6 Best Ooma Alternatives & Competitors for 2023
Corey McCraw is a staff writer covering VoIP and Unified Communications. Corey has over a decade of experience in marketing, tech writing, and corporate communications and has even penned content for the former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative.
Silvana is a staff writer at Fit Small Business who covers business technology, audio and video conferencing tools, and phone services.
This article is part of a larger series on VoIP.
Ooma is a business phone system provider that offers advanced features, including video conferencing, voicemail transcription, and enhanced call blocking. However, small businesses seek Ooma alternatives for more budget-friendly options or to access essential features, such as extensive integrations and video conferencing in base plans. We considered dozens of voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) solutions to help you choose the right provider for your needs.
Based on our research, these are the top Ooma competitors that are worth considering:
- RingCentral: Best overall feature-rich, scalable solution for growing companies
- Nextiva: Top choice for all-in-one team collaboration functionality
- Dialpad: Leading provider offering advanced intelligent call management tools
- Phone.com: Best Ooma alternative for budget-friendly metered subscriptions
- Vonage: Great option for flexible, a la carte phone plans
- Grasshopper: Excellent platform for flat-rate pricing with greetings services
Ooma & Best Alternatives at a Glance
Ooma & Best Alternatives | Monthly Starting Price (per User) | Key Features | UCaaS Features | FSB Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | $19.95 |
|
| 4 out of 5 |
 | $30 |
|
| 4.48 out of 5 |
 | $30.95 |
|
| 4.45 out of 5 |
 | $23 |
|
| 4.34 out of 5 |
 | $14.99 |
|
| 4.28 out of 5 |
 | $19.99 |
|
| 4.23 out of 5 |
 | $31 |
|
| 3.82 out of 5 |
Our comprehensive Ooma review serves as a guide to help small businesses decide if Ooma is the best option for you.
RingCentral: Best Overall Ooma Alternative
Overall Score:
4.48 / 5
What We Like
- Provides multi-level auto-attendant and IVR
- Offers shared lines for answering of calls by multiple phone devices
- Developer platform and access to APIs (application programming interface)
Where It Falls Behind
- Unlimited team messaging and file sharing only available in the Ultra plan
- Lacks customized professional greeting
- Lacks unlimited cloud recording
How It Compares to Ooma
- Ooma only offers two types of numbers: toll-free and local. RingCentral has four: vanity, local, toll-free, and international
- Both providers offer a 99.999% SLA
- RingCentral only offers metered international calling, while Ooma provides unlimited minutes to over 70 countries
RingCentral is the best Ooma alternative for extensive call management capabilities, including multi-level auto-attendant, automatic and on-demand call recording, and advanced call queues. As your business grows, this cloud-based business phone system is completely scalable and offers additional phone numbers and volume-based discounts for businesses with over 50 users. RingCentral gives expanding companies the flexibility to upgrade features as needed.
While RingCentral is considered one of the leading and most robust unified communications (UC) solutions, this full-featured platform may be overwhelming for smaller teams and solopreneurs needing a simple VoIP solution. For companies with limited needs and tight budgets, consider Phone.com. This RingCentral and Ooma competitor is the most affordable provider on this list and allows mix-and-match plans for greater customization and cost savings.
RingCentral Monthly Pricing at a Glance (per User)*
- Core: $30 for message and phone functionality for 20 users
- Advanced: $35 for an unlimited number of users, unlimited internet fax, audio conferencing, third-party integrations, and video conferencing for up to 24 hours and 100 participants
- Ultra: $45 for automatic call recording, real-time analytics, customer relationship management (CRM) integration, devices status reports, and video meetings with up to 200 participants
*Save up to 33% with annual billing.
RingCentral Features
RingCentral offers real-time meeting transcripts. (Source: RingCentral)
- Call recording: Record phone calls within your business center using RingCentral’s automatic and on-demand call recording capabilities. On-demand call recording lets users manually record phone calls with a single press of a button. In contrast, automatic call recording is programmed to automatically record the conversation from the beginning until the end of the call.
