The 16 Best Business VoIP Phone Services for 2024
Is your business still relying on a traditional landline phone system? If so, you could be missing out on some major benefits by not switching to a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) solution.
VoIP has been growing steadily for years, with the global market projected to reach $102.5 billion by 2026, according to a report by Fortune Business Insights. And it‘s no wonder – VoIP offers advantages like lower costs, greater scalability, and advanced features that legacy phone systems simply can‘t match.
But with so many VoIP providers out there, how do you choose the right one for your business? Never fear – we‘ve done the research for you. Here‘s our comprehensive guide to the best business VoIP services for 2024.
Benefits of VoIP for Businesses
Why are so many companies making the leap to VoIP? Let‘s break down some of the key advantages:
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Cost savings – Businesses can save up to 75% on communication costs by switching to VoIP, according to a study by GetVoIP. That‘s because VoIP runs over your existing internet connection, eliminating the need for separate phone lines and long-distance charges.
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Scalability – With a cloud-based VoIP system, you can easily add or remove users as your business needs change. You‘re not limited by physical phone lines or hardware.
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Advanced features – VoIP systems come with a wealth of features like auto attendants, call queues, voicemail-to-email, and integrations with CRM and productivity tools. These can boost your team‘s efficiency and customer service capabilities.
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Mobility – With VoIP, your employees can make and receive calls from anywhere with an internet connection, using their business phone number. This makes it easy to support remote work and stay connected on the go.
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Reliability – While early VoIP had a reputation for spotty quality, today‘s top providers offer enterprise-grade reliability, with uptimes of 99.99% or higher. They use advanced network infrastructure and have failover systems in place to prevent dropped calls.
Top 16 Business VoIP Providers
Now that we‘ve established why VoIP is the way to go, let‘s dive into our top picks for providers. We‘ve organized them by key use case to help you find the best fit.
Best for Small Businesses
1. Ooma
Ooma is a top choice for small businesses thanks to its affordable pricing and user-friendly features. Plans start at just $19.95 per user per month, making it one of the most budget-friendly options on our list.
But don‘t let the low price tag fool you – Ooma still offers plenty of advanced features, including:
- Virtual receptionist to professionally greet and direct callers
- Ring groups to distribute calls among teams
- Mobile app for iOS and Android
- Voicemail transcription and email forwarding
- Google and Office 365 integrations
Ooma also stands out for its reliability, with a 99.999% uptime guarantee. And if you do need help, their US-based support team is available 24/7.
2. Phone.com
Phone.com is another solid option for budget-conscious small businesses, with plans starting at $12.99 per user per month for up to 300 minutes.
Some standout features include:
- Customizable call flows and schedules
- Voicemail transcription and visual voicemail
- Call recording and blocking
- HD video meetings for up to 100 participants
- 50+ business tool integrations
One potential downside is that Phone.com charges extra for some features like call queues and analytics that are included with other providers on our list. But overall, it‘s a reliable and flexible option for small teams.
Best for Mid-Sized Companies
3. Nextiva
Nextiva is a feature-rich yet user-friendly option that‘s ideal for growing businesses. Plans range from $18.95 to $32.95 per user per month, making it a bit pricier than some small business options but still reasonable for the robust feature set.
Notable features include:
- Unlimited calling and SMS messaging
- Advanced call routing and call groups
- Auto attendant and voicemail-to-email
- Team collaboration tools like chat and screen sharing
- 100+ software integrations, including Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zendesk
- 24/7 US-based customer support
Nextiva also stands out for its NextOS platform, which provides a unified portal for communication, customer engagement, team collaboration, and business analytics. This can give you valuable insights to improve your operations.
4. RingCentral
RingCentral is an all-in-one communication platform that combines VoIP with video conferencing, team messaging, and contact center features. It‘s a great fit for mid-sized companies that want a complete solution from a single provider.
