Marianne De Guzman

Abby Connect is a live answering service offering 24/7 virtual receptionists and live chat support. Monthly pricing starts at $299 for its live receptionist services, while live chat starts at $129. Based on Abby Connect reviews, it is best for businesses needing a dedicated receptionist team for fielding calls and those looking for both live receptionists and live chat options. It received perfect scores in general features, ease of use, and customer service. Abby Connect Review: At a Glance Abby Connect Deciding Factors is an excellent fit for small businesses needing assistance reinforcing stronger customer relationships in phone and live chat channels. It features scheduling assistance for organizations needing to streamline the appointment process. Plus, its Zapier integration offers an advantage for those wanting to integrate their third-party apps. Abby Connect Alternatives comes with potential drawbacks, such as expensive monthly plans, few integrations, and limited receptionist services. If these factors concern you, here are other best answering services to consider: scored poorly in this category due to its relatively high rates for its answering service, overage minutes, and setup fees. Low-priced competitors like only charge $47 for its base plan, while Abby Connect has a starting fee of $299. Abby Connect pricing includes an answering service with separate plans for its live receptionist and live chat. Bundled plans are offered at a discounted rate. The cost per additional minute and engaged chat will depend on the type of plan you’re subscribed to. Receptionist Plans Abby Connect receptionist services come in three tiers: 100 minutes, 200 minutes, and 500 minutes. Annual billing is not available, and users are only billed for engaged calls. Live Chat Plans There are three tiers of live chat support: 10 engaged chats, 30 engaged chats, and 50 engaged chats. Abby Connect uses visitor blocking, so it only uses your engaged chats to high-quality website visitors. got a perfect rating for general features, as it has everything you need to manage your calls and live chats. Clients have access to a web portal that displays account details, such as contacts, call logs, message logs, call recordings, and invoices. Custom answering hours lets you set up rules on when your receptionists will be available to answer calls. Here are other features under the live receptionist package: Voicemail solutions Call announcement and transfer Appointment scheduling Custom transfer tunes Call blocking Dedicated success manager Call and text from app Bilingual receptionists additional services are limited to live chat and appointment scheduling. Unlike other competitors, it doesn’t support order processing, lead capturing, or inbound sales. Integrations are limited to apps like and . Still, Abby Connect stands out for its customized client intake feature, which lets you customize the information your receptionists collect to ensure you get everything you need. Click on each item below to discover other Abby Connect features: We awarded another perfect score for customer service as it provides 24/7 availability for all support channels, including phone, live chat, and email help desk. For additional resources, Abby Connect regularly updates its website blog and YouTube channel with helpful information about providing better customer service and utilizing live receptionist services. received a full score for ease of use due to its excellent usability and user experience. In its recent update, Abby Connect redesigned its web portal and mobile app to give you more control over its services. It is rebuilt for more pricing transparency and predictability to ensure the user is always updated about their current minute usage. The dashboard displays activity trends, such as minute usage, chat usage, call volume, and SMS volume. provides the best value for money for businesses needing a professional answering service to field calls and messages. Its intuitive web interface and additional call features enable customers to customize call handling rules easily. However, due to its expensive monthly plans, Abby Connect is not appealing enough for startups and small businesses on a tight budget. Here are the most recent ratings earned by Abby Connect on popular review sites: ConsumerAffairs: 4.8 out of 5 based on 30 ratings Clutch: 4.8 out of 5 based on 79 reviews G2: 5 out of 5 based on 1 review How We Evaluated Abby Connect We tested and checked the feedback from verified users on popular review websites. As the basis for our evaluation, we compared it with other leading answering services in the market. From there, we created a scoring system divided into a set of criteria: pricing, general features, niche features, customer service, ease of use, and expert score. Learn how we evaluated Abby Connect by clicking on the tabs below: Bottom Line offers a premium solution to businesses wanting professional and reliable live receptionists for phone calls and live chat. Subscribing to any plan includes robust features, such as a dedicated receptionist team, appointment scheduling, and a mobile app. Sign up for a 14-day trial to see if it fits your business needs.

Zoom Phone is a voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) service offered by one of the leading video conferencing software platforms, Zoom. All plans include a wide range of call management features, but prices differ based on metered and unmetered call plans. Monthly fees start at $10 per user—the cheapest in the market. Based on our Zoom Phone review, it’s excellent for businesses with low call volumes or companies doing business across multiple countries. Zoom Phone Review: At a Glance Zoom Phone Deciding Factors Although most widely known for video conferencing, offers a feature-rich cloud phone system for businesses of all sizes. With its metered and unmetered plans, users choose which option suits their call volume requirements. Its highest-tier package supports local phone services across 40 countries, allowing businesses to expand their reach in global territories. Zoom Phone Alternatives lacks certain capabilities businesses need, such as team collaboration tools, online fax, vanity numbers, and toll-free minutes. If these are your priorities, consider the following options: While offers incredibly cheap plans, this provider fell short when it comes to offering a free trial and discounts. Still, this provider is a compelling choice for businesses looking for cheap per-user fees and mix-and-match options for metered and unlimited call plans. Zoom Phone pricing plans start at $10 per user, per month. The difference between subscriptions comes down to if you want metered charges, unlimited regional calling, or unmetered domestic calling in one of the 40 countries supported. Zoom Phone Add-ons Zoom Phone offers optional add-on plans to extend business phone functionality. However, there should be at least one licensed user to purchase any of the add-on plans. Toll-free numbers: Get toll-free numbers for a monthly fee of $5. International calling: Unlimited calling to 19 countries costs $10 per month. This add-on can be purchased with any of the unlimited calling plans. Additional phone numbers: Add local, toll-free, or international numbers to your plan for $5 per year. Hardware as a service: Access the latest desk phone devices at a monthly starting fee of $5.99 per device. Zoom Phone Power Pack: Add real-time analytics, historical reports, team SMS, and desktop user experience for a monthly fee of $25 per user. Premier developer support: Get technical support within guaranteed target response times. Contact the sales team for a quote. Zoom Phone Features has an intuitive and modern platform that looks similar to its video conferencing version. Its web portal provides traditional desk phone