7 Best Virtual Phone Number Providers in 2023
Corey McCraw is a staff writer covering VoIP and Unified Communications. Corey has over a decade of experience in marketing, tech writing, and corporate communications and has even penned content for the former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative.
Silvana is a staff writer at Fit Small Business who covers business technology, audio and video conferencing tools, and phone services.
This article is part of a larger series on VoIP.
The best virtual phone number providers help small businesses receive calls from anywhere and localize phone numbers to improve credibility and establish a local presence. When choosing a platform, consider the types of virtual phone numbers available and the call management features included in each provider’s plan to make the most out of your subscription. Key features to consider are call routing, inclusive minutes, and auto-attendants.
We evaluated several virtual phone number providers for businesses to help you find the right business tool. These are our top picks:
- Grasshopper: Best overall virtual phone number provider
- MightyCall: Suitable for teams needing robust call history and logging
- Talkroute: Great option for contact centers with low call volumes
- RingCentral: Top choice for companies wanting powerful call management tools
- eVoice: Ideal choice for companies establishing global legitimacy
- Nextiva: Solid pick for remote collaboration and productivity features
- Ooma: Ideal for teams needing feature-rich solutions with unmetered international calling
Best Vanity Phone Number Providers at a Glance
Virtual Business Phone Number Providers | Monthly Starting Price (per User) | Key Features | Types of Virtual Office Phone Numbers | FSB Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | $31 |
|
| 4.16 out of 5 |
 | $20 |
|
| 4.13 out of 5 |
 | $19 |
|
| 4.11 out of 5 |
 | $30 |
|
| 4.10 out of 5 |
 | $14 |
|
| 4.09 out of 5 |
 | $30.95 |
|
| 4.07 out of 5 |
 | $19.95 |
|
| 4.07 out of 5 |
Grasshopper: Best Overall Virtual Phone Number Provider
Overall Score:
4.16 / 5
What We Like
- Offers automatic text messaging
- Includes spam filtering capabilities
- Provider has simultaneous call handling
Where It Falls Behind
- No video conferencing features
- Lacks toll-free minutes
- Quality management features are not available in lower-tier plans
Grasshopper Monthly Pricing*
- Solo: $31 for one phone number and three extensions
- Partner: $51 for three phone numbers and six extensions
- Small Business: $89 for five phone numbers and unlimited extensions
Add-ons
- Voice Studio: $75 for each order
- Phone numbers: $10 monthly for each additional number
*Grasshopper has a flat-rate pricing model with annual billing that saves users up to 10%.
Grasshopper is our overall virtual phone number provider due to its complete flat-rate monthly pricing and user-friendly interface. Regardless of your plan, users can access all standard features, which only vary in the number of phone numbers and extensions included. Grasshopper’s base plan has one phone number and five on the highest plan. Additional phone numbers are available for $10 per number, monthly.
Moreover, it offers the most intuitive interface across all its applications. It’s ideal for solopreneurs and small businesses needing a simple but powerful virtual phone number provider. Grasshopper’s design emphasizes simple softphone functionality. Use existing hardware or mobile phones, then register, choose your number, and make and receive calls in minutes.
However, while it offers essential phone solutions at affordable prices, its offerings are limited to virtual phone services. For businesses looking for advanced communication platforms with video conferencing, consider RingCentral or Nextiva. Both providers have unified communications (UC) capabilities, such as video meetings and team chat.
Grasshopper Features
Record business phone greetings using Grasshopper’s professional voice actors (Source: Grasshopper)
- Custom greetings: Personalize how you welcome and direct your callers through your phone system. Grasshopper allows users to record messages independently or through a professional voice actor.
- Instant response: Grasshopper sends an automatic message to clients reaching you. It confirms that the caller’s information or inquiry was received. The feature also ensures all calls are noticed and addressed.
- Virtual receptionist: Grasshopper works with Ruby Receptionists to offer customers live call answering services. It has U.S.-based voice talents who deliver custom scripts for personalized customer experiences.
To learn more about Grasshopper, check out our detailed Grasshopper review with information on pricing, features, and best use cases.
MightyCall: Best for Call History Tracking & Logging
Overall Score:
4.13 / 5
What We Like
- Offers auto-receptionist and multi-level interactive voice response (IVR)
- Extra local and international virtual phone numbers for businesses are the same price at $10 monthly
- Enterprise tier includes unlimited call recording
Where It Falls Behind
- Higher-tier plan subscription required for softphone and desk support
- Limited UC functionality
- Limited third-party integrations
MightyCall Monthly Pricing*
- Business: $20 per user for two numbers, unlimited minutes and business messaging, and IVR
- Enterprise: $200 per month for unlimited users
*Save up to 25% on annual plans
Thanks to its call logging feature, MightyCall is our top choice for documenting call history. Incoming calls are automatically logged with complete details, including length, those involved, and voicemails, if any. Agents can leave notes on the call for colleagues so everyone is looped in regarding the call history and updates. Calls are saved on the server and accessible through a user-friendly web panel.
