GoDaddy SmartLine and Google Voice are virtual phone number providers that give you a dedicated business number to use from your personal device. Google Voice is a free service that’s great for most businesses. However, while GoDaddy SmartLine starts at $3.99 per user, per month, it’s better for professionals wanting to strictly limit calls to set business hours.
GoDaddy SmartLine vs Google Voice at a Glance
| Pricing | ||
| International Calling | ||
| Call Forwarding |  | |
| Call Block | | |
| Local Number | | |
| Voicemail-to-Email Transcription | | |
Call Recording |  | |
| Landline Compatibility | | |
| Desktop App | | |
| Do-Not-Disturb Outside of Business Hours | | |
| 24/7 Customer Support Line | | |
| More Information | ||
Last updated on 04/15/20 | ||
Google Voice desktop and mobile apps.
When to Use Google Voice
Google Voice is a great free option for business users who want a separate work number to make calls on their landline, cellphone, or desktop. It also offers call management, call recording, and the ability to dial out to numbers outside of the U.S. Its free price and great features make this the better virtual phone solution for most businesses.
GoDaddy SmartLine mobile app. Image courtesy of GoDaddy
When to Use GoDaddy SmartLine
Workers who want to set designated business hours for callers should look into GoDaddy SmartLine, which is available for iOS and Android devices. While the service forwards business calls to your personal phone, it gives you the ability to specify recurring business hours for it to do so. This means you won’t be disturbed by work calls outside of the schedule you set while also providing call management features like forwarding, blocking, and voicemail.
How We Evaluated GoDaddy SmartLine & Google Voice
GoDaddy SmartLine and Google Voice both provide customers with local business phone numbers on their personal device as well as a set of features to manage calls and voicemail messages. When comparing the two and determining which was best, we considered several factors in addition to cost and call quality, like call recording and customer reviews. To learn more, check out our detailed list of evaluation criteria.
GoDaddy SmartLine vs Google Voice: Pricing & Features
GoDaddy SmartLine and Google Voice both offer customers a basic set of virtual phone features, including a local phone number, voicemail, and call management functionality. However, Google Voice offers more features free of charge than GoDaddy SmartLine, except for fees that apply for international calls or to select locations in the U.S.
Google Voice Pricing
Google Voice is a free virtual phone number service that allows for unlimited calling to most numbers in the U.S. Fees only accumulate for calls to select U.S. and international locations. Rates start at 1 cent per minute. However, the service can be used without spending any money for domestic calls.
Google Voice Features
Google Voice is a virtual phone service with a small set of features like voicemail, call blocking, and call screening. It offers almost all of the features of GoDaddy SmartLine, but at no cost, making it the clear winner for businesses that don’t need to set scheduled working hours.
Call Management
Google Voice is an inbound call forwarding service with features like call blocking and screening. You can set up voicemail greetings and send text messages just like you do with your personal cell phone. The service has identical call management features to GoDaddy, making Google Voice the more economical option for solopreneurs who want a local number for free.
Calling & Texting Allotment
Google Voice lets you make as many domestic calls and send as many text messages as you want. There is no limit like there is with the Basic edition of GoDaddy SmartLine, which charges an additional fee after 100 minutes per month. This makes Google Voice ideal for workers who have high call volumes and don’t want to pay for unlimited minutes.
Do Not Disturb
Google Voice offers a Do Not Disturb option. Toggle this in the settings menu, and incoming calls will be sent to the voicemail inbox. However, you cannot set a schedule for this option like you can with GoDaddy SmartLine, which allows you to set schedules for both weekdays and weekends. Still, Google Voice allows you to toggle Do Not Disturb manually, which makes it just as effective as GoDaddy SmartLine.
Call Recording
Google Voice allows users to record outgoing and incoming calls automatically. When the call is complete, you can listen to the call in the “Recorded” menu on the app. GoDaddy SmartLine does not offer any recording options with its service. If you hold a lot of calls that you want to save for reference, then Google Voice is for you.
Landline Compatibility
A Google Voice number can be linked to several devices at once. For example, you can connect it to a mobile phone, a desktop app, a landline, or all three at once. A GoDaddy SmartLine number, on the other hand, can only link to one mobile phone number. Therefore, Google Voice is the better option for users who want to use their work number on a wide range of devices.
GoDaddy SmartLine Pricing
GoDaddy SmartLine has two levels of service. SmartLine Basic provides 100 minutes and 100 SMS messages for $3.99 per month. SmartLine Unlimited offers unlimited talk and text for $9.99 per month. The service is one of the more affordable paid services in this category.
GoDaddy SmartLine Features
GoDaddy SmartLine shares a very similar feature set to Google Voice, such as a local number as well as calling and texting functionality. However, it also allows you to configure hours for automatically routing calls to voicemail, which is something not offered by Google Voice.
Call Management
GoDaddy SmartLine’s call management features include voicemail, call forwarding, and call blocking. Calls are essentially forwarded from your existing mobile number, but your GoDaddy SmartLine number is what the other party calls and sees on their caller ID. This is nearly identical to how you manage calls with Google Voice.
Calling & Texting Allotment
The entry-level SmartLine Basic package offers 100 minutes of domestic calling and 100 SMS messages per month. If you go over that, you’ll receive an additional fee of 3 cents per minute of calling and 1 cent per text message. You can upgrade to the Unlimited package for an additional $6 per month, but Google Voice offers unlimited calls for free.
