The best voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) services for small businesses deliver a wealth of call management capabilities that traditional landlines cannot, all for a lower cost. They go beyond typical voice calls by offering video conferencing, instant messaging, e-faxing, and third-party app integrations without additional fees. Monthly fees start at $10 per user, but pricing may vary depending on the provider, call plan, and feature inclusions.
Here’s a listing of the top providers as well as their best use cases:
- RingCentral: Best for high call volumes
- Zoom Phone: Best for low-cost VoIP service
- Phone.com: Best for low or fluctuating call volumes
- Nextiva: Best for managing customer communications
- Vonage: Best for custom VoIP service
- Dialpad: Best for artificial intelligence (AI)-based VoIP
- Grasshopper: Best for VoIP phone numbers
- Ooma: Best straightforward telephony service
Best VoIP for Small Business Compared
Software | Monthly Starting Price | Key Features | Free Trial | FSB Rating out of 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
| 14 days | 4.61 out of 5 | |
 |
|
N/A | 4.56 out of 5 | |
 |
| 30-day money-back guarantee | 4.53 out of 5 | |
 |
| 14 days | 4.46 out of 5 | |
 |
| N/A | 4.41 out of 5 | |
 |
| 14 days | 4.34 out of 5 | |
 | (flat rate) |
| 7 days | 4.01 out of 5 |
 |
| N/A | 3.99 out of 5 | |
RingCentral: Best Overall for High Call Volumes
What We Liked
- Up to 300+ app integrations
- Complete call management capabilities
- Very easy to use and set up
Where It Falls Behind
- Limited SMS credits per plan
- Expensive to scale up
- Requires an Enterprise plan for bigger cloud storage
RingCentral Monthly Pricing (per User) Pay annually to save up to 33%. Volume discounts apply for 50+ users.
- Core: $30 for one phone number, 100 toll-free minutes, unlimited local calls, 25 SMS, visual voicemail, call management, multi-level IVR, basic call queues, on-demand call recording, team chat, and 100 video attendees
- Advanced: $35 for 1,000 toll-free minutes, 100 SMS, advanced call routing and monitoring, automatic call recording, hot desking, unlimited e-fax, advanced integrations, and business analytics
- Ultra: $45 for 10,000 toll-free minutes, 200 SMS, unlimited storage, and device analytics
- Free trial: 14 days
RingCentral is our best VoIP phone system for small businesses dealing with large amounts of inbound and outbound call traffic. With its comprehensive call management system, entry-level users have access to multi-level interactive voice response (IVR), shared lines, call queue, and call park—features that most competitors offer in higher-level subscription tiers.
Configure your phone systems across the company, regardless of device or location, and use the mobile app to set up admin and user settings. RingCentral also secured a position on our list of the best business cell phone plans due to its essential call features like answering rules, call transfer, and call forwarding.
If you want the robust nature of RingCentral, but find it a little expensive, you’re better off with a low-cost VoIP solution like Zoom Phone. While Zoom is best known for its video conferencing solution, it provides a full-featured VoIP platform with monthly plans starting at as low as $10 per user.
RingCentral Features
RingCentral analytics dashboards deliver real-time insights on call data.
(Source: RingCentral)
- Multi-level IVR: Set up routing menus with a visual IVR editor and route calls to voicemail, extensions, and external phone numbers. Each account supports up to 250 voice menus and submenus.
- Multi-site management: Support all your branch offices’ site assets based on their unique needs within a single account. Each site has its own outbound caller ID, call handling rules, user roles, and auto-receptionist.
- Analytics portal: Get real-time insights on adoption, usage, and quality of service with RingCentral’s analytics portal. Various call metrics let you set key performance indicators (KPIs), identify top performers, and track issues quickly.
Zoom Phone: Best for Low-cost VoIP Service
What We Liked
- Mix types of plans in an account
- Metered and unmetered plan options
- Switch calls to video meetings
Where It Falls Behind
- No free phone numbers included
- Limited integrations
- Extra fees for call queue analytics
Zoom Phone Monthly Pricing (per User) Contact the sales team for annual billing discounts.
