The best voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) for international calls allows users to communicate with overseas clients at affordable rates. International calling options include low per-minute charges, minute bundles, and unlimited call plans to specific countries. Providers offer local phone numbers in different territories and a suite of call management features to support the volume of inquiries from international clients.
- Ooma: Best for homepreneurs with overseas customers
- RingCentral: Best for third-party integrations
- Zoom Phone: Best for globally distributed teams
- GoTo Connect: Best for wide international coverage
- 8×8: Best for international expansion
- Phone.com: Best for affordability
- Nextiva: Best for unified communications
Best Services for VoIP International Calls Compared
Providers | Monthly Starting Price (per User) | Key Features | Our Rating |
---|---|---|---|
| 4.87 out of 5 | ||
$30 |
| 4.84 out of 5 | |
$10 |
| 4.78 out of 5 | |
$26 |
| 4.77 out of 5 | |
Custom pricing |
| 4.74 out of 5 | |
$14.99 |
| 4.63 out of 5 | |
$25 |
| 4.48 out of 5 | |
Which international VoIP calling provider is right for you?
Ooma: Best for Homepreneurs With Overseas Customers
What We Liked
- Includes unlimited calling to Mexico and Puerto Rico, extending beyond the US and Canada
- Includes 50-plus standard call features
- Offers a free home phone service
Where It Falls Behind
- Has limited third-party integrations
- Charges a one-time fee of $49.95 upon sign-up
- Lacks international phone numbers
Ooma Monthly Pricing
Home Phone Plans:
- Ooma Basic: Free for unlimited calls within the US, call waiting, call hold, and online call log
- Ooma Premier: $9.99 Designed for home use only, but business plans are available on a per-user basis. for unlimited calls to the US, Canada, and Mexico, instant second line, call forwarding, and custom call blocking
- World Plan: $17.99 for unlimited calling to landlines in over 60 countries and to mobile phones in over 10 countries
- World Plus Plan: $25.99 for unlimited calling to landlines in over 70 countries and to mobile phones in over 40 countries
Office Plans (per User):
- Essentials: $19.95 for unlimited calling in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, virtual receptionist, ring groups, and virtual fax
- Pro: $24.95 for desktop app access, enhanced call blocking, call recording, and up to 25 video meeting participants
- Pro Plus: $29.95 for call queueing, integration with CRM apps, hot desking, team chat, and up to 100 video meeting participants
Ooma is the best overall VoIP international call provider for homepreneurs with overseas clients because its residential phone plan has extensive country coverage. The international calling packages, which start at $17.99 a month, enable you to place as many calls as you want to landlines in over 70 locations and mobile phones in 40 territories. Supported countries include Australia, Denmark, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden, and the U.K.
Note that you must purchase the provider’s analog telephone adapter, Ooma Telo, for $99.99 to access the international calling plan. Moreover, the call management capabilities under Ooma’s home phone package are limited. If you receive a large volume of international calls, it’s better to go for business phone systems with robust VoIP features, like Zoom Phone and GoTo Connect.
- Backup number: When the internet connection is down or the power goes out, Ooma automatically forwards calls to an alternate phone number you set. In times of emergencies, your business remains available for customers needing assistance.
- Call forwarding: Redirect calls to another device or phone number and ensure you don’t miss any customer queries. Depending on your configuration, Ooma alerts your device or a colleague’s phone number.
- Expanded call blocking: Choose among various call blocking modes on Ooma Premier: anonymous callers, suspected spammers, or specific contacts.
RingCentral: Best for Third-party Integrations
What We Liked
- Features call queues in all plans
- Has a dedicated global plan for distributed teams
- Offers complete call management
Where It Falls Behind
- Requires a more responsive customer support
- Only offers volume discounts to accounts with over 100 subscribers
- Has limited SMS credits
RingCentral Monthly Pricing (per User): Save up to 33% with annual billing.
- Core: $30 for one phone number, 100 toll-free minutes, multilevel interactive voice response (IVR), on-demand call recording, team chat, and up to 100 video meeting attendees
- Advanced: $35 for 1,000 toll-free minutes, advanced call routing, call monitoring, autocall recording, e-fax, and CRM integrations
- Ultra: $45 for 10,000 toll-free minutes, unlimited storage, and device analytics
- Free trial: 14 days
Among the VoIP international calling providers here, RingCentral is suitable for companies looking to connect their systems to existing business tools. It integrates seamlessly with over 300 third-party apps, including top CRM platforms such as Salesforce, HubSpot, and Microsoft Dynamics 365. Productivity solutions like Microsoft Teams and Slack are likewise part of the integration gallery.