capabilities, such as call forwarding, transfer, conference, and hold. It also has a full-featured mobile app that lets you seamlessly escalate a phone call to a Zoom Meeting. offers a comprehensive set of call features without the need to unlock higher-tier plans. With an uptime service level agreement (SLA) of 100%, Zoom Phone operates without errors or downtime. It also has a full-featured mobile app that lets you manage calls everywhere. Here are the top call management features offered by Zoom Phone: Call blocking: Manage your call blocklist to block unwanted calls automatically. Call forwarding: Modify call handling rules to route calls to internal users and external phone numbers. Call delegation: Also known as shared line appearance, this feature lets you assign phone privileges to another user to make and receive calls on your behalf. Call transfer: Use supervised or blind transfer capabilities to send the call to a specific agent or department. Auto-attendant: Set up multi-level auto-attendants to efficiently route calls to a queue, voicemail, and extensions. Define it to answer calls with a personalized greeting and route to an interactive voice response (IVR). One thing that sets apart from other VoIP providers is its service plan structure. All packages share the same features but differ in inbound and outbound call plans, allowing businesses to decide which package suits their call volume. Meanwhile, advanced features like call analytics and unlimited international calls come with extra fees, and integrations are limited to 10 business applications. Click on each feature below to discover Zoom Phone’s top offerings. We awarded a perfect score for customer service because it offers 24/7 availability on all support channels, including phone, live chat, and email help desk. However, these channels are only accessible to licensed users. Priority response depends on the account type, user type, and account configuration. received another perfect score, this time for ease of use. It provides a smooth user experience with the same familiarity as Zoom meetings. The desktop client allows quick access to subsections like history, voicemail, lines, and SMS. The mobile app has the same functionality as the desktop application but on a smaller screen. Everything is incredibly intuitive, allowing new users to use the platform independently without technical assistance. We gave a score of 4.13 out of 5 for our expert assessment due to its ease of use, flexible plan options, and affordable per-user fees. While it lacks discounts, Zoom Phone offers excellent value for money as all plans are packed with essential VoIP features. Although it isn’t widely popular among businesses, Zoom Phone received fairly high ratings from new users. Here are the recent ratings from popular sites that publish Zoom Phone system reviews: Gartner: 4.3 out of 5 based on 198 reviews Software Advice: 4.6 out of 5 based on 149 reviews TrustRadius: 8.8 out of 10 based on 65 reviews How We Evaluated Zoom Phone We tested and checked the feedback from verified users on popular review websites. As the basis for our evaluation, we compared it with other leading VoIP providers in the market. From there, we created a scoring system divided into a set of criteria: Zoom Phone pricing, general features, niche features, customer service, ease of use, and expert score. Learn how we evaluated Zoom Phone by clicking on the tabs below: Bottom Line offers a flexible cloud-based VoIP solution for businesses looking for a cheap phone system provider and those who want to create a local presence outside their domestic market. It has metered and unlimited calling solutions, allowing users to pick plans based on their call volumes. Contact its sales team today to get started.

The best answering services provide well-trained live receptionists with the tools for handling calls, recording contact information, scheduling appointments, and processing orders. The right solution should be affordable for small businesses and fit seamlessly into their workflow. Answering services come with extra features, such as custom scripting, bilingual receptionists, and call routing options—improving the entire call flow and delivering a positive customer experience. Based on our research, the best answering services include the following: : Best overall live answering service for small businesses needing immediate account coverage : Best for companies needing live receptionists services for managing high call volumes : Top answering service for businesses with fluctuating call volumes : Excellent for teams needing an answering service for different messaging channels : Ideal for companies looking for a dedicated team for answering calls : Suitable for solopreneurs and budget-conscious businesses looking for an affordable per-minute plan : Great for remote businesses needing a virtual admin assistant Best Answering Services at a Glance VoiceNation: Best Overall Answering Service is the best small business answering service for companies needing a basic virtual receptionist solution in place immediately. Live answering companies typically take over a week to set up an account, including the customization process. With VoiceNation, the instant provisioning offer allows customers to activate its services within seconds after placing an order online. Plus, it doesn’t charge a setup fee and offers lower prices than competitors. All VoiceNation plans include custom scripting, bilingual receptionists, and a mobile app. It also offers reports and analytics tools for forecasting and performance management. However, access to a dedicated account manager is limited to Enterprise users. In this case, consider , which offers a dedicated team and success manager for all types of plans. VoiceNation Features Online dashboard: VoiceNation offers a live dashboard that lets you monitor your account, customize your script, preview messages, and track minutes. It also comes with a report and analytics tool that displays call volume, type, time, location, and length. Order processing: VoiceNation receptionists are trained to work with different types of businesses that need help in making sales calls and processing orders. Call forwarding service: Decide which calls are routed to you directly or to one of your employees. All forwarded calls are free of charge. AnswerConnect: Best for High Call Volumes is the best call answering service for businesses receiving a high volume of customer inquiries every month. While most providers offer less than 100 receptionist minutes for their base plans, AnswerConnect includes 200 minutes for their entry-level package. Businesses experiencing higher than normal call volumes may consider upgrading to its larger plans, ranging from 500 to 15,000 minutes. AnswerConnect’s answering service comes with free access to its web chat service. This is a good deal because competitors like charge a separate fee for their live chat service. On the downside, AnswerConnect’s pricing plans are relatively expensive for those with a limited budget. It also bills in 60-second increments, which means the first second is instantly charged a usage of 60 seconds. A cheaper alternative would be , which offers a pay-as-you-go pricing structure for businesses with fairly low call volumes. AnswerConnect Features Teleport video: Start 1:1 or group video calls with your teams or customers, including access to team chat and screen sharing. Appointment scheduling: A team of virtual receptionists will manage your calendar and schedule your appointments over the phone, website, or on social media. It also includes premium access to a partner booking platform. Lead capturing: AnswerConnect’s customer experience specialist will manage your lead management process by making outbound calls to your customers based on website clicks, registrations, and