- Pay as You Go: $10 for metered outbound calling, phone extension number, and SMS/MMS
- Unlimited: $15 for unlimited outbound calling, phone extension number, and SMS/MMS
- Pro Global Select: $20 for metered outbound calling and unlimited domestic calls in one of the 40 countries supported
Note: All plans include unlimited internal calling, HD calls, number porting, voicemail transcription, auto-attendant, IVR, call monitoring, call recording, business hours routing, call park, team chat, and hot desking.
Zoom Phone is our best VoIP service for small businesses on a budget thanks to its monthly plans ranging from $10 to $20 per user. All plans are all-inclusive, which means you get the same phone features regardless of the plan you choose. What sets each other apart is the type of call plan, whether it’s for metered or unlimited inbound and outbound calling.
We also chose Zoom Phone as one of our best hotel phone systems, with its affordable international calling plans. For only $20 per user, monthly, you get unlimited regional calling in one of the 48 countries supported by Zoom. Another cheap deal is the unlimited international calling add-on, which starts for as low as $10 per month.
Unfortunately, Zoom Phone has monthly charges for local or toll-free phone numbers, which can get expensive if you need to purchase multiple phone numbers. A better alternative is Grasshopper, our best virtual phone number provider offering toll-free number bundles and vanity numbers without extra fees.
Zoom Phone Features
The Zoom dashboard provides a detailed analysis of calls, including their quality and performance. (Source: Zoom)
- Call delegation: Assign a phone user to make and receive calls on another user’s behalf. Both users can view the status of the shared lines and access the delegator’s direct phone numbers.
- Shared line groups: Share a phone number and extension common area phones or a group of phone users. You can set routing rules and apply custom business hours.
- Call quality dashboards: View the overall quality of phone calls and filter voice data on a specific user. It includes usage reports that display phone usage data for a specific user or call queue.
Are you on a tight budget? Check out our list of the best free VoIP services with competitive feature inclusions.
Phone.com: Best for Low or Fluctuating Call Volumes
What We Liked
- Mix metered and unmetered plans
- All plans include standard voice call features
- Calls to the U.S., CA, Italy, Israel, and the U.K. included in all plans
Where It Falls Behind
- Largely depends on Zapier for app integrations
- International calling requires a $200 prepayment
- Basic and Plus users have to pay $8 monthly for call recording
Phone.com Monthly Pricing (per User) Save up to 15% by paying yearly. Volume discounts apply to five users or more.
- Basic: $14.99 for one phone number, 500 pooled minutes, auto-attendant, call transfer, caller ID, call waiting, hold music, greetings, 10 video attendees, and audio conferencing
- Plus: $21.99 for unlimited domestic calls, voicemail transcription, 25 video attendees, and desk phone compatibility
- Pro: $31.99 for call analytics, call recording, 100 video attendees, and Zapier integration
Phone.com is our best VoIP phone system for small businesses with low or seasonal call volumes all throughout the year. Instead of purchasing unlimited call plans that you can’t utilize, Phone.com offers a metered plan for only $14.99 with 500 pooled minutes and 1,000 pooled SMS segments, which you can share with other Basic users in your account.
Like Zoom Phone, this provider offers a mix and match of metered and unlimited call packages, allowing you to pick the best plan for individual user requirements. Advanced tiers have unlimited minutes, while the base plan lets you purchase additional minutes or text credits if you exceed the limit on your plan. Calls will only be charged at 3.9 cents, while text messages will incur 0.75 cents.
On the downside, Phone.com has relatively few integrations, which significantly limits its functionality to connect with other third-party apps. If you need a VoIP solution that readily integrates with your current app stack, check out RingCentral. It has a dedicated app gallery that includes over 300 business solutions for automation, customer relationship management (CRM), and productivity.
Phone.com Features
Phone.com lets you configure how incoming calls should be forwarded to specific phone numbers or extensions. (Source: Phone.com)
- Call handling: Create a set of rules to route incoming callers to the right destination. Options include forwarding, auto-attendant, dial-by-name directory, and scheduled routing.
- Voice tagging: Announces which menu option was selected by the caller before answering the call. This is useful for businesses with multiple auto-attendant options that ring to the same number.
- Live receptionist: This add-on feature lets you add live answering services to your Phone.com account. With a monthly starting fee of $90, you get professional phone operators to answer your business calls.
