6 Best Google Voice Alternatives 2020

Google Voice is a fantastic option for small businesses because it is completely free to use and offers a dedicated business number. However, its feature set is minimal, and established businesses will want to look into a system with automated attendants, video calling, and other modules. We looked at the best Google Voice alternatives and compared them based on pricing and features.

6 Best Google Voice Alternatives 2020

Which Google Voice Alternative is Right for You?

How We Evaluated Google Voice Alternatives

The best Google Voice alternatives should make it easy to call other numbers, send text messages, and check voicemail. These business phone systems should also come at price points that most small businesses can afford. Advanced features include an automated attendant, toll-free numbers, and more.

• Price
• Ease of use
• Phone numbers
• Software integrations
• Calling handling and management
• Auto-attendant
• Mobile app
• Call quality
• Customer support

Based on these criteria, we find that Grasshopper is the best service for any team looking to upgrade from Google Voice. The service is highly affordable and provides organizations with a toll-free number with a 1-800 prefix. It is also exceptionally easy to use, making it a great option for most teams looking for more robust business features, but aren’t yet ready for a full-fledged business phone service.

Grasshopper: Best Overall Alternative to Google Voice

Grasshopper is a virtual phone service that offers unlimited domestic calling, an automated attendant that greets and routes callers, and the option to adopt a toll-free number with a 1-800 prefix. On top of that, the service is highly affordable with plans starting at $26 per month on an annual basis for one number and three extensions. It is a perfect upgrade for teams that are used to Google Voice, but want something with more features.

Grasshopper Pricing

• Basic: $26 per month for one number and three extensions*
• Premium: $44 per month for three numbers and unlimited extensions*
• Platinum: $80 per month for five numbers and unlimited extensions*

*Pricing is on an annual basis. Month-to-month options are available at an extra cost.

Grasshopper Features

• Automated attendant: Grasshopper can greet incoming callers and route them to their desired extension without any human intervention. This makes it quite advanced compared to Google Voice.
• Toll-free numbers: Unlike Google Voice, Grasshopper lets you adopt a number with a 1-800 prefix, letting you look like a more established and respectable organization.
• Mobile app: Take your work number wherever you go via apps for iOS and Android.

Grasshopper mobile and desktop app

For more information on Grasshopper, go to our Grasshopper user reviews page.

Ooma Office: Best Google Voice Alternative With Streamlined Pricing

Ooma is a complete voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) service with features such as an automated attendant (which the company calls its “virtual receptionist”), call recording, and more. Unlike competing systems on the market, Ooma only offers one price point of $19.95 per month. Many services offer confusing pricing structures, which result in customers adopting more expensive plans, and so Ooma is best for those looking for a solution with streamline pricing.

Ooma Office Pricing

• Ooma Office costs $19.95 per month

Ooma Features

• Voicemail-to-email: Listen to your voicemail messages from within your email inbox.
• Automated attendant: Ooma’s virtual receptionist module can handle all of your incoming call traffic without the need for your human employees to get involved.
• Virtual fax: You can use Ooma Office to send and receive fax documents, which you can’t do with Google Voice.

Ooma mobile app

Check out our Ooma user reviews page for more details on the system.

CallHippo: Best Google Voice Alternative for Vanity Numbers

CallHippo is a virtual phone service that offers unlimited calling and the ability to set up complex workflows for how automated attendants handle calls. The service offers a free version with paid editions starting at $10 per user, per month. The system makes it very easy to choose and deploy a customized vanity number, like 1-800-FLOWERS. This is ideal for small businesses that want to use their phone number for marketing purposes.

CallHippo Pricing

• Basic: Free for two users with basic calling and SMS
• Bronze: $10 per user, per month with call recording, call queuing, and more
• Silver: $18 per user, per month with a free number, call transfer, multilingual voice menu, and more
• Platinum: $30 per user, per month with three-way calling, integrations with outside business software, and more

CallHippo Features

• Vanity numbers: CallHippo makes it extraordinarily easy to choose a customized vanity number for your business.
• Call recording: Save your most important business conversations just like you can with Google Voice.
• Software integration: CallHippo can connect call data to customer relationship management.

