6 Best Virtual Phone Number Providers
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.
Marianne is a staff writer at Fit Small Business who covers business phone services, VoIP, and video conferencing tools.
This article is part of a larger series on VoIP.
The best virtual phone number provider allows businesses to separate work and personal communications efficiently. It should enable users to divert calls to a device they choose and quickly set it up even without technical knowledge. For added functionality, the right provider should offer call management features and extensive number options, such as local, toll-free, vanity, and international.
Based on our research on dozens of providers, here are the six best virtual phone number providers for small business:
- Grasshopper: Best overall for businesses needing budget-friendly plans and a user-friendly interface
- MightyCall: Suitable for larger teams wanting to save money on per-user costs
- CallHippo: Top choice for businesses needing local numbers across multiple countries
- Talkroute: Great option for contact centers with low call volumes
- eVoice: Ideal choice for companies wanting a global presence
- 800.com: Best for organizations looking for a straightforward, toll-free number provider
Virtual Phone Number Providers | Monthly Starting Price | Key Features | Type of Virtual Phone Numbers | FSB Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | $31 |
|
| 4.05 out of 5 |
 | $12 per user |
|
| 4.03 out of 5 |
 | $35 per user |
|
| 4 out of 5 |
 | $19 per user |
|
| 3.91 out of 5 |
 | $14 per user |
|
| 3.78 out of 5 |
 | $29 |
|
| 3.75 out of 5 |
Whether you need a local, toll-free, or vanity number, take our quiz to find out which virtual phone number provider is right for your business needs.
Which best virtual phone number provider is right for you?
Answer a few questions about your business, and we'll give you a personalized product match.
Grasshopper: Best Overall Virtual Phone Number Provider
Grasshopper
Overall Score:
4.05 / 5
What We Like
- Easy to set up and receive calls
- Affordable annual pricing
- Simplified calling functionalities
What's Missing
- No option for international numbers
- Lacks international calling
- No desk phone support
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
- Free trial: 7 days
*Choose annual billing and save over 10%.
Grasshopper is our best business virtual phone number provider because of its budget-friendly plans and easy-to-use interface. At a flat monthly fee, each package includes virtual phone numbers and extensions. These virtual phone numbers can be local, toll-free (800), or vanity numbers—enabling businesses to pick the right plan based on the number of phone lines and extensions they need. Additional numbers only cost $10 each, monthly.
All plans include basic voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) features, such as business texting, call forwarding, voicemail, extensions, and custom greetings. If you need a live receptionist to answer your calls, Grasshopper collaborates with Ruby Receptionist and lets you add its services to your account anytime.
Grasshopper has no option for international numbers and doesn’t allow international calling. If these features are what you need, check out MightyCall. It lets you add an international number to your account for only $10. Per-minute calling rates apply to international calling, starting as low as 5 cents.
Grasshopper Features
The Grasshopper mobile and desktop app lets you access your phone system anywhere. (Source: Grasshopper)
- Mobile and desktop app: Make business calls and texts using the Grasshopper app while keeping your personal calls and texts completely separate. It lets you view your call history and read voicemail transcriptions.
- Incoming call control: Customize how and when you receive calls based on your business hours or individual extensions. For an extra fee, you can let Grasshopper ring all your forwarding numbers, so calls get answered quickly.
- Virtual fax: Receive faxes directly from the Grasshopper app or your email through your business phone number. Grasshopper allows inbound faxing only.
MightyCall: Best Virtual Phone Provider Allowing an Unlimited Number of Users
MightyCall
Overall Score:
4.03 / 5
What We Like
- Call recordings are stored for one year
- International numbers only cost $10
- Offers customer relationship management (CRM) integrations, which is uncommon with virtual phone systems
What's Missing
- No virtual fax
- IP phone support is only available at the Business and Enterprise levels
- Few unified communications features
MightyCall Monthly Pricing*
- Small Team: $12 per user for two local or toll-free numbers, 1,000 call minutes, 1,000 texts, performance reports, call flow, auto-attendant, custom greetings, and dial-by-name
- Business: $15 per user for unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, voice-to-text, call recording, unlimited MMS, multilevel IVR, unlimited contacts, presence status, and voice studio recording
- Enterprise: $150 for unlimited users, unlimited minutes, desk phone support, and CRM integrations
- Free trial: 7 days
*Small Team and Business monthly plans are based on a per user basis, while the Enterprise plan has a fixed monthly fee. Save up to 25% on the Enterprise plan by paying semi-annually.