purchases. Ruby: Best for Fluctuating Call Volumes *Get a bundled plan with a virtual receptionist and live chat to save 20% , also known as Ruby Receptionists, is the best phone answering service for companies experiencing seasonal fluctuations in call volumes. Whether you need full-time, part-time, or backup support, Ruby gives you flexibility for your call answering needs. Having all these options makes it easy to use a virtual receptionist service only when you need to or would like to. Bundled plans are available for those who wish to combine virtual receptionist and live chat services. However, if you need a multichannel plan that also supports other messaging channels, you’re better off with . It provides a team of virtual receptionists who will expertly handle your calls, emails, texts, and live chat messages. Ruby Features Ruby mobile app: Stay connected with your callers and access your call records, messages from receptionists, and client voicemails. Automated lead capture: Collects specific data from customers and website visitors. This creates a conversational flow that provides lead information and directs customers to call your business for further assistance. Appointment scheduling: Live receptionists will work with your preferred calendaring system to arrange appointments and coordinate schedules with your customers. Go Answer: Best for Multichannel Support goes beyond its virtual receptionist and live chat services by offering answering solutions for email, SMS, and ticketing. Its outsourced contact center services will help you handle all your digital interactions across multiple channels. It also offers customized answering programs based on specific business needs, including help desk, after-sales, order taking, hotline, and appointment scheduling. While Go Answer offers a variety of answering services, it primarily focuses on customer interactions. If you’re looking for an all-in-one answering service to help you with daily admin tasks, check out . Subscribing to Davinci’s Premium plans provides access to virtual assistants who are trained to perform all the extra office work. Go Answer Features Email response service: A team of email support specialists will handle your inbox and answer questions on behalf of your business. They will also respond to customer requests and filter out junk messages. Real-time dashboard: Subscribing to any Go Answer plan includes free access to your own client portal, allowing you to monitor real-time call data, ongoing calls, and call volume. Custom scripting: Get individualized assistance to create a personalized script for your business. Sample scripts are available if you wish to write your own. Abby Connect: Best for Dedicated Receptionist Services is the best virtual answering service for businesses wanting to have a dedicated team to answer their calls and chat messages. Subscribing to any of its plans includes five to seven receptionists, and you may have two separate teams for expanded hours and three for 24/7 operations. This creates the impression that you have a team of receptionists who are knowledgeable about your business and clients. Still, Abby Connect isn’t the lowest-priced solution, especially if you need 24-hour answering services. Although lacks a mobile app and doesn’t provide dedicated teams, it’s cheaper than Abby Connect by $100 per month. However, you will need to pay for every minute used since the standard plan does not come with included minutes. Abby Connect Features Abby Go mobile app: Manage your business calls and stay updated with your receptionist team on the go. Use your business phone number to send and receive text messages and make free outbound calls. Call block: Conserve your receptionist minutes by preventing unwanted callers and persistent spammers from calling your assigned phone number. Warm transfer: Before transferring a call to your phone number, a receptionist will initially provide you with the information acquired from the caller. MAP Communications: Best for Affordability Priced at just $47 per month, is the best answering service for solopreneurs and small businesses on a budget. With the Standard plan, you only pay for the minutes you use (in addition to a low monthly subscription fee). Receptionist services are available 24/7/365, and there’s no difference in cost after hours. MAP Communications doesn’t have a mobile app. Instead, you must log in to its client web portal to keep tabs on your calls. If you need mobile updates on your company’s call activity, check out . Ruby offers a full-featured mobile app with one-touch call holding and Ruby-hosted business numbers. MAP Communications Features Custom scripts: Create a custom phone script that reflects the brand identity of your business. Account managers will study your industry, services, and offerings. Client web portal: A message management tool that lets you keep track of client interactions and quickly spot patterns and trends across calls. Call routing services: MAP Communications offer custom call routing, forwarding, and transfer services to ensure your callers reach the right person or department. It uses various criteria to handle incoming calls, including preferred time, caller ID, and the purpose of calling. Davinci: Best for Admin Assistance Services offers two package types, Business and Premium, so you only pay for the features your business needs. With Premium plans, your receptionist also serves as your virtual assistant, performing admin tasks such as planning travel and setting appointments. Davinci charges $50 per hour and bills in per-minute increments for admin work. With Business plans, you get all the basics you expect from a professional answering service, such as voicemail management, call forwarding, and a free phone number. Plus, Davinci lets you hold conference calls with up to 99 participants. Unfortunately, Davinci only answers calls Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time. Account activation also takes longer. If you need a 24-hour solution that includes weekends and holidays and quicker setup, consider , which provides the fastest new account turnaround time. Davinci Features Advanced call routing: Set up your call routing rules using a simple drag-and-drop interface that allows you to establish the rules for sending different calls to different lines by the time of day or order received. Outbound calling: Davinci’s live receptionists will expertly handle your outbound calls related to lead generation, appointment scheduling, and surveys. Davinci mobile app: Take business calls anywhere with the Davinci Virtual mobile app. It allows users to update their availability status, view messages from live receptionists, and stay updated on call activity. How We Evaluated the Best Answering Services A live answering service offers a smart way to deliver the best customer experiences while making your business seem more established. It provides an excellent opportunity to connect customers with a real person rather than a machine. For this guide, we evaluated seven answering services based on cost, customer support, and added voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) features. Click on the tabs below to learn how we evaluated the best answering services for small businesses: Bottom Line Live receptionists provide businesses with a unique opportunity to connect with new or existing customers. Whether you’re managing a startup or a small company, an answering service reinforces strong customer relationships and maintains a consistent and professional image. Our ratings show that is the best answering service for small businesses looking for low-cost plans and quick account activation. Plans include 24/7 service, bilingual operators, custom scripts, and detailed reports. Sign up for its seven-day free trial to explore the right pricing solution for your business.

