The best virtual phone number providers allow businesses to efficiently separate work and personal communications. They redirect calls to users’ preferred devices without requiring technical knowledge for the setup. Various types of numbers are available, from local to toll-free and vanity to international numbers, enabling companies to establish a strong presence in their target communities.
Aside from the actual phone numbers, these vendors have minute allowances and robust call management features, such as call forwarding, custom greetings, and business texting. Based on our research, these are the top-tier providers of virtual phone numbers for businesses:
- Grasshopper: Best for phone number sharing
- Phone.com: Best for international presence expansion
- RingCentral: Best for international communications
- Talkroute: Best for custom greetings
- MightyCall: Best for customer outreach
- Ooma: Best for regional calling
- eVoice: Best for affordability
Honorable Mention
- Nextiva: Best for long-distance calling
Best Virtual Phone Number Providers Compared
Virtual Phone Number Providers | Monthly Starting Price | Key Features | FSB Rating |
---|---|---|---|
| 4.59 out of 5 | ||
| 4.26 out of 5 | ||
| 4.23 out of 5 | ||
| 4.22 out of 5 | ||
| 4.11 out of 5 | ||
$19.95 per user |
| 3.86 out of 5 | |
| 3.85 out of 5 | ||
| 3.49 out of 5 | ||
Grasshopper offers a seamless platform designed to empower entrepreneurs and small business owners alike. Take your business to the next level with streamlined communications. |
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Grasshopper: Best for Phone Number Sharing
What We Liked
- It has automatic text messaging.
- It offers a flat monthly fee for unlimited users.
- It is intuitive to set up and use.
Where It Falls Behind
- It lacks call recording.
- It doesn’t have third-party integrations.
- It has no international phone numbers.
Grasshopper Monthly Pricing Pricing is based on monthly billing. Save over 20% by paying annually.
- True Solo: $18 for one user, one phone number, and a single extension
- Solo Plus: $32 for unlimited users, one phone number, and three extensions
- Small Business: $70 for four phone numbers and unlimited extensions
- Free trial: Seven days
All plans include business short messaging service (SMS), call forwarding, voicemail, e-fax, custom greetings, and reporting.
Most virtual business number providers charge per user for their monthly subscriptions. Grasshopper’s pricing structure is different as it features unlimited users for a flat monthly fee, making it a suitable vendor for teams sharing phone numbers.
If you choose its highest-tier plan, team members may share four numbers. This enables you to manage customer calls and text messages from a manageable set of phone numbers, simplifying the customer service workflow.
Grasshopper’s pricing structure is likewise ideal for expanding teams. You may add as many employees as you want to the account without incurring extra charges. Each team member you add can have a dedicated extension number since the provider features unlimited extensions.
Although Grasshopper is ideal for phone number sharing, it lacks essential voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) tools like call recording and call monitoring. If these features are important to your business communications, the suitable provider of virtual phone numbers for your small business is MightyCall or RingCentral.
Grasshopper Features
- Incoming call control: Customize call schedules and set up extensions based on your business hours. Prevent unwanted callers via call screening and call blocking.
- Mobile and desktop app: Use it for business calls and texts while keeping your personal calls and texts separate. You can also view voicemails and call history.
- Virtual fax: Use your business number to receive faxes on the Grasshopper app or in your email inbox. Only inbound faxing is currently supported, and faxes are sent in PDF format.
Phone.com: Best for International Presence Expansion
What We Liked
- It offers the flexibility of choosing between metered and unlimited calling minutes.
- Almost all call management features are included in all the subscription plans.
- It offers local phone numbers in 40-plus countries.
Where It Falls Behind
- It only natively integrates with four third-party tools.
- It doesn’t offer a free trial.
- Its call recording requires an additional fee for Basic and Plus accounts.
Phone.com Monthly Pricing (per User) Pricing is based on monthly billing. Save 15% by paying annually.
