Best business VoIP providers

With the popularity of social media messaging, video conferencing, business text messaging, and more, you’d think phone conversations were going the way of the Rolodex. But even today’s highly connected customers still like to resolve their issues on the phone, especially when it comes to high-stakes queries.

The analog phone system is a relic of the past, not the phone itself. Yet it wasn’t long ago that analog phone systems were the only game in town. As a result, many organizations still rely on analog phones, despite their higher operating costs, more expensive implementations, and reliance on hardware.

Fortunately, switching to a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone service is simple for large and small businesses alike. But finding and selecting the right service provider among the many options can be challenging.

In this guide, we’ll conduct an in-depth overview of VoIP phone service options and review the following topics:

• What is a business VoIP system?
• Comparison chart of the 20 best VoIP providers
• 20 best VoIP phone service reviews
• Features of VoIP phone services for businesses
• Benefits of business VoIP solutions
• How to choose a business VoIP provider
• Small business VoIP service considerations
• Business VoIP phone system FAQs
• Try a business VoIP service for free

Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, is a technology that enables you to make calls using a broadband internet connection rather than an analog phone line. VoIP solutions are flexible, customizable, and more cost-effective than traditional phone lines.

VoIP phone services are hosted online, and users access them through an app on their internet-connected desktop or mobile device. A VoIP business phone system leverages the internet to manage inbound and outbound calls. When you make a phone call, the VoIP app sends a signal to the VoIP servers, which routes the signal to the recipient. The same process occurs when you want to transfer a call or put a caller on hold.

1. Zendesk

Zendesk integrated voice software makes it easy to customize your phone support, no matter the size or complexity of your operations. Take calls immediately with a cloud-based voice solution that works right out of the box. You’ll only pay for the minutes you use with Zendesk phone support software, which reduces overhead and expenses for your team.

Zendesk enables your teams to provide phone support from the platform you use to manage your other support channels for a more connected customer experience. Handle calls, voicemails, and texts in the same space where you manage emails, chat, and social messaging. Agents can immediately see all customer information and conversation history across channels.

Agents using computer telephony integration can make phone calls directly from their browsers, so they can work from home, the office, or anywhere in the world. You can extend voice capabilities with additional tools and services, including advanced call transcription. You can also route callers to the right agent for the task using IVR software, group routing, and overflow and after-hours routing.

Zendesk’s real-time dashboards make it easy to monitor your queue and agent activity to ensure your customers are getting the help they need. With overview metrics—such as max calls waiting, the number of calls abandoned in the queue, and average time to answer—you can look deeper into the health and efficiency of your integrated phone support.

Features:

• Routing
• IVR
• Call button for website
• Monitoring and recording
• Reporting
• Unified conversations
• Real-time analytics
• Advanced call transcription
• Callback requests

Pricing:

• Suite Team: $55 per agent/month
• Suite Growth: $89 per agent/month
• Suite Professional: $115 per agent/month

Plans billed annually

Free trial: 14 days

2. Talkdesk

With Talkdesk’s versatile business VoIP system, you can deploy nearly any feature needed in a contact center. Talkdesk enhances collaboration between departments by unifying users on a single platform. It has mobile and desktop apps, letting team members manage voicemails and make calls wherever they prefer.

Talkdesk’s asset is its CX Cloud platform, designed for outbound and inbound call centers. It leans into AI-powered tools like virtual agents and interactive analytics to level up customer experiences. CX Cloud can also report on agent call metrics, manage call queues, and intelligently route inbound calls.

Features:

• Routing
• IVR
• Monitoring and recording
• Reporting

Pricing:

• CX Cloud Essentials: $75 per user/month
• CX Cloud Elevate: $95 per user/month
• CX Cloud Elite: $125 per user/month
• Experience Cloud packages: Contact Talkdesk to get a quote

Free trial: Not available

Learn more about Zendesk for Talkdesk.

3. RingCentral MVP

RingCentral MVP has a reasonable price and a deep set of VoIP features. The lowest-tier plan, Essentials, supports up to 20 users and includes toll-free numbers and unlimited calls in the U.S. and Canada. Essentials also includes voicemail-to-text, team messaging, document sharing, and more.

The pricier plans, Premium and Ultimate, include more features that appeal to enterprises, such as whisper, barge, and real-time analytics. But for most smaller businesses, RingCentral’s Standard plan can be a great fit.