The VoIP-focused plans range from $19.99 to $49.99 per user per month, with volume discounts available. For businesses with more advanced call center needs, RingCentral also offers a contact center platform with features like:
- Skills-based call routing
- Workforce optimization
- AI-powered agent assistance
- Outbound dialer
- Omnichannel support across voice, email, chat, and social media
All of this is accessible through the unified RingCentral app, with a user-friendly interface that minimizes training time. And RingCentral‘s global infrastructure boasts an impressive 99.999% uptime.
Best for Call Centers
5. Five9
Five9 is a leading provider of cloud contact center solutions, powering customer service and sales for over 2,000 businesses worldwide. Plans are customized based on your specific needs.
Five9‘s VoIP offering is part of their complete contact center platform, which includes features like:
- Inbound and outbound voice
- Omnichannel routing
- IVR and self-service options
- Workforce management
- AI and automation
- CRM integrations
One standout is Five9‘s Intelligent Virtual Agent (IVA), which uses conversational AI to handle routine customer queries and tasks. The IVA can understand complex natural language and even detect customer emotions to provide more empathetic responses.
Five9 has a strong track record of reliability and security, with data centers around the globe and certifications like HITRUST CSF and PCI DSS. Their customer base includes well-known brands like Expedia, Siemens, and Teladoc.
6. 8×8
8×8 offers a robust VoIP phone system as part of their integrated cloud communications platform, 8×8 eXperience Communications as a Service (XCaaS). Plans for the 8×8 Express phone system start at $12 per user per month, with higher tiers that include additional collaboration features.
For contact centers, 8×8 offers the full-featured 8×8 Contact Center solution. Key capabilities include:
- Omnichannel engagement across voice, chat, email, and social
- Skills-based routing and IVR
- Call and screen recording
- AI-powered agent coaching and assist
- Workforce management and quality management
- Analytics and reporting
8×8 has a global presence, with 35 data centers worldwide, and boasts an impressive 99.999% uptime SLA. They‘ve also been recognized as a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Unified Communications as a Service for nine consecutive years.
Best for Remote Teams
7. Grasshopper
Grasshopper is a VoIP solution designed for entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and small teams that need a professional phone presence without a physical office. Plans start at $26 per month for one number and three extensions.
Some of Grasshopper‘s most useful features for remote teams include:
- Mobile and desktop apps for calling and texting from your business number
- Virtual receptionist to greet callers and route calls
- Voicemail transcription and email delivery
- Call forwarding to any phone
- Toll-free and vanity numbers available
One potential downside of Grasshopper is that it lacks some more advanced features you get with other VoIP providers, like video conferencing or CRM integrations. But for distributed teams that primarily need a reliable and mobile-friendly phone system, it gets the job done well.
8. Google Voice
If your team already heavily uses Google Workspace tools like Gmail and Google Meet, Google Voice could be a natural fit for your VoIP needs. It‘s included with most Google Workspace plans, which start at $6 per user per month.
Google Voice offers a basic but reliable set of phone features, including:
- Unlimited calling and texting in the US
- Call forwarding to any device
- Voicemail transcription
- Google Calendar and Google Meet integration
- Spam call filtering
One nice perk is that Google Voice integrates with Google AI technology for features like Spam filtering and voicemail transcription. It can detect robocalls and spam with a high degree of accuracy to save your team time.
The main limitation of Google Voice is that it‘s only available in a handful of countries, and it lacks some advanced call routing and analysis features you get with more specialized VoIP providers. But for small remote teams already in the Google ecosystem, the simplicity and bundled pricing can be appealing.