- Basic: $14.99 for one phone number per account, 500 pooled minutes, call forwarding, greetings, and number porting
- Plus: $21.99 for one phone number per user, unlimited calling minutes, voicemail transcription, text messaging, and compatibility with internet protocol (IP) desk phone
- Pro: $31.99 for call recording, call analytics, and third-party integrations
The provider offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Among the best virtual phone number providers listed here, Phone.com is the most suitable for companies wanting to establish a strong local presence overseas because it offers international numbers at affordable monthly fees. Unlike other vendors that require $10 and up, Phone.com only charges $4.99, a local rate for such numbers. The fee applies to phone numbers in over 20 countries, including Australia, Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
With a local phone number abroad, customers don’t have to pay unreasonably high rates when calling you. Moreover, they’re more likely to reach out to your business since they’re familiar with the local number. Phone.com provides discounts for bulk purchases of phone numbers. If you buy more than 10 numbers, the cost goes down to $4.49 per number. 50-plus numbers are priced at $2.99 per number, while 100-plus numbers are available for $1.99 per number.
Unfortunately, Phone.com requires an additional $8 monthly fee for call recording when you’re in the base and second-tier plans. On MightyCall, this is a standard VoIP feature available in all subscription packages. Choose this provider of virtual phone numbers for businesses if you want to access call recording along with different types of phone numbers.
Phone.com Features
- Call screening: When you answer the call, Phone.com announces the caller’s ID and the number they contacted. This helps you decide whether to accept or reject the call. The caller hears your pre-configured ringtone while you decide.
- Audio conferencing: Host a conference call for team members and customers. Phone.com features dial-in numbers for various countries, including Australia, Brazil, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
- Call recording: Record conversations of customer service representatives with clients to evaluate their effectiveness in accommodating concerns. Use call recordings to address disputes and recall past agreements with customers.
RingCentral: Best for International Communications
What We Liked
- It has robust call management features in the base plan.
- Local, toll-free, vanity, and international numbers are available.
- Virtual phone numbers can be activated in 100-plus countries.
Where It Falls Behind
- Vanity numbers are charged monthly with a $30 setup fee.
- It has very limited SMS allotment per user.
- Its feature-rich platform can be overkill for small teams.
RingCentral Monthly Pricing (per User) Pricing is based on monthly billing. Save up to 33% by paying annually.
- Core: $30 for one phone number, 100 toll-free minutes, unlimited local calls, 25 SMS per user, visual voicemail, and multilevel interactive voice response (IVR)
- Advanced: $35 for 1,000 toll-free minutes, 100 SMS per user, advanced call monitoring, automatic call recording, hot desking, and unlimited internet fax
- Ultra: $45 for 10,000 toll-free minutes, 200 SMS per user, unlimited storage, and device analytics
- Free trial: 14 days
RingCentral is the best virtual number service provider for companies frequently communicating with a global audience because it offers international calling plans and supports international SMS. Access up to 1,000 minutes of monthly regional calling per user. Take advantage of PSTN services in over 40 countries. The provider supports international SMS—businesses only need to submit a request to unlock this feature.
The VoIP phone system offers phone numbers in over 100 overseas locations, but unlike Phone.com, the rates are not published. It doesn’t have unlimited text messaging either. If you prefer transparent pricing for global phone numbers and unlimited text messaging, the best virtual telephone service, Grasshopper, is a great option. Send as many texts as you want and secure international numbers for only $10.
RingCentral Features
- Visual voicemail: RingCentral displays your voicemails in a list, showing critical information, such as the duration, contact name, and voicemail transcription. You can save the message, return the call, or select other responses.
- RingOut: Users with an unstable internet connection can make calls via landline or mobile phone using a RingCentral phone number while keeping their landline or mobile number hidden.
- Team huddle: Host impromptu audio and video meetings where participants can come and go as they please. Participants can hop in or out of the conversation at any time.
Talkroute: Best for Custom Greetings
What We Liked
- It offers unlimited inbound and outbound calls to the US and Canada.
- It complies with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standards.
- All-inclusive plans with additional users only cost $5 per user, monthly.
Where It Falls Behind
- It lacks international numbers.
- Most key features are locked behind advanced tiers, such as call recording, reporting, and submenus.
- It lacks native integrations—it largely depends on Zapier.
Talkroute Monthly Pricing Pay $5 per additional user.