On top of that, the VoIP phone system allows custom integrations through APIs. This lets you add RingCentral’s calling capabilities to your business platforms. By maximizing these robust integrations, you’ll improve agent productivity when managing voice-over-IP international calls while creating a frictionless experience for clients overseas.
One downside of choosing RingCentral is that a subscription plan upgrade is necessary to unlock internet fax. This feature is available on Ooma’s entry-level plan, which only costs $19.95 per user monthly.
- Virtual extensions: Facilitate faster customer service by allowing callers to connect to their desired destination. Assign specific phone lines to different office branches. RingCentral allows up to eight-digit phone extensions.
- Hot desking: Let team members use any phone in your system and have their unique profile settings logged into that device. This is especially useful for employees who travel to and from various company branches.
- Call park: Put a call on hold and place it in a communal parking spot to let colleagues take over and address the customer’s concern. The system sends a notification about a parked call left unanswered for five minutes.
Zoom Phone: Best for Globally Distributed Teams
What We Liked
- Supports calls and texts for 150 countries
- Includes the same feature set across plans
- Lets you switch an ongoing call to a video meeting
Where It Falls Behind
- Requires an extra fee for call queue analytics
- Doesn't provide annual billing discounts like other providers
- Lacks instant response or autoreplies for missed calls
Zoom Phone Monthly Pricing (per User):
- US & Canada Metered: $10 for local phone number, metered outbound calling within the US and Canada, and metered international calling
- US & Canada Unlimited: $15 for unlimited outbound calling within the US and Canada and the add-on option for international calling
- Global Select: $20 for a local number in a selected country, unlimited regional calling in one of the 48 supported countries, and the add-on option for international calling
International calling add-on: Starts at $10 a month for unlimited global calling to 19 countries, including the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Austria
Zoom Phone ranks among the best VoIP for international calls, providing an affordable and organized way to communicate with regional and overseas clients. It’s especially ideal for globally distributed teams since its highest-tier plan ($20 per user a month only) allows unlimited regional calling within one of the 48 countries supported. These include Australia, France, Brazil, South Africa, and Italy.
If your business has offices in the countries mentioned above, you won’t have to worry about overage fees on your subscription when calling within these locations. Connecting company satellites across different regions, Zoom Phone lets you add $10 monthly for unlimited global calling. With this, you’ll be able to place as many international voice-over-IP calls as you need to colleagues and customers.
However, Zoom Phone doesn’t offer instant response to missed calls. If you want to automatically send an alert to customers when you’re not free to pick up calls, choose GoTo Connect, which lets you set up autoreplies.
- Call monitoring: Observe live calls between agents and customers. Use the whisper feature to coach agents without the clients knowing. If you need to address the customer directly, select the “Barge” button.
- Elevate to a meeting: Explain matters in depth by converting a phone call to a video meeting. Select the “Meet” button from the in-call control options to start a session.
- Lock and unlock a call: Keep other team members in a shared line group from accessing a live conversation. Use this feature when dealing with a highly confidential customer concern.
GoTo Connect: Best for Wide International Coverage
What We Liked
- Offers local, toll-free, and vanity numbers across all plans
- Includes 1,000 toll-free minutes pooled across the account
- Allows free unlimited calls to 52 countries
Where It Falls Behind
- Lacks international numbers
- Doesn’t offer unlimited SMS
- Natively integrates with only 30 apps
GoTo Connect Monthly Pricing Toll-free minutes, international calling, and SMS credits may differ by region. (per User)
- Phone System: $26 for call queues, hot desking, auto-attendants, ring groups, call handling, call recording, team chat, and up to 250 video attendees
- Connect CX: $34 for SMS/MMS campaigns, shared inbox, call reporting, and advanced integrations
- Contact Center: $80 for autodialer, call monitoring, custom surveys, queue callback, and call campaign
GoTo Connect is our top-recommended solution for companies making a high volume of calls across different locations. It boasts a broad global coverage, letting users make free international calls online to 50 overseas locations, including Australia, Denmark, Greece, Hong Kong, Mexico, and New Zealand.
The software solution, which scales to a full-fledged contact center, has various VoIP features that help manage call traffic. The auto-attendant directs customers to the right agents, while ring groups ensure no calls are missed. When you upgrade to the higher-tier plans, you’ll access more call management features and analytics tools.
While GoTo Connect offers free international calls across its plans, it doesn’t provide global numbers. If your priority is to set up a virtual presence overseas, 8×8 is the best VoIP solution.
- Intelligent call routing: Distribute phone calls to the most skilled agent to address a specific concern. This increases the first contact resolution rate and creates a more positive customer experience.
- Instant response: When you’re not free to take a call, GoTo Connect automatically texts back first-time callers about your availability. This feature lets you engage with customers even when you’re busy and gives them the peace of mind that you received their message.
