In 2023, businesses are looking for the best IP telephone service providers to keep up with modern communication needs. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology is changing how companies connect, making it easier and cheaper to talk to clients and team members. This article will explore the top IP telephone service providers for your business this year, highlighting their key features and benefits.
Key Takeaways
- RingCentral offers a wide range of features at a low cost, making it a top choice for many businesses.
- Ooma is ideal for remote work with its unlimited calls within North America and ring groups.
- IPRO stands out for its advanced features and understanding of modern communication needs.
- Simple Phones provides straightforward and easy-to-use VoIP solutions.
- OpenPhone is known for its seamless integration with other business tools, enhancing productivity.
RingCentral
RingCentral is a top choice for businesses looking for a comprehensive IP telephone service. RingCentral’s call management is very competitive with options for a multilevel auto attendant and interactive voice response (IVR). The Core tier offers video conferencing for up to 100 attendees, making it a well-rounded work-from-home solution.
Key Features of RingCentral