6 Best VoIP Apps for 2019

VoIP apps let you access your business phone systems on your mobile device. We evaluated apps offered by a variety of providers and narrowed it to the top six. We then compared the price, functionality, ease of use, and customer support to learn who each is right for, including which one is the best overall.

Top 6 VoIP Apps for 2019

Which VoIP Provider Is Right For You?

How We Evaluated VoIP Apps

Most VoIP business phone systems offer a mobile app as a standard feature with their service plans. However, to be considered the best, VoIP apps should be easy to use and include features like SMS, group chat, and faxing. They should also be affordable and backed by reliable customer support.

Therefore, we evaluated the best VoIP apps based on:

• Price – Each provider’s pricing tiers and packages were compared as a business phone system overall, in addition to the cost of the app.
• Ease of Use – We evaluated how easy each VoIP app was to set up and use.
• iOS and Android Support – As VoIP give businesses the option to allow staff to bring their own device, we checked how the app was supported for both iOS and Android devices.
• Call Features – Each app considered had to support core calling features like the ability to make and receive phone calls using the business number as well as more advanced functionality like call hold or transfer.
• International Calling – We looked at each service’s ability to make calls outside the United States.
• Integrations – A VoIP app should work with the business phone system. However, we also examined each app’s ability to connect data with other business applications.
• Additional Features – We evaluated the variety of uncommon or bonus features included with each VoIP app.
• Customer Support – We assessed each provider’s online and live customer support.

We recommend RingCentral, a leading small business VoIP provider, as the best overall VoIP app for its combination of features and affordability. In addition to it being a business phone system, it also offers a great mobile app as part of all of its service plans along with exceptional customer support and robust features, making it particularly well-suited for growing businesses.

Best Overall VoIP App for Small Businesses: RingCentral

RingCentral Mobile Interface

RingCentral is a leading VoIP business phone service with an app offering features like group chat, audio and video conferencing, faxing, and image sharing. The app is available for both Android and iOS devices and has the best user interface for a VoIP app. RingCentral ranges from $29.99 to $59.99 per user per month. It’s the right choice for businesses wanting an affordable solution with the best combination of features.

RingCentral Pricing

RingCentral’s prices for up to 10 users range from $29.99 to $39.99 per month. Unlimited user plans range from $34.99 to $59.99 per month. All packages have an annual contract option for a discount on the cost per user. Customers who pay by the month can cancel any time without penalty.

RingCentral Tiered Phone System Features

Essentials

RingCentral’s mobile app is available with every service plan, even the Essentials plan, which costs $29.99 per user per month. The app is supported on iOS and Android devices and includes features such as SMS messaging, group chat, and video sharing. It also supports conferencing through either audio or video. RingCentral offers one of the most robust feature sets on the market today.

The Essentials package also features an auto-attendant to greet customers and route calls. However, it lacks the multi-level auto-attendant offered at the next level plan. While the Essential plan’s pricing costs a bit more than Phone.com’s first-tier plan, it offers more standard features like voicemail transcription and 24/7 customer support, making it right for solopreneurs or very small businesses wanting a simple business phone system with VoIP apps.

Standard

The Standard package offers all the mobile functionality of the Essentials plan and adds support for unlimited users for $34.99 per user per month, putting its pricing on par with other VoIP providers’ similar packages. It also includes 1,000 toll-free minutes and internet faxing as well as a multi-level auto-attendant with call routing rules to manage incoming calls for multiple office locations, making it a good choice for call centers and companies with high call volumes.

However, the Standard plan doesn’t offer business app integration or the voicemail transcription-to-text provided with the next level. It also doesn’t offer multiple phone numbers like Grasshopper’s mid-level plan. That said, additional local and toll-free numbers are available for $4.99 per month, and vanity numbers are available for a one-time fee of $30.

Premium

The Premium package includes 2,500 toll-free minutes and integration for business tools like Salesforce, Zendesk, and Desk for $44.99 per user per month. It also features automated call recording and voicemail transcription-to-text you can access from the palm of your hand. The Premium plan is right for sales and consulting teams wanting a business phone system with sales and mobile features designed to enhance productivity.

The Premium plan doesn’t offer the large bucket of minutes offered by RingCentral’s top tier. However, the business app integration feature may be of higher value to some companies than toll-free calling minutes. The Premium level pricing is mid-range among the higher-tiered services plans of the VoIP providers on our list.