- Multi-level interactive voice response (IVR): It’s an advanced virtual receptionist that automates your phone system and guides callers through self-service prompts. It can be configured to connect to other IVR menus and extensions.
- Team collaboration: RingCentral’s centralized workspace provides essential coordination and productivity tools, such as instant messaging, video conferencing, file sharing, and project management.
Read our full RingCentral review to determine if it is the right solution for your business.
Nextiva: Best for Its Robust Team Collaboration Functionalities
Overall Score:
4.45 / 5
What We Like
- Offers toll-free numbers and up to 12,500 inclusive minutes
- Unlimited participants in voice and video conferencing
- Unlimited video conference recording
Where It Falls Behind
- Does not offer unlimited international calling
- Entry-level plan doesn't support mobile messaging
- Call recording only unlocks on the highest plan
How It Compares to Ooma
- Nextiva lacks unlimited international calling, which Ooma offers
- Ooma lacks advanced UC features like built-in CRM software, which Nextiva offers
- All Nextiva and Ooma plans come with one toll-free number
Nextiva ranks as one of the best small business VoIP services for companies that want built-in productivity and collaboration tools. Its features like threaded conversations, contact sharing and integration, team presence, and shared lines—available with the base plan—help improve internal collaboration. Nextiva’s Cospace application lets users access team messaging, video conferencing, and task management functionality wherever their team is.
Despite Nextiva’s extensive call management and productivity tools, it does not offer mobile messaging, SMS (short message service), and MMS (multimedia messaging service) on its base plan. If business messaging is important to your business, you’re better off with RingCentral; its entry-level plan comes with unlimited domestic calling and SMS and MMS. Nextiva and RingCentral are similarly priced, starting at about $30 per user, paid monthly.
Nextiva Monthly Pricing at a Glance (per User)*
- Essential: $30.95 for unlimited calling within the U.S. and Canada, auto-attendant, 1,500 toll-free minutes, voicemail, video conferencing with recording, and free local and toll-free number
- Professional: $35.95 for a multi-level auto-attendant, business messaging, 3,000 toll-free minutes, and advanced integrations
- Enterprise: $45.95 for unlimited conference participants, 12,500 toll-free minutes, enterprise integrations, call recording, and voicemail transcription
*Pricing is based on one to four users. Annual billing saves customers up to 22%.
Nextiva Features
(Source: Nextiva)
- Team presence: This feature lets colleagues know the team’s presence status and availability to communicate on the phone, through messaging, or in a virtual meeting. Choose from statuses, such as busy, do not disturb, away, and the option to show as offline.
- Call Pop: Instantly see the caller’s most crucial information when the call comes in. Details include the latest interaction, experience score, and account value. Once the call is accepted, the screen shows the caller’s complete profile.
- Call flow builder: Route calls based on your set days and times. It’s simple to set up, and you can customize call flows according to where you want the calls to go and what happens when calls are unanswered.
Considering Nextiva for your business? Learn more about this VoIP service by reading our Nextiva review.
Dialpad: Best Ooma Alternative for Advanced AI Tools
Overall Score:
4.34 / 5
What We Like
- Multi-level auto-attendant feature available in all plans
- Built-in AI features unlocks in base plan
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)-compliant
Where It Falls Behind
- Internet fax is an optional add-on under the Standard plan
- International messaging only available in higher plans
- Five-hour maximum meeting duration
How It Compares to Ooma
- Both Ooma and Dialpad offer one phone number with all plans
- Dialpad’s additional local numbers cost $5 per month, cheaper than Ooma’s, which costs $9.95
- Unlike Dialpad, which offers a 100% uptime guarantee for Enterprise subscribers, Ooma offers a 99.999% SLA
Dialpad is best for businesses looking for robust artificial intelligence (AI)-powered features, with its speech recognition model able to analyze over 4 billion minutes of voice and message data. This provider has built-in AI tools, including AI-suggested answers for agents, real-time customer sentiment tracking, and built-in chatbots. Dialpad Ai offers instant call and meeting transcription highlights and post-call summaries.