Features:

• Routing
• IVR
• Call button for website
• Monitoring and recording
• Reporting

Pricing:

• Essentials: $32.99 per user/month
• Standard: $40.99 per user/month
• Premium: $47.99 per user/month
• Ultimate: $62.99 per user/month

Free trial: 50 minutes of domestic calls

Learn more about Zendesk for RingCentral.

4. 8x8

8×8’s business VoIP service is a feature-rich solution with user-friendly apps for both desktop and mobile. 8×8’s business communication service delivers voice, video, and chat capabilities. Teams will have a unified app with team messaging and document sharing to enhance collaboration.

More advanced features require one of 8×8’s contact center plans. These provide access to skills-based routing, IVR, CRM integrations, and more. Create custom workspaces for agents and supervisors tailored to their unique workflows.

Features:

• Routing
• IVR
• Monitoring and recording
• Reporting

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

Free trial: 30 days

Learn more about Zendesk for 8×8.

5. Nextiva

Nextiva’s VoIP phone services are cloud-based, with 99.99 percent uptime. Video conferencing and messaging are bundled with Nextiva’s VoIP to give you more communication methods. Nextiva also includes the Call Flow Builder, a handy drag-and-drop tool that helps you map out call routing flows. Plus, the real-time call tracking and recording make it easy to QA agent performance and identify important trends.

Nextiva's 24/7 support team can aid users if issues arise. Note that the contact center service is separate from the business phone service and comes at an additional cost.

Features:

• Routing
• IVR
• Call button for website
• Monitoring and recording
• Reporting

Pricing:

• Essentials: $25.95 per user/month
• Professional: $30.95 per user/month
• Enterprise: $40.95 per user/month

Free trial: 7 days

6. GoTo Connect

GoTo Connect is a cloud-based VoIP phone service. Using GoTo Connect’s hosted VoIP, your employees can make calls from anywhere if they have an internet connection. Even the lowest-tier plan includes access to local and toll-free number options. Higher-tier plans allow for unlimited users and auto attendants.

The system is designed to make setting up and maintaining your phone system as easy as possible. For instance, with the Dial Plan Editor, GoTo Connect users can map out call routes and schedules in a visual interface.

Features:

• Routing
• IVR
• Monitoring and recording
• Reporting

Pricing:

• Basic: $27 per user/month
• Standard: $32 per user/month
• Premium: $43 per user/month

Free trial: 30 days

Learn more about Zendesk for GoTo Connect.

7. MiVoice Business

MiVoice Business by Mitel is an all-in-one communication platform. It provides traditional VoIP features like PBX, softphones, and advanced call controls, as well as conferencing, screen sharing, messaging, and more.

MiVoice Business comes with dynamic learning and document centers to help users get the most out of the service. You can leverage tutorials and courses for self-led learning and quick answers, or contact global tech support that’s available 24/7 for prompt service.

Features:

• Routing
• IVR
• Monitoring and recording
• Reporting

Pricing:

• Contact Mitel

Free trial: Not available

Learn more about Zendesk for Mitel.

8. Aircall

A globally distributed workforce can stay connected using a VoIP solution like Aircall’s business phone system. Aircall supports phone numbers in more than 100 countries and makes it easy to add new team members and departments. In addition to its basic VoIP functionality, Aircall offers features like call tracking and popular app integrations.

You can do anything you need to on your VoIP phone, including conference calls, call forwarding, call transferring, and more. All Aircall plans include a free trial of unlimited inbound and outbound calls throughout Canada and the United States.

Features:

• Routing
• IVR
• Call button for website
• Monitoring and recording
• Reporting

Pricing:

• Essentials: $40 per user/month
• Professional: $70 per user/month
• Custom: Contact Aircall

Free trial: 7 days

Learn more about Zendesk for Aircall.

9. Dialpad

Small and large companies may find Dialpad’s business VoIP phone service worthy of consideration. Aside from phone calls, you can also use the Dialpad VoIP service to conduct video conferences, send instant messages, and more in its easy-to-use desktop and mobile app.

Your team can always stay connected through Dialpad with features like call forwarding to mobile. The Standard plan can integrate with Google and Microsoft, while higher-tier plans come with more advanced options, such as SSO providers. Special phone numbers, like toll-free or local, are only available as add-ons.