Do Not Disturb
GoDaddy SmartLine allows you to configure business hours for your SmartLine number. If you set your business hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., for example, any calls you receive after that will be automatically routed to voicemail. Google Voice offers a Do Not Disturb feature, but you cannot set a schedule for that function. GoDaddy SmartLine is good for those who work on a set schedule and do not want to take calls outside of work hours.
Call Recording
GoDaddy SmartLine offers no way of recording calls without using a third-party app. However, Google Voice offers this feature natively. This might not be a deal breaker for some companies, but users who want to save conversations for later reference will want to go with Google’s offering instead.
Landline Compatibility
GoDaddy SmartLine is not compatible with landline phones as it requires you to enter a mobile phone number that links to your SmartLine number. SmartLine is also only available as an Android or iOS mobile app. In contrast, Google Voice allows you to link your Google Voice number to mobile phones, landlines, and even computer desktop apps.
GoDaddy SmartLine vs Google Voice: Ease of Use
GoDaddy SmartLine and Google Voice are both designed to make sending and receiving calls a simple process. In addition, both vendors offer businesses access to advanced phone functionality without requiring the adoption of a more costly full-scale business phone system.
Google Voice Ease of Use
Once you set up a Google account, you can start making calls with Google Voice right away. I have used Google Voice many times and have never had trouble with either calling or sending text messages. Using the system is very straightforward, whether you are on a mobile device or a desktop computer.
GoDaddy SmartLine Ease of Use
GoDaddy SmartLine is easy to use. Once you sign up for the service, you receive step-by-step instructions on downloading the SmartLine app and connecting your mobile number. The app has a very clean interface and I had no trouble using any of the service’s features. Therefore, you should not run into any significant problems when using the service.
GoDaddy SmartLine vs Google Voice: Customer Service
GoDaddy SmartLine and Google Voice both have support channels that offer help in setting up the platform, using their features, and troubleshooting problems. However, GoDaddy SmartLine has an edge in this category because they offer 24/7 live support over the phone.
Google Voice Customer Service
Google Voice provides an online knowledge base and user manuals to help you use the service. Beyond that, there is also an official Google Voice forum and a Google Product Experts program where users can ask a question to Google’s top contributors and customers. It’s helpful, but it’s no replacement for live, official human help.
GoDaddy SmartLine Customer Service
GoDaddy offers a dedicated phone number for answering questions about the SmartLine service. You can call this number even before signing up and a company representative will answer all of your questions about the service. If you encounter problems, you can also call GoDaddy’s customer support line, which is open 24/7.
GoDaddy SmartLine vs Google Voice: Customer Reviews
We looked at user reviews of both systems to get a sense of what real customers think of these products. GoDaddy SmartLine offers live human support for issues, while Google Voice only offers support forums and online documentation.
Google Voice Customer Reviews
Most Google Voice customers are quite happy with the service. On our own reviews page, users give it a 4.5 of 5 stars. They particularly like the convenience of the platform and say that call reliability is quite good. However, there are several complaints about the app’s outdated interface. For more impressions, check out our Google Voice reviews page.
“I’ve used Google Voice for nearly three years for my market research company. It is an excellent free service that gave me the ability to list a separate phone number dedicated to my business, yet it still offered all of the functionality of my service provider. All of our full-time and part-time staff members still use Google Voice as their business direct lines.”
— George Kuhn, President of Drive Research
“I’ve used Google Voice for nearly three years for my market research company. It is an excellent free service that gave me the ability to list a separate phone number dedicated to my business, yet it still offered all of the functionality of my service provider. All of our full-time and part-time staff members still use Google Voice as their business direct lines.”GoDaddy SmartLine Customer Reviews
Users like GoDaddy SmartLine as a fast, easy way to set up a business number on their smartphone. However, there are several complaints about the app failing to show recent calls on the screen. Still, most customers find the service to be very reliable, and it’s worth noting that the company is very quick to respond to complaints on Google Play and iTunes store reviews. This shows a commitment to solving customer issues on GoDaddy’s part.
When to Use an Alternative
While both Google Voice and GoDaddy are low-cost options, businesses that need a toll-free number, need to support multiple phone extensions, or need to forward their business calls to landlines in addition to mobile phones should consider a more robust alternative like Grasshopper. Unlike Google Voice or GoDaddy SmartLine, this service provides many of the advanced functionality found in more complete phone services, while only costing $26 per month. Visit Grasshopper for more information.
GoDaddy SmartLine & Google Voice Evaluation Criteria
GoDaddy SmartLine and Google Voice are similar services but each deliver a different user experience, so we evaluated both solutions based on a number of factors. Here’s a closer look at our evaluation criteria.
- Price: We compared the price of each provider for service offered.
- Ease of use: We looked at what customers of each service had to say about the usability of the services.
- Call management: Management features, like call forwarding, screening, and voicemail, that each service provides were also considered.
- Phone number types: A business phone may want a local number or prefer toll-free, so we checked what types of numbers were offered.
- Do not disturb features: We looked at each service’s ability to turn off notifications and automatically route calls to voicemail.
- Device support: We examined the types of mobile and landline devices that customers can use with each service.
- Number of lines: The number of unique phone numbers and extensions offered by each service was a factor we considered.
- Customer service: We reviewed the channels for getting help when needed, as well as whether a service offers technical support and what times, if any, that support was available.
Bottom Line
GoDaddy SmartLine and Google Voice both offer Internet-based phone features such as a local number and the ability to make calls, as well as send text messages. Call management functionality and voicemail tools can help make these services even more useful.
If you want a professional phone number that lets you call and text your contacts, check out Google Voice. The service is free to use and offers advanced features like call recording and use on landline phones. Check out Google Voice’s website today.
