Google Voice and magicJack provide basic business calling, texting, and call management features at a budget-friendly price, but Google Voice has the lower entry-point price. It also offers video conferencing and messaging capabilities, more extensive integrations compared to magicJack, and international calling. As a result, while magicJack is the easier of the two to use, it can’t match the value for the price offered by Google Voice for most business cases.
- Google Voice: Best for businesses that need a voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) provider with advanced call management capabilities
- magicJack: A good option for solopreneurs looking for a no-frills calling solution that requires little to any training
While we determined that Google Voice is often the better choice between the two providers for one to two users, it is worth noting there are other services that are better tailored to the needs of teams looking to scale. If you are looking for a service that supports multiple users or has features designed to manage high call volumes, check out our guide on the top virtual phone number providers for alternatives.
Google Voice vs magicJack at a Glance
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Price | $10 to $30 per user, per month | $15.99 per line, per month (+ one-time purchase of new phone for $54.99 or more) |
Free Trial | ✔ | N/A |
Mobile App | ✔ | ✔ |
Desktop App | ✔ | ✔ |
SMS | ✔ | ✔ (limited) |
Video Conferencing | ✔ | N/A |
Features | Auto-attendant, voicemail transcriptions, ring groups, activity reporting | Auto-attendant, music on hold, enhanced call forwarding, call queue |
Integrations | Integrates with Google Workspace Apps | N/A |
International Calling | Unlimited to select countries on Premier Plan | Per-minute rates for all countries outside the U.S. and Canada |
Ease of Use | Easy to use | Very easy to use |
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How We Evaluated Google Voice vs magicJack
magicJack and Google Voice both provide VoIP solutions for small businesses, but in most cases, Google Voice is the best choice. While each has similar basic features, Google Voice provides video conferencing, group messaging, and third-party integrations lacking in magicJack. magicJack is the easiest to use, but it doesn’t beat Google Voice in any of our other comparisons.
We compared them using the most important characteristics of a VoIP provider, such as pricing, general features, usability, and integrations. We also took our own opinions and hands-on experiences into consideration, as well as feedback from other users across popular review sites.
Click the tabs below to see how we compared Google Voice and magicJack based on each evaluation criteria:
30% of Overall Score
When it comes to finding the right VoIP phone system for a small business, pricing is always one of the most important factors. It doesn’t matter how user-friendly or feature-rich a platform is if your business can’t afford it. We looked at the available pricing tiers, required hardware, and add-on purchases to determine which solution is more budget-friendly.
25% of Overall Score
Small business phone systems range in functionality from providing an extra phone number to video conferencing, team messaging, file sharing, and more. While not full-featured business phone systems, these providers do include a range of call handling and administrative features that make managing your communications easier. We evaluated which gives users more control and flexibility.
20% of Overall Score
We compared magicJack vs Google Voice to see which provides the more user-friendly experience. Phone systems need to provide adequate functionality without making their apps too difficult to use. Mobile and desktop interfaces must be easy to navigate so business owners can find the features they need when they need them.
15% of Overall Score
Neither solution is likely to be the only software app in your tech stack. However, you probably want to be able to pull and push data from your phone system into your CRM programs and other applications. We looked at these two providers’ available integrations to see how easily they connect with third-party apps.
10% of Overall Score
Beyond these comparisons of Google Voice and magicJack, we included our own subjective experiences with the phone systems. We tested the products ourselves and analyzed user feedback from popular review sites to see what real-life customers of the software have to say about it.
Best for Pricing: Google Voice
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Both of these small business VoIP phone systems have relatively simple-to-understand pricing plans. magicJack’s plan costs $15.99 per line, per month. However, starting your subscription also requires a one-time phone purchase, which costs at least $54.99.
Unlocking all of magicJack’s functionality requires the purchase of add-ons. Features like auto-attendants, virtual faxing, and toll-free numbers all cost an extra monthly fee. For example, you’ll have to pay $10 per month if you’d like to use auto-attendants with your magicJack phone system.
Google Voice’s pricing tiers are a bit more straightforward. It offers three different plans at $10, $20, and $30 per user, per month. Each tier provides different features and functionality. For example, basic functionality such as call forwarding and SMS are included on the Starter plan, but an upgrade to the Standard plan is needed to access multi-level auto-attendants and ring groups.
Winner: Google Voice wins for providing a similar level of functionality at a lower price. Google’s Starter tier is competitive with magicJack, but costs $6 less.
Best for Ease of Use: magicJack
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Google Voice has the same simple, clean user interface as other Google products. It’s easy to navigate and has a shorter learning curve, but it’s not quite as straightforward as magicJack. | magicJack’s mobile and desktop interfaces are simple and easy to navigate, making it quick to set up and use for brand-new users. |
When it comes to ease of use, it doesn’t get much better than magicJack. What the phone system lacks in features and integrations it makes up for in usability. Brand-new users will have no problem opening the mobile or desktop app and setting up their account. Navigating the interface is quick and simple—you don’t need much documentation or know-how to find the features you need.
While Google Voice isn’t quite as simplistic as magicJack, it’s still one of the easier-to-use small business phone systems on the market. Having the familiar look and feel of other Google applications makes it easy to use Google Voice’s mobile, desktop, and browser applications. Additional functionality like integrations and video conferencing takes a little getting used to, but most users will have no problem getting up and running quickly.
Winner: magicJack takes the edge on usability for providing simplistic apps that make it painless and straightforward for users to find and use the features they need.