Ai Sales help improve your agent’s sales IQ by providing automatic call summaries and coaching playlists that drive revenue. Dialpad also has advanced analytics, enabling you to generate detailed insights into call volume, leaderboards, and sales performance. However, Dialpad’s video conferencing feature only supports 10 participants. For larger hosting capacities, try Nextiva, which accommodates up to 250 participants.
Dialpad Monthly Pricing at a Glance (per User)*
- Standard: $23 for unlimited calling and video meetings, Ai-powered call and voicemail transcriptions, and unlimited meetings for up to 10 pax for a maximum of five hours.
- Pro: $35 for local number support in over 70 countries, up to 25 ring groups, 10 office locations, global SMS, and 24/7 live agent support
- Enterprise: Custom quote for 100% uptime, unlimited ring groups, and office locations, and priority live agent support
*An annual billing discount is available.
Dialpad Features
Live automated coaching (Source: Dialpad)
- Screen sharing: Dialpad allows users to screen share with just one click during virtual meetings. The feature also works on Dialpad’s mobile app.
- Automated post-call summaries: After a meeting, users receive a call summary through email that includes a transcript, action items, and meeting notes. All call and meeting attendees receive the email, ensuring everyone is on the same page.
- Intelligent routing: Send your callers to the right plans even when they reach out through different channels. Its relationship view shows the caller’s interaction history, enabling agents to personalize the conversation based on their needs.
In addition to transcriptions and speech coaching, this VoIP provider uses AI in its analytics and reporting. Learn about these features in our Dialpad review.
Phone.com: Best for Business With Low Incoming Call Volumes
Overall Score:
4.28 / 5
What We Like
- Intuitive, user-friendly interface
- Mobile and web applications available
- Mix-and-match plans with a la carte add-ons
Where It Falls Behind
- Does not offer team messaging
- No free trial
- No share screen option for mobile devices
How It Compares to Ooma
- Ooma and Phone.com offer one phone number with base plans
- Both providers offer over 50 standard features, including call recording and video conferencing
- Phone.com offers 20% savings for annual billing, which Ooma does not offer
Phone.com offers services like Ooma and is our recommended provider for metered phone plans, ideal for teams with low incoming or seasonal call volumes. As a budget-friendly VoIP provider, its base plan includes 500 pooled minutes and 1,000 pooled texts. This pricing model is more economical than per-user rates, and businesses pay a single rate for minutes and texts that several users can share. Users can add a shared line or common area phone to any plan.
However, while Phone.com comes with mobile and web apps, its video conferencing on mobile offers limited functionality. Phone.com users cannot screen share on mobile. If you need more powerful mobile functionality, consider Nextiva. Nextiva’s Cospace application offers team messaging, task management, and screen sharing capabilities. Nextiva supports up to 25 active video participants and up to 250 audio participants.
Phone.com Monthly Pricing at a Glance (per User)*
- Basic: $14.99 for 500 pooled minutes, 1,000 pooled text segments, and over 50 standard voice features
- Plus: $19.99 for unlimited minutes and text messages, conversational text messaging, 25-participant video conferencing with recording, and voicemail transcription
- Pro: $29.99 for call recording, analytics, customer relationship manager (CRM) integration, video conferencing accommodates up to 100 participants with Hi-Fi transcription and whiteboard features
*Save up to 20% with annual billing.
Phone.com Features
Phone.com call logs (Source: Phone.com)
- Number blocking: Prevent spam calls and texts from reaching you by blocking specific numbers. To do this, find the number in the call history, hover over the number, and select “Block Number.”
- Number types: Phone.com offers toll-free, custom, and global phone numbers. Basic users get one phone number per account, while Plan and Pro users get one phone number per user.