The best cheap VoIP service offers unlimited domestic calls, basic call management capabilities, and virtual phone numbers—all for a cost-effective price. Its entry-level plans have a robust feature set, including call forwarding, auto-attendant, and video meetings. Other providers allow users to mix and match plans, so you only pay for what you need, benefiting businesses with low call volumes or varying needs. Based on our evaluation, here are the best cheap VoIP services for small businesses: : Best overall cheap VoIP solution with voice intelligence features and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered workspace : Best for its cheap VoIP plans with unlimited international calling : Suitable for teams wanting a user-friendly interface and basic calling features : Ideal for remote teams wanting to extend business phone system capabilities to their mobile device : Best for businesses wanting metered pricing options : Best low-cost VoIP service that easily connects with Google Workspace applications Cheap VoIP Services at a Glance Dialpad: Best Overall With AI-powered Voice Features *Choose annual billing and save up to 30% is the best overall cheap VoIP business phone service thanks to its built-in AI capabilities. It’s a great option for tech-driven teams needing voice intelligence features to enhance the call and virtual meeting experience. With Dialpad AI, transcribe conversations in real time and get live speech coaching. Plus, Dialpad lets you toggle the recording and transcription feature on and off to avoid capturing confidential conversations. One of Dialpad’s standout features is the post-call summary, which captures what was discussed in a call or meeting and sends a recap email containing the recording, transcript, and action items. For those managing a contact center team, the live call sentiment analysis helps managers easily monitor multiple calls by looking at the sentiment of a live conversation between agents and callers. On the downside, Dialpad’s advanced AI features may be too overwhelming for those looking for a straightforward VoIP service. has an all-inclusive platform for managing calls and listening to voicemails. It also includes basic call management capabilities and virtual number options. Dialpad Features Call flip: Move a call from your desktop to your mobile device without interrupting the conversation. Call controls are readily available once the call switches over. Custom interactive voice response (IVR): Design a call flow right in your dashboard. Route incoming calls to agents, voicemail, an automated menu, or prerecorded messages. Department lines: Assign multiple operators on each department line to ensure seamless call handling. This ensures calls are delegated and sorted efficiently. 8x8: Best for International Calling *Save up to 23% by paying annually is the cheapest VoIP phone service for organizations making frequent calls overseas. It supports unlimited international calls to 48 territories, making it affordable to connect with teammates and customers across geographical locations. Plus, 8x8 offers global phone number support in over 100 countries, allowing businesses to establish a local presence in areas where they don’t have a physical office. However, with a monthly cost of $44 per user, it’s still costly to do business internationally. Fortunately, 8x8 lets you mix and match plans to reduce that cost. Subscribe to cheaper plans and combine them with the X4 package that includes international calling for users who need them. Additionally, this upper tier also unlocks contact center features such as call monitoring, supervisor analytics, and speech analytics. 8×8’s user interface (UI) is clunky and not intuitive. It lacks the ease and simplicity you get with apps like and . Still, once you learn to navigate all the features, 8×8 is a powerful and fairly affordable VoIP service your business can use from its startup days all the way to enterprise. 8x8 Features Video conferencing: Host video meetings with up to 500 participants with no minute restrictions. Customize your virtual backgrounds, record meetings via the cloud, and protect your meetings through advanced moderator controls. 8x8 Work: An open communications workspace with video, chat, and business phone capabilities. Access it from your browser or download the app for your desktop and mobile device. Call activity analytics: A web-based tool for admins and supervisors to monitor agent performance and retrieve custom call data. It includes reporting tools for scheduling specific data to be gathered. Grasshopper: Best for Ease of Use & Basic Call Features *Save over 10% with annual billing is our top choice for the cheapest VoIP business phone service—charging flat monthly fees for its plans instead of per-user pricing. Its modern user interface is easy to navigate and use. Plus, all plans include basic calling features, meaning you can choose the package based on your user count rather than upgrading to unlock specific features. Another interesting feature of Grasshopper is it handles its plans differently than competitors. Instead of charging a per-user fee, Grasshopper’s pricing structure varies based on the number of extensions and phone lines needed by your business. For example, the solo plan includes one phone number and three extensions, making it suitable for freelancers and solopreneurs who don’t need numerous phone lines. Unfortunately, Grasshopper doesn’t offer video conferencing, a standard feature most VoIP solutions provide. If your company frequently hosts video meetings with teams and clients, consider . This provider lets you host meetings for up to 500 participants, including access to video conferencing tools such as content sharing, virtual background, and cloud recordings. Grasshopper Features Simultaneous call handling: Forward callers to the next available forwarding number when they reach a line that’s unavailable or currently busy. It also lets you handle multiple calls even during high call volume to prevent callers from hearing the busy signal. Custom greetings: Give your business a more professional appearance by playing an automatic call greeting when a customer calls. Grasshopper charges $75 if you want a professional voice actor to record your greeting. Call tracking metrics: Gain deeper insights into your call activity and business performance. See detailed reports on average call length, missed calls, hang-ups, and minutes used. Ooma: Best for Remote & Distributed Teams is one of the cheapest VoIP services for remote and distributed teams looking for additional mobility features like ring groups and multi-device ring. These tools allow users to transform their mobile devices into an extension of their business phone systems. For instance, call flip allows users to move an ongoing call between devices without interrupting the conversation. If you have international calling needs but don’t need the advanced features offered by , Ooma is your next best option. It provides affordable rates for international calling, starting at only 1.4 cents per minute. While Ooma lets users choose between a local and a toll-free on its base plan, it doesn’t offer vanity and international numbers. In this case, check out , which offers international numbers for as low as $4.99 to $14.99 per month, while monthly charges for vanity numbers start at $9.99. Ooma Features Extension monitoring: Monitor the status of a user’s extension and perform a variety of actions with a single click. Users can view an extension’s status, transfer a call to the extension, speed dial the extension, and answer an incoming call to the monitored extension. Virtual receptionist: Route calls to specific extensions or ring groups and create custom messages with business information. It also lets you set up menu options for different languages and modes for business hours. Dynamic caller ID: Customize your caller ID before making outgoing calls. This is particularly useful for businesses sharing a receptionist for multiple departments or executives. Phone.com: Best for Mix & Match Plans *Save up to 20% with annual prepayment and get volume discounts when adding five, 10, or 25 users. is our recommended cheap VoIP phone service for mix-and-match plan options. Choose from a mix of metered and unlimited plans to ensure your business