How to Evaluate Business VoIP Providers
With all these great options, you may be wondering how to choose the right provider for your business. Here are some of the key criteria to consider:
| Criteria | Description |
|---|---|
| Pricing | Look carefully at the provider‘s pricing model, including monthly fees per user, setup costs, and any extra charges for premium features, integrations, or usage overages. Consider your budget and expected call volume. |
| Reliability | Research the provider‘s uptime stats and service level agreements (SLA). Look for redundant infrastructure and failover systems to ensure high availability. |
| Call quality | Audio quality can vary based on the provider‘s technology and your own internet connection. See if you can test call quality with a free trial before committing. |
| Features | Make a checklist of your must-have features, like auto attendants, call routing, voicemail-to-email, or integrations. See which providers offer them in their base plans or as affordable add-ons. |
| Scalability | As your business grows, you‘ll need a phone system that can easily add new users and features. Look for a provider with flexible plans and pricing to fit your evolving needs. |
| Ease of use | Consider the user-friendliness of the provider‘s interface and mobile apps. Look for features like click-to-call and voicemail transcription that will save your team time. |
| Security | VoIP security is critical to prevent eavesdropping or toll fraud. Look for providers that offer built-in security features like encryption and two-factor authentication. |
| Support | When you need help with setup or troubleshooting, having responsive and knowledgeable customer support is key. Look for 24/7 availability across multiple channels. |
Taking the time to carefully evaluate providers based on these key criteria can help you find the best fit for your business needs and budget. Don‘t be afraid to take advantage of free trials to test out your top choices before making a decision.
The Future of VoIP
As businesses continue to embrace digital transformation, VoIP technology is evolving to keep pace. Here are some of the exciting trends we expect to see more of in the coming years:
1. Artificial intelligence
AI is already being used in VoIP for things like voicemail transcription and spam call filtering, but the possibilities are endless. We‘ll see more providers using AI and machine learning for advanced features like:
- Intelligent call routing based on customer intent and agent skills
- Sentiment analysis to detect customer emotions and provide proactive service
- AI-powered virtual agents that can handle simple customer requests
- Predictive dialing and lead scoring for sales teams
2. 5G integration
As 5G networks become more widely available, we‘ll see VoIP providers taking advantage of the increased speed and reliability. 5G‘s low latency and high bandwidth will enable:
- Even better call quality, rivaling or surpassing landlines
- Support for data-intensive applications like AR/VR remote assistance
- More reliable connectivity for mobile and remote workers
3. Unified communications
More and more VoIP providers are expanding into full unified communications as a service (UCaaS) offerings, combining phone service with video conferencing, team messaging, and file sharing in a single platform.
The benefits of this approach include:
- Simplified IT management and billing
- Seamless user experience across devices and channels
- Better team collaboration and productivity
According to a report by Market Data Forecast, the global UCaaS market is expected to reach $210 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 23.6%.
As remote and hybrid work remain the norm, businesses will increasingly seek out communication platforms that can keep their teams connected from anywhere. VoIP providers that can offer a complete and integrated solution will be well-positioned to meet this demand.
Getting Started with VoIP
If you‘re ready to modernize your business phone system with VoIP, here‘s a quick step-by-step guide to get you started:
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Assess your needs – Sit down with your team and make a list of your must-have features and integrations. Consider your current pain points and how VoIP could help solve them.
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Research providers – Use our list of the top 16 VoIP providers as a starting point, and narrow it down based on your specific needs and budget. Check out customer reviews and testimonials.
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Get quotes – Contact your shortlist of providers and get detailed pricing quotes based on your number of users and desired features. Be sure to ask about any setup fees, hardware costs, or long-term contracts.
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Test call quality – See if the provider offers a free trial so you can test out call quality and features for yourself. Make test calls at different times of day and on different devices.
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Check security and reliability – Ask about the provider‘s security measures and uptime guarantees. Make sure they have robust systems in place to protect your calls and prevent downtime.
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Make your choice – Based on your research and testing, choose the VoIP provider that offers the best overall value and fit for your business needs. Be sure to get any promised pricing or terms in writing.
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Plan your setup – Work with your IT team and the provider to plan a smooth transition. This may involve porting over existing phone numbers, configuring user settings, and providing training on new features.
With a clear plan and the right provider, switching to VoIP can be a smooth process that unlocks significant benefits for your business. You‘ll enjoy cost savings, more flexible and mobile communication, and advanced features to enhance your team‘s productivity and customer service.
So what are you waiting for? The future of business communication is calling – will you answer?
