Google Voice Review: Is It Right for Your Business?

Google Voice is a cloud-based phone system that allows you to merge communications channels and forward calls to multiple devices. It offers free phone numbers, low-cost paid plans, and unlimited domestic calls and text inclusions. Our Google Voice review found it to be ideal for small to mid-sized Google Workspace users. However, those needing more comprehensive call functions and integrations should consider alternatives in the market.

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Google Voice Overview

What We Recommend Google Voice For

Google Voice offers a straightforward voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) solution for businesses with a Google Workspace account. Users have the freedom to select a local phone number that they can use to make and receive calls and switch between connected devices during a call.

When to Use Google Voice

• Freelancers or solopreneurs looking for a low-cost business phone plan: Google Voice is among our recommendations for the best cheap VoIP services and best free business phone number apps. The entry-level plan starts at $10 per user, per month, making it a smart option for businesses on a tight budget. It also offers a free business phone number along with unlimited domestic calls and texts.
• Businesses that are heavy users of Google Workspace: Google Voice joins our list of the best business phone systems for teams that are already on the Google Workspace ecosystem. It integrates smoothly with Gmail, Calendar, and Meet, making it easy to collaborate and keep your teams connected.
• Remote or hybrid teams that host virtual meetings anywhere: Whether you’re working remotely or on-site, Google Voice allows users to make calls virtually anywhere. This puts Google Voice in our list of the best VoIP apps for iOS users for its unlimited VoIP calling and free business phone number. It gives users the ability to route all of their devices using a single phone number, which you can link to your smartphone, landline, or work phone.
• Businesses with an international presence: Upgrading to Google Voice’s Premier plan enables users to make international calls for as low as one cent per minute for some international locations. This platform makes an ideal VoIP solution for large-scale businesses with a global consumer base. Even for small enterprises, Google Voice is one of our recommended best call management systems.
• Businesses looking for a VoIP platform with little to no learning curve: Users will appreciate the familiar, user-friendly interface of Google Voice. The platform can be customized to fit your daily workflow. Number assignment, billing, and porting are consolidated in the Workspace Admin console. Besides its intuitive interface, Google Voice is one of our best VoIP softphone provider for its free VoIP softphone services.

When Google Voice Might Not Be a Good Fit

• Businesses looking for a phone system with enhanced call functions: If you’re looking for a complete VoIP solution for advanced call management needs, consider 8×8. The platform offers more capabilities and inclusions than Google Voice, such as call queues, skills-based routing, and call handling.
• Solopreneurs or small businesses that aren’t using Google Workspace: Fundamentally, Google Voice works best for those who use Google Workspace; however, its limited capabilities won’t be enough to facilitate advanced team collaboration. Those looking for a unified channel for communication and team collaboration should check out Nextiva. Its mobile app, called Cospace, includes task management tools and a team calendar.
• Companies needing industry-specific integrations: Since Google Voice is built on Google Cloud, its integrations are limited to Google Workspace apps. This means it doesn’t integrate with business solutions, such as Salesforce and Zendesk. If you prefer extensive third-party integrations that work for your growing team, choose RingCentral.
• Organizations needing toll-free numbers: Having a toll-free number for your business helps clients contact you for free. This enhances your brand’s credibility and makes your business more accessible. Unfortunately, Google Voice doesn’t offer this service. If you need a vanity toll-free number to boost your brand, choose Dialpad.

Google Voice Pricing

Google Voice is a cloud-based phone service for those with Google Workspace accounts. However, business users can subscribe to any of the three paid plans to start using the service. Starting at $10 per user, per month, each plan differs in the number of users, locations, and access to premium features, such as ring groups and advanced reporting.

Other calls excluded from the user’s subscription are billed by usage based on Google Voice’s rate card. Per-minute fees range from 1 cent to $5.12, depending on the country or region of the call’s recipient and type of call, such as mobile or landline. Rates change at any time.

Google Voice Features

Google Voice is a cloud-based phone system with basic call and messaging features. It offers three paid pain plans for businesses, and each one includes unlimited calls to the U.S. from any country. Fees may apply when making calls to other countries. All three plans include call forwarding, voicemail transcription, unlimited texting, and activity reporting.

The right plan depends on the communication requirements of your business. However, it’s important to note that there is little difference between the feature packages of the three paid plans. For example, the Premier plan includes all Standard plan features except for advanced reporting and international locations.

General Features

Google Voice offers an attractive array of VoIP business phone features that enable users to take full control of their phone service beyond standard phone lines. It turns any device into a business phone, with the ability to set up a business number with Google Voice. The platform enables users to send text messages, make and receive phone calls, and forward calls from one number to another, making it easy to manage all communications.

Google Voice works on laptops, mobile devices, and supported desk phones, so you stay connected wherever you are.
(Source: Google Voice)

All plan subscribers have unlimited texts within the U.S. and free calls to the U.S. from any country. If you want to make international calls, Google Voice is available in up to 14 countries, including those in the European region. However, international locations are limited to Premier subscribers, and pay-per-minute rates are applied for non-Google Voice members.