Much like Grasshopper, MightyCall offers monthly per-user rates ideal for smaller teams and a flat-rate enterprise-level plan with robust features like IVR and unlimited calling. It offers four types of virtual phone numbers: local, vanity, toll-free, and international. With MightyCall, you get features like a multi-level IVR, agent workspace, and call monitoring.
MightyCall’s integrations include HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zoho, and it offers an application programming interface (API) for increased functionality. However, try RingCentral if you use applications beyond MightyCall’s integrations. RingCentral has over 300 third-party apps that will help streamline your business phone and productivity systems.
MightyCall Features
MightyCall business SMS (short message service) (Source: MightyCall)
- Consultative calling: This lets you put a caller on hold while beginning another call with someone else to clarify information. When the consultative call ends, the original call will connect automatically.
- VIP and block list call routing: Create a special list for VIP numbers to have their phone tree branch. Meanwhile, a call will immediately end when added to the blocked list.
- Caller ID name (CNAM): Displays your company name on the phone of the person you wish to call instead of your phone number. This feature only works if the call recipient is registered in your MightyCall system.
Our in-depth MightyCall review outlines everything you need to know about this provider. Check out the guide before subscribing to this solution.
Talkroute: Best for Call Centers With Low Call Volumes
Overall Score:
4.11 / 5
What We Like
- Offers customizable outgoing caller ID name
- Provides live call transfer to phones, extensions, menus, and mailboxes
- Custom scheduled call forwarding
Where It Falls Behind
- Unlike higher plans with unlimited text messaging, the base plan only includes 500 text messages
- No IVR or auto-attendant in the Basic plan
- Dedicated account managers are limited to Enterprise plan subscribers
Talkroute Monthly Pricing*
- Basic: $19 for one user and mailbox, unlimited calling, text messaging, and video meetings
- Plus: $39 for three users, two numbers, three mailboxes, simultaneous rings, and live call transfer
- Pro: $59 for 10 users, three numbers, 10 mailboxes, submenus, call recording, and voice studio
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for more than 20 users, service level agreement (SLA), and account management
*Talkroute charges $5 monthly for each additional phone number, user, and voice mailbox.
Talkroute is one of our picks for the best virtual phone number for business providers, especially for call centers with low call volumes, as a set number of users can share each account for the same monthly fee. If you need more users, mailboxes, or extensions, these can be purchased at $5 each, monthly. It also offers call stacking, which allows you to place multiple callers on hold simultaneously. This means even with limited staff, your callers never hear a busy signal.
While Talkroute offers advanced routing tools, such as a multi-level IVR, call blasts that ring multiple phones simultaneously, and call stacking. However, it doesn’t offer international calling and has no global number option. Businesses needing these features are better off with MightyCall. It offers all phone numbers: vanity, toll-free, local, and international.
Talkroute Features
Use your Talkroute phone numbers to send and receive messages (Source: Talkroute)
- Voicemail access permissions: Set granular access to your voicemail by allowing specific users to view and edit voicemail access. Secure your communications by providing limited access to voicemail boxes to only those who need it.
- Whiteboard: Whiteboards are spaces for you and your meeting participants to collectively brainstorm and annotate. This is a great way to jot down and illustrate ideas in real time.
- Informational extensions: Connect callers to the proper departments and team members. Play custom-recorded or uploaded greetings specific to each extension so callers know where they’ve been routed.
Talkroute is a virtual phone system equipped with call management and conferencing features. Learn if it suits your business needs by reading our in-depth Talkroute review.
RingCentral: Best for Its Call Management Capabilities
Overall Score:
4.10 / 5
What We Like
- Intuitive IVR editor
- Includes analytics for IT administrators
- Artificial intelligence (AI)-noise cancellation
Where It Falls Behind
- No CRM in the base plan
- Limited report customization
- Maximum of five users for trials
RingCentral Monthly Pricing (per User)*
- Core: $30 for unlimited domestic calling IVR, 100 toll-free minutes, and 25 business messages
- Advanced: $35 for auto-call recording, advanced call monitoring, and internet fax
- Ultimate: $45 for custom business insights, unlimited file sharing, and enhanced analytics
*Save up to 33% with annual billing; the provider offers volume discounts for 50 users and up.
RingCentral is the best option for accompanying call management features, such as IVR on the base plan, advanced call queues and monitoring, and team messaging. In addition to robust calling features, it comes with a wide range of third-party integrations and phone rentals. This ensures users have an all-in-one UC solution for communicating internally and externally.