only pays for what it needs. The entry-level Basic Users plan includes 500 pooled minutes and 1,000 pooled text segments, making it the perfect option for organizations with low call volume. All Phone.com plans come with 50 standard voice features, such as call routing, custom greetings, automated menus, voice tagging, and even customer relationship manager (CRM) integrations. Purchase add-ons on an a la carte basis to avoid paying for features you don’t need. Add-ons include a live receptionist, international calling, call recording, and additional phone numbers. Navigating Phone.com’s user interface requires a steep learning curve because it looks dated and difficult to navigate. Businesses new to VoIP systems will appreciate clean design and easy-to-navigate menus or modern yet simple user interface (UI). Phone.com Features Dial-by-name directory: An automated attendant allows callers to enter the first or last name of the person they’re trying to reach through their dial pad. Users can record their names through flexible customization. Virtual extensions: Set up multiple extensions to route incoming calls to different departments and employees. You may direct callers to your voicemail, mobile device, or desk phone. Schedules: Route incoming calls to different menus, numbers, extensions, and greetings based on the time and day the call comes through. For example, calls ringing outside your business hours go directly to voicemail or another extension. Google Voice: Best for Google Workspace Users is the best cheap business VoIP phone service for those actively using Google Workspace applications. It integrates seamlessly with Gmail, Calendar, Meet, and Drive to streamline workflow with your VoIP service. Its user interface has a familiar look and user-friendly feel, making it easy for Google users to get up and running in no time. Google Voice supports various Polycom desk phones, allowing you to send and receive calls over the internet using your existing hardware. Unfortunately, this feature is locked behind the Standard plan, so you’ll need to upgrade to take advantage of it. Google Voice’s price and reliability compete well with other cheap VoIP services, but it falls behind when it comes to features. Although it has a multi-level auto-attendant, it lacks advanced call handling features offered by other providers like and . Google Voice Features Multi-level auto-attendant: In the auto-attendant section, users are able to add greetings, set up call handling rules, and customize working hours. Voicemail transcription: If you don’t have the time to listen to long voicemails, this feature will create a transcript when a caller leaves a voice message to your Google Voice number. Data reporting: Review Google Voice activities in your organization, including the details, costs, and duration of texts and calls. How We Evaluated the Best Cheap VoIP Service Cost is our primary consideration in choosing the cheapest VoIP phone service. While other business phone systems like and have more extensive features, they demand more costly per-user monthly subscriptions. With this, we looked at dozens of VoIP services offering the most affordable fees and narrowed the list down based on general features, ease of use, and value for money. Learn how we evaluated the best cheap VoIP phone services by clicking on the tabs below: Bottom Line While VoIP is cheaper than traditional phones, the cost can still add up depending on the features your business needs as well as the number of users who will use it. However, the best option doesn’t always mean getting the cheapest service. It’s all about striking a balance between value and affordability. Based on our research, is the best all-around solution for businesses wanting AI capabilities to understand customer needs and ensure efficient handling of calls. With monthly plans starting at $15 per user (billed annually), you get a full-featured phone system, video meeting capabilities, and voice intelligence features. Sign up for its 14-day free trial or get in touch with its sales team.

The best auto-attendant phone system can handle various call routing tasks, such as greeting callers, delivering information, and transferring callers to the right destination. It should also have multiple extensions and phone tree builders to configure your call routing strategy. In this guide, we looked at six industry-leading auto-attendant systems and ranked them based on cost, features, customer support, and ease of use. Based on our ratings, the best auto-attendant phone systems are the following: : Best overall for businesses needing an automated voice system with unified communications (UC) capabilities : Top choice for businesses wanting to manage team and customer communications in one place : Best automated answering service for small teams looking for an affordable flat monthly fee : Ideal for global companies looking for an automated phone system with unlimited international calling : Suitable for small businesses with low incoming call volumes needing a metered subscription : Best automated phone service for teams looking for flexible, a la carte phone plans Best Auto-attendant Phone Systems at a Glance RingCentral: Best Overall Auto-attendant Phone System *Pricing is based on one to five users. Choose annual billing to save up to 40% and receive additional discounts when adding 100 or more users. is the best auto-attendant phone system for small businesses looking for robust centralized communications. All subscriptions include unlimited calling, SMS and MMS text messaging, team messaging, voicemail, and document sharing. Subscribing to its advanced plans provides rich video conferencing features like screen sharing, closed captioning, and cloud recording. Aside from its unified communication capabilities, RingCentral delivers comprehensive voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) features. The entry-level plan includes answering rules, call screening, and call transfer, while high-tier plans provide advanced phone system tools like real-time analytics, multi-level auto-attendant, and call monitoring. While most organizations use RingCentral extensively, it is not suitable for smaller teams with basic phone system requirements. In this case, choose , which offers cost-efficient pricing because of its flat monthly fees instead of the usual per-user pricing. Plus, it includes must-have features like call forwarding, voicemail, and extensions that won’t overwhelm a small team. RingCentral Features Phone extensions: Assign phone extensions to connect multiple departments and individuals across devices and locations. Provide employees with their own number with voicemail, answering rules, and on-hold experience. Presence and head-up display: Get a strategic view of your team’s call status, whether they’re using a softphone, desk phone, or mobile app. Know who’s available, already on a call, holding, or has a call ringing. Call delegation: A single dashboard that lets you manage multiple incoming calls from your desktop and monitor the real-time presence of user extensions. Assign up to 10 assistants to place and receive calls on behalf of a line owner. Nextiva: Best for Integrated Team & Customer Engagement Solution *Pricing is based on one to four users. Save up to 28% by paying annually. ranks as one of the best phone auto-attendant providers for companies wanting to manage team and customer conversations from a single screen. The NextivaONE solution is a communications and productivity work hub designed to address siloed data, application overload, and complex integrations. Users can access all internal and external interactions within a centralized platform, including calls, emails, SMS, and video meetings. Regarding routing capabilities, Nextiva shines as a provider because of its multi-level auto-attendant, intelligent interactive voice response (IVR) as an add-on, and free professional greeting recordings. It also has a user-friendly dashboard for managing incoming and outgoing calls. Despite the noteworthy features of Nextiva, its monthly plans are relatively expensive compared to its competitors. Whether your business is just starting or working on a tight budget, consider a low-cost provider like . It offers metered and unmetered plans at a lower price and allows users to mix and match