Features:

• Routing
• IVR
• Call button for website
• Monitoring and recording
• Reporting

Pricing:

• Standard: $23 per user/month
• Pro: $35 per user/month
• Enterprise: Contact Dialpad

Free trial: 14 days

Learn more about Zendesk for Dialpad.

10. Five9

Five9’s VoIP for businesses removes long-distance fees and reduces operating costs. Five9 is flexible enough to meet your needs, whether you’re looking for VoIP to power your simple business phone system or to manage your inbound and outbound call center.

The software allows customers to use its existing equipment to set up the VoIP service. So if you currently have landlines, you’ll need a VoIP adapter. But if you plan to rely on your computers, that works, too.

Features:

• Routing
• IVR
• Monitoring and recording
• Reporting

Pricing:

• Core: $149 per month
• Premium: $169 per month
• Optimum: $199 per month
• Ultimate: $229 per month

Free trial: Not available

Learn more about Zendesk for Five9.

11. Vonage

The business VoIP service from Vonage is an option for small businesses and international enterprises. Call tagging, call monitoring, messaging, and CRM integrations all come with Vonage’s business VoIP service. Vonage boasts 99.99 percent uptime reliability while supporting over 100,000 businesses worldwide.

It’s worth noting that Vonage is well-suited for companies using Microsoft Teams, thanks to its tight integration with the service. In addition to VoIP, the service integrates with APIs for enhanced voice, video, and SMS capabilities.

Features:

• Routing
• IVR
• Call button for website
• Monitoring and recording
• Reporting

Pricing:

• Mobile: $19.99 per line/month
• Premium: $29.99 per line/month
• Advanced: $39.99 per line/month

Free trial: Not available

Learn more about Zendesk for Vonage.

12. Webex Calling by Cisco

Webex Calling by Cisco specializes in cloud-based calling. All your VoIP calling feature needs are met with Webex, including merging calls, visual voicemail, do not disturb, call forwarding, and more.

Along with its solid base of business-class VoIP, Webex by Cisco provides support for meetings, screen sharing, chat, and an interactive whiteboard. Even the Call plan includes unlimited local and domestic long-distance calls. International long-distance calls get billed per minute.

Features:

• Routing
• IVR
• Call button for website
• Monitoring and recording
• Reporting

Pricing:

• Basic Call: $0 per month
• Call: $17 per license/month
• Enterprise: Contact Webex for a custom quotes

Free trial: 90 days

Learn more about Zendesk for Webex.

13. CloudTalk Voice

CloudTalk Voice is an intuitive VoIP solution meant to connect your employees, departments, and branches. On top of that, CloudTalk can help you monitor customer calls, reduce ongoing phone costs, and manage your phone system.

You can use CloudTalk’s business VoIP in its call center software to support inbound and outbound calling. Unless you change devices, you can set up CloudTalk with the computers and smartphones you already use.

Features:

• Routing
• IVR
• Call button for website
• Monitoring and recording
• Reporting

Pricing:

• Starter: $25 per user/month
• Essential: $30 per user/month
• Expert: $50 per user/month
• Custom: Contact CloudTalk

Free trial: 14 days

Learn more about Zendesk for CloudTalk.

14. CallRail Lead Center

CallRail is unique among the options on this list in that its VoIP functionality is catered to salespeople. To that end, CallRail aims to boost sales by providing comprehensive solutions designed for inbound and outbound calls and text messages. It can automatically transcribe calls and use AI to analyze the conversations.

Aside from its VoIP service, CallRail also offers features such as keyword-level attribution, customer reporting, and email summary reports. Its call tracking feature can sync with a form tracking add-on for extra insights into which leads are paying off.

Features:

• Routing
• IVR
• Call button for website
• Monitoring and recording
• Reporting

Pricing:

• Call Tracking: $45 per month
• Call Tracking + Intelligence: $95 per month
• Call Tracking + Form Tracking: $95 per month
• Call Tracking Complete: $145 per month

Free trial: 14 days

15. Ooma Office

Ooma Office is often the first service that small businesses look to when shopping for their first business-class VoIP phone service. It’s not as feature-rich as other solutions, but Ooma Office is easy to use and doesn’t require a lengthy contract.