MightyCall is a virtual business phone service that charges a flat monthly fee for its Enterprise plan regardless of the number of users. This benefits large teams needing unlimited calls and minutes without paying per-user costs. Plus, all users have access to unlimited contacts, conferencing calling, and presence status.
What sets MightyCall apart from other virtual phone providers is its integrations with popular customer relationship management (CRM) systems such as HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zoho CRM. This makes workflows easier since the data seamlessly flows between your phone system and CRM.
On the downside, MightyCall only allows a maximum of two users for its base-level plan. This puts small teams at a slight disadvantage, especially if they have low call volumes and don’t want to upgrade to premium plans. In this case, eVoice might be a better fit for small teams looking for all-inclusive plans and those that don’t need unlimited call minutes.
MightyCall Features
MightyCall lets you create up to 10 branches of IVR. (Source: MightyCall)
- Caller name (CNAM): When making an outbound call, this feature will make your business name appear on the phone screen of the person you’re calling instead of your number. Having a recognizable caller ID leads to improved answer rates.
- Consultative call: If you don’t know the answer to a customer’s question, this feature lets you put an ongoing call on hold and make a new call to consult someone else. Once the consultative call ends, the original call automatically reconnects.
- Multilevel IVR: Set up a voice menu with multiple submenus and redirections. It comes with a fully programmable dashboard that lets you reduce call flow and provide clear-cut answers to callers.
CallHippo: Best for Business Needing Local Numbers in Global Locations
CallHippo
Overall Score:
4.00 / 5
What We Like
- Get an international phone number set up in less than three minutes
- IVR at the base level
- Free number porting
What's Missing
- 24/7 customer support is limited to the Ultimate plan
- No free trial
- Lacks unlimited text messaging
CallHippo Monthly Pricing*
- Starter: $35 per user for up to 10 users, unlimited domestic calling, one phone number, IVR, six months of call history, concurrent calls, hold music, shared inbox, number porting, business hours, integrations, and ring groups
- Professional: $45 per user for up to 50 users with unlimited call history, call recording, analytics and reports, call tagging, forward-to-device, and voicemail-to-email notifications
- Ultimate: $55 per user for up to 50 users with call blocking, professionally recorded greeting, call cascading, custom greetings, and audit logs
*Save up to three months’ cost through annual prepayment. Office Phone plans are designed for small businesses, so if daily usage involves bulk calling, CallHippo will change the plan or charge as per standard rates.
CallHippo is one of our best virtual phone services for businesses wanting to establish a local market identity in foreign markets and increase the chances of conversions. It lets you purchase a local number in over 50 countries. This allows you to call your customers per local minute rate and manage your business in another region without having a physical office.
CallHippo delivers additional services for companies with large teams or those experiencing large call volumes. Its call center solution unlocks more call management features and workforce management tools. The voice broadcasting service lets you send automated voice messages via VoIP calling to a large number of people simultaneously.
One of CallHippo’s drawbacks is its lack of virtual faxing and text messaging capabilities. If you’re looking for a VoIP system for managing various communication channels, consider eVoice. It allows business texting and conference calling, while online faxing and web conferencing are available as add-on purchases.
CallHippo Features
CallHippo’s Global Connect feature helps determine the calling cost by displaying the country where you would be placing the call. (Source: CallHippo)
- Global connect: Displays the time zone of a particular country where you want to place a call. It reflects the time, date, day, and validity of the number you wish to dial.
- Call analytics: Identify your team’s call performance, track call volume, and measure the percentage of missed calls and agents’ call load. It also captures caller details, such as their name, contact number, location, and what prompted them to call.
- Voicemail: Greet callers with personalized voicemail messages and get unlimited voice mailboxes. The CallHippo dashboard lets you access the voicemail of all users and ensures every number has a different voicemail.