plans for each member. Nextiva Features Busy lamp field (BLP): Monitor the call status of as many as 50 users in your company. Call status includes idle, incoming call, on a call, and call on hold. Call Me Now: Add a web-based link or icon to your website to encourage your visitors to initiate a call to your business. It also allows reverse click-to-dial, which means any phone number entered on your website during business hours will result in a call being placed from your phone to that number. Directed call pickup: Answer an incoming phone call ringing someone else’s line. A call will be transferred to your line once you dial the feature access code and the extension of the user receiving the call. Grasshopper: Best for Flat-rate Pricing *Save 10% with annual billing is an automated phone answering service for smaller teams that prefer a flat-rate pricing model to save on costs. While most providers charge a per-user fee, Grasshopper prices its plans differently by charging a one flat fee per month, meaning you can add as many users without increasing your monthly bill. Whichever plan you choose, you get the same feature set, which includes business texting, virtual fax, and custom greetings. If you’re a small business that simply wants to establish a professional image, Grasshopper is a good option for a no-frills virtual phone system. It offers local, toll-free, and vanity numbers, allowing users to establish a memorable presence with their customers. Unlike other providers in this list, Grasshopper doesn’t have a video conferencing feature. If you want the affordability of Grasshopper with added unified communication features, try . At a monthly fee of 14.99 per user, you get video conferencing tools, including 50 standard voice features such as call handling, phone greetings, and call screening. Grasshopper Features Virtual receptionist: Grasshopper integrates with Ruby, a live answering service, to answer incoming calls to your business. From scheduling appointments to collecting information, a virtual receptionist helps create positive connections with your customers. Instant response: When you miss a call, this feature will automatically send a text message to the caller to let them know you’re unavailable. Customize the message by including your company logo and website link. Custom phone greetings: Customize your phone greeting to welcome and direct your callers. Grasshopper allows you to record it independently or request a professional voice actor to record it for you. 8x8: Best for International Calling *Pricing is based on monthly billing. Save up to 25% by paying annually. offers unlimited calling to 48 countries, benefiting companies that want to avoid international call charges. It also provides phone number support in over 100 countries, which helps establish a virtual presence in places where you don’t have a physical office. 8x8 has a front desk app for receptionists and operators handling high call volumes. It includes advanced call handling features that let you manage multiple calls, voicemail, and chat sessions and route communications to the right contacts across the organization. 8x8’s collaboration features are limited to file sharing, team chat, and video meetings. If you need additional productivity tools, choose , which offers a virtual workspace that combines file sharing, screen sharing, group chat, task tracking, and audio/video conferencing. 8x8 Features Conversation IQ: 8x8 uses the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to help team leaders and supervisors monitor and evaluate voice interactions across the organization. 8x8 Work app: Access all business communications, such as chat, video meetings, and voice calls, in a single app. It works on any device to connect with your customers and colleagues anywhere. Visual voicemail: Manage your voicemail recordings and transcriptions from your desktop or mobile device. Transcripts and audio files are sent to your email, making it easy to share with colleagues. Phone.com: Best for Metered Subscription *Save up to 20% with annual billing and get volume discounts when adding five, 10, or 25 users. is an automated phone answering system for small businesses with low or fluctuating call volumes. Metered and unmetered subscriptions allow you to mix and match plans based on your team’s individual needs. For its metered phone plan, users can share call minutes and texts and purchase additional minute bundles if needed. Marketing teams needing multiple numbers for call tracking campaigns will appreciate Phone.com’s volume pricing for virtual phone numbers. Whether you need local, toll-free, vanity, or international numbers, Phone.com will help you find the right number for your business at a lower price. Phone.com only supports up to 100 video participants on its highest plan tier. If you need a larger participant cap for your meetings, check out . This provider allows up to 500 meeting participants and offers rich video conferencing tools like analytics, livestreaming, cloud recording, and calendar integrations. Phone.com Features Text-to-greeting: Create custom greetings from over 40 automated personalities and sound effects. Submit your text greeting, choose a voice personality, and save the audio file in your account. Video conferencing: Host video meetings right on your browser and access built-in tools like screen sharing, document sharing, meeting chat, and a branded meeting room. Voice tagging: If you have several menu options all ringing to a single number, this feature will inform you what option the caller selected before you answer the call. Vonage: Best for a la Carte Features *Volume discounts apply when adding over five users is an automated attendant phone system offering flexible, a la carte plans. While all packages include over 50 phone features, users can determine which advanced features they want to include in their purchased plan. Currently, Vonage has 18 paid add-on services, including call recording, internet fax, conference bridge, and virtual numbers. Vonage has a self-service app center that lets you deploy third-party applications directly within its platform without needing professional services. Choose from a wide range of integration services, such as contact center, customer engagement, mobility, and remote work. While most providers offer professionally recorded greetings for an extra fee, Vonage has no similar service on its add-on plans. If you want to project an image of an established business through your phone greetings, consider . This provider offers free professionally recorded greetings on its paid plans, whether you want to use it for your auto-attendant, hold music, or welcome messages. Vonage Features Business inbox: Capture message-based conversations like SMS, MMS, and Facebook Messenger within a unified inbox, and add photos, emojis, and audio/video. Call continuity: In the event of a power outage or internet issue, configuring this feature will automatically reroute your calls to a backup phone number of your choice. Spam shield: All phone numbers of every incoming call run against a database of numbers associated with robocalls, scams, and telemarketing. When the number matches the list, it will warn the user of phone spam before answering. How We Evaluated the Best Auto-attendant Phone Systems We looked at several business phone systems offering auto-attendants in their subscription packages. From there, we narrowed the list further by evaluating factors important to small business owners, such as pricing, general features, and ease of use. We also considered value for money, user reviews, niche features, and our expert opinion. Learn how we evaluated the best auto-attendant phone systems by clicking on the tabs below: Bottom Line Auto-attendants are the most useful phone system features for businesses and call centers to manage incoming call traffic and avoid long wait times. From greeting callers to providing general business information, a well-designed business phone auto-attendant should optimize the call handling process. Our top pick for the best phone system with auto-attendant is . Its virtual receptionist services include robust customization options—from voice menus to company greetings and user extensions. Sign up for a 14-day free trial to see how it works before committing to a plan.