Ooma Office can accommodate your existing phone number while customizing others to local and toll-free numbers. Its standard features include a mobile app, a virtual assistant, and call logs.

Features:

• Routing
• IVR
• Monitoring and recording

Pricing:

• Essentials: $19.95 per user/month
• Pro: $24.95 per user/month
• Pro Plus: $29.95 per user/month

Free trial: Not available

16. Zoom Phone

Zoom, the popular video conferencing app, also provides VoIP service for businesses. Its VoIP, Zoom Phone, comes with robust features, including call routing, call forwarding, conference bridges, call recording, and virtual extensions.

Zoom Phone is cloud-based, and in addition to its VoIP service, the software includes video and chat communications unified in a single platform. You can equip your team with the most up-to-date devices at a fixed monthly price through Zoom Phone’s Hardware as a Service.

Features:

• Routing
• IVR
• Call button for website
• Monitoring and recording
• Reporting

Pricing:

• US and Canada Metered: $10 per user/month
• US and Canada Unlimited: $15 per user/month
• Global Select: $20 per user/month

Free trial: Not available

Learn more about Zendesk for Zoom Phone.

17. Bitrix24

Bitrix24’s VoIP service is a versatile solution for small businesses because it can work as both a contact center and an internal business phone system. Bitrix24 is a solid all-in-one platform that can consolidate your other communication channels.

Use it as your internal PBX system and efficiently manage your incoming and outbound calls through automation and monitoring. Other useful features include a CRM, project management tools, and a website builder.

Features:

• Routing
• IVR
• Monitoring and recording
• Reporting

Pricing:

• Free: $0 (limited tools, unlimited users)
• Basic: $61 per month for 5 users
• Standard: $124 per month for 50 users
• Professional: $249 per month for 100 users

Free trial: Not available

18. Intermedia Unite

Intermedia Unite offers a communications platform that helps businesses connect with their customers from the office or at home. Phones come pre-configured and require no technical expertise to set up. Remote desk phones have the same functionality as in-office equipment.

Businesses have cloud access to Intermedia Unite’s PBX equipment to save data space and money. Call analytics enables users to track the performance of team members and save reports. Team chat connects co-workers across desktop and mobile so they can collaborate on projects via public and private channels.

Features:

• Routing
• IVR
• Call button for website
• Monitoring and recording
• Reporting

Pricing:

• Unite Pro: $27.99
• Unite Enterprise: $32.99

Free trial: Not available

19. Microsoft Teams Phone

Microsoft Teams is a staple for Windows-based operations, and its VoIP service lives up to the brand. Its cloud-based systems focus on internal communication, empowering teams to collaborate in hybrid environments. By reducing the number of apps a business uses, Teams Phone protects budgets and improves ROI.

It seamlessly integrates with other contact centers, filling the gaps of your existing provider and transferring calls between your desktop and mobile device. AI can route calls to workers based on their location, availability, and hours of operation.

Features:

• Routing
• Recording

Pricing:

• Standard: $8 per user/month
• Calling Plan: $15 per user/month
• Microsoft 365 E5: $57 per user/month

Free trial: Not available

20. Freshdesk Contact Center

Freshdesk Contact Center, formerly known as Freshcaller, provides an all-in-one solution that easily scales with your business. You can set up the contact center in a few hours, and it has advanced features ready when you need them.

The free plan covers the basics like desktop notifications and call metrics. Growth adds call recording, pre-built reports, and caller queues. The highest tiers are for established businesses that need call monitoring, AI assistance, and custom reporting.

Features:

• Routing
• IVR
• Call button for website
• Monitoring and recording
• Reporting

Pricing:

• Growth: $18 per agent/month
• Pro: $47 per agent/month
• Enterprise: $83 per agent/month

Free trial: 21 days

Free plan: Available, but must purchase minutes and phone numbers

Landline-based systems pale in comparison to even the simplest VoIP systems. Here’s an overview of the essential features of VoIP systems.

Call routing

Automatic call distribution (ACD) is the VoIP feature that routes phone calls according to settings the business customizes to its needs. Call routing may be based on the phone number the caller dialed, the caller’s phone number, agent availability, time of day, and other factors.

Additionally, ACD can use a call forwarding service to automatically send incoming calls to another number if the first one is unavailable. For example, if your main line is busy, call forwarding sends the call to a secondary line.