Nextiva: Best for Managing Customer Communications
What We Liked
- Modern and intuitive interface
- Generous toll-free minute allotment per plan
- Rich integrations with CRM platforms
Where It Falls Behind
- Steeper price point than VoIP competitors
- Voicemail transcription requires an Enterprise account
- Video calls are limited to 45 minutes
Nextiva Monthly Pricing (per User) Pay yearly and save up to 22%. Volume discounts apply to five users or more.
- Essential: $30.95 for one phone number, unlimited calls to the U.S. and CA, 1,500 toll-free minutes, unlimited e-fax, video recording, auto-attendant, call log, hold music, team chat, and 45-minute video calls
- Professional: $35.95 for 40 conference participants, 3,000 toll-free minutes, 1,000 SMS/MMS, CRM integrations, and multi-level auto-attendant
- Enterprise: $45.95 for unlimited participants, 12,500 toll-free minutes, 2,000 SMS/MMS, voicemail transcription, and single sign-on
While VoIP systems are primarily designed to streamline customer interactions, Nextiva takes a more comprehensive approach by combining VoIP with its customer experience platform. It brings calls, text, video, and chat in a single place, giving teams access to customer interactions, call transcription, and history.
As one of our best VoIP providers for small businesses, Nextiva aims to un-silo customer information through shared management. Users can send automatic surveys after every phone interaction and receive all the important customer details before picking up a call.
Despite its feature-rich offerings, Nextiva has a relatively steep price point, which can put budget-conscious teams at a disadvantage. If you’re after affordability, check out Zoom Phone, one of our best cheap VoIP services, with monthly plans starting at $10 per user.
Nextiva Features
When a call comes in, the Call Pop feature will pop out on your screen, displaying key customer information.
(Source: Nextiva)
- Call Pop: Displays the caller’s details before you pick up the call. Customize it to show whatever customer information you need, like sentiment or account value.
- Automation tools: Enhance service efficiency with automation features like automated surveys, real-time suggestions, and automatic follow-ups.
- Call pulling: Transfers an ongoing call between devices without interruption. This feature works on desk phones, computers, and mobile phones.
Vonage: Best for Custom VoIP Service
What We Liked
- Up to 43 standard call features on all plans
- Intuitive desktop and mobile app
- Customizable monthly plans
Where It Falls Behind
- Only accepts one-year contracts for new accounts
- Key features like extensions and toll-free numbers have monthly charges
- Payment is required to access tech support
Vonage Monthly Pricing (per User) Discounts are available for new accounts and bulk subscriptions.
- Mobile: $13.99 per user for unlimited calls within the U.S. and Canada, unlimited SMS, unlimited team messaging, access to Vonage App Center, and up to 43 voice features
- Premium: $20.99 per user for multi-level auto-attendant, 100 video attendees, desk phone compatibility, and CRM integrations
- Advanced: $27.99 per user for on-demand call recording, call group, and visual voicemail
Vonage is one of our best VoIP phone systems for small business users wanting to fully customize their plans based on the capabilities and integrations they need. Instead of purchasing all-inclusive plans, Vonage’s a la carte approach gives you the freedom to add your desired features as your business needs change.
There are 18 paid add-ons to choose from, such as call recording, e-fax, a paging system, and a virtual mailbox, to name a few. The same works for integrations, where you can add and purchase third-party apps through the Vonage App Center.
However, those who want to try Vonage for the first time are at a disadvantage because it strictly requires a one-year contract for new users. If you’re new to VoIP and don’t want to commit to any long-term contract, try Phone.com. It uses the same a la carte model as Vonage, but you can subscribe to its metered plans, which you can cancel at any time.
Vonage Features
The Vonage App Center elevates your company’s workflow through native integrations. (Source: Vonage)
- App Center: Offers a self-service platform to view and purchase third-party apps like customer relationship management (CRM) systems, productivity tools, contact centers, and support platforms.
- Admin portal: Allows designated admins to manage and customize the company’s phone system. Audit account changes, track employee activity, and view monthly billing.
- Business inbox: Directly access all your messages from SMS, MMS, and Facebook Messenger in one unified inbox. You can assign users to have access so they can send and receive messages from customers.
Dialpad: Best for AI-based VoIP Service
What We Liked
- Rich built-in AI features
- Supports international SMS
- Robust messaging tools
Where It Falls Behind
- Only supports 10 meeting participants
- Phone extensions are limited to Enterprise accounts
- Limited app integrations
Dialpad Monthly Pricing (per User) Annual billing plans start at $15 per user.
