More than any other form of business, small businesses rely on communication infrastructure. Why? In the beginning, all it takes is a few bad reviews caused by missed calls to ruin a company.
Your company can benefit significantly from a trustworthy business VoIP system (like Phoner VoIP Business lines) offering steady, high-quality calling and some extra features. But how can you find the one that is just right for you?
Compared to analog desk phones or traditional phone lines, the top business (VoIP) phone system for small businesses offers many call management options at a cheaper cost. A phone system provides more than just regular mobile phone calls; it also integrates third-party apps that allow video conferencing, instant messaging and electronic faxing—all at no extra cost. Pricing can vary by provider, plan and included features.
We have researched and compared the seven most popular VoIP phone systems for small business providers, their features, prices and customer reviews to help you choose the ideal service for your company’s phone needs.
How to choose the best VoIP provider
If you own a small business, there are a lot of things you will require when selecting a VoIP phone system:
- A free local phone number. Getting your first local business phone number should be inexpensive, mainly because a business phone system is an investment.
- Virtual business phone numbers. Having more than one number can be helpful for small enterprises. You can’t reach clients all around the world without them.
- iOS and Android applications. Use mobile apps to carry your small company VoIP phone system with you at all times.
- Variety of languages. Setting up and receiving welcome messages in several languages is another way a professional small company VoIP phone system may help your customers and employees. When you’re unavailable to answer the phone, you can still leave a greeting for callers to hear on your voicemail or through a VoIP service.
- Voicemail transcripts. When retrieving information from audio messages isn’t practical, there are situations when transcripts are the next best option. Having them transcribed from voicemail makes them more accessible.
- Messaging. Verify you can use channels like SMS text messaging for follow-up and cross-use.
- Office hours. Calls will be forwarded to voicemail if received outside your specified business hours.
- Call forwarding. Effortlessly include other team members in your phone conversations by forwarding business calls to them.
- Recording phone calls. Call recording is a great way to keep track of crucial details, enhance call monitoring and make training much more accessible.
- Cost. We understand that money is a significant concern for many small company owners and operators. The viability of a VoIP business phone system for your organization can be determined by looking at their pricing and plans.
- Consistent reliability. One of the most important considerations is the reliability of the VoIP phone system, which refers to the consistency and quality of its calls. Your company will likely hit a wall and remain there if you don’t have stable calls.
- Customer phone support. If a company strays too far from providing professional, attentive phone support, it should be seen with suspicion.
Provider #1: Phoner App
Best pick for: An easy-to-use and inexpensive VoIP phone service for a standard second business or personal phone number. It’s the top small business VoIP phone solution for startups, small companies, real estate brokers, freight delivery services and more.
Whether conducting business or making online purchases, Phoner is the best phone system to keep your number private. Conveniently share private photos and messages with anyone. Plus, Phoner offers a desktop app. You can start making business calls locally and internationally when you connect your new number. One of the main advantages is that this VoIP service provider does not include any additional carriers or contracts. Also, you can keep all your current desktop and mobile devices in sync and get unlimited calling to international numbers. A wide range of virtual phone numbers are available, each with distinct area and country codes.
Pricing:
Phoner VoIP phone service offers two pricing plans:
- Monthly – $9.99/month
- Yearly – $69.99/year
Reviews:
Trustpilot: 4.7/5 (300+ reviews)
Pros:
- Private VoIP calls
- Pleasant, easy-to-navigate design
- Unlimited international phone numbers
- Reliable quality of phone calls
- Ad-supported tier
- Affordable prices
- Disposable numbers
- Voice calls recording
- Message encryption
- Support on Desktop, Android and iOS
Cons:
- Not many extra features
- Best for simple tasks
Overall experience:
Users highly regard the Phoner VoIP phone system for its user-friendly setup process, affordable pricing and adaptability to various personal or commercial needs. Although some reviews indicate minor bugs, the overall user response has been highly positive. Enjoy all the benefits of Phoner by downloading it here.
Provider #2: Dialpad
Best pick for: Small businesses that want to start using VoIP phone systems but don’t know how to do it.
If you own a small business with a tech-savvy staff that wants to optimize customer service delivery through automation, Dialpad VoIP service provider is the way to go. Virtual assistants, live coaches, conversation summaries and sentiment analysis are a few of the intelligent features of the AI-powered business phone system.
You can stay focused on the discussion while Dialpad’s built-in AI transcribes it, tracks action items and takes notes—even if you’re handling a large volume of calls. You may simplify workflows and offer personalized client experiences with artificial intelligence (AI) solutions available on all Dialpad plans.