Talkroute: Best for Contact Centers With Low Call Volumes
Talkroute
Overall Score:
3.91 / 5
What We Like
- Every plan has unlimited call forwarding and routing
- Unlimited inbound and outbound calling at every tier
- Inclusive monthly pricing
What's Missing
- Only 500 text messages at the base tier; upgrade to a higher level for unlimited SMS texting
- No IVR or auto-attendant in the Basic plan
- Doesn’t allow outbound international calling
Talkroute Monthly Pricing*
- Basic: $19 for one user, a choice of a local or toll-free number, 500 text messages, unlimited domestic calling, call forwarding, one voice mailbox, custom greetings, caller ID, 100-participant video meetings, and desktop and mobile app
- Plus: $39 for three users, two local or toll-free numbers, unlimited text messaging, three mailboxes, call menu, business hours, simultaneous ring, call transfer, and screen sharing
- Pro: $59 for 10 users, three local or toll-free numbers, 10 voice mailboxes, multilevel auto-attendant, multidigit extensions, call recording, scheduled call forwarding, voice studio, and reporting
- Enterprise: Contact sales for a quote, up to 10 local or toll-free numbers, 20+ mailboxes, dedicated account manager, and service level agreement (SLA)
- Free trial: 7 days
*Additional users for Basic, Plus, and Pro plans cost $5.
Talkroute is a virtual business phone number provider that works well as a contact center solution. It has advanced routing tools, such as a multilevel IVR, call blasts that ring multiple phones simultaneously, and call stacking, which enables you to place multiple callers on hold so there’s no busy signal even if all your lines are in use.
According to Talkroute’s terms of service, its platform doesn’t work for bulk call-in lines like high-volume call centers, making it a better fit for contact centers with low to moderate call volumes.
Another standard feature of Talkroute is it provides business associate agreements (BAA) that are required for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance.
This is critical for businesses dealing with electronically protected health information (ePHI). While its business texting and voicemail-to-email features aren’t HIPAA-compliant, every other feature of the service is helpful for businesses needing to protect data.
Similar to Grasshopper, Talkroute doesn’t permit international calling and has no international number option. Businesses that are in need of these services will find MightyCall and eVoice as the best alternatives.
Talkroute Features
Talkroute lets you configure multidigit extensions to route calls to multiple phones, desktop users, voice mailboxes, and automated messages. (Source: Talkroute)
- Voice studio: Get professionally recorded audio prompts for your phone system with Talkroute’s voiceover artists. Simply submit a script through their website form. Talkroute will send your professionally recorded voiceover within one to three business days.
- Multidigit extensions: These are three- or four-digit direct dial extensions that are configured to route callers to the right agent or department. Talkroute lets you add as many multidigit extensions as needed.
- Call reporting and analytics: Retrieve various call data, such as duration, caller ID, date and time, and status for all inbound and outbound calls. Filtering options are available to retrieve the results you need.
eVoice: Best for Companies With an International Presence
eVoice
Overall Score:
3.78 / 5
What We Like
- Single plan structure makes it easy to scale up or down
- Live receptionist plans combine eVoice solution with live answering services
- International forwarding—forward a call to your business in another country
What's Missing
- No desktop app, which most other providers have
- Unlimited SMS texting isn’t included—you have to pay an extra fee
- Requesting and being provided with a vanity number takes a long time
eVoice Monthly Pricing*
- Elite: $14 per user for 30,000 call minutes, unlimited extensions, and three local or toll-free numbers
*Choose annual billing and get two months free. Volume discounts apply depending on the number of users.
eVoice is a virtual phone service offering all the standard options for virtual business numbers, such as local, toll-free, and vanity, as well as numbers in global territories. Starting at $29.95 per number, per month, you get an international phone number that lets you establish a local presence in a specific country. eVoice also allows users to make international calls at affordable per-minute rates.
eVoice offers a separate plan for those wanting a live answering service to complement their virtual phone system. Live receptionist monthly plans start at $139.95, which includes a team of four to six U.S.-based live operators who are expertly trained to answer phone calls and schedule appointments.
Despite eVoice’s impressive global support, it doesn’t provide unlimited SMS nor a desktop app. If your company frequently conducts business via text messaging, Grasshopper would be a better fit. Business text messaging is free when you sign up for their services. Also, the instant response feature lets you leverage business SMS by sending automatic responses to any first-time caller.
eVoice Features
eVoice lets you create a simple phone greeting even after business hours that reflects your company’s image. (Source: eVoice)
- International forwarding: Forward your voice calls to an international number. This gives you the ability to appear like a local company in foreign markets.
