The Greatest VoIP Cellphone Companies (In-Depth Evaluate)

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The best VoIP phone services deliver exceptional customer experiences. And exceptional customer experiences work wonders for your bottom line.

Imagine the following: A prospect calls the sales number listed on your website. A personal cell phone rings six states away. Your seller picks it up, answers some questions, and closes the sale.

In a matter of seconds, that prospect becomes a paying customer instead of being transferred from employee to employee, wasting their time and testing their patience.

With the right VoIP service, you can streamline and automate the customer journey, resulting in more money for less work. In addition, these services are easy to set up and use, and most of the legwork takes place behind the scenes.

However, choosing the right service is a daunting task. With so many options, how do you decide which one is right for you?

If you're not sure how to answer this question, you've come to the right place. In this article I am going to describe how to choose the right service for your needs, the different types of VoIP services and my top recommendations.

Let's dive in!

The top 6 options for VoIP phone services:

Ooma – best for small businesses
Nextiva – best for remote teams
RingCentral – best for rapid growth
Grasshopper – best for mobile teams
Verizon – best for large businesses
8 × 8 – cheapest VoIP service

How to choose the best VoIP phone services for you

With so many VoIP service providers out there, it is not always easy to find the perfect solution for your business. To keep things simple, I'd like to share the criteria I considered in creating this list and some must-haves regardless of the company you choose.

You can use these to narrow things down as you go through the process.

Deployment options

Some VoIP phone services work with the hardware you already have, while others require proper installation. In some cases, you may need to purchase an adapter or something else to activate the system.

Others, however, are as simple as a mobile app that you download onto your phone.

So think carefully about how much time and support you will need in your decision. The simpler the system, the simpler it is and the less assistance you will need to get things going.

The size of your company

Most VoIP phone service providers charge per user per month.

And while some offer discounts when you have a large team, those prices can add up quickly and get expensive.

Therefore, understanding how many users you have and how you can get the most out of the features you need at a reasonable price is important.

Phone call functions

It's important to consider the phone calling features you need as each provider offers different features at different prices.

Do you need automatic call rejection, call forwarding, or caller ID? What about Voicemail, Voicemail Transcription, and Hold Music?

You may also want to consider other features such as:

Call forwarding and forwarding
Automatic companion
Phone number types
Extensions
Blocking and automatic rejection
Voicemail to text
Call recording
Call history
Immediate answer
Custom greetings

Make a list of everything you will need to help you choose the right provider and plan.

Other forms of communication

Most VoIP providers also offer other forms of communication, e.g. B. SMS messaging, document sharing, online faxing and video conferencing.

However, not all of them may be available in baseline plans.

With that said, you may not need all of them either. So think carefully about which additional forms of communication your team needs.

reliability

Your internet connection, the availability of the VoIP provider, and the power source all affect the quality of your phone calls.

With reliable high-speed internet, you probably won't have any problems. But what happens when the power goes out?

If you're using your mobile device, you're probably fine.

However, desk phones are not. However, some come with battery backups that can take up to a few hours. So make sure this is an option when renting or buying hardware from your VoIP service provider.

In addition, some VoIP providers offer network monitoring with which they can switch to wireless backups if wired data connections fail. And you should expect an availability of no less than 99.99%.

The different types of VoIP phone services

Device-based

This type of service requires you to purchase an adapter from the service provider and connect it to an existing phone (or a phone they provide).

Software based

These services are desktop programs. Skype and Google Talk are two good examples. You need to install the program and connect to the internet to use it.

Most providers, however, offer cloud-hosted and software-based systems.

Hosted in the cloud

Cloud-hosted VoIP or Virtual Private Branch Branch Exchange (PBX) services are also available. The only hardware you need is a network router or switch. The provider does the rest

This also includes mobile VoIP services. These mobile apps can run on Android and Apple devices over the cellular network or a local Wi-Fi network.

All of the options in this list are a combination of cloud-hosted and software-based, with most offering both system types.

# 1 – Ooma Review – The Best VoIP Phone Service for Small Business

If you are a small business looking for reliable, no contract VoIP phone service, Ooma is a great choice. They provide everything you need (i.e. hardware, software, and expertise) so that you can use their services in just 15 minutes.

Everything is ready for immediate use. And you can keep your existing phone number or swap it for a new one – free of charge.

Ooma offers 35 powerful features including:

A mobile app
Virtual receptionist
SMS messages
Call barring
Voicemail and Caller ID
Unlimited calls in North America
A free toll-free number
One direct dial number per user

Additionally, Ooma has an excellent customer service team to help you get started, navigate the hooks and create a seamless customer experience.

However, the service lacks advanced features. But it's incredibly affordable and accessible to small businesses on a tight budget.

Plus, you don't have to worry about complicated contracts. Ooma pricing is simple and straightforward with two business plans including:

Ooma Office – $ 19.95 per user per month
Ooma Office Pro – $ 24.95 per user per month

Ooma Office is suitable for most users. However, you can upgrade to the Pro plan if you need a desktop application, call recording, or higher usage restrictions.

# 2 – Nextiva Review – The Best VoIP Phone Service for Remote Teams

Remote teams face unique challenges. And they need a VoIP provider who is equipped with the tools and features necessary to meet these challenges.

Nextiva is "intended for business owners, not IT assistants" and is designed for remote teams of all sizes. They offer solutions for small businesses, medium-sized businesses and large companies.

In addition, the in-house customer service team is ready to assist you every step of the way.

Nextiva offers a variety of VoIP features including:

Android and iOS applications
Unlimited SMS messages
Customizable music on hold
Multi-level automatic referral
Unlimited calls in the US and Canada
Free local or toll free number
Video and audio meetings
Internet faxing

In addition, you can make and receive business calls right from your desktop, laptop or mobile device. This service completely replaces an in-office telephone system and allows your remote team to stay connected.