- Basic: $19 for one user, one phone number, 500 SMS, unlimited calling minutes, custom greetings, and caller ID name
- Plus: $39 for three users, two phone numbers, unlimited SMS, three voice mailboxes, call menu, business hours, and simultaneous ring
- Pro: $59 for 10 users, three phone numbers, 10 voice mailboxes, multilevel auto-attendant, multidigit extensions, and call recording
- Enterprise: Contact sales for a quote, 20-plus users, 10-plus phone numbers, 20-plus voice mailboxes, and account management
- Free trial: Seven days
Talkroute is the ideal virtual business phone number provider if you want to professionalize your greetings since it features in-house voice-over services. Beyond giving you a credible contact number, it lets you make a good impression on callers.
Tap into Talkroute’s voice artists to customize your welcome and voicemail greetings, call menu options, announcements, and dial-by-name directory. Submit the script through the website form and wait for three business days to receive your voice-over recording.
Grasshopper also has a Voice Studio, but it costs $75 per order on top of the monthly subscription plan. Talkroute readily offers this feature in its Pro plan, costing $59 a month. Unfortunately, Talkroute doesn’t have international numbers. Phone.com is still the best vendor of virtual numbers for businesses expanding their local presence overseas since some of the global numbers only cost $4.99 monthly.
Talkroute Features
- Multidigit extensions: Set up three- or four-digit extensions to route calls to the right destination, play recorded messages, or send callers to voicemail.
- Call reporting and analytics: Detailed history reports provide critical call information, such as date, time, duration, caller ID, and status. Filtering options are available for retrieving specific call data.
- Call stacking: Accommodate multiple calls simultaneously and prevent busy signals on the caller’s end. Talkroute puts callers in a queue, playing hold music while waiting for the next available agent.
MightyCall: Best for Customer Outreach
What We Liked
- It has complete call management features.
- It has multilevel IVR in its base plan.
- It has rich call monitoring capabilities.
Where It Falls Behind
- It doesn’t have a virtual fax.
- It has limited native third-party integrations.
- Its volume discounts are only available for Enterprise accounts.
MightyCall Monthly Pricing (per User) Pricing is based on monthly billing. Save 25% by paying annually.
- Core: $20 for two local or toll-free phone numbers, unlimited minutes, unlimited SMS and multimedia messaging service (MMS), call routing, and custom greetings
- Pro: $30 for call monitoring, real-time analytics, and supervisor workspace
- Power: $40 for autodialers, scheduled campaigns, and national Do Not Call (DNC) list integration
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for more than two local numbers, volume discounts, and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) trunking support
- Free trial: Seven days
MightyCall is included in our list of the best virtual phone number providers, most fitting for companies wanting to automate their customer outreach efforts given its robust autodialers. It features three types of autodialing modes: progressive, predictive, and preview. With these tools, businesses can easily connect with many contacts, follow up on warm leads, and solicit feedback for different purposes from various target audiences.
While MightyCall is an excellent provider of virtual phone numbers for businesses, it lacks internet fax, which many businesses look for to instantly send and receive important documents. Our top pick in this list, Grasshopper, has this feature in its Solo plan, priced at $18 for one user. Similarly, eVoice includes this in its $10-monthly subscription plan.
MightyCall Features
- Caller ID name (CNAM): When making a call, this feature will display your business name on the recipient’s phone screen instead of your phone number. With a recognizable caller ID, you have a higher chance of increasing your call pickup rates.
- Multilevel IVR: Route calls using an advanced voice system with up to 10 submenus. This is particularly useful for offices with multiple departments and voice menus supporting different languages.
- Call notes: Document call summaries by adding comments or notes after a call. Aside from notes, you can add details to customer profiles and share them with the team.
Ooma: Best for Regional Calling
What We Liked
- It supports overhead paging, intercom, and analog fax machines.
- It offers multiple VoIP hardware devices.
- It offers low-cost international calling.
Where It Falls Behind
- It has very limited third-party integrations.
- It only offers 500 toll-free minutes in all plans, plus monthly fees apply if you exceed that.
- Its SMS, video meetings, and desktop app require a Pro plan upgrade.
Ooma Monthly Pricing (per User) Pricing is based on monthly billing. Pay $12 only when you choose the annual billing arrangement.
