*Minimum 1-year contract required for new accounts only. Standard monthly recurring charges for one (1) local number are waived for the life cycle of the VBC account. The promotional discount of 30% off the standard rate is for the duration of the service. This discount only applies to monthly recurring voice extension charges for online purchases up to 99 lines. Discount does not apply to add-ons, features, hardware, or one-time charges. Services and billing will continue until canceled. Cancellations may be completed using the VBC Admin Portal or by calling Vonage Customer Care. However, cancelling service during contract term is subject to Early Termination Fees. Early Termination Fees can range up to the total price of your service contract. Choose a plan and the promo code 30PERCENTOFF will be applied automatically when you checkout online. Offer valid through March 31, 2024.
VoIP systems can benefit your business in many ways, with a number of important features and functions that go well beyond traditional phone service.
But when comparing business VoIP providers, what are the most important factors one should consider? We have researched and compared a large number of business VoIP providers, checking their pricing plans, ease of setup, customer support, connection quality, system customization, mobile options, video conferencing, file sharing, and other key factors.
We have composed a comparison list and detailed reviews of the 10 best business VoIP providers of 2024 to help you find the best VoIP system for your business needs.
Chances are, you already use some form of VoIP or internet phone service through your business phone line. If you’ve ever used Skype or Facebook Messenger - or any kind of internet service to make a call-you’re experiencing the power of Voice Over IP (VoIP).
VoIP systems have become the norm for businesses large and small, as they provide an easy, surefire way to make telecommunications more efficient—and affordable. For small and medium-sized businesses, these savings can make a big difference. The efficiency of a VoIP system can also ease some headaches for companies that may not have the manpower to handle complicated or less streamlined communication needs. Small businesses generally don’t need some of the more sophisticated VoIP features—like video conferencing that can accommodate 100 or more participants—but the flexible pricing, ease of operations, and customer service offered by many VoIP providers can be of real assistance.
When it comes to integrating a VoIP phone service into your business, there are some factors to consider before you choose a provider. The top VoIP providers can help you lower costs, reach more customers, and even enhance your mobility and productivity.
The most important features to look out for when searching for a VoIP phone solution are:
Switching to a VoIP system, such as internet phone providers, entails some initial costs, which are quickly offset by the savings. VoIP services can also increase the efficiency, convenience, and flexibility of your communications and help you incorporate the business tools of a larger company. Before you choose your VoIP provider, try to determine how easy it will be to adopt the system and operate it, and also if it has any specific features you need.
If you’re running a business in 2024, then chances are, you have already heard of and might even use some form of VoIP or internet phone service through your business phone line. If you’ve ever used Skype or Facebook Messenger—or any kind of internet service to make a call—you’re experiencing the power of Voice Over IP (VoIP).
VoIP systems have become the norm for businesses large and small, as they provide an easy, surefire way to make telecommunications more efficient—and affordable. For small and medium-sized businesses, these savings can make a big difference. The efficiency of a VoIP system can also ease some headaches for companies that may not have the manpower to handle complicated or less streamlined communication needs. Small businesses generally don’t need some of the more sophisticated VoIP features—like video conferencing that can accommodate 100 or more participants—but the flexible pricing, ease of operations, and customer service offered by many VoIP providers can be of real assistance.
When it comes to integrating VoIP into your business, there are some factors to consider before you choose a provider. The top VoIP providers can help you lower costs, reach more customers, and even enhance your mobility and productivity.
The most important features to look for when searching for a business virtual phone or VoIP solution are:
Switching to a VoIP system entails some initial costs, which are quickly offset by the savings. VoIP services can also increase the efficiency, convenience, and flexibility of your communications and help you incorporate the business tools of a larger company. Before you choose your VoIP provider, try to determine how easy it will be to adopt the system and operate it, and also if it has any specific features you need.
The full benefits of having a business phone system will depend on the size and type of business you own. However, loosely speaking, many businesses benefit from:
Lower Costs
Businesses, on average, see costs reduce between 50% - 75% after switching to VoIP, which is a combination of reduced communication expenses and logistical benefits.