Ultimate

The Ultimate package includes 10,000 toll-free minutes and all the features of the lower tiers. This plan is an excellent choice for large organizations with high call volume and businesses that don’t want to worry about running out of calling minutes, but it can be expensive at $59.99 per user per month.

RingCentral packages don’t include unlimited international calling to select locations as offered by 8×8’s service plans. However, unlike 8×8, RingCentral offers 24/7 customer support, which some businesses may prioritize over global calling. The Ultimate tier’s pricing is in line with other enterprise-level VoIP providers.

What RingCentral Is Missing

RingCentral’s VoIP app offers the same or more features than its competitors, so RingCentral is missing nothing noteworthy in that regard. However, its service plans lack unlimited calling outside the U.S. and Canada. Businesses with global contacts that make and receive a lot of international calls may be better served by 8×8.

What Users Think About RingCentral

Our readers give RingCentral positive ratings, with an average of four out of five stars. Customers say RingCentral has all the features that a small business needs. However, some customers report dissatisfaction with call quality and long wait times when calling customer service. For more reviews, visit our RingCentral User Reviews page.

Best VoIP App with Fax Support Tools: Nextiva

Nextiva Mobile App

Nextiva is a VoIP provider that ranks as our top business phone system with a mobile app, starting with its mid-level tier offering features like conference calling, voice recording, call handoff, and group chat. Prices range from $34.95 to $44.95 per user per month with unlimited faxing. This makes Nextiva the right choice for sales agents and teams wanting a VoIP app with tools that help them easily share important documents while on the go.

Nextiva Pricing

Nextiva offers three service plans. Pro starts at $34.95 per month, Pro Plus starts at $37.95 per month, and Enterprise starts at $44.95 per month. Pricing is per user, and prices decrease as more users are added. Additional cost savings are available with long-term contracts and prepaid agreements.

Nextiva Tiered Phone System Features

Office Pro

Nextiva’s Office Pro package includes unlimited domestic calling, free local and toll-free phone numbers, and an auto-attendant to greet and route incoming calls as well as best-in-class customer service. However, it does not offer use of the mobile app at this level. As a result, this plan is not a viable solution for businesses wanting to take their business VoIP system on the go, and kept it from being our recommended overall pick.

Office Pro Plus

The Nextiva mobile app for iOS and Android devices is first offered in the Office Pro plan. It includes features like SMS, group chat, and Wi-Fi calling for $37.95 per user per month, putting its cost in line with the mid-level service plans offered by other VoIP providers on the market. In addition, this plan adds one professionally-recorded greeting for inbound callers and a conference bridge for calls with up to nine participants.

However, this package lacks the call recording and analytics offered at Nextiva’s highest tier level. It’s also missing the two local or toll-free phone numbers as offered with Phone.com’s mid-level plan, but this level is a good choice for workers who want a VoIP app with features like business SMS and mobile faxing.

Enterprise

Nextiva’s Office Enterprise plan includes three professionally recorded greetings, tools for analytics and reporting, and inbound and outbound call recording for $44.95 per user per month. It also enhances the app with Nextiva Anywhere, a feature that allows customers to make and receive calls from any device, at any location, using a single phone number.

Nextiva Office Enterprise lacks the business app integration found in other VoIP provider service plans and doesn’t include a bundle of toll-free minutes, as offered by RingCentral. Additionally, other platforms offer an app similar to Nextiva Anywhere in more affordable plans. However, this plan’s competitive price and feature set make it right for call center managers wanting tools that capture call data for quality assurance and training purposes at various locations.

What Nextiva Is Missing

Nextiva’s VoIP app offers many of the same features as its competitors. However, its main drawback is that the app is not available at the first tier level, pricing it out of reach for some customers. Businesses wanting a VoIP app available at tier-one pricing should consider RingCentral or Grasshopper.

What Users Think About Nextiva

Our readers give Nextiva positive ratings with an average of four out of five stars. Customers are happy with Nextiva’s customer service, saying that representatives are helpful and professional. However, some users report the system can be difficult to install and complain of frequent downtime. For a more in-depth look at what customers say about the service, visit our Nextiva User Reviews page.