Pricing:
- Standard – $23 per user/month
- Pro – $35 per user/month
- Enterprise – Contact Dialpad to get more info
Reviews:
Capterra 4.3 (511)
Pros:
- Built-in AI features
- Offers international SMS
- Robust messaging tools
- Real-time analytics and reporting
- Web and chat support
- Automatic spam call detection
Cons:
- Up to 10 meeting participants
- No phone extensions to Enterprise accounts
- Limited app integrations
Overall experience:
Companies looking to simplify business communications with AI technology will find Dialpad VoIP provider an outstanding UCaaS and business phone system option. Even individuals without experience with unified communications systems will find the platform’s sleek, user-friendly layout helpful. Having multiple avenues for customer assistance is a huge plus for businesses.
Provider #3: Vonage
Best pick for: Small businesses or individuals who wish to tailor their business VoIP system plans according to the advanced features and integrations they require.
Using Vonage’s business VoIP system and unified communications platform, you can make and receive voice calls, video calls and text messages from any computer or mobile phone. However, your team will need to switch to one of their more expensive plans to use features like auto-attendant and call recording.
While this small business VoIP system may lack in-app functionality, it provides specific third-party app connectors. In addition to upgrading your plan to gain access to CRM connectors like Salesforce, you will be charged extra each month for most of these features.
Pricing:
The cost of Vonage is proportional to the number of subscribers. For groups of one to four users:
- Mobile – Starts at $19.99
- Premium – Starts at $29.99
- Advanced – Starts at $39.99
Reviews:
Capterra 4.1 (303)
Pros:
- Intuitive desktop and mobile app
- Customizable monthly plans
- US and Canada free unlimited calls
- CRM integrations
- Auto-attendants
- Call recording
- Call button for website
- Monitoring and recording
- Reporting
Cons:
- Only one-year contracts for new accounts
- Features like extensions and toll-free numbers have monthly charges
- Access to tech support is not free
Overall experience:
Users say Vonage is a dependable business phone system with great VoIP and UC advanced features. Companies looking to simplify business communications with a large audience base will find it suitable due to its extensive set of superior call management tools. Teams needing an easy-to-use team messaging solution would appreciate its fundamental cooperation capabilities.
Provider #4: Grasshopper
Best pick for: One of the most reliable business phone systems for small firms with mobile employees spread across and wanting various phone numbers for unified communications.
Regarding business VoIP services, Grasshopper is among the most often used ones. Since Grasshopper is a mobile-designed platform, you won’t ever need to buy new hardware because it is compatible with your current devices.
You can have their True Solo plan for as little as $14/month. Unlimited business texting, personalized greetings and call forwarding are all part of that plan and Solo Plus (which is ideal for small enterprises).
In addition to offering toll-free and vanity numbers, you can port your current number to the phone system. The fact that this small business VoIP phone system provides toll-free vanity numbers is another one of its standout features. When you sign up, you can select a local or toll-free vanity number or even port your existing number. Grasshopper can generate a random number, or you can modify an existing one.
Pricing:
- True Solo – $14 per month
- Solo – $28 per month
- Partner – $46 per month
- Small Business – $80 per month
Reviews:
Capterra 4.3 (338)
Pros:
- Call transfers
- Simultaneous call handling
- Incoming call control
- Detailed call reporting
- Free trial
- Unlimited users for a fixed monthly fee
- Live receptionist and expert phone greeting enhancements
- Bundled toll-free numbers
Cons:
- Not enough third-party app integrations
- No video calling and team chat
- Lack of advanced calling features like IVR and call recording
Overall experience:
An excellent option for startups and small businesses seeking to establish their reputation, this VoIP provider offers a full business phone line to take you wherever you go.
After reviewing Grasshopper’s functionality and feature set, users come to the conclusion that it provides a full suite of virtual phone services well-suited to home-based enterprises and freelancers.
Provider #5: 8×8
Best pick for: Small businesses in need of a reliable and adaptable business VoIP service.
8×8 is one of the business phone systems with basic auto-attendants and team messaging, plus unlimited calling in the US and Canada with every plan. Unlike traditional phone lines, this business VoIP phone system allows you to access more countries for unlimited international calls, interactive video conferencing and live streaming with an upgraded subscription.
If your company frequently hosts webinars, conference phone calls and sales demos, 8×8 might be the ideal VoIP service for your group. But the calling and texting capabilities that are essential for most businesses are missing. Upgrading is required before you can even receive MMS or SMS messages.