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration app with video conferencing, team chat, and file sharing. It has a free version, while monthly plans start at $4 per user (billed annually). It is best for Microsoft 365 users and businesses looking for a low-cost unified communications solution. In this Microsoft Teams review, it scored high in pricing and general features but scored poorly in ease of use and customer service. Microsoft Teams Review: At a Glance Microsoft Teams Deciding Factors works best for remote and hybrid work, allowing teams to stay connected, access shared content, and keep up with workflows. It provides robust collaboration features and a high participant limit for video meetings. Microsoft Teams Alternatives While provides a centralized workspace for distributed teams, it doesn’t mean it caters to all collaboration requirements. It has a few downsides, including a complex interface, the lack of monthly payment plans, and free plan restrictions. If these are your priorities, here are the best Microsoft Teams alternatives to consider: scored 4.25 out of 5 for plans and pricing, as it offers four scalable packages that cater to different collaboration needs. It has a free version, a one-month free trial for Microsoft 365 Business plans, and a cheap monthly paid plan starting at $4 per user, billed annually. On the downside, all plans require an annual prepayment, and no discounts are offered for annual billing and volume purchases. For businesses with advanced security needs, consider upgrading to the Microsoft 365 Business Premium, which costs $22 for each user, every month (billed annually). It includes everything in Microsoft 365 Business Standard, as well as a comprehensive set of security capabilities, such as cyberthreat protection and access control. Microsoft Teams Features is an online team workspace that lets you chat, meet with co-workers, and share files. Channels are focus spaces where people gather to work on the same project or topic. It also includes an online meeting solution for holding web meetings, audio conferences, webinars, and large-scale events. scored 4.5 out of 5 for general features, as it offers a variety of unified communications features to support remote and hybrid work. Conversations among co-workers occur in channels, under the chat tab, or in a video meeting. All plans include file sharing, cloud storage, instant messaging, and unlimited search history. Upgrading to Microsoft 365 Business plans offers bigger cloud storage capacity (up to 1TB) and hundreds of app integrations. We gave a score of 4 out of 5 for niche features because it has most of the features expected from a team collaboration solution. Public and private channels enable users to create groups for specific team members, while task management tools are designed for managing individual and team tasks. Users are also able to edit and collaborate on Microsoft 365 apps right within Teams using the real-time co-authoring feature Click on each item below to learn more about the best features of Microsoft Teams: earned a score of 2.5 out of 5 for customer service because while it provides a 24/7 toll-free hotline, it doesn’t support other channels like live chat and email. Another option is to submit a service request in the admin center. Free plan users can access self-service resources such as a help desk, community forums, and YouTube tutorials. scored poorly for ease of use because its user interface is not intuitive enough, especially for those unfamiliar with the Microsoft 365 environment. While its platform looks relatively polished and professional, most users find it difficult to set up and navigate due to its compartmentalized layout. Others also complain about the need to create a Microsoft account and train employees to fully utilize its features. scored 3.5 out of 5 for our expert assessment because it is not as feature-rich and user-friendly as other collaboration tools like and . It doesn’t have enough customization options and productivity tools like workflow automation. Additionally, its free plan and first paid tier lack many essential features, such as integrations and admin tools, which force users to upgrade to Microsoft 365 Business plans. At the time of publication, Microsoft Teams earned the following scores on popular user review sites: TrustRadius: 8 out of 10 based on 4,745 reviews GetApp: 4.5 out of 5 based on 8,904 reviews G2: 4.3 out of 5 based on 13,259 reviews How We Evaluated Microsoft Teams We explored and tested some of its features and functions. We also consulted recent Microsoft Teams reviews to know more about the personal experiences of its business users. From there, we created a scoring system divided into a set of criteria: pricing, general features, niche features, customer service, ease of use, and expert score. Learn how we evaluated Microsoft Teams by clicking on the tabs below: Bottom Line is a solid choice for businesses that are already using Microsoft 365 products or those looking for a collaborative workspace with budget-friendly plans. It facilitates teamwork by providing a centralized platform for hosting meetings, managing projects, and sharing virtual presentations. Sign up for its free version or register for a free trial to determine if it’s the right collaboration app for your team.

Google Meet is a free video conferencing service with additional features when you purchase a Google Workspace plan, starting at $6 per user, paid monthly. It is an excellent fit for small businesses looking for a budget-friendly video meeting solution that seamlessly integrates with Google Workspace apps. In this Google Meet review, this provider scored high in general and niche features, but scored lower in customer service. Google Meet Review: At a Glance Google Meet Deciding Factors is not a standalone product but a part of the Google Workspace collaboration suite. A free version is available for Google account users wanting to launch quick meetings without downloading an app. All plans include counter-abuse protections to keep meetings safe from external threats. Google Meet Alternatives While offers a free video meeting solution, it lacks a few capabilities, such as co-annotation, multi-share, reporting tools, and robust integrations. If you’re looking for a more comprehensive video conferencing software, here are a few alternatives to consider: scored 3.5 out of 5 for its pricing, as it offers a free-forever version and a free trial for all paid plans. A Google Workspace monthly subscription starts at $6 per user, which comes packaged with additional Google Meet features like meeting recording and noise cancellation. Each Google Workspace plan differs in participant capacity, meeting duration, maximum cloud storage, and security features. *Introductory price applies for the first 20 users added, for 12 months Google Meet Features works entirely within a web browser. Its mobile app only takes up minimal storage space and provides the highest quality video calling experience. Since security is an integral part of Google, Google Meet employs various security measures, including data encryption and compliance certifications. It also offers video conferencing devices for businesses that need conference room support. Google Meet allows in-meeting chat and screen sharing during video calls. To limit distractions and make meetings more fun, blur or replace your background, and then adjust the light and color filter. It automatically switches the layout in a meeting to highlight an active participant or content. Layout options include auto, spotlight, sidebar, and tiled (up to 49 webcams). Also, the service adjusts to network speed, providing high-quality video calls anywhere you are. Upgrading to a Google Workspace plan includes additional features, such as hand raising, meeting recording, breakout rooms, noise cancellation, and translated captions. Video meetings are automatically saved to the organizer’s Google Drive. For brainstorming sessions, use Google Jamboard, a digital whiteboard integration for online meetings. Check out other valuable features offered by : Google Voice received a low rating for customer service because it doesn’t offer live customer support for addressing technical concerns. Users must resort to self-service options, including the Google Workspace help center and community forum. Round-the-clock priority support is only available for Enterprise subscribers. An administrator account is required to contact a support specialist. One of the key features of is its straightforward design. Setting up a meeting is easy, whether you set a schedule via Google Calendar or start an instant meeting directly from Google Meet’s website. Although the platform is easy to navigate, many first-time users find the interface confusing, specifically when sharing their screens and inviting participants. Still, Google Meet can be a convenient video meeting tool once you get the hang of it. Based on our expert assessment, is relatively popular among Google account owners. Recent Google Meet reviews reveal that many like the platform for its ease of use and the ability to start instant meetings. However, Google Meet has many missing collaboration features, such as co-annotation and keyboard and mouse control. At the time of publication, Google Meet earned the following scores on popular review sites: GetApp: 4.5 out of 5 based on 11,241 reviews TrustRadius: 8.1 out of 10 based on 521 reviews G2: 4.5 out of 5 based on 252 reviews How We Evaluated Google Meet We explored and tested some of its features and functions. We also consulted recent customer reviews to learn more about the personal experiences of its business users. From there, we created a scoring system divided into a set of criteria: pricing, general features, niche features, customer service, ease of use, and expert score. Learn how we evaluated Google Meet by clicking on the tabs below: Bottom Line is an excellent choice for small businesses looking for a low-cost video conferencing solution that integrates with Google Workspace apps. It has a wide array of security features and compliance certifications to ensure the right protections are in place. Try the free version or sign up for a free trial to explore its business packages.

