Most industry-leading voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) platforms come with mobile and desktop apps, but these apps aren’t all created equal. Businesses that plan to use mobile VoIP apps extensively will want to make sure they choose a service with robust, user-friendly mobile apps that work for both iOS and Android devices. We analyzed the best apps on the market and evaluated them based on price, features, and ease of use.
We then narrowed the list down to our favorite six before picking an overall winner, which are:
- RingCentral: Best overall for businesses wanting a robust, reliable, all-in-one VoIP app. Plans start at $19.99 per user, per month.
- Nextiva: Best for small teams looking for a user-friendly mobile experience. Pricing starts at $21.95 per user, per month.
- 8×8: Excellent option for teams with extensive remote international calling needs. Plans start at $12 per user, per month.
- Vonage: Ideal for organizations needing mobile collaboration features like chat and file sharing. Plans start at $17.99 per line, per month.
- Google Voice: Suitable for companies that already love and use Google Workspace apps. Plans start at $10 per user, per month.
- Grasshopper: Great for small businesses needing an affordable, easy-to-use VoIP app. Plans start at $29 per month.
How We Evaluated Small Business VoIP Apps
Most VoIP business phone services have mobile apps, but sometimes they can have clunky, difficult-to-use interfaces that make them impractical. Other times, mobile apps are limited to premium tiers, requiring businesses to pay extra to get mobile device access. The best VoIP apps are easy to use and provide users with advanced telephony features—plus, they’re affordable for small businesses.
While all the services on our list have more-than-capable mobile apps, RingCentral has a slight edge thanks to its feature-rich platform and unified communications functionality. RingCentral’s mobile app is robust and easy to use for employees and end-users alike, making it our top pick for small business VoIP apps.
To help you avoid the letdowns, we found the best-of-the-best VoIP apps by looking at a few important criteria. Click through the tabs in the box below to see our full evaluation criteria for business VoIP apps.
20% of Overall Score
The best VoIP apps should have budget-friendly plans for small businesses. Pricing should scale depending on the number of users you have on the plan. Entry-level plans should provide enough functionality for users to effectively use the platform, and mobile apps shouldn’t be gated behind expensive premium plans.
25% of Overall Score
In order to be a viable system for most small business users, VoIP apps need to be available on today’s most popular mobile platforms: iOS and Android. We also looked for basic core functionality such as voicemail, automated attendants, and a desktop app for office use. Since these are things any decent VoIP system should have, we gave this less weight than other facets.
30% of Overall Score
Small businesses need simple, easy-to-use mobile apps—but not too simple. The best VoIP apps pack their software with advanced features to give users complete control over their phone calls, from start to finish. It’s in this category that we start to see the good solutions separated from the truly great ones.
25% of Overall Score
Not every comparison is apples to apples, and sometimes we just have to go with our gut instinct. Our expert score is given based on the apps’ look and feel, platform popularity, user reviews, and our personal experiences using the services.
RingCentral
PROS
- Unified communication features (e.g., video conferencing and team messaging) available on phone
- Automated attendant can be set up on mobile app
- Apple Watch can take calls
CONS
- Interface is not intuitive
- Unlimited international calling is not included
- Advanced features can be overkill for small businesses
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 |
| General Features | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Niche Features | 3.58 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Score | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
RingCentral plans start at $19.99, and provide the best-of-the-best call management features across desktop and mobile. While RingCentral’s mobile app isn’t the prettiest or the most intuitive, it comes packed with all the functionality you need to run your business remotely. The company also offers video conferencing, making it one of the most affordable mobile unified communications as a service (UCaaS) platforms.
RingCentral Pricing*
- Essentials: $19.99 per user, per month for up to 20 users, unlimited calling, and unlimited texting
- Standard: $24.99 per user, per month with unlimited audio conferencing and video meetings for up to 100 participants
- Premium: $34.99 per user, per month with unlimited call recording, analytics, and third-party integrations
- Ultimate: $49.99 per user, per month with device status reports and unlimited storage
*Pricing is on an annual basis for two to 19 users. Monthly plans and volume discounts are available.