RingCentral is our top provider in our business phone systems guide. However, its subscription plans are higher than other virtual phone number providers. eVoice is a budget-friendly alternative offering four types of virtual phone numbers. It offers live answering services, international call forwarding, and unlimited extensions.
RingCentral Features
Get information quickly using RingCentral’s search function using specific topics, speakers, or keywords
(Source: RingCentral)
- Team huddle: This facilitates impromptu meetings with colleagues. Similar to how meetings pop up organically around the office, RingCentral’s team huddle feature lets you host audio and video conferences where participants can come and go as they please.
- Visual voicemail: Access and manage your voicemail in RingCentral’s admin portal. View all your voicemails and identify your priority messages. The visual voicemail feature lets you read the messages instead of listening to the audio files.
- RingOut: When your internet connection is unstable, use your landline or a mobile phone to make calls. Your RingCentral number will appear in the caller ID, not your landline or mobile number.
Our in-depth RingCentral review outlines the provider’s VoIP capabilities, pricing, and use cases. Check out the guide for more information.
eVoice: Best for Companies Expanding Globally
Overall Score:
4.09 / 5
What We Like
- Simple web portal and mobile app
- Offers advanced call routing
- Custom greetings and recording available
Where It Falls Behind
- Business texting is not a standard feature
- Customer feedback indicates slow customer service
- Add-on pricing only available through sales
eVoice Monthly Pricing*
- Elite Monthly: $14 for one user, 30,000 minutes, three numbers, unlimited extensions, and inbound e-faxing
- Elite 6 Monthly: $13 for six users and 18 toll-free or local numbers
- Elite 10 Monthly: $10 for 10 users and 30 toll-free or local numbers
- Elite 11 Monthly: $13.50 for 11 users and 33 toll-free or local numbers
*eVoice offers a risk-free, 30-day money-back guarantee.
If your business is growing and you’re looking for a platform to help you expand globally, eVoice allows teams to call internationally using a local number customers recognize. You also have the option to choose the international forwarding feature, which gives you the ability to send calls to your businesses in foreign markets. In addition, the base plan comes with three numbers, which is ideal for businesses needing multiple lines for call tracking campaigns.
However, one downside to subscribing to eVoice is that web conferencing and call recording are additional premium features that come at an extra cost. If you are looking for feature-rich base plans, RingCentral offers both video conferencing and call recording in its base plan that starts at $30 per user, monthly.
eVoice Features
Create positive, lasting first impressions with custom studio-recorded greetings
(Source: eVoice)
- Sequential or simultaneous ring: Ensure your calls are never unanswered with ring settings. Ring multiple lines simultaneously, either one after the other or simultaneously, for efficient customer support.
- International forwarding: This feature complements your company’s global growth by allowing you to direct calls overseas. This forwarding feature lets your team divert inbound calls from anywhere in the world to your preferred telephone number or device. Even though calls are routed internationally, callers are not charged international rates.
- After-hours greeting: Create unique, custom greetings for callers reaching you beyond business hours. Professionalize communications with customers with greetings that carry your brand’s tone and messaging even when your agents aren’t available to take calls.
Learn more about the business phone solution in our eVoice review. The provider earned a perfect score on general features and high ratings on ease of use and customer service.
Nextiva: Best for Its Robust Collaboration & Productivity Features
Overall Score:
4.07 / 5
What We Like
- 99.999% uptime SLA
- Supports Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
- All plans come with a free local and toll-free number
Where It Falls Behind
- Doesn't have outbound dialers
- No unlimited international calling option
- Limited meeting duration, up to 45 minutes per meeting only
Nextiva Monthly Pricing (per User)*
- Essential: $30.95 per user for unlimited calling within the U.S. and Canada, up to 1,500 toll-free minutes, auto-attendant, and voicemail-to-email notifications
- Professional: $35.95 per user for up to 3,000 toll-free minutes, multi-level auto-attendant, and voicemail-to-SMS notifications
- Enterprise: $45.95 per user for up to 12,500 toll-free minutes, voicemail transcription, single sign-on, and integrations with productivity, CRM, and customer service tools
*Save up to 27% with annual payment; volume discounts are also available.
Nextiva is the best virtual phone number provider for collaboration tools, thanks to its Cospace app. It allows colleagues to coordinate seamlessly even while out of the office. As a robust UC platform, team members can share files, screen share during meetings, task projects, and speak in real time through instant messaging. It’s also notable for its toll-free minute allowance—it offers up to 12,500 inclusive talk minutes under its most expensive subscription plan.
Nextiva is on our list of best softphone providers because of its productivity tools. Its application is available in tablet, desktop, and mobile versions, allowing users to stay connected. However, Nextiva has a 45-minute limit for meetings. If your business needs more minutes, consider RingCentral. There are no time limits with RingCentral video meetings. Like Nextiva, RingCentral is a popular UC platform with robust call management capabilities.