Pricing:
- X2 – $28 per user/month
- X4 – $57 per user/month
- X6 – $85 per user/month
- X7 – $110 per user/month
- X8 – $140 per user/month
Reviews:
G2 4.0 180 reviews
Pros:
- Unlimited users (but you’ll pay for each user)
- Works across mobile, desktop and web app
- Encryption for added security
- 24/7 customer phone support
- Free unlimited calling in the US and Canada
- Team messaging
- SMS, MMS and team chat
- Voicemail transcriptions
- Supervisor analytics
Cons:
- More expensive the more employees you have
- You will need to buy your own VoIP hardware in addition to the subscription payment, which only covers software
- Slow technical support (according to customer reviews)
Overall experience:
Your business can get some of its difficulties fixed with the help of the contact center’s business phone lines. Because you can answer client inquiries through phone, email, chat and social media simultaneously, client interaction is simplified. Users may improve their decision-making and service delivery using its reporting features, which provide vital insights into client interactions and agent efficiency.
The fact that businesses can scale up or down staff without halting operations is another considerable advantage. Additionally, companies can save time and reduce operational errors because of its compatibility with various systems.
Provider #6: Ooma
Best pick for: Ooma Office is one of the best business phone systems for companies of all sizes and sectors.
Ooma is a voice-over IP provider that offers a business phone system for improving the administration of incoming calls. A virtual receptionist is available to direct callers and additional perks include the ability to have incoming calls forwarded to other phone lines in a “ring group” until an agent picks up.
Plans include unlimited domestic and international calling to the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. However, with Ooma’s regular service, you can only make and receive calls using compatible VoIP desk phones or the Ooma app for Android or iPhone. If you want desktop software that lets you effortlessly navigate to your VoIP phone system while working on your computer, you must upgrade your plan.
Voicemail transcriptions and call recording are two essential capabilities that can be unlocked by upgrading, even though these are standard features offered by other carriers.
Pricing:
- Essentials – $19.95 per user/month
- Pro – $24.95 per user/month
- Pro Plus – $29.95 per user/month
Reviews:
Capterra 4.5 (170)
Pros:
- Base plan with 50+ standard call features
- Free number porting
- Affordable toll-free calling plans
- Unlimited calling in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico
- Company directory
- One conference bridge per user
- Call blocking
- Virtual extensions
Cons:
- The desktop app is limited to Pro and Pro Plus accounts
- Outdated interface
- Not the best video conferencing
Overall experience:
Due to its affordable phone system packages and free residential plan, Ooma is highly recommended for small enterprises and solopreneurs. Its remarkable scalability is a significant plus. Moving business communications to the cloud has never been easier.
Provider #7: Phone.com
Best pick for: If your small business has low or seasonal call volumes, Phone.com is the perfect VoIP phone solution for you.
If you’re looking for a simpler communication method, try Phone.com, a simple VoIP service. Although it lacks the functionality offered by some of its rivals, its starting price of $14.99 per user per month makes it a potentially ideal choice for small enterprises just starting out.
This phone system is easy to test because it is HIPAA compliant, integrates with many other services and has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Paying annually unlocks 15% off your Phone.com bill, while paying monthly does not save you any money. Phone.com provides round-the-clock help and has an intuitive system perfect for startups as well as growing companies.
Pricing:
- Basic – $14.99 per user/month
- Plus – $21.99per user/month
- Pro – $31.99 per user/month
Reviews:
Capterra 3.8 (65)
Pros:
- 500 pooled minutes
- One number per account
- Video conferencing with up to 10 participants
- Mobile and web apps
- 50 standard voice features
- 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
Cons:
- Depends on Zapier for app integrations
- International calling requires a $200 prepayment
- Basic and Plus users have to pay an extra $8 monthly for call recording
Overall experience:
This small business VoIP phone system’s services and customizable subscription plans make it a budget-friendly option for small enterprises. To save money and meet the needs of each team member, choose between unlimited and metered plans. Reviewers at Phone.com have nothing but praise for the app’s robust feature set and user-friendliness.
In Summary
Small businesses can significantly benefit from VoIP phone systems because of their scalability, affordability, portability and many enhanced features.
Being the boss of a small firm can be challenging. There is a lot to accomplish with the limited crew you have. Even with a VoIP system, you may only be able to handle some of the calls that come in. So, to be effective, think about your company’s structure before deciding on a provider. Many factors should be considered, such as your number of employees, the devices you use (and whether they are business or personal property) and your preference for phone calls or texts.
When it comes to VoIP for small enterprises, Phoner stands out in a crowded industry. Scaling enterprises needing a comprehensive phone solution can benefit greatly from its affordable pricing and excellent feature set.