Interactive voice response (IVR)

IVR—also known as a phone tree—greets callers with a list of options that they can choose from to connect to the desired extension, department, or agent. This type of call management is necessary for larger enterprises with several call centers or departments.

A well-designed IVR menu makes a business feel more established and can provide recordings to deflect common questions. If you know that many customers call in to ask for opening hours, for example, a pre-recorded greeting at the start of the IVR will allow your customers to get that information quickly, saving them—and your agents—time.

Call button for website

A call button on your website provides a direct path to your sales or customer support team. The customer doesn’t need to transcribe the number to their phone, avoiding the risk of entering it incorrectly. Instead, the click-to-call button automatically launches your VoIP and passes the call to a representative.

Call monitoring and recording

Call monitoring is an important feature for any business that wants to improve the quality of the phone customer service it provides. Call monitoring features enable managers and agents to listen to a phone call in real-time or asynchronously (through call recording).

Call monitoring solutions may also include features like call whispering, which allows a manager or senior agent to coach an agent without being heard by the customer. In short, call monitoring exists to help organizations improve call quality and agent training.

Reporting

Since VoIP works over an internet connection, it can build insightful reports by pulling analytics from your calls. Reports can track talk time, wait time, and percentages of missed calls. Use these reports to identify pain points and improve your contact center’s performance.

VoIP software benefits businesses of all sizes that want to save costs while effectively managing their phone operations. It removes concerns over investing in hardware and equipment, and it’s easy to make changes down the line—like adding phone numbers, hiring more agents, and changing routing and configuration.

Here are a few of the most powerful benefits that VoIP services provide for businesses:

Between features, cost structure, and dozens of other criteria, it’s easy to feel lost when choosing the best VoIP provider. To dial in your selection process, prioritize the following factors when you evaluate possible solutions.

The agent experience

Finding a service with the capabilities you need is only part of the battle. The ease of use and the quality of the features will impact team adoption and morale. Your VoIP system should improve both the agent and customer experience. If it slows down call center operations due to complications, then it isn’t truly serving its purpose. The service should be intuitive and make your communications platform simple to navigate.

Customer success and support

When you change to a business VoIP system, your company will need to learn and adjust to the new features. Your provider should be there to assist you along the way to make the experience as smooth as possible. Look for a service with dedicated account management or customer experience experts, so you aren’t left to fend for yourself after signing on.

Reliability and security

Upgrading to VoIP isn’t an upgrade if your customer service suffers as a result. The plan you choose should offer a baseline functionality that delivers crisp voice quality and protects your and your customers’ data. Try to factor in future needs as well. The service should be able to scale along with a growing team that may need more bandwidth later.

Long-term TCO and easy administration

Comparing the cost of a service can be difficult when providers offer different features and levels of service. What looks like a great deal at first could be more expensive later if add-ons (like caller ID) are required to use it effectively. To figure out the total cost of ownership (TCO), dig deeper into paid add-ons and administration requirements to get a sense of what the service will deliver.

Ease of implementation isn’t equal across all VoIP providers, either. If adding features or integrations requires coding them yourself, then you’ll need to account for added administrative resources and a delay in deployment. However, many providers offer point-and-click solutions that make it quick to customize the service and don’t result in unanticipated costs.

Small businesses have unique needs and constraints that not all business VoIP systems can accommodate. Consider these three factors when looking for the perfect small business VoIP service.

ROI

Similar to factoring in the total cost of ownership, ensuring you get an acceptable return on your investment should also be a priority. Pricing will play a significant role in your decision, but if the service you select can level up your team’s performance, additional costs may be worth it. In that light, unlimited calling, SMS capabilities, and advanced features might pay for themselves with increased sales.

Scalability

Just because you’re a small business now doesn’t mean you’ll always stay that way. Selecting a business VoIP solution that can scale with you from the beginning will help you avoid growing pains. A major benefit of a VoIP service is how easy it is to upgrade and expand service, so you’ll want to avoid providers that might not fit your needs in the future.

Fast time to value

A cost that doesn’t always appear on your expense reports is the cost of VoIP service implementation and ongoing maintenance. While it might not show up on paper, you will feel the cost. You should be able to deploy a VoIP phone service quickly to improve your operations. Long, costly implementations are a quick way to erode faith that your new solution is worth it.

Learn more about VoIP service for businesses below.