- Standard: $23 for one local number, unlimited calls to the U.S. and Canada, multi-level auto-attendant, visual voicemail, custom call routing, SMS/MMS, team chat, five-hour video calls, call transcriptions, and real-time analytics
- Pro: $35 for hold queues, 25 ring groups, international SMS, and CRM integrations
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for extensions, and unlimited ring groups
- Free trial: 14 days
Dialpad is the best VoIP system for small businesses with tech-savvy teams wanting to utilize automation features for optimizing customer service delivery. Its AI-powered phone system includes a wide range of smart tools like a virtual assistant, live coaching, call summary, and sentiment analysis.
If you’re dealing with a high volume of calls, Dialpad’s built-in AI will transcribe conversations, track action items, and take notes while you’re focused on the conversation. The best part is that artificial intelligence (AI) tools are available on all Dialpad plans, so you can enjoy streamlined workflows and provide personalized customer experiences.
Sadly, Dialpad can only accommodate up to 10 participants for video meetings. If you frequently host large-scale meetings, consider RingCentral, which supports up to 200 participants, including access to robust video conferencing features like breakout rooms, whiteboards, and remote control.
Dialpad Features
Host three-way conference calls directly on the Dialpad desktop app. (Source: Dialpad)
- Simultaneous ring: Route incoming calls to multiple devices at the same time so your team will never miss a call. Supported devices include desk phones, computers, and mobile devices.
- Three-way calling: This free Dialpad feature lets you seamlessly add a third-party participant to your business calls. You have the option to mute, hold, and transfer all the participants.
- International services: Enabling this feature lets you start placing calls and messages internationally. Calls are billed per minute, while texting rates are billed per message.
Grasshopper: Best for VoIP Phone Numbers
What We Liked
- Unlimited users for a fixed monthly fee
- Add-on features for live receptionist and professional phone greetings
- Bundled toll-free numbers
Where It Falls Behind
- Lacks third-party app integrations
- No video calling and team chat
- Lacks advanced calling features like IVR and call recording
Grasshopper Monthly Pricing Save 10% with annual billing.
- True Solo: $14 for one user, one phone number, and one extension
- Solo: $34 for unlimited users, one phone number, and three extensions
- Partner: $56 for unlimited users, three phone numbers, and six extensions
- Small Business: $92 for unlimited users, five phone numbers, and unlimited extensions
- Free trial: 7 days
Note: All plans include business SMS, call forwarding, voicemail, e-fax, call transfers, custom greetings, and reporting.
Grasshopper is the best hosted VoIP for small businesses with distributed mobile workers needing multiple phone numbers for coordinating communication. While most VoIP providers charge extra for additional phone numbers, Grasshopper offers them in bundles at a fixed monthly price.
Another highlight feature of Grasshopper is that it offers toll-free vanity numbers without extra charges. When you sign up, it provides the option to choose from a local or toll-free vanity number or to port your current number. You can customize a number or let Grasshopper generate one.
Since Grasshopper is a virtual phone system, users should note that it doesn’t have unified communications (UC) features. If you’re looking for a VoIP provider that lets you host video meetings and chat with team members, choose RingCentral or Nextiva. Both solutions have robust UC capabilities, allowing you to streamline collaboration across teams.
Grasshopper Features
Grasshopper custom greetings can be set to play at the start of a call or as an away message.
(Source: Grasshopper)
- Virtual receptionist service: Adding Ruby to your Grasshopper account gives you a live answering service that will answer calls on behalf of your business.
- Call transfer: Grasshopper offers two ways of transferring calls: blind or supervised. Blind automatically transfers calls, while supervised lets you speak with the receiver first.
- Custom greetings: Record phone greetings on your own, or use Grasshopper’s voice studio to have a professional voice actor record your script.
Ooma: Best Straightforward Telephony Service
What We Liked
- Base plan includes 50+ standard call features
- Free number porting
- Affordable toll-free calling plans
Where It Falls Behind
- Desktop app is limited to Pro and Pro Plus accounts
- Outdated interface
- Video conferencing is not as strong as other competitors
Ooma Monthly Pricing (per User) Volume discounts apply to over 6 registered users.