To help alleviate the issues caused by COVID-19, RingCentral is temporarily offering their Office plan for free to educators (K-12 or community college), healthcare providers, nonprofits, public sector companies, and news and media organizations. This free plan includes the mobile app, 200-participant video conferencing meetings, team messaging, and much more. Check out RingCentral’s COVID-19 offer page to learn more.
RingCentral Standout Features
- Complete call management: Take total control of your call experience while on the go with the same call management functionality as the desktop version.
- Apple Watch integrations: Connect your iOS mobile app with your Apple Watch to make calls, send texts, and receive meeting reminders through your Apple Watch screen.
- Video conferencing: Add 200-participant video meetings to your suite of communication solutions without buying a third-party solution.
Nextiva
PROS
- Intuitive, easy-to-use mobile app
- Top-notch mobile screen sharing
- Mobile team messaging functionality
CONS
- Confusing contracts
- Less extensive third-party integrations
- Call management features aren’t robust
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 |
| General Features | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Niche Features | 3.58 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Score | 4.06 | OUT OF | 5 |
Nextiva’s VoIP app has many of the great call management features and functionality as other competing apps, but it does the best job at bundling this functionality into an intuitive, easy-to-use interface with plans starting at $21.95. Hop on a video conferencing call from your phone and share your screen in just a couple of taps, making it great for businesses that want to provide on-the-go presentations via their smartphone or tablet.
Nextiva Pricing*
- Essential: $21.95 per user, per month for unlimited calling and a free local or toll-free number
- Professional: $25.95 per user, per month for 250-participant video conferencing and unlimited business SMS
- Enterprise: $35.95 per user, per month for voicemail transcription, voice analytics, and call recording
- Ultimate: $65.95 per user, per month for automated surveys, advanced analytics, and ticket management
*Pricing is for a prepaid 36-month agreement for five to 19 users. Pricing goes down as you add more users.
Nextiva Standout Features
- Mobile screen sharing: Share your screen and do presentations on the go with Nextiva’s simple tap-to-share functionality.
- Call Pop: Get important insights into caller details before you pick up the phone, so you’re always prepared for every conversation.
- Recorded greetings: Professionally record brief messages for inbound callers and those on hold.
8x8
PROS
- Low-cost starting price
- Unlimited international calls to nearly 50 countries
- Advanced call management features
CONS
- Premium packages get expensive quickly
- Outdated user interface
- Limited digital storage
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 |
| General Features | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Niche Features | 4.46 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Score | 2.81 | OUT OF | 5 |
8×8 is a small business VoIP platform that provides unlimited international calling to nearly 50 countries, but you’ll have to upgrade to the X2 or X4 plan to get the robust international calling functionality. However, 8×8’s entry-level plan, which costs $12 per user, per month, comes loaded with voice, video, and messaging functionality, all built into a single app. This makes it a great option for companies in need of an affordable overseas communications tool.
8x8 Pricing*
- 8×8 Express: $12 per user, per month for unlimited domestic calling, texting, team chat, auto-attendants, intelligent call routing, and on-hold music
- X2: $32 per user, per month to add all-in-one voice and video functionality, unlimited voice calling to 14 countries, and basic analytics and integrations
- X4: $57 per user, per month for global calling to 47 countries, advanced analytics, and call management features like barge, monitor, and whisper
*Pricing is on an annual basis. Monthly subscription options and volume discounts are available starting with the X2 plan.
8x8 Standout Features
- International calling: Enjoy affordable international calling rates to almost 50 countries and available international phone numbers.
- Call management: Ensure top-notch customer calls with advanced features like barge, monitor, and whisper.
- Video conferencing: X2 and X4 plans come with 100-participant video conferencing functionality.
