GoDaddy SmartLine and Google Voice are leading low-cost business phone services for small teams and solopreneurs. Google Voice provides more traditional voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) services with features like landline compatibility and call recording, while GoDaddy SmartLine delivers a trimmed down, minimalist solution by providing a basic app that gives your phone a second number to separate your business and personal calls.
- GoDaddy SmartLine: Best for solopreneurs who want to separate business and personal calls on a single mobile device
- Google Voice: Best for small businesses and teams that want a simple, affordable VoIP solution that integrates with other Google apps
GoDaddy SmartLine vs Google Voice at a Glance
Feature | GoDaddy SmartLine | Google Voice |
|---|---|---|
Starting Price | $9.99 per month | Free; paid plans start at $10 per user, per month |
Unlimited Domestic Calling | ✔ | ✔ |
Unlimited Domestic Texting | ✔ | ✔ |
Free Trial | 30-day free trial | N/A |
24/7 Customer Support | 24/7/365 support | N/A |
Video Conferencing | No | Yes, with Google Meet Integration |
Mobile App | ✔ | ✔ |
Voicemail Transcription | ✔ | ✔ |
Auto-attendant | N/A | ✔ |
Web App | N/A | ✔ |
Advanced Call Analytics | N/A | ✔ |
Customizable Hours | ✔ | N/A |
More Information: |
Takeaway: GoDaddy SmartLine and Google Voice provide minimalist small business communication services, but Google Voice delivers more VoIP features for almost the same price. Google Voice goes beyond delivering a second number and offers features like multilevel auto-attendants, call analytics, video calling, multiple users, and more. Businesses that just want to add a business number to their phone will love SmartLine—but if you’re looking for anything more, you’ll want to sign up with Google Voice.
How We Evaluated GoDaddy SmartLine vs Google Voice
While GoDaddy SmartLine and Google Voice share a lot in common, we wanted to discover which solution better serves small businesses. To identify the nuances and find a winner, we looked closely at the following criteria:
- Price: We compared price plans to see which service provides the most bang for your buck.
- Features: We looked at each solution’s feature set to see what call management and phone system features it provides.
- Scalability: We looked at pricing, features, and functionality to determine each platform’s capability to scale with a growing business.
- Setup: We analyzed the setup process to find which solution makes it the most simple.
- Ease of use: We looked at each program’s applications and read customer reviews to determine which is the easiest to use.
- Support: We compared the availability of customer support, support channels, community help, and quality of guides and resources.
- Overall customer reviews: We analyzed feedback from small businesses to learn their likes, dislikes, and preferences.
When to Use GoDaddy SmartLine
GoDaddy SmartLine makes separating your business and personal calls simple and easy. With just a bare-bones app and limited functionality, it’s straightforward for solopreneurs to set business hours, customize their voicemail greeting, and get up and running with unlimited calling and texting.
Pricing plans start at $9.99 per month on GoDaddy SmartLine’s Unlimited plan, but you can upgrade to a toll-free number for just $19.99 per month. Both plans provide everything SmartLine has to offer (which is essentially a second number for your phone).
GoDaddy SmartLine Pros & Cons
GoDaddy SmartLine Pros | GoDaddy SmartLine Cons |
|---|---|
Carry around a single phone for your personal and business calls | Lacks call management functionality and basic VoIP features |
Simple and easy to use | Doesn’t include a desktop or web application |
Affordable | |
Work-life balance with customizable hours, do not disturb, and number blocking |
GoDaddy SmartLine Pricing
GoDaddy SmartLine’s Unlimited and Toll-Free plans are identical in terms of features. The only difference is the Unlimited plan provides a local U.S. phone number, and the Toll-Free plan includes a 1-800 toll-free number.
- SmartLine Unlimited: $9.99 per month for a local U.S. number.
- SmartLine Toll-Free: $19.99 per month for a toll-free 1-800 number.
Why GoDaddy SmartLine Is the Better Choice for Solopreneurs
- Work-life balance: Stop taking work calls after hours by distinguishing which calls are personal and business.
- Ease of use: Use GoDaddy SmartLine with confidence thanks to the mobile app’s simple setup and easy-to-use features.
- Affordability: Save money with one of the most affordable small business phone plans on the market.
When to Use Google Voice
Google Voice is the tech giant’s VoIP calling service that operates on web and mobile applications. It’s a great phone system solution for freelancers and small teams that want a professional virtual phone number and basic call management features. The platform helps connect all a business’ numbers, phone calls, SMS messages, videoconferencing, and more into a straightforward solution that doesn’t require landlines or traditional PBX systems.
Google Voice has a free plan, but it has limited functionality and restricts you to a single user. Small businesses and teams will likely want to upgrade to one of the affordable paid plans that start at $10 per user, per month. These plans all include unlimited calling, texting, voicemail transcriptions, and Google integrations.
Google Voice Pros & Cons
Google Voice Pros | Google Voice Cons |
|---|---|
A familiar Google look and user-friendly feel make it easy to use | Lacks advanced features that enterprise-focused VoIP providers offer |
Low-cost plans scale easily for small teams | No emergency calling |
Integrates smoothly with other Google apps like Google Meet and Google Calendar | Voice transcription functionality isn’t reliable |
Works well for small teams |
Google Voice Pricing
Google Voice is one of the least expensive VoIP providers for small teams. While the feature set is limited compared to its competitors, there’s a good chance Google Voice will provide everything you want if you only need essential call handling functionality. The three pricing plans scale nicely for freelancers, partnerships, and small teams:
- Personal: Free for one user only.
- Starter: $10 per user, per month for up to 10 users and up to 10 domestic locations. Includes unlimited calling and SMS, as well as Google integrations.
- Standard: $20 per user, per month. Adds unlimited users and domestic locations, as well as a multilevel auto-attendant, desk phone support, and Ring Groups.
- Premium: $30 per user, per month for unlimited users, domestic locations, and international locations. Provides advanced reporting.
Why Google Voice Is the Better Choice for Small Teams & Partnerships
- Scalability: Google Voice has plans for freelancers, partnerships, and small teams—making it easy to start small and upgrade as you grow.
- Google integrations: If your business already relies on Google Workspace applications like Google Calendar and Google Meet, then Google Voice is a simple addition to your workflow.
- Video conferencing: Go beyond phone calls and text messages with video conferencing—made possible through Google Voice’s Google Meet integration.
GoDaddy SmartLine vs Google Voice: Which Is Better for Small Businesses?
GoDaddy SmartLine and Google Voice provide businesses with different communication solutions, but they also have a lot in common:
- Ease of use: Both platforms offer simple business phone solutions that are easy to set up and even easier to use.
- Affordability: Google Voice and GoDaddy SmartLine are two of the most affordable business phone plans for small businesses.
- Business numbers: GoDaddy SmartLine and Google Voice both provide businesses with professional phone numbers.
- Unlimited calling and SMS: Both platforms provide unlimited calling and business texting.
While the two platforms share several features and functionalities, Google Voice comes out on top as the best Internet-based phone service thanks to its similar price point, call management features, and Google Workplace integrations. Small businesses and teams that want a basic VoIP service will find that Google Voice satisfies all their calling, texting, and video conferencing needs.
Bottom Line
Business communication needs are different, and that’s why there are so many solutions. Google Voice and GoDaddy SmartLine benefit similar markets, but each caters to a specific type of small business.
Small business owners who want to separate their business and personal calls on a single mobile device will find GoDaddy SmartLine has all the functionality they could want. However, freelancers, partnerships, and small teams that want more entry-level call management features that’ll scale with their business will be more at home using Google Voice.