- Essentials: $19.95 for one toll-free number, unlimited calls to the US, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, virtual receptionist, ring groups, and call forwarding
- Pro: $24.95 for text messaging, call recording, call analytics, voicemail transcription, and 25-attendee video meetings
- Pro Plus: $29.95 for call queues, call screening, hot desking, customer relationship management (CRM) integrations, and 100-attendee video meetings
The provider offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Out of the top virtual phone number providers here, Ooma is the only one that offers unlimited calls outside the US and Canada, extending it to Mexico and Puerto Rico. Thus, it’s ideal for those with regional offices in the mentioned countries. On top of that, it has unlimited international calling plans under its Home Phone service.
The subscription package, priced at $17.99 a month, offers unlimited minutes to landlines in over 60 countries and to mobile phones in 10-plus locations. When you choose the plan costing $25.99 a month, you’ll have access to unlimited calling to landlines in over 70 countries and to mobile phones in 40-plus locations.
While Ooma has excellent regional calling country coverage, it doesn’t have global phone numbers. Moreover, it doesn’t support sending text messages to contacts overseas. RingCentral is still the most comprehensive solution for international communications, offering local numbers in 100-plus locations and enabling global SMS.
Ooma Features
- Overhead paging: Integrate your third-party paging system with your Ooma office phone. This is ideal for delivering announcements and emergency alerts.
- Virtual receptionist: Create a schedule that sends calls to the automated menu, extension, or voicemail. Use the text-to-speech feature to create custom messages.
- Simultaneous ring: Have multiple devices ring when an individual user receives a call. Supported devices include an analog phone, an IP phone, or a mobile phone.
eVoice: Best for Affordability
What We Liked
- Single plan structure allows easy scalability
- Live receptionist plans combine VoIP with live answering service
- International call forwarding
Where It Falls Behind
- No desktop app, which most providers have
- Lacks unlimited SMS
- Vanity number activation takes 72 hours
eVoice Monthly Pricing Pricing is based on monthly billing. Pay $12 only when you choose the annual billing arrangement.
- Elite Monthly: $14 for one user, three phone numbers, number porting, unlimited calls within the US and Canada, and multiple extensions
- Elite 6 Monthly: $13 for six users
- Elite 10 Monthly: $10 for 10 users
The standard features include call routing, auto attendant, hold music, voicemail, screening, greetings, virtual fax, and usage reports. Meanwhile, call recording, unlimited messaging, live receptionist, professional greeting, and voicemail transcriptions require extra fees.
eVoice offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
eVoice is the best business virtual phone number provider for budget-conscious teams since it has the most affordable subscription plans among the vendors listed here. Its base-tier package costs $14 and offers three phone numbers.
Interestingly, the subscription rate lowers as you add more users to your account. While the entry-level plan is priced at $14 for one user, you’ll only pay $10 monthly for 10 users. This means the provider only charges $1 for every user if you follow the traditional providers’ per-pricing structure. Regardless of your chosen plan, you can access VoIP features like call routing, auto-attendant, and virtual fax.
Choose eVoice, the cheapest virtual phone number provider, if you want to save more on communication costs. However, note that this provider’s interface is outdated. MightyCall and RingCentral have a more modern look that is easy on the eyes and effortless to navigate.
eVoice Features
- International forwarding: Forward your phone calls globally without purchasing an international phone number. This allows you to reach new foreign markets, even if your business is in the US or Canada.
- Sequential ring: Direct incoming calls to multiple departments or team members in any preferred order. The call will continue to ring multiple phone numbers until someone picks up.
- After-hours greetings: Play a prerecorded message to callers when they call your business after normal operating hours. Use it to create an away greeting, including alternative ways to contact you.
Honorable Mention—Nextiva: Best for Long-distance Calling
What We Liked
- It offers 99.999% uptime guarantee.
- It offers free number porting.
- It offers unlimited voice calling within the US and Canada.
Where It Falls Behind
- It lacks vanity and international numbers.
- It doesn’t have unlimited text messaging.
- It can be expensive to scale up.
Nextiva Monthly Pricing (per User) Pricing is based on monthly billing. Save up to 35% when you pay annually.