- Call flip: Switch devices while on an active phone conversation. The call will automatically end on the initial device once you pick it up from the other.
8×8: Best for International Expansion
What We Liked
Where It Falls Behind
- Lacks pricing transparency
- Only allows 30-day call recording retention
- Limits IVR access on contact center plans
8x8 Monthly Pricing
- X2: Custom pricing for unlimited calling to 14 countries, multilevel auto-attendant, voicemail transcription, team messaging, and up to 500 video meeting participants
- X4: Custom pricing for unlimited calling to 48 countries, 8×8 Frontdesk for receptionists and operators, call monitoring, and supervisor analytics
- X6: Custom pricing for metered or unmetered bundles, 8×8 Agent Workspace, omnichannel routing, skills-based routing, and queued and web callback
- X7: Custom pricing for 8×8 Contact Center for Microsoft Teams solution certified, out-of-the-box integrations, and CER Chrome Enterprise Recommended contact center solution
- X8: Custom pricing for autodialer, quality management, and speech analytics
8×8 is the best VoIP for international calls, allowing businesses to communicate with clients in over 40 countries and secure local phone numbers in over 100 overseas locations. This makes it the ideal software solution for companies wanting to establish a local impression overseas.
The phone numbers offered cover key business regions. For instance, in Asia-Pacific, you can secure numbers in Japan, Thailand, Singapore, and Thailand. In Europe, you can have a virtual presence in France, Germany, Italy, Norway, and Russia. The numbers are enabled via Tier 1 carriers. Aside from local numbers, 8×8 provides international toll-free numbers.
However, the drawback in choosing 8×8 is that subscription rates aren’t readily available on the website. Other providers are more transparent with their pricing structure. Our top pick in this buyer’s guide, Zoom Phone, is the most affordable, with a starting price of $10 per user monthly and an international calling add-on fee of $10 a month.
- Call queue: Place customers in a virtual line while waiting for an available agent. 8×8’s queues have voicemail boxes, allowing clients to leave a message when they don’t want to wait for a long period in the queue.
- Three-way calling: Hop on a quick huddle with team members or clients through three-way calling. If you need to include more participants, convert the call into a video meeting by clicking the “Meet Now” button in the in-call control menu.
- Conversation IQ: Powered by artificial intelligence (AI), this feature generates trend reports and analysis, giving businesses a peek into customer engagement. As you identify the most common client concerns and sentiments, create better communication strategies that improve customer service quality.
Phone.com: Best for Affordability
What We Liked
- Offers all standard VoIP features across plans
- Charges low rates for international numbers
- Allows users to mix and match different plans
Where It Falls Behind
- Requires an $8 fee for call recording on non-Pro accounts
- Exclusively offers call analytics in the highest-tier plan
- Requires Zapier to expand third-party integrations
Phone.com Monthly Pricing (per User) Save 15% with annual billing. Volume discounts apply to more than four users. A 30-day money-back guarantee is available for new accounts.
- Basic: $14.99 for one phone number per account, 500 pooled minutes, auto-attendant, audio conferencing, and up to 10 video attendees
- Plus: $21.99 for one phone number per user, unlimited domestic calls, voicemail transcription, desk phone compatibility, and up to 25 video attendees
- Pro: $31.99 for call analytics, call recording, third-party integrations, and up to 100 video attendees
While Zoom Phone is technically the most affordable in this list, costing $10 per user monthly, you must subscribe to its second or third-tier plans to unlock the unlimited international calling add-on. In contrast, Phone.com’s local call rates cover overseas locations like France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom. Its subscription only costs $14.99 per user a month.
Phone.com offers international numbers at only $4.99 a month. This could lower further to $1.99 if you buy more than a hundred phone numbers. However, note that it doesn’t have robust third-party integrations. If that’s a priority to you, choose RingCentral instead, as it connects with over 300 apps.
- Schedules: Distribute inbound calls to specific phone numbers, extensions, or auto-attendant menus based on the day and time the call went through your system. When customers call after hours, direct them to a greeting that reminds them of your schedule.
- Voice tagging: Know which auto-attendant menu option callers chose before speaking to them. The voice tag helps you align your spiels to the reason the customer called your business.
- Voicemail transcription: Read the text format of voicemails to immediately understand the gist of customer concerns. Even without replaying the audio file, you’ll know which messages to prioritize and reply to.