Greater Productivity
Investing in internet phone allows a company to let its employees work remotely, which can increase productivity by almost 20%.
More Reliability
Because of QoS (Quality of service) protocols, more common issues like jitter, latency, or delay are all monitored for a satisfactory standard for business practice. A recent study showed that less than 0.5% of survey respondents reported being dissatisfied with VoIP call quality.
Higher Customer Satisfaction Rates
Unsatisfied customers would rather switch services than complain, so customer service needs to be more aware of visitors needs than ever before. Giving your customers more ways to reach your business is simple, with the help of VoIP. This could be helping employees work remotely, increasing office hours, or just offering the customers a virtual phone number to call when a problem arises.
The biggest difference in cost is going to depend on the type of VoIP service you choose for your business. There are 3 main systems available:
Hosted System
Similar to a website hosting plan, this means that the vendor owns the hardware, and your business leases or buys the phones. Maintenance will be handled by the vendor, too. Companies will usually charge a subscription to use the internet business phone system.
Best for: Smaller businesses
On-Premise System
In this scenario, your business owns the hardware, which means you are responsible for any upgrades or maintenance work. This sort of setup can be prohibitive for a smaller business because of the higher initial costs of purchasing the hardware. In addition, the upkeep may require the manpower that a small company doesn't have. On the other hand, these systems can provide better options for customization and a higher level of security.
Best for: Larger businesses
Managed System
With this system, the business still owns the equipment, but the vendor is in charge of set up and maintenance. This is a great “best of both worlds” option, in that it allows the customer to use their own equipment—like with the on-premise system—while still being able to enjoy the assistance provided by a hosted system.
How do I choose the best business VoIP provider?
There are several factors you’ll need to consider when comparing VoIP phone providers. The best one for you will check off the most boxes, ensuring that it provides the most value for your company. The main factors to consider include:
What are the benefits of using a business VoIP?
Business VoIP can help your business save money, handle larger call volumes, and create a more professional impression for your customers. In fact, the list of all of the benefits goes on for miles, but here are a few of the most important gains you'll get from business VoIP:
How can VoIP save you money?
It's a well-known concept that business VoIP saves businesses money; the question is how. Well, the number one answer is, through the reduced phone bill. Since calls are often free (unlimited minutes, etc.) or offered at an incredibly discounted rate per minute, businesses save thousands of dollars on their phone bills alone. Additionally, you can save money with a VoIP by:
How can VoIP enhance your business’ efficiency?
As with financial gains, VoIP services offer tremendous boosts to your productivity as well. Here’s how:
Increased productivity with great collaboration tools
Team members can text for free, share files, and swap phone calls from clients. Remote workers can sit in on conference calls, staying up to date and in the loop.
Mobility
Since you can take your business virtual phone on the go, you can get more work done wherever you are. And you’ll never miss another business call again.
Voicemail
Voicemail on VoIP is the ultimate efficiency. Instead of checking multiple phones and accounts, all of your voicemails come to one location to be checked. Plus, you get an alert whenever a voicemail comes in, so you are on top of things faster. Even voicemail transcripts let you read your voicemails, so you can make the most of those boring hours spent in meetings.
To help you make the best choice, and ensure you get all the features you need for the most competitive price on the market, we’ve done a lot of the hard work for you. Check out these comprehensive reviews to learn all about the features, pricing, and benefits of each of the best VoIP phone systems out there.
Vonage Business emerges as a veteran in the UCaaS landscape, delivering a robust mix of VoIP, SMS, live chat, and video functionalities. This experience translates into a smoother operation than you might find with newer platforms, offering a reliable and refined communication solution for businesses of all sizes.
The platform has 41 built-in features that enhance collaboration, customer engagement, productivity, and employee experience. Agents get tools like Call Announce, which previews the caller's identity and purpose, while managers can access the Busy Lamp Field, showing which lines are active.