Best VoIP App for Team Collaboration: Vonage

Vonage Mobile App

Vonage, which starts at a highly competitive price of $19.99 per month, is a popular VoIP business phone system provider with a mobile VoIP featuring things like image sharing, voicemail, text messaging, video calling, and group chat. This makes Vonage the best choice for distributed teams that want a VoIP app with mobile collaboration and communication tools.

Vonage Pricing

Vonage offers three packages: Mobile starts at $19.99 per month, Premium starts at $29.99 per month, and Advanced costs $39.99 per month. Pricing is per user, and prices decrease as more users are added. Vonage also offers a number of add-on features so business owners can customize plans to their company’s needs.

These a la carte features include:

• Local phone number: $9.99 per month
• Toll-free phone number: $39.99 per month
• Toll-free paperless fax number: $14.99 per month
• Automatic call recording: $49.99 per month
• Conference bridge: $14.99 per month, plus $0.03 per minute

Vonage Tiered Phone System Features

Mobile

All Vonage plans include a mobile app for iOS and Android devices, with features like SMS and group text. Vonage’s entry-level Mobile plan also includes unlimited calling, a local phone number, voicemail-to-email transcription, and on-hold music for $19.99 per user per month. It also includes call management tools like caller ID, call screening, and call hold.

Vonage Mobile doesn’t offer video conferencing or the multi-level auto-attendant found at the next level plan. It also lacks the unlimited faxing offered with Nextiva’s first-level service plan, although local numbers are available for an additional $9.99 per month. Fax numbers are also extra. Vonage Mobile is, therefore, best for distributed teams wanting a VoIP app with team collaboration features, but only need a VoIP phone system with basic call management tools.

Premium

Vonage Premium adds video conferencing, chat, and file sharing to desktop and mobile devices for up to 100 people. This level also adds a multi-level auto-attendant and CRM integration tools for $29.99 per user per month, but doesn’t include on-demand call recording or visual voicemail, as offered at the next tier of service.

This tier also doesn’t feature a conference bridge, as featured at Nextiva’s mid-level plan, although the option is available as an add-on for an additional $14.99 per month plus $0.03 per minute. However, Vonage Premium’s base price is about the same as its competitors before the cost of add-on features, making it right for businesses with offsite workers wanting to add video conferencing and chat to their team collaboration tools.

Advanced

Vonage Advanced adds onboarding support and visual voicemail to the list of its mobile and business phone features. It also includes 15 hours per month of on-demand call recording that allows employees to decide when they want to record calls for $39.99 per user per month. This puts pricing about the same as competitors that don’t include more expensive features like unlimited international calling.

Vonage service plans include basic company-wide and individual call summaries but lack the detailed call analytics and reporting offered by other VoIP business phone service providers on the market. However, Vonage Advanced is right for a completely remote company that may not have a dedicated IT person to set up a VoIP phone system, as well as business owners who want call recording for compliance or reference purposes.

What Vonage Is Missing

Vonage’s VoIP app lacks a conference calling feature as well the ability to hand off calls to a desk phone or other device without first disconnecting the call. VoIP customers wanting those features in a VoIP app should consider Nextiva or RingCentral.

What Users Think About Vonage

Our readers give Vonage mixed reviews with a three out of five-star rating. Customers say call quality is reliable and like that the service is easy to customize to individual business needs. However, some users believe many add-on features should be standard, as they are with other VoIP business phone providers. For more customer reviews, visit our Vonage User Review page.

Best VoIP App with a Virtual Phone Service: Grasshopper

Grasshopper Mobile Messaging

Grasshopper is a virtual phone number provider with a VoIP app that includes SMS messaging, call history, voicemail transcription, and faxing. Grasshopper, which starts at $29 per month, is a good choice for solo business owners and freelancers who want an economical mobile business phone number with business phone system features and don’t want to maintain additional handsets or telephone equipment.

Grasshopper Pricing

Grasshopper offers three service plans that all include the same features, like a local phone number, unlimited calling, and an auto-attendant. The $29 Solo package includes one number and three extensions, the $49 Partner plan includes three numbers and six extensions, and the $89 Small Business plan has five numbers and unlimited extensions.

Grasshopper Phone System Features

All Grasshopper service plans include access to the same features, such as voicemail transcription, SMS business texting, unlimited domestic calling, and custom greetings. Grasshopper also offers simultaneous call handling that allows users to take calls from multiple people at the same time so callers never hear a busy signal.