CallHippo agent dashboard

For more information on CallHippo and its features, check out our CallHippo user reviews page.

RingCentral: Best Google Voice Alternative for Virtual Meetings

RingCentral, which starts at $19.99 per user, per month for two to 19 users on an annual basis, is a robust VoIP system with a mobile app that lets you conduct business calls on a personal device (like Google Voice), along with even more features. RingCentral comes with an automated attendant, unlimited audio conferencing, video chat for up to 200 people, and more. It is ideal for established teams looking for a complete telephony solution.

RingCentral Pricing

• Essentials: $19.99 per user, per month for up to 20 users, unlimited calling, and unlimited texting*
• Standard: $24.99 per user, per month with unlimited audio conferencing, video meetings for up to 100 participants, and more*
• Premium: $34.99 per user, per month with unlimited call recording, analytics, and integrations with outside business software*
• Ultimate: $49.99 per user, per month with device status reports, unlimited storage, and more*

*Pricing is on an annual basis for two to 19 users. Volume discounts are available, and so are monthly plans that come at an extra cost.

RingCentral Features

• Automated attendant: RingCentral makes it extremely easy to set up and deploy an automated attendant to take your calls for you.
• Analytics: RingCentral provides you with visualized reports on your call information, such as total calls, average call time, and more.
• Video meetings: Your remote team can stay in touch with video meetings for up to 200 people.

RingCentral video calling

For more information on RingCentral, go to our RingCentral user reviews page.

8×8: Best Google Voice Alternative for International Calling

8×8 is a VoIP system that offers all of the call, text, and voicemail capabilities you’ve come to expect from a modern business phone service as a deskphone solution or on a mobile app. On top of that, 8×8 offers unlimited calling to up to 47 countries. If you have overseas contacts that you need to keep in touch with, 8×8 could be the perfect choice for you.

8×8 Pricing

• X2: $25 per user, per month with unlimited calling for up to 14 countries
• X5: $35 per user, per month with unlimited calling for up to 35 countries
• X8: $55 per user, per month with unlimited calling for up to 47 countries

8×8 Features

• International calling: The solution offers calls to up to 47 countries at no extra charge.
• Call queuing: 8×8 places incoming calls into a line to ensure that they are answered in the order they called.
• Call center features: 8×8 comes with virtual switchboard capabilities, call recording, and other features that lend themselves well to call center environments.

8×8 business phone system

For more details, check out our 8×8 user reviews page.

Talkroute: Best Google Voice Alternative for Distributed Call Centers

Talkroute, which starts at $19 per month, is a virtual phone provider that offers local and toll-free numbers as well as an automated attendant for your small business. The service also comes with call blast, live call transfer, and a wealth of other features that work well in sales departments, customer service, or other call center scenarios that employ remote agents. It’s perfect for distributed teams anticipating high call volumes.

Talkroute Pricing

• Basic: $19 per month for one number with unlimited calling, one user, 500 monthly texts, and more
• Plus: $39 per month for two numbers, three users, unlimited texts, automated attendant, call transfer, and more
• Pro: $59 per month for three numbers, 10 users, submenus for automated attendants, company directory, and more
• Enterprise: $99 per month for five numbers, 20 users, and more

Talkroute Features

• Call center capabilities: Handle your call traffic more effectively with call queuing, call transfer, hours of operation, and more.
• Voice studio: The Pro and Enterprise editions of the solution offer a free professional voice recording for your phone menu.
• Mobile app: iOS and Android apps for Talkroute mean you can use nearly every one of the service’s features from your mobile device.

Talk Route desktop and mobile app

Bottom Line

Google Voice is a perfect choice for new, smaller teams that are looking for a dedicated business line. However, it is very limited in features. When organizations start to grow, it is worthwhile investing in a paid business system that offers advanced features such as toll-free numbers and automated attendants.

We find that Grasshopper is the best choice for most companies looking for an upgrade to Google Voice. The service is highly affordable, and it comes with the ability to adopt a toll-free number and more. Click the button below to get started.

Visit Grasshopper