Nextiva: Best for Unified Communications
What We Liked
- Provides generous toll-free minute allowance, with a maximum of 12,500 minutes
- Supports Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) across all plans
- Offers unlimited conference calls for unlimited participants
Where It Falls Behind
- Lacks voice features on entry-level plan
- Doesn’t offer a free trial
- Lacks international and vanity phone numbers
Nextiva Monthly Pricing (per User)
- Digital: $25 for website chat, messaging apps, email, two social media management accounts, helpdesk, unified inbox, and review management
- Core: $35 for inbound/outbound voice, 100 SMS credits, customer video and screen sharing, call routing, voicemail transcription, and team chat
- Engage: $50 for chatbot, 250 SMS, 10 social media management accounts, e-fax, 2,000 toll-free minutes, call center capabilities, call recording, and voice analytics
- Power Suite: $75 for 10,000 toll-free minutes, unlimited SMS credits, and unlimited social media management accounts
Nextiva should be your top choice if you prioritize unified communications, letting you engage with colleagues and customers on various platforms. Aside from voice, it supports SMS, virtual fax, team chat, and video conferencing. With Nextiva’s threaded conversations feature, all communications, regardless of the platform used, are kept in one place, helping you refer to specific messages more easily.
The business phone system supports group SMS both for colleagues and clients and a maximum of 250 video meeting participants. Internet fax and instant messaging are available in the second-tier voice plan.
Do note, however, that Nextiva charges international calls per minute. If you frequently contact clients overseas, choose other providers offering unlimited plans to find cheaper ways to call internationally. Zoom Phone, GoTo Connect, and 8×8 all feature unlimited international calls.
- Call presence: Know the availability status of each team member without directly calling or messaging them. The status options are “online,” “busy,” “do not disturb,” “away,” and “offline.” These can be manually or automatically changed.
- Call transfer: Move a call to a colleague who will expertly answer the customer’s query. Nextiva supports warm transfer, allowing users to inform the receiving agent what the call is about, and blind transfer, moving the call without speaking to the other party.
- Call notify: Get notified by email when a qualified call comes through your line. This is especially beneficial for teams receiving high-volume calls but keen to hear back from a specific caller.
How We Evaluated the Best Services for VoIP International Calls
To assess the best VoIP providers for international calls, we considered each provider’s subscription costs, calling capabilities, usability, and customer assistance. Our evaluation also includes our expert opinion on its value for money and popularity. Learn how we evaluated the best VoIP for international calls by clicking on the tabs below:
20% of Overall Score
Since pricing is a major consideration of small businesses, we determined how accessible the providers’ subscription plans are. We checked the costs of the entry-level and second-tier plans and if annual discounts are available. We gave more points to those offering free trials and the option to choose between metered and unlimited international calling.
30% of Overall Score
The general features we considered focused on the essential VoIP capabilities businesses consider, such as uptime guarantee, mobile app, number porting, auto-attendant, and call recording. Because this is an assessment of the best international calling providers, a key factor in our evaluation is how broad the country coverage is for the free unlimited calls.
15% of Overall Score
The advanced features include VoIP features that support global communications and team productivity. These include international numbers, international SMS support, third-party integrations, and built-in team chat. Software solutions with video conferencing tools that accommodate more than a hundred participants got more points.
10% of Overall Score
We evaluated ease of use by determining the expertise required to set up and operate the business phone system. We also assessed if the providers have an intuitive interface.
10% of Overall Score
The variety of customer communication channels was part of our evaluation. We gave more points to providers with email, phone, and ticket submissions. We considered the hours these channels are active and operational.
15% of Overall Score
In our assessment of VoIP service providers for international calling, we considered key factors like standout features, value for money, and ease of use. We checked user ratings in third-party review sites to gauge the platform’s popularity.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Making cheap international calls is possible by leveraging internet-based services like VoIP and Wi-Fi or data-based calling. A VoIP provider like Ooma offers the most affordable method by offering competitive per-minute rates and unlimited call plans.
The easiest way to make free international VoIP calls is through app-to-app calling, where both parties use the same app to make calls over the internet. For example, Skype lets you make free global calls for up to 100 participants by downloading its app on any device.
Google Voice is free for any user with a Google account and an existing US phone number. However, you will be charged per minute if you use your US number to make calls internationally. If you’re outside the country, the call will consume the minutes in your mobile plan, and extra roaming fees will apply.
Bottom Line
VoIP solutions offering international calling enable businesses to build rapport with customers abroad and establish a strong global presence. Many come with advanced routing and queueing capabilities, which help streamline call management and facilitate distributed workload among agents.
Ooma emerged as the best overall because of its low international call rates and affordable calling plans covering over 70 countries. Whether you’re working remotely or in an office, you can choose from a home or business plan based on your requirements. Each plan comes with a comprehensive set of VoIP features that are easy to set up and configure. Try any of Ooma’s phone plans to see if they match your needs.