Vonage
PROS
- Add features on an a la carte basis
- Best-in-class mobile team messaging tools
- Mobile apps available for all tiers
CONS
- Clunky user interface
- No wearables integrations
- Limited conferencing compared with competitors
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 3.75 | OUT OF | 5 |
| General Features | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Niche Features | 3.58 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Score | 3.75 | OUT OF | 5 |
Vonage is a UCaaS VoIP service that makes remote team collaboration a priority. Vonage’s mobile app is built with features like group messaging, file sharing, and customer relationship management (CRM) integrations to make teamwork easier than ever. Plans start at $17.99 per line, per month, but you can negotiate the price with add-on features and toll-free numbers to craft the perfect plan for your small business team.
Vonage Pricing*
- Mobile: $17.99 per line, per month with unlimited calling, mobile app, and team messaging
- Premium: $27.99 per line, per month for video calling for up to 100 people, software integrations, and a multilevel automated attendant
- Advanced: $37.99 per line, per month for 15 hours of on-demand call recording, visual voicemail, and company-guided set up of your system
*Pricing is for 10 users. Volume discounts are available as you add more users.
Vonage Standout Features
- A la carte pricing: Add specific call management features and toll-free numbers for an additional monthly fee.
- First-class team chat: Chat with your team via a messaging tool with robust functionality comparable to Slack or Microsoft Teams.
- Affordable: Your VoIP app shouldn’t break the bank—and everything from Vonage’s entry-level plan to its most premium tier provides affordability.
Google Voice
PROS
- Integrates smoothly with Google Workspace apps
- Low-cost entry-level plans
- Easy-to-use interface
CONS
- Limited call management features
- Multilevel auto-attendant only available on premium plans
- Google support isn’t always reliable
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 4.25 | OUT OF | 5 |
| General Features | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Niche Features | 4.46 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Score | 2.19 | OUT OF | 5 |
Google Voice is a simple VoIP platform that integrates smoothly into the Google Workspace. It also boasts a free plan with high-quality audio and paid plans staring at $10 per user, per month, making it one of the best low-cost phone services. If your business is already using apps like Gmail, Calendar, and Meet, then Voice is a natural addition to your communications tech stack.
Google Voice Pricing
- Personal: Free for one user only
- Starter: $10 per user, per month for up to 10 users, up to 10 domestic locations, unlimited calling and SMS, and Google integrations
- Standard: $20 per user, per month for unlimited users, unlimited domestic locations, multilevel auto-attendants, desk phone support, and Ring Groups
- Premium: $30 per user, per month for unlimited users, domestic locations, international locations, and advanced reporting
Google Voice Standout Features
- Google Workspace integrations: Integrate Google Voice with Calendar, Meet, Gmail, and more for unified workflows and management.
- Budget-friendly plans: With plans starting at $10 per user, per month and capping at $30, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more affordable VoIP solution.
- Scalability: Google Voice’s low-cost plans and extensive Google integrations make it easy and affordable to scale.
Grasshopper
PROS
- All features available on every pricing plan
- Affordable pricing
- Simplicity and ease of use
CONS
- No video conferencing functionality
- No team collaboration features
- Doesn’t offer international numbers
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 |
| General Features | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Niche Features | 3.58 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Score | 2.50 | OUT OF | 5 |
Grasshopper is a VoIP services provider with a toned-down, easy-to-use app. Grasshopper doesn’t come with all the fancy bells and whistles (like RingCentral and Nextiva). Instead, it delivers on its core calling and texting functionality with undistracted precision with plans starting at $26 per month for a single user and three extensions. In addition, you don’t have to upgrade to get the best of what the platform has to offer.
Grasshopper Pricing*
- Solo: $29 per month for one phone number and three extensions
- Partner: $49 per month for three phone numbers and six extensions
- Small Business: $89 per month for five phone numbers and unlimited extensions
*Pricing is on a monthly basis. Annual pricing is available.
Grasshopper Standout Features
- Easy to use: Get your work done quickly and simply by avoiding all the distracting features you may never use.
- Affordable: Pricing plans scale nicely for small, growing teams with limited demands.
- Call control: Handle inbound calls with complete control with custom greetings, instant responses, scheduling, and simultaneous call handling.
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