Alternatively, you can use it in conjunction with your current telephone system. It is therefore also ideal for call centers and non-remote teams.

Nextiva offers simple and affordable prices. Their plans include:

Essential – $ 19.95 per user per month
Professional – $ 20.95 per user per month
Enterprise – $ 27.95 per line per month

Nextiva offers "ultra high availability of 99.999%" with network monitoring around the clock and zero outages in 2019. With relatively reliable service, various essential features and reasonable prices, the service is among the best.

# 3 – RingCentral Review – The Best VoIP Phone Service for Fast Growing Businesses

RingCentral is a great option for fast growing businesses. They are the world's leading platform for business communication with plans and functions for business communication as well as for customer support.

RingCentral also offers discounts based on the size of your team. As your team grows (no matter how fast it is), your phone service can be cost-effectively customized to meet your needs.

They promise an availability of 99.99% and maintain countless global data centers. This means you can get great coverage and phone quality anywhere in the world.

Plus, installation and setup is a breeze thanks to RingCentral's step-by-step installation and intuitive admin panel.

You can set up new users from the admin panel, monitor the quality of service and view your analyzes in one central location. You can also access it on the go.

Their services include functions such as:

Unlimited calls in the US and Canada
Voicemail to text
Team news
Document sharing
Unlimited SMS messages
Unlimited faxing and conferencing
Call recording
Developer platform
Custom integrations

RingCentral's cheapest plan starts at $ 19.99 per user per month, making it a top contender for affordability.

Their paid plans include:

Essentials – $ 19.99 per user per month
Standard – $ 24.99 per user per month
Premium – $ 34.99 per user per month
Ultimate – $ 49.99 per user per month

While their basic plans are suitable for smaller teams, their Premium and Ultimate plans allow teams to create bespoke solutions no matter how fast they grow.

# 4 – Grasshopper Review – The Best VoIP Phone Service for Mobile Teams

If your team works locally, from home, or from anywhere in the world, Grasshopper is a smart choice.

It's a mobile (or desktop) app that adds a line of business and an integrated phone system to your employees' phones. So you don't have to carry two phones around or be in the office to notify customers and take business calls.

In addition, mobile and desktop apps allow you to access and manage your entire phone system anywhere with an Internet connection.

The best part is that Grasshopper integrates seamlessly with the phones you already have.

You don't have to buy fancy equipment or worry about messy and time-consuming installations. It's as simple as choosing a number and a plan, downloading the app, and configuring your settings.

Grasshopper also gives you access to intuitive yet powerful features such as:

Business text messages
Call forwarding
Voicemail transcription
Phone extensions
Online faxing
Custom greetings
Immediate answers
Ruby receptionist

While Grasshopper doesn't automatically turn on VoIP calling, you can turn it on quickly and for free through the mobile app if you have poor cellular service or prefer to make calls on the internet instead.

Their paid plans include:

Solo – $ 26 / month for one number and three extensions
Affiliate – $ 44 / month for three numbers and six extensions
Small Business – $ 80 per month for five numbers and unlimited extensions

Extensions can be forwarded to any number. So with the Grasshopper Solo plan, you can work with three people.

This is a breath of fresh air instead of per user pricing with the other services on this list.

# 5 – Verizon Review – The Best VoIP Phone Service for Large Businesses

Verizon is known for the stability of its network and provides VoIP business functions to medium and large businesses. However, for most small businesses this is overkill and very expensive compared to other options on this list.

In addition, it is best suited for companies that need to be available for customer calls, route calls to the right teams / people, or need to respond quickly to customer inquiries.

Verizon's VoIP phone service includes 45 features including:

Custom hold announcements / music
A virtual receptionist
Complete call list
Administration web portal
Make and receive calls on your phone
Visual voicemail functions
Call forwarding
Do not disturb mode
Incoming caller ID
Selective call rejection
Instant messaging

You can purchase or rent desk phones through Verizon, or purchase a converter to keep using your current equipment.

In addition, you get free access to mobile and desktop apps to access or manage your phone system from anywhere in the world. However, Verizon's services are not available everywhere, so you may not be able to use their services.

Verizon Business phone plans start at $ 35 per user per month plus any additional fees, taxes, or equipment fees. However, pricing is confusing once you start reading the fine print. And you also have to commit to a two-year contract.

So keep this in mind when making your final decisions.

# 6 – 8 × 8 Review – The cheapest VoIP phone service

If you are looking for simple, affordable VoIP phone service, 8 × 8 is a great choice.

The 8 × 8 Express Business Phone System plan starts at $ 12 per user per month (with a free trial). That low price makes it the cheapest option on this list.

However, there are limited features associated with this low price. The Express plan includes:

Unlimited calling in the US and Canada
Global and direct toll free numbers
Basic auto attendant
Ring groups
Call forwarding
Business SMS

And to access the advanced features, you'll have to pay between $ 25 and $ 45 per user per month. Which … is more expensive than some of the other options listed here.

So I only recommend it if you choose the Express plan.

Summary

My first recommendation for most small businesses is Ooma. It's affordable, reliable, and easy to set up in about 15 minutes. However, if you are looking for a large-scale solution, Verizon is your best bet.

Plus, Nextiva is perfect for remote teams, and Grasshopper is a simple but powerful mobile app for small teams that are often away from the office.

If you're on a tight budget, 8 × 8 is the cheapest VoIP phone service, starting at $ 12 per user per month. However, the features are limited.

Whatever your route, don't forget to consider your needs, budget, and the criteria we talked about as you choose the best VoIP phone service for your business.

Have you used a VoIP service provider in the past? How was your experience