Nextiva Features
Nextiva’s user activity tab lets you specify the desired time range when viewing analytics.
(Source: Nextiva).
- Call flow builder: Manage call flows easily using Nextiva’s menus and route calls based on set days and times. Create an effective inbound call flow and design your phone system’s routing protocols based on your operational requirements.
- Conversational artificial intelligence (AI): An advanced IVR system with conversational AI capabilities that allow users to talk about their purpose for calling rather than touch tone responses based on menu prompts. This advanced IVR is used for queue callback, appointment scheduling, and reservations.
- Team chat: This group messaging functionality is a UC tool used in collaboration. Teams can share files, thread conversations, and create rooms that work as private workspaces for multiple people.
Before getting a subscription, learn more about this virtual phone number for business provider’s capabilities. Use our comprehensive Nextiva review to decide if this is the right option for your business.
Ooma: Best Feature-rich Provider With Unmetered Global Calling
Overall Score:
4.07 / 5
What We Like
- Wide range of business phone features
- Affordable rates for international calls
- Robust mobility features, such as simultaneous ring and call transfer
Where It Falls Behind
- Limited third-party integrations
- Call analytics is not available on the entry-level plan
- Doesn't offer international text messaging
Ooma Monthly Pricing (per User)
- Essentials: $19.95 for virtual reception, ring groups, and one toll-free number
- Pro: $24.95 for text messaging, video conferencing, call recording, and analytics
- Pro Plus: $29.95 for call queuing, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Salesforce integration, advanced call management, and hot desking
Ooma is an excellent choice for businesses that make occasional or high-volume international calling. It offers a pay-as-you-go option and two unlimited World calling plans. If you’re not in the market for unmetered calling, opt for Ooma’s “pay as you go” option, which deducts from your account’s credits or funds for each minute of talk time. Its World Plans offer unmetered landline calls to over 70 countries and mobile phones in more than 40 countries.
Unfortunately, Ooma users must contend with a 100-participant cap for video meetings. For businesses that need to host meetings for more than 100 attendees, opt for Nextiva. The provider accommodates 250 people in its conference calls. It offers HD video meetings, live chat, and screen sharing over voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP).
Ooma Features
Ooma Office’s Chrome extension brings Ooma to your Chrome browser. (Source: Ooma)
- Video conferencing: Small teams with remote colleagues or partners in different locations can have real-time virtual meetings. It includes noise suppression, pin and unpin participants, and keyboard shortcuts.
- Ring groups: Set up your system to ring multiple phones from a single extension or direct phone number. This feature rings all devices in the ring group based on your preferred pattern. It can ring simultaneously or in succession.
- Intercom calling: Bring intercom functionality to your phone system. Users dial an extension, and the receiving device will automatically answer via speakerphone. This is particularly useful for making announcements over the phone.
Read our Ooma review and find out what makes it one of the best small business solutions for calling and unified communications.
How We Evaluated the Best Virtual Phone Number Provider
To assess the best virtual phone number providers, we considered crucial factors, such as pricing, general and advanced features, ease of use, and customer support. We also weighed the platform’s value for money and popularity based on our experience and expertise in office technology.
Learn how we evaluated the best virtual phone number provider by clicking on the tabs below:
15%
Pricing
25%
General Features
20%
Advanced Features
10%
Ease of Use
10%
Customer Support
20%
Expert Score
15% of Overall Score
To determine the platform’s value for money, we looked at the cost of the base level and second-tier plans. Higher points were given to those offering annual and volume discounts. We also considered whether the providers offer a forever-free plan that benefits smaller teams, startups, freelancers, and solopreneurs.
25% of Overall Score
The general features we looked at were unlimited calling in the U.S. and Canada, video and audio conferencing, and a mobile app. We included the SLA guarantee in our assessment, giving more points to those with 99.999% or above uptime.
20% of Overall Score
The specialized features we checked were international calling, international numbers, and the IVR system. Providers with robust integrations ranked higher than those without.
10% of Overall Score
Ease of use was determined by the level of expertise required to set up and operate the VoIP platform. Higher scores are given to user-friendly platforms with intuitive interfaces.
10% of Overall Score
To determine the best virtual phone number provider, we evaluated the different support channels available to users. Crucial channels we identified include phone, live chat, and an email ticketing system. More points are awarded if all support channels are available 24/7.
20% of Overall Score
This includes evaluating the provider’s standout features, value for money, and ease of use. We checked user ratings in third-party review sites to gauge the platform’s popularity.
*Percentages of overall score
Bottom Line
The best virtual phone number providers offer affordable virtual phone numbers with high-quality features like call routing and call transfer to boost your communication stack. Grasshopper came out on top of all the providers reviewed—offering budget-friendly plans and an easy-to-maneuver user interface. Alternatively, if your business needs a feature-rich phone system, consider RingCentral.
