiva and RingCentral include: Best for Pricing: RingCentral When it comes to overall pricing, the vs conversation is a contentious one. Both providers deliver annual and volume-based pricing, and their price points are similar. Additionally, you pay for a base-level plan for both providers, so you get unlimited U.S. and Canada-based calling, rated international calling, and SMS. Despite their similarities, RingCentral comes out ahead thanks to more pricing tiers, better annual discount rates, and slightly cheaper pricing. To put this in perspective, more tiers equate to more options for businesses. This means RingCentral customers can gradually scale up tiers as they grow. With Nextiva, there are only three tiers to choose from with steeper pricing increases. In addition, the annual pricing is also somewhat more affordable with RingCentral. When you switch to annual billing, you save 33% compared to Nextiva’s 27%, 25%, and 19% per plan. Finally, for smaller businesses paying month-to-month, RingCentral comes out cheaper. With one to five users, you’ll pay $29.99 for this provider and $30.95 per month for Nextiva. Not a huge difference, but something to consider for smaller businesses with tighter budgets. Best for Video Conferencing: Nextiva In today’s world of work-from-home, video conferencing has become critical technology. As we cover in our video conferencing statistics article, by utilization, this communication system is leading over other business technologies. As VoIP and unified communications as a service (UCaaS) providers, and both offer video conferencing. While these aren’t available at the base tier, having video conferencing as an option allows users to communicate without leaving the platform and using another provider like . Both providers deliver video calling for hundreds of participants, but Nextiva edges RingCentral out with its ability to host an additional 250 attendees compared to RingCentral’s 200. It’s worth noting that RingCentral is the provider with a free tier of video conferencing with longer durations. Still, the ability to host more attendees helps Nextiva grab the win. We cover more about Nextiva’s video conferencing features in our Nextiva review. Best for Call Management Features: RingCentral and both have a full set of call management tools. However, RingCentral’s tools are more advanced, with call control features like call screening, call flip, call log, and presence available at all tiers. As you move up to the Premium tier, hotdesking, call whisper, and call barge become available. If you don’t need these advanced features, Nextiva is not without its own unique functionalities. It offers a unique feature called Call Pop that instantly shows important caller details on your agent’s screen before answering the phone. Best for Integrations: RingCentral Third-party app integrations allow users to connect their existing tools to another platform to streamline their work processes or add functionalities. While integrates with popular apps, like , , , and , is unbeatable in this area. RingCentral integrates with more than 200 third-party apps. It also allows users to build their own integrations on RingCentral through its application programming interfaces (APIs). Best for Building an International Presence: RingCentral and offer international calls at rates much cheaper than what you’d find using a landline phone provider. While both lack unlimited calling to certain countries, you’ll typically pay less than a cent per minute with both providers. For this battle, RingCentral is the undisputed leader. It’s a global company with headquarters in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Asia, and Europe. Nextiva, on the other hand, is purely U.S.-based and lacks international numbers for global customers and colleagues to reach U.S. businesses. RingCentral provides local numbers in over 100 countries, a major feather in the company’s cap. Best for Customer Support: Nextiva VoIP and unified communications (UC) systems seem complex if you’re not used to working with them. For this reason, a strong support system is valuable when you’re investing in a VoIP or UCaaS provider. If you’re looking for a provider with a responsive support setup, wins in this category. Not only does the provider have more channels to reach them, but its support is available at every plan tier. , on the other hand, has its best support tiers locked behind higher plan levels. Still, there’s the option for social media channels as well as a community that can typically answer most questions around provider functionality. How We Evaluated Nextiva vs RingCentral and are both robust cloud-based communications platforms for small businesses. They allow users to manage messages across channels like voice, texts, team messages, video conferences, and faxes. However, some slight differences between the two providers can make one more suitable for small businesses. We analyzed their products based on some of the most critical criteria users are looking at, including price, customer support, and ease of use. Here’s a complete breakdown of these factors: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Which provider, RingCentral or Nextiva, is more reliable? Both and provide users with a 99.999% uptime service level agreement (SLA). This uptime equates to less than 26 seconds of downtime each month. What devices are RingCentral & Nextiva apps compatible with? The applications for both of these providers are available on Android and iOS devices. Desktop apps are also available on Mac and Windows computers. Is a VoIP phone required to use RingCentral & Nextiva? No, users are able to use both services without the use of a dedicated VoIP phone. Both desktop and mobile phones work well for these services. Bottom Line and are two of the best business phone systems currently on the market, and both deliver when it comes to business-friendly communications channels. For the purpose of this head-to-head comparison, RingCentral wins thanks to its strong integrations, powerful international options, feature-rich call management, and pricing. Still, both are close enough that either is suitable for growing businesses. Want to know a little more about RingCentral? We have a dedicated review to help you understand some of the deep-dive features of the provider.