- Sequential ring: When a call comes through, this feature will ring multiple phone numbers in the order you choose. All configured devices will continue to ring until the call is answered.
- After-hours greetings: When your business is closed for the day, greet callers accordingly with a personalized after-hours message. Use it to let them know that you will get back to them in a timely manner.
800.com: Best No-frills, Toll-free Number Provider
800.com
Overall Score:
3.75 / 5
What We Like
- Ability to attach call notes for each provider
- Huge selection of 800 numbers
- All plans include call recording, which is typically locked behind higher tiers
What's Missing
- No free trial
- No option for local numbers
- Setup process for vanity numbers takes three to five days
800.com Monthly Pricing*
- Personal: $29 for 1,000 call minutes and one toll-free number
- Unlimited: $75 for unlimited call minutes and one toll-free number
- Pro: $149 for unlimited seats, 5,000 call minutes, and five toll-free numbers
*Save 15% with annual plans.
800.com is a virtual business number provider offering several options for toll-free numbers. It is a great option for companies that simply need an 800 number for their business and don’t want to pay for features they don’t need. Like Grasshopper, 800.com bundles all of the same default calling features into every plan. The chief difference between each plan is the number of toll-free numbers and the monthly allotment of minutes.
Businesses running multiple marketing campaigns will appreciate 800.com’s call tracking and SMS marketing services. Reach more customers by sending out bulk messages and assigning unique phone numbers to your marketing channels.
On 800.com, number buying takes several hours or days to be activated. If your business needs immediate coverage from a virtual phone provider, check out CallHippo. From buying numbers to making your first call, CallHippo will get your phone system running within three minutes.
800.com Features
800.com lets you build keyword logic for your marketing strategy and give callers a monetary value based on keywords. (Source: 800.com)
- Whisper greeting: Before a call is connected, this feature will play a short recording to the caller to identify the source of the call.
- Weighted routing: This gives you the option to distribute incoming calls equally to multiple phones or prioritize higher-performing teams.
- Keyword spotting: Analyze your call transcripts to detect words of intent spoken by a caller. Decide which specific keywords to highlight and choose the type of action when those keywords are spoken.
How We Evaluated the Best Virtual Phone Number Provider
Many of the best business phone systems have a virtual number selection. However, not all providers offer extended number options, a quick setup process, and robust business calling features. We narrowed down the list of providers to the best six, considering several factors like pricing and niche features that some small businesses need.
Learn how we evaluated the best virtual phone number provider by clicking on the tabs below:
20%
Pricing
30%
General Features
25%
Advanced Features
25%
Expert Score
20% of Overall Score
Budget is an integral consideration when getting a virtual phone number for a small business. Some even look for a free virtual phone number app to reduce the costs of their services. For this reason, we considered subscription prices and any annual or volume user discounts that would make a provider more economical.
30% of Overall Score
General features are very important, and we considered aspects of each that affected the virtual number experience and the calling experience. We measured whether the provider delivered both local and toll-free virtual numbers. We also weighed useful business calling features like voicemail, the overall call management experience, and call quality.
25% of Overall Score
Advanced and niche features may not be needed by every business but could be very valuable to some companies. First, we considered whether providers offered international and vanity number options. Not every provider has these, but they can be very useful if you’re looking to expand globally into new territories or want a business number customers can easily remember. We also considered advanced calling features some businesses might need more than others.
25% of Overall Score
After evaluating all of the other quantitative factors, we also took the time to explore the providers ourselves to determine how they weighed against each other. We measured ease of use, first impressions, and how well each provider functioned in terms of VoIP calling. We also included how customer reviews rank each provider for its features and general user experience.
*Percentages of overall score
Bottom Line
Having a virtual office phone number enables companies 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 provider offering virtual phone numbers for businesses is Grasshopper. Except for international dialing options, Grasshopper offers options for local, toll-free, and vanity numbers and has a comprehensive set of business calling features. Sign up for its free trial or read our Grasshopper review to learn the provider’s ins and outs.