Best for SMS: Google Voice
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Simple text messaging service lets you send text messages to up to eight names or phone numbers in a group text. | magicJack has one-on-one text messaging but lacks functionality for text messaging campaigns and automated messages. |
Both magicJack and Google Voice are primarily phone calling systems, not full-featured unified communication solutions. magicJack’s short message service (SMS) text messaging is the more limited of the two. You can only initiate one-on-one conversations with your contacts, which means you lack the functionality to send bulk SMS campaigns or automated messages.
Google Voice also doesn’t enable sending bulk text messages. However, it does allow you to send messages to single participants or initiate group conversations with up to eight participants. This group multimedia messaging service (MMS) functionality also allows you to attach files and images to your conversations.
Winner: While Google Voice doesn’t have robust SMS marketing functionality like RingCentral or Nextiva, it beats out magicJack by allowing group text messages with up to eight participants.
Best for General Features: Tie
Popular General Features | | |
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Auto-attendant | ✔ (with Standard or higher subscription) | ✔ (with add-on purchase) |
Call Forwarding | ✔ | ✔ |
Voicemail Transcription | ✔ | N/A |
Call Queue | N/A | ✔ |
Music on Hold | N/A | ✔ |
Toll-free Numbers | N/A | ✔ |
Mobile and Desktop Apps | ✔ | ✔ |
Web App | ✔ | N/A |
Video Conferencing | ✔ | N/A |
magicJack may be a simple VoIP business phone solution, but it provides a suite of features to enhance your call handling experience. magicJack includes enhanced call forwarding, music on hold, call queues, toll-free numbers, and an optional auto-attendant.
Google Voice doesn’t necessarily provide more functionality than magicJack—it’s just different. For example, it doesn’t include enhanced call forwarding or music on hold, but you do get video conferencing, voicemail transcriptions, and call activity reporting.
Winner: It’s a tie: There’s not necessarily a better option for magicJack vs Google Voice when it comes to general features. Identify which features your business needs most and choose the phone system that best delivers.
Best for Integrations: Google Voice
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Integrates with Google Workspace apps. | No third-party integrations. |
When it comes to integrations, Google Voice is the clear winner. Google Voice seamlessly integrates with other Google Workspace apps like Calendar, Gmail, Meet, and Drive. However, that’s the extent of Voice’s integrations.
On the other hand, magicJack currently doesn’t integrate with any third-party applications. It’s a standalone application that won’t connect to your calendars, small business CRM, or email functionality, making it a standalone application.
To integrate your phone system with the rest of your tech stack, consider choosing an alternative like RingCentral or Nextiva. These phone systems integrate with hundreds of other software solutions, allowing you to tie together your tech stack and easily push and pull data across applications.
Winner: Google Voice takes the edge when it comes to integrations, but it’s limited to integrating with other Google Workspace apps.
Best for International Calling: Google Voice
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You pay international calling per-minute rates with Google Voice unless you upgrade to the Premier tier, which includes unlimited international calling to select countries. | magicJack for Business has international calling functionality at a cost of per-minute rates, depending on the country. |
Google Voice is the better solution for international calling. On the Starter and Standard tiers, your business is charged per-minute rates according to Google Voice’s calling rates. However, the Premier plan includes unlimited international calling to select countries. This can be a make-or-break factor if your business does extensive business outside of the United States and Canada.
magicJack doesn’t include access to free international calling destinations. When calling internationally, your business pays the international calling rates of each country. When you compare magicJack and Google Voice side-by-side, almost all of magicJack’s country-specific calling rates are more expensive than those of Google Voice.
Winner: Google Voice is the better solution for international calling thanks to its unlimited international calling to select countries and cheaper per-minute rates.
Best Alternatives
While Google Voice and magicJack are both popular phone systems for small businesses, they aren’t the most suitable solution for every small business. Some need more extensive integrations, while others want to unify all their communication channels in a single platform.
If magicJack or Google Voice aren’t right for you, consider these alternatives:
- Grasshopper: Grasshopper is a leading virtual phone number provider for small business owners looking for an easy-to-use VoIP solution. While it doesn’t have video conferencing or third-party integrations, Grasshopper delivers unlimited domestic calling and texting at budget-friendly prices.
- RingCentral: Our RingCentral review explains how RingCentral gives small businesses the most communications flexibility. Top-of-the-line features (like IVR menus, hot desking, single sign-on, and automatic call recording), extensive integrations, and a developer platform for using RingCentral’s APIs are all included. RingCentral is not as cost-friendly as GoToConnect, but it provides more features, integrations, and customizations.
- 8×8: If your company mainly does business across borders, 8×8’s free calling to over 47 destinations could be your best option. It also includes access to video conferencing and team messaging to diversify your business’ communication options.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is Google Voice better than magicJack?
When comparing Google Voice vs magicJack, keep in mind that neither phone system is necessarily better than the other. However, both provide different features and pricing that make them more appropriate for certain sized businesses.
Does Google Voice work with magicJack?
The software solutions don’t work together. However, Google Voice can use the physical magicJack VoIP phone adapter to make calls over various devices.
Is Google Voice free to use?
You can try Google Voice for free using a personal account, but it doesn’t include access to business features like auto-attendants, ring groups, international calling, and contact integrations. Plus, only a single user can use a personal account, which won’t work if your business has a team of two or more.
Bottom Line
magicJack and Google Voice make VoIP phone systems affordable for solopreneurs and small businesses on a budget. Both provide basic call handling features needed to run a business, such as call forwarding, SMS, and auto-attendants. While magicJack is very easy to use, it doesn’t offer the integrations, video conferencing, and group texting functionality found in Google Voice that most businesses need.
Want to learn more about Google Voice? Read our full in-depth review to learn if it’s right for your business.