- Essential: $35.95 for one phone number, unlimited calls to the US and Canada, 1,500 toll-free minutes, unlimited e-fax, and 45-minute video calls
- Professional: $40.95 for 40 conference call participants, 3,000 toll-free minutes, 1,000 SMS and MMS, CRM integrations, and multilevel auto-attendant
- Enterprise: $50.95 for unlimited participants, 12,500 toll-free minutes, 2,000 SMS/MMS, voicemail transcription, and single sign-on
We included Nextiva as an honorable mention in this guide since it has the biggest toll-free minute allowance among the top vendors of virtual phone numbers for businesses. It offers
up to 12,500 minutes monthly, making it the most fitting solution for those catering to a country-wide customer base. Companies fielding large volumes of calls from different parts of the country will significantly save money from Nextiva’s minute allowance.
Similarly, the provider has been included in this guide because aside from virtual numbers and minute allowances, it has free number porting. In case you want to keep your existing number, Nextiva will help you with the transfer process without extra cost. To facilitate the process, submit all the necessary requirements, like a completed Letter of Agency (LOA) and a recent bill from the current provider.
Although Nextiva is the best virtual phone number service for long-distance calling, it lacks vanity and international numbers. If you need these phone numbers for your business communications, go for Phone.com, which offers the full range of phone number types.
Nextiva Features
- Call flow builder: Nextiva provides a digital canvas for designing your automated phone menu. Configure your business hours, call routing, announcements, and extensions.
- Call presence: The business phone system displays the real-time phone status of employee extensions, so you can easily determine whether they are on a call. Status indicators include online, busy, and do not disturb.
- Team chat: Nextiva offers an integrated messaging app for group chats, video meetings, and virtual presentations. This enables users to collaborate over a scalable office phone system.
How We Evaluated the Best Virtual Phone Number Providers
A scoring rubric was our basis for the assessment of the best virtual phone number services. The rubric includes various criteria factors, namely the providers’ subscription fees, types of phone numbers provided, call management features, and ease of use. We referred to third-party review websites to see real-life users’ feedback.
Learn how we evaluated the top virtual phone number services by clicking on the tabs below:
20% of Overall Score
To gauge the provider’s affordability, we compared the cost of its entry-level subscription plan to the typical fee in the market. We gave more points to those with annual discounts and multiple phone numbers in subscription plans. We checked how much the provider charges for extra local numbers and if it offers a free trial or plan.
30% of Overall Score
The availability of the four types of phone numbers comprised the majority of our assessment of general features: local, toll-free, vanity, and international numbers. Higher points were given to vendors offering free number porting, minute allowances, or unlimited minutes.
15% of Overall Score
10% of Overall Score
10% of Overall Score
Businesses need timely assistance on technical concerns, especially small teams with no in-house information technology (IT) departments. We looked at the customer service hours each vendor offers, as well as the channels available. We particularly checked live chat, phone, email, and knowledge base.
15% of Overall Score
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The monthly starting cost for virtual phone numbers ranges from $10 to $35, depending on the type and provider. Many VoIP systems offer them free as part of their monthly subscription plan, but users can add more phone numbers as needed. Additionally, providers like Google Voice offer a local number and VoIP services for free.
Yes. VoIP providers offer a virtual phone number for sending and receiving standard SMS over the internet without needing a mobile device. Your virtual phone number is unique to your business, so you can respond to customers anywhere in the world.
Yes. A reverse phone lookup service can determine if a caller uses a virtual number as it has access to a public database of registered phone numbers. You’ll find plenty of free and paid reverse lookup services online, like Truecaller and Spokeo. Another way is to ask your VoIP provider to conduct a caller ID lookup to find information associated with the phone number.
Bottom Line
Having a virtual phone number enables business users to define their identity and keep their work and personal communications separate. Whether you want to be instantly recognized or have an in-country presence internationally, there are options available for you. Each provider has unique features, so it’s critical that you evaluate your organization’s needs before choosing a provider.
Based on our criteria, the best virtual phone number company is MightyCall, offering a wide range of phone numbers, from local to toll-free and vanity to international numbers. Its subscription plan includes more than one phone number. Plus, businesses are able to access unlimited calling minutes and messaging, along with important VoIP features. Sign up for MightyCall’s seven-day free trial today.