Additional Grasshopper features include:

Grasshopper Mobile App

Grasshopper’s mobile app for iOS and Android devices is included with all service plans. Features include calling and SMS texting using the Grasshopper phone number, access to call history, Wi-Fi calling, and the ability to sign and email faxes and PDFs. Voice and data access are required for the app to work.

Vanity Phone Numbers

Grasshopper offers customers the option to select a vanity phone number during the account setup process. Vanity numbers like 1-800-FLOWERS are a great way to help customers remember your phone number and a good marketing strategy. As with RingCentral, vanity numbers are only available with toll-free numbers.

Call Management

Grasshopper’s call management tools include call forwarding, call transfer, call block, and custom call control schedules for your business hours. Like Phone.com and Vonage, Grasshopper offers call screening, which allows you to hear the caller’s name or number before deciding whether to take the call. This feature is helpful if you make personal and business calls on the same phone.

Auto-Attendant

Grasshopper’s automated attendant answers inbound calls and forwards it to the right phone number or extension. Similar to Nextiva and 8×8’s auto-attendant, users can record personalized messages and announcements via Grasshopper’s desktop app to use with the system’s custom phone greeting feature that plays automatically when a customer calls.

What Grasshopper Is Missing

Grasshopper’s VoIP app lacks the ability to transfer in-progress calls between the mobile app and desktop app without disconnecting the call. However, according to Grasshopper’s website, this feature is currently under development. Businesses wanting a VoIP app with call handoff should consider Nextiva or RingCentral instead.

What Users Think About Grasshopper

Our readers give Grasshopper mixed reviews, with an average of three out of five stars. Customers are satisfied with the service and how well it works with their existing devices. However, some users say it’s difficult to configure call forwarding rules. For more reviews, visit our Grasshopper User Review page.

Best VoIP App for International Calling: 8×8

8×8 is a VoIP phone service provider with a mobile app that features group chat, image sharing, conference calling, voicemail, and call recording. It also boasts unlimited international calling plans to up to 47 countries. 8×8 is best for businesses and sales teams with international vendors, clients, or team members wanting a VoIP app that supports unlimited calling to select countries.

8×8 Pricing

8×8 offers three packages, all with international calling. The X2 plan is $25 per user per month with calling to 14 countries. The X5 plan is $35 per user per month with a calling radius of 32 countries. The X8 plan is $55 per user per month with a calling zone that includes 47 countries.

8×8 Tiered Phone System Features

X2

8×8’s X2 package includes access to the mobile app with features like text messages, group chats, and image sharing, but it also supports unlimited calling to 14 countries, audio and video conferencing for up to five people, and 1 GB of media storage. This level also includes an auto-attendant and CRM integration. 8×8’s X2 is a good choice for sales teams wanting a phone system with unlimited international calling and customer relationship management integration.

At $25 per user per month, the X2 plan lacks call recording and the operator switchboard features found in the upper-level packages. It also lacks the voicemail-to-email transcription featured with Nextiva’s basic plan. However, this is the only VoIP provider on our list to include unlimited international calling with a tier-one plan, which may be a more valuable feature for some companies. 8×8 X2’s pricing is on par with other first-tier pricing plans on our list.

X5

8×8’s X5 package adds call conferencing for up to 25 people, call recording, 5 GB of media storage, and unlimited international calling to 32 countries for $35 per user per month. This puts the plan at about the same as the upper-level package of other business phone system providers on the market.

While the X5 plan lacks reporting tools offered at 8×8’s premium level, as well as the call reporting features offered in the mid-level packages of other providers, it does include an operator switchboard for routing and transferring calls from a computer browser or desk phone. 8×8’s X5, therefore, is a good fit for companies with international contacts that want a larger global calling radius and the option to record calls for training and quality control purposes.

X8

8×8’s X8 package adds a contact center package with 2,000 domestic calling minutes and three months of call recording storage for $55 per user per month. The contact center features include interactive voice response technology as well as predictive, progressive, and preview auto-dialers.

Unlike many other VoIP providers, 8×8 lacks integrations with Dropbox, Salesforce, and Microsoft. It is also more expensive than some of its competitors. However, businesses making a lot of calls outside the U.S. may find it a less costly solution than per-minute calling plans, and it is right for companies wanting a VoIP phone system with contact center features providing additional layers of customer service.