- Essentials: $19.95 for one toll-free number, 50+ phone features, ring groups, call blocking, and virtual receptionist
- Pro: $24.95 for SMS/MMS, hybrid ring groups, call recording, call analytics, voicemail transcription, and 25-attendee video meetings for four hours
- Pro Plus: $29.95 for call queues, call screening, 100-attendee video meetings for 12 hours, hot desking, and CRM integrations
Ooma takes a more straightforward approach to its VoIP service by focusing on basic call management. It emphasizes phone and voicemail capabilities for businesses with moderate call volumes. This provider works as a no-frills cloud telephony service compared to top competitors like RingCentral, with a feature set that can overwhelm a small team (e.g., business analytics and intelligent meetings).
This platform also secured a spot on our list of the best VoIP service for home offices thanks to its free home phone service. Once you purchase the Ooma Telo device for $90, you get unlimited access to its internet home phone plan, which includes free U.S. calling, HD voice, and online call logs.
Although Ooma has video conferencing, its features are not as robust as other full-fledged UC providers. We recommend RingCentral, our top Ooma alternative, which offers the most comprehensive VoIP and video conferencing solution in the market.
Ooma Features
Ooma provides a dedicated platform to manage and customize all your office extensions. (Source: Ooma)
- Multi-device ring: This is a call forwarding variation that lets you receive calls on any device and have multiple devices ring when an Ooma user is called.
- Extension monitoring: Allows a user or receptionist to monitor the status of other phone extensions and perform different actions like call transfer or three-way calling.
- Distinctive ringtones: Add a unique ringtone to a call queue or ring group to give team members a heads-up about the nature of the incoming call.
How We Evaluated the Best VoIP for Small Business
The best VoIP phone for small business includes various tools for efficiently handling incoming and outgoing calls while supporting a wide range of budget requirements. For this guide, we compared eight well-known providers with VoIP services and unified communications features. We analyzed them based on cost, key features, and performance.
Learn how we evaluated the best VoIP for small businesses by clicking on the tabs below:
25% of Overall Score
Small businesses have different budget considerations when choosing a VoIP service provider. With this, we examined the cost of VoIP solutions based on the availability of free trials, type of discounts, and lower annual pricing. We gave higher points to providers with lower costs than more expensive alternatives.
25% of Overall Score
Every company that provides VoIP services has to offer standard calling features to help users manage inbound and outbound calls. We looked at overall VoIP features, such as an automated attendant, conference calling, SMS, and voicemail. We also checked whether each platform includes a desktop and mobile app or not.
15% of Overall Score
We gave points to providers that offer additional key features, such as IVR, toll-free numbers, voicemail transcription, and software integrations. We also examined which systems allow international calling.
10% of Overall Score
We evaluated each VoIP provider’s usability by determining the technical expertise required to set up and operate their phone systems. We evaluated if platforms have an intuitive interface and easy-to-use admin settings.
10% of Overall Score
As part of our evaluation, we considered the types of customer support channels offered by each provider. These include live chat, phone, email, and help desk ticket. We gave more points to providers operating 24/7 and partial points to those available during business hours.
15% of Overall Score
Using our firsthand experiences with each provider, we came up with our expert score by examining their unique features and ease of use. We also considered user reviews to determine the popularity and value for money of the best VoIP services.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
VoIP is a worthwhile investment for small businesses looking for an efficient and cost-effective way to communicate with employees and customers. It provides excellent call quality, advanced call features, and the ability to work from anywhere without high costs.
Fundamentally, a VoIP service works exactly like a desk phone that lets you transfer calls, play hold music, view voicemail, and block callers, to name a few. But since VoIP is a digital solution, you can enjoy advanced features like instant messaging, video conferencing, app integrations, and real-time analytics.
Yes. However, VoIP has less extensive hardware requirements compared to the traditional analog phone setup. Since VoIP is software-based, it can be installed on any device that connects to the internet, including a desktop computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet, or an internet protocol (IP) phone.
Bottom Line
VoIP phone systems offer significant value to small businesses due to their scalability, lower costs, portability, and rich features. In an increasingly competitive market, RingCentral rises above as the best VoIP for small businesses. With its robust call management features, this benefits companies with high call volumes and scaling businesses that require a complete phone solution. Visit RingCentral for a free demo, or sign up for its 14-day free trial.