Google Voice offers other basic call functions, including call forwarding, conferencing, and recording. The call forwarding feature is useful for businesses managing a high volume of calls and connecting participants from multiple locations. This feature allows you to forward your Google Voice phone number to any number and link a maximum of six numbers at a time.

Data Reporting

All Google Voice plans include reports on usage and real-time activity. Usage reports are a great way to monitor call activity in a business and identify your business’ direction. The Voice Audit Log includes the event name, date, destination, and source. Users may also add filters to export information, show required data, and create email notifications of filtered reports.

Upgrading to the Premier version offers a more advanced and customized reporting feature via BigQuery—Google’s serverless, multi-cloud data warehouse. It is designed to help companies turn data into valuable business insights.

BigQuery also helps analyze data through its built-in features, such as machine learning and business intelligence. This feature is recommended for large enterprises that want to take advantage of their high volume of calls to collect information.

Google Voice provides usage and activity reports accessible through the Google Admin console.
(Source: Google Voice)

Voice AI

Google Voice uses Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) to save users’ time, blocking unwanted calls and transcribing voicemails automatically. The powerful AI feature also integrates your Google Voice account with Google Meet and Calendar to identify the most important tasks.

Despite the incredibly helpful features of Google Voice AI, this feature only works when combined with third-party VoIP or contact center providers, such as 8×8.

Google Voice allows you to stop unwanted calls and messages and block or mark them as spam.
(Source: Google Voice)

Voicemail Transcription

Another unique offering within Google Voice is its voicemail transcription service, powered by Google’s advanced speech recognition technology. This feature is particularly useful for those who don’t like listening to long voicemails or for people who need to know whether a voicemail is urgent enough to let go of the tasks at hand.

When someone leaves a message at your Google Voice number, this tool will create written transcripts along with a color indicator that shows how accurate the translation is. You also have the choice to listen to the recording and set specific voicemail messages to every caller. Additionally, Google Voice allows you to send your voicemail transcriptions to a specified email address.

Google Voice translates voicemails into text to manage communications in one place.
(Source: Google Voice)

Ease of Use

Guided by Google’s familiar, user-friendly interface, Google Voice makes the management of a VoIP solution relatively easy. It features a straightforward interface for both desktop and mobile use and an admin console that allows you to consolidate your workflow across devices.

Since Google Voice is a lightweight VoIP solution, users will find it easy to use with little to no learning curve. It also simplifies the management of phone calls and brings all basic communication features into one place. Users of Google Workspace will benefit the most from its intuitive interface because it offers quick access to calls and settings.

The Google Voice Admin console can be used to manage users, numbers, locations, ports, and desk phones.
(Source: Google Voice)

Integrations

Google Voice Alternatives

Google Voice is a promising VoIP solution for businesses looking for a lightweight VoIP platform. However, its limited capabilities may not work well for businesses with advanced call management needs. Below are some alternatives that cater to different business requirements:

Best for: Businesses needing extensive third-party integrations capabilities	Best for: Companies seeking unlimited international calling for multiple countries	Best for: Remote businesses wanting a unified communications platform for distributed workforces
*Starting price: $29.99 per user, per month for the first paid tier	Starting price: $15 per user, per month for the first paid tier	**Starting price: $30.95 per user, per month for the first paid tier
RingCentral Review	8x8 Review	Nextiva Review

*Pricing is for two to 20 users

**Pricing is based on one to four users

What Users Think of Google Voice

Recent Google Voice reviews reveal that many users appreciate the platform’s simplicity and low-cost pricing plans. Freelancers and solopreneurs commended Google Voice’s ability to keep their personal and business phone separate and provide a local phone number for free. Many users also praised the AI functions of the platform, which enable them to transcribe voicemails and block spam calls.

At the time of publication, Google Voice earned the following scores on popular review sites:

• Capterra: 4.5 out of 5 based on 225 reviews
• GetApp: 4.5 out of 5 based on 225 reviews
• G2: 4.2 out of 5 based on 97 reviews
• TrustRadius: 8.3 out of 10 based on 192 reviews
• Software Advice: 4.48 out of based on 225 reviews

Despite the high scores on Google Voice ratings, there are negative reviews that reveal the platform’s inability to provide toll-free numbers, its lack of live customer support, and inaccurate voicemail transcriptions. Amid these setbacks, Google Voice reviews point out that users continue using the platform because of its cheaper subscription plans and voicemail transcription service.

Bottom Line

With its affordable plans, Google Voice is a great fit for small businesses looking for a straightforward VoIP platform with basic features for business communications. It also works best for Google Workspace users and remote teams who travel frequently and use multiple devices at the same time. If you’re interested in exploring more of its features, sign up for a free trial on the Google Workspace platform.

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