VoIP is a method of digitizing voice signals and sending it
over an IP network. Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP phones are
Internet-based alternatives to traditional landlines. VoIP offers some useful
integrations such as auto-attendant, voice mail, and customer relationship
management integration. To evaluate which VoIP services are best for a small
business, factors such as set up, ease of use, call management, call quality,
customer support, and price should be taken into consideration. So, if you are
planning to set up a VoIP system for your small business, here are six best
VoIP services you should consider:
CloudPhone
Their VoIP service is best known for its simplicity if you are looking to set up a small business and require sizable desk operation with the minimal hardware setup. CloudPhone is a cloud-based application, hence it does not offer desk phones. Instead, you are required to provide your email address as its management application exist entirely on the web-browser.
- Management
CloudPhone has a virtual management portal which offers features such as business SMS, call routing, call screening, inbound fax, international call forwarding, and much more. The virtual receptionist allows you to answer calls with a professional greeting and setup menu to route callers. - Plans and pricing
CloudPhone offers three plans – Basic, Professional, and Small Business. They cost $24.99, $34.99, and $64.99 per month respectively.
Grasshopper
This is one of the best VoIP for small businesses. Grasshopper provides credible unified communication services including conferencing platforms and software-based PBX (Private Branch Exchange) solutions. It has an easy setup which covers all the basics of a business phone including basic call routing, IVR (Interactive Voice Response), and voicemail.
- Management
Like Freshcaller, Grasshopper also has a web-based interface. Although it may not be as feature-rich as other top VoIP services, it does offer some useful features such as business texting, voicemail reading, VoIP + Wi-Fi calling, custom greetings, and even virtual fax. Apart from this, it also has a full-featured mobile and desktop app that can be downloaded for both iOS and Android. - Plans and pricing
Grasshopper offers plans that are billed monthly and annually. These include the Solo, Partner, and Small Business plans that cost $29, $49, and $89 per month respectively. The Grasshopper Connect plan is available for $39 (monthly) and $35 (annually).
Dialpad
It is one of the top VoIP for small businesses as it focuses more on software functionality. Dialpad is best known for its integration with third-party applications and support for both Android and iOS mobile devices.
- Management
With a long list of features, Dialpad has a clean and easy-to-navigate UI. Features such as departments, call queues, analytics, and billing are grouped together as management functions. It also allows you to add and remove phone numbers, edit caller ID settings, and set voicemail greetings device preferences. One of the best features of this VoIP service is that it offers third-party integration with applications like GSuite, Office 365, and Salesforce. - Plans and pricing
For a small business phone system, Dialpad offers a 14-day free trial. It has two plans – Talk and UberConference. The Talk plan has Standard, Pro, and Enterprise of which the Standard costs $20/month/user and Pro costs $30/month/user. To get a quote on the Enterprise plan, you need to get in touch with Dialpad. The UberConference plan is for web conferencing and comes in two plans – Free, $0/month/user and Business that costs $15/month/user.
Vonage Business
Cloud
This VoIP
service targets small to mid-sized businesses and offers robust features
for call management. It has impressive administrative
features, an intuitive mobile application, and API integration (Application
Programming Interface).
- Management
One of the best features of Vonage Business Cloud is it supports Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) and software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN). It has also partnered with Nexmo to integrate its service with third-party applications. It also provides PBX facilities for efficient network switching. Other features include unlimited calling and SMS messages, conference calling, online meetings, video conferencing, multi-level attendant, call recording, and visual voicemail. - Plans and pricing
Vonage Business Cloud has three plans – Mobile, Premium, and Advanced that cost $19.99, $29.99, and $39.99 per month respectively. Apart from this, they also create customized plans as per your needs.
RingCentral
It is one of the top VoIP services that provide calling and collaboration tools to seamlessly integrate
VoIP services on your phone for enhanced communication. RingCentral delivers affordable calling services with easy-to-use features.
- Management
RingCentral offers efficient management features including cloud PBX and mobile application on Android and iOS with unlimited calling. It also includes 1,000 toll-free numbers, unlimited conference calling, voicemail to text, unlimited Internet fax, and automatic call recording. RingCentral CloudConnect™ privately connects your system to the RingCentral cloud to maintain a secure and quality communication channel. - Plans and pricing
RingCentral offers four plans – Essentials, Standard, Premium, and Ultimate. They range from $19.99/month/user for up to 20 users to $39.99/month/user for 1,000+ users.
Ooma Office
This is among the best VoIP phone services for
small businesses as it allows you to make free domestic and low-priced
international calls. They offer a simple
plug-and-play device. The device lets you switch over your telephone calls on
the Internet.
- Management
The Ooma call management system comes with an answering machine functionality, online call logging, and call waiting. One of the best features offered by Ooma Office is that they offer both softphones and desk phone solutions. This enables you to use Ooma on your cell phones or conventional IP phones. Ooma has a conference server that allows you to have 10 conference calls with a maximum of 10 users. - Plans and pricing
You can subscribe to their no-contract plan for $19.95 per month for 500 users. Desk phones are sold separately.