- Live receptionist: Never miss another call with live answering services. This feature is helpful for small businesses that want to improve customer service. Receptionists schedule appointments, filter spam calls, and forward calls to voicemail, extensions, or mobile phones.
Read our Phone.com review with pricing details and key features to learn more.
Vonage: Best Ooma Alternative for Flexible, a la Carte Plans
Overall Score:
4.23 / 5
What We Like
- All plans include Vonage Meetings, offering video, voice, and messaging
- Desktop and mobile apps available
- 99.999% uptime guarantee
Where It Falls Behind
- Does not offer professionally recorded greetings
- Taxes and other fees are not included in the per-user rates
- Lacks annual billing discount
How It Compares to Ooma
- Ooma and Vonage are similarly priced at $19.95 and $19.99 per user, respectively
- Unlike Vonage, Ooma does not require a one-year contract
- Both platforms offer unlimited calls within the U.S.
Vonage is a leading VoIP provider offering customizable phone systems through an array of add-on features, including call recording, virtual fax, high-definition (HD) voice, and paging groups. This flexible pricing model ensures budget-conscious teams aren’t paying for features that aren’t needed. The Basic plan includes essential features, including mobile and desktop applications, unlimited calling and texting, and team messaging.
If you have a growing team, annual billing discounts offer substantial savings. Unfortunately, while Vonage offers volume-based discounts for accounts with several users, it does not have an annual billing option. For businesses that wish to do annual prepay, consider RingCentral, which offers up to 33% savings. RingCentral’s base plan costs $20 per user, monthly, with annual billing. It comes with IVR, analytics, and unlimited calling and texting.
Vonage Monthly Pricing at a Glance (per Line)*
- Mobile: $19.99 for unlimited calls and SMS, unlimited team messaging, and mobile and desktop apps access
- Premium: $29.99 for a multi-level auto-attendant, unlimited meetings for up to 100 participants, CRM integrations, and internet protocol (IP) desk phone compatibility
- Advanced: $39.99 for up to 15 hours of on-demand call recording, call groups, and visual voicemail
*A minimum one-year contract is required.
Vonage Features
Vonage business inbox (Source: Vonage)
- Call flip: During a call, this feature facilitates greater mobility by enabling users to switch from one device to another. Users can assign up to five devices to multiple extensions and switch between devices even during an active call.
- Vonage boomerang: This feature automatically connects calls from specific numbers to your Vonage phone number. Your boomerang contacts are connected to your Vonage number, with all charges applied to your Vonage account.
- Call park: Put calls on hold and let other team members pick them up. When calls are parked, users can still place and receive other calls and use other VoIP features.
Read our Vonage review to determine if it is the best choice for your small business.
Grasshopper: Best for Its Flat-rate Pricing
Overall Score:
3.82 / 5
What We Like
- Unlimited domestic calling and texting within the U.S. and Canada
- Unlimited media storage
- HIPAA-compliant at all tier levels
Where It Falls Behind
- No video conferencing features
- Lacks toll-free minutes
- Quality management features are not available in lower-tier plans
How It Compares to Ooma
- Grasshopper does not offer video conferencing, which Ooma offers for up to 25 attendees
- Neither Ooma nor Grasshopper provide international phone numbers
- Ooma offers international calling for a flat rate, while Grasshopper offers international calling through per-minute pricing
Grasshopper is one of the top alternatives to Ooma and best option for businesses looking for a phone system with a fixed monthly price, regardless of the number of registered users. The main difference between the plans is the number of phone numbers and extensions included in each package. Whichever plan you choose, users have access to the same features, including voicemail, instant response, and custom greetings.
While it offers a solid menu of call management features, Grasshopper does not have built-in video conferencing. Among the Ooma alternatives on this list, Vonage offers virtual meeting participant limits above 200 attendees. It provides virtual meeting collaboration features like live chat, virtual backgrounds, and video recording.