Kevin Peña, Strategic Partnerships Manager at Headsets.com, says, "Since moving to Vonage Business Communications, we have team members working in both home and office stations. They’re able to log in from wherever they are that day seamlessly. We can log in to our VBC accounts and make or receive calls from a cell phone just as easily as an office phone. It’s a simple, user-friendly interface that keeps calls, voicemails, and messages all in one place."
Why we chose Vonage: It offers unique industry-specific solutions for sectors like healthcare, retail, education, and finance. Take healthcare, for instance: the platform enables you to route patients directly to the most suitable medical professional for their particular needs. Also, features like the VisuWell app center integration ensure HIPAA-compliant virtual visits, enabling medical professionals to connect with patients on almost any device.
Our experience: When we integrated Vonage into our operations, the fully customizable virtual AI receptionist saved us a lot of headaches. It allowed us to set up dependable call routing for holidays, lunch, after-hours, and emergencies. With the AI virtual assistant, managing customer engagement became significantly easier for our agents.
RingCentral’s RingEx cloud communication service is designed for teamwork. It combines all the essentials—VoIP calling, SMS messaging, team chat, and video conferencing into one streamlined package. Enhanced with real-time AI and conversation intelligence, this unified communications as a service (UCaaS) platform transforms how teams collaborate, making every interaction smarter and more efficient.
You can set up a custom-built phone system with ease and invite users via email. You also get features like voicemail transcription, call recording, and adaptive Interactive Voice Response (IVR) menus to enhance self-service routing. Beyond core functions, RingEx offers over 300 app integrations, seamlessly fitting into your existing communication workflow.
Its HD video meetings require no downloads to join and are supported by AI tools like live captioning and in-meeting transcriptions. Smart features also reduce background noise and keep the camera focused on the speaker.
According to Emma Grotluschen, Senior Manager of Customer Service at Swanson, RingEX Contact Center enables their entire team "to improve [their] customer service operation." She adds, "The reporting capabilities help us continually monitor and improve our performance, and [with] the automatic call recording, our supervisors tripled the calls they can review."
Why we chose RingCentral: You can tailor phone settings like automatic call recording for individual agents and even customize phone numbers, business hours, and caller IDs. Another standout feature is the ability to set basic or advanced call routing rules. Plus, you can adjust ring durations and forward calls with a pre-recorded phone menu. This ensures that customers always connect to the right person without any hassle.
Our experience: When we tested out RingEx, the setup process was remarkably smooth. We appreciated the ability to port both our existing numbers and shared lines without issues. Our agents found it quick and easy to establish new business lines on their personal mobiles, laptops, and desk phones. The RingEx app made syncing everything a breeze, allowing for a hassle-free transition across all devices.
Zoom Phone offers a solid VoIP option for small businesses on a budget. It balances cost with various features, making team collaboration easier through messaging, file sharing, and searchable conversations. It also works well with major third-party apps like Microsoft, Google, and Salesforce, which help reduce workflow friction and boost productivity.
For more demanding needs, Zoom Phone offers comprehensive call center capabilities. These include unlimited queues, advanced call distribution, voicemail transcription, and intelligent IVR routing. The system allows effortless call switching between devices, ensuring you stay connected regardless of platform.
Plus, the Bring Your Own Carrier (BYOC) feature offers flexibility. It lets you keep your current PSTN provider while leveraging Zoom's advanced features. This means you can maintain existing contracts and phone numbers while upgrading your setup.
Why we chose Zoom Phone: Zoom's new analytics tools provide deep insights into call performance and usage patterns. You can monitor detailed metrics for call queues, including SLAs, volume, wait times, and call outcomes. The system also offers Mean Opinion Scores for inbound and outbound calls, allowing you to assess quality across individual sites or your entire network.
Our experience: We've been using Zoom Phone's AI Companion to streamline our meetings and it's transformed how we handle follow-ups. Instead of scrambling to take notes, we now receive concise post-call summaries that capture key points and actions. The voicemail task extraction feature also organizes our call-back priorities directly from our voicemails, ensuring we never miss a beat.