Genesys Cloud is a contact center solution for businesses wanting to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver personalized experiences for agents and customers. It has extensive tools for digital customer engagement, outbound campaigns, and workforce management. Monthly plans start at $75 per user, billed annually. In this Genesys Cloud Review, it earned perfect ratings in standout features and ease of use but scored lower in pricing due to the lack of discounts. Genesys Cloud Review: At a Glance Genesys Cloud Deciding Factors comes with prebuilt integrations, self-service tools, automation features, and telephony service. It unifies agent and customer touchpoints across phone, text, email, chat, and social media, delivering personalized experiences. Built-in unified communication (UC) and collaboration tools benefit small to mid-sized businesses that want to keep agents engaged and productive. Genesys Cloud Alternatives is not a great fit for businesses looking for affordable paid plans, unlimited voice calling, and custom reporting tools. If these are your priorities, below are some alternatives to consider: The price for services starts at $75 per user on a monthly basis (billed annually). We gave it a score of 1 out of 5 because its subscription fees are relatively higher than other competitors like and . Discounts for annual billing and volume purchases are also lacking. Genesys Cloud offers three preconfigured plans and one custom version. There are three payment options: named user, by-the-hour, and concurrent pricing. The named user subscription is charged per unique login in a billing period, while an hourly user is billed at an hourly rate for the total duration of time the user is logged in. Concurrent roles incur a premium and are charged based on maximum occupancy in a billing period. *Contact the sales team for month-to-month billing and a la carte pricing. Optional Add-ons Genesys Cloud pricing scheme doesn’t allow users to mix tiers, but it offers a variety of add-ons to extend the capabilities of your plan. A la carte licensing is available if you want to assign add-ons to users based on their needs. See more information about each add-on below: Unified communications: Unify all your business communication needs using Genesys Cloud’s native UC capabilities or integrate your existing UC provider through prebuilt integrations or APIs. AI Experience: Implement Genesys Cloud’s AI solutions, including predictive engagement, voicebots, AI-enabled knowledge bases, and predictive routing. Digital: Add digital channels to your Cloud CX plan to engage your agents and customers in seamless interactions across chat, email, text, and social media channels. Workforce Engagement: Get built-in workforce engagement management tools into your Cloud CX platform, such as gamification, workforce planning, and speech and text analytics. Telephony: Connect your contact center with your preferred telecom provider or use Genesys’ native telephony solution, which includes local calling, number porting, and toll-free services. AppFoundry Marketplace: Discover a wide range of integrations, services, and customer service applications to address your unique business needs. If you want to sell your third-party utilities, the Genesys sales team will handle all the work for you. Genesys Cloud Features comes with robust capabilities to create seamless experiences across voice and digital channels. Its contact center solution enables businesses to meet customers on their channel of choice. Custom dashboards and reports help you identify key events and interaction insights. It also provides support for more advanced capabilities, such as co-browsing, social messaging, and advanced agent tools like surveys and sentiment scoring. phone system checks all of the boxes when it comes to basic contact center functionality. It provides a single automatic call distribution (ACD) for voice and digital interactions, allowing agents to get all the information in one place. For agent collaboration, all plans include video meetings, presence, and a unified inbox. Monitoring and coaching tools are also available for managing in-progress conversations. got another perfect score for niche features as it provides advanced capabilities for managing workforce engagement and automating routine tasks. Outbound campaign tools and extensive dialing modes make it easy to reach customers across channels. The Genesys AppFoundry offers a marketplace of business solutions, including case management, compliance, and operations. Click on each feature below to learn about Genesys Cloud’s niche offerings. received a score of 3.75 out of 5 for customer service because while it lacks a live chat channel, phone and email support are available 24/7. For self-service, visit the Resource Center to find answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) or sign up for a free Genesys Beyond account to access eLearning modules. Another option is to request a My Support account to open cases through the customer care portal. We scored 5 out of 5 for ease of use because its intuitive interface is easy to use and configure without needing technical expertise. Genesys Cloud’s all-in-one software utilizes an open architecture that makes it simple to integrate with existing solutions or extend functionality. This lets agents quickly master its platform to deliver more personalized customer experiences. earned a 4.13 out of 5 in our expert assessment, given its user-friendly design, flexible pricing options, AI-driven features, and dedicated technical resources. However, the lack of volume discounts and expensive monthly plans prevent this provider from getting a perfect score. Many users also point out that certain features need improvements, including the ability to customize reports and better workforce management features. Here are the most recent Genesys Cloud reviews from popular rating platforms: G2: 4.4 out of 5 based on 811 reviews TrustRadius: 8.6 out of 10 based on 473 Software Advice: 4.30 out of 5 based on 162 reviews How We Evaluated Genesys Cloud As the basis for our evaluation, we compared with other leading contact center providers in the market. 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 Genesys Cloud by clicking on the tabs below: Bottom Line is an excellent solution for small to mid-sized businesses wanting to harness the power of AI in delivering personalization and efficiency in every communication channel. Powerful outbound campaign tools enhance campaign efficiency, while workforce management tools help elevate the agent experience. Consider signing up for a 30-day free trial to further explore its powerful capabilities.