Grasshopper Monthly Pricing at a Glance*
- Solo: $31 for one phone number, three extensions, and unlimited users
- Partner: $51 for three phone numbers, six extensions, and unlimited users
- Small Business: $89 for five phone numbers, unlimited extensions, and unlimited users
*Grasshopper offers a flat-rate pricing model, not per-user billing. Annual billing saves users up to 10%.
Grasshopper Features
Grasshopper main greeting setup (Source: YouTube)
- Custom greetings: Personalize how you welcome and direct your callers through your phone system. Grasshopper allows users to record messages independently or through a professional voice actor.
- Instant response: Grasshopper sends an automatic message to clients reaching you. It confirms you received their information and inquiry and ensures no calls are missed or ignored.
- Virtual receptionist: Grasshopper works with Ruby Receptionists to offer customers live call answering services. It has U.S.-based voice talents who deliver custom scripts for personalized customer experiences.
Learn more about Grasshopper’s features and other information, including pricing and use cases, in our Grasshopper review.
How We Evaluated the Best Ooma Alternatives
To assess the top VoIP phone services comparable to Ooma, we considered crucial factors such as pricing, general and advanced features, ease of use, and customer support. Our expert opinion also came into play in terms of the platform’s value for money and popularity in the evaluation.
Learn how we evaluated the best Ooma alternatives by clicking on the tabs below:
15%
Pricing
25%
General Features
20%
Advanced Features
10%
Ease of Use
10%
Customer Support
20%
Expert Score
15% of Overall Score
To determine the platform’s affordability, our team considered the cost of the provider’s base-level and second-tier plans. It was awarded more points if it offered annual and volume discounts. Another element we looked at was whether the provider has a forever-free plan that benefits solopreneurs, startups, and small teams.
25% of Overall Score
Some general features we looked at were whether there’s unlimited calling in the U.S. and Canada, video and audio conferencing, and a mobile app. Considering the importance of constant uptime and connectivity, we included the SLA guarantees in our assessment, with those offering 99.999% or above uptime generating more points.
20% of Overall Score
Our priority niche features include international calling, international numbers, and the IVR system. Ooma competitors with robust third-party integrations were given higher points.
10% of Overall Score
When we looked at the alternatives to Ooma, our team evaluated ease of use by determining the expertise required to set up and operate the phone system. We also assessed if Ooma competitors have an intuitive interface.
10% of Overall Score
We consider a variety of customer communication channels a critical part of the evaluation. Ooma phone alternatives with multiple avenues, like email, phone, and live chat support, received more points. We also looked at the operational hours, particularly if they’re available 24/7.
20% of Overall Score
The expert score is based on our evaluation of each provider’s standout features, value for money, and ease of use. We evaluated verified user ratings in third-party review sites to gauge the platform’s popularity.
*Percentages of overall score
Frequently Asked Questions
Ooma offers a free home phone service with an Ooma Telo purchase. Users only pay for the monthly applicable taxes and fees. When it comes to Ooma Office, the base plan—Ooma Office Essentials—starts at $19.95 per user, monthly.
Ooma Office and Vonage are both UC systems. Whether one is better than the other depends on your budget and phone system needs. Based on our detailed Ooma vs Vonage comparison, we found that Ooma is suited for small teams and brick-and-mortar companies transitioning from landline services. Vonage, on the other hand, is better for growing businesses with remote or hybrid teams needing customized plans and global support.
Porting your existing number is free with an Ooma Office subscription. Ooma allows users to select a new phone number in select Ooma areas or port existing phone numbers.
Bottom Line
Ooma offers various calling features and basic UC capabilities, such as virtual receptionist, call park, intercom, and call transfer. It’s the ideal phone system for small companies and home offices needing feature-rich domestic and international calling services. However, it lacks robust UC capabilities, international numbers, and advanced analytics.
After careful evaluation, if you’re looking for companies like Ooma, RingCentral tops the list because it offers powerful call management and collaboration features, such as large participant capacity for video conferencing and extensive third-party integrations. Check out the leading Ooma alternative and visit RingCentral for a free demo, or sign up for its free trial today.