What 8×8 Is Missing

8×8’s VoIP app doesn’t include inbound or outbound faxing. It also doesn’t offer voicemail transcription. Those features may be important to remote workers and business owners who have no faxing options or who want to read voicemail messages as they are received. In those instances, Phone.com or Grasshopper may be a better solution.

What Users Think About 8×8

Our readers give 8×8 a mix of ratings, with an average of three out of five stars. Customers say the service is priced well and offers a lot of features for the money. However, some users report the service can be unreliable, which is an important consideration when making purchasing decisions. For more customer reviews, visit our 8×8 User Review Page.

Best VoIP App for Low-Volume Calling: Phone.com

Phone.com Mobile Address Book

Phone.com is a virtual phone service that offers SMS messaging, voicemail transcription, conference calling, and faxing. It includes bundles of calling minutes starting at just $12.99 per month, one of the lowest starting prices available. Phone.com is a good solution for solopreneurs or very small teams that don’t make a lot of phone calls and need just a few monthly minutes for a low price.

Phone.com Pricing

Phone.com offers three price plans that include a bundle of calling minutes and text messages. Plans range from $12.99 for 300 monthly calling minutes and 5,000 text messages to $39.99 for 1,000 monthly minutes and 20,000 texts. Unlimited calling is also available for each plan for an additional cost.

Phone.com Tiered Phone System Features

Base

Phone.com’s Base plan includes a mobile app with features like 5,000 SMS messages, Wi-Fi calling, conference calling, voicemail-to-email, and call block. In addition to the mobile app for iOS and Android, it also offers one local or toll-free phone number with 300 minutes of monthly calling time and an auto-attendant for $12.99 per month. This makes it one of the lowest-priced plans on our list, but additional minute bundles or overage charges can increase this cost.

The Base plan doesn’t include premium hold music or call recording as found in Phone.com’s upper-tier packages. It’s also missing the team messaging and media storage offered with 8×8’s basic plan. However, the Base plan is a good choice for solopreneurs, freelancers, and small teams that don’t require a lot of calling minutes.

Plus

Phone.com’s Plus plan includes two local or toll-free phone numbers with 500 minutes of calling time, starting from $19.99 per month. This level also features 10,000 SMS messages, voicemail-to-text, and premium hold music, and costs about the same as other mid-level business phone systems on the market.

The Plus level is missing the video conferencing, call recording, and call analytics offered with Phone.com’s premium plan. It also doesn’t include CRM integration offered by other solutions on our list. However, this feature is available as an add-on by calling Phone.com’s sales team for a quote, making the Plus tier right for business partners and teams that prefer SMS messaging over voice calling.

Pro

Phone.com’s Pro plan includes three local or toll-free phone number with 1,000 minutes of calling time, starting from $39.99 per month. This tier’s pricing is about the same as other upper-level business phone plans on the market, and it includes 20,000 SMS messages, call analytics, call record and save, as well as video conferencing for up to 25 participants.

The Pro package doesn’t feature online storage options like 8×8 or include professionally-recorded greetings as other solutions offer. However, professional recordings are available as an add-on option starting at $79, and the Pro plan is a good match for businesses wanting tools to monitor, review, analyze, and save calls and call data.

What Phone.com Is Missing

Phone.com’s VoIP app is missing team collaboration features like group chat and image sharing. Businesses that don’t make a large volume of phone calls may place a high value on these options and may want to consider 8×8 or Vonage instead.

What Users Think About Phone.com

Our readers give Phone.com mixed reviews with an average of three out of five stars. Customers give the service high marks for being inexpensive with flexible plans that allow users to add features as needed. However, some users report delayed responses from customer support and unhelpful staff. For more customer reviews, visit our Phone.com User Review Page.

Bottom Line

VoIP apps put the best features of your business phone system on your mobile device. Features like conference calling, SMS messaging, faxing, and video calling help you keep in touch with co-workers, clients, and customers no matter where you are without sacrificing quality business communication.

Companies wanting the best VoIP app from a leading business phone service provider that’s backed by exceptional customer support should consider RingCentral. The company offers a 15-day free trial of its product and 30-day money back guarantee when you purchase an account. Visit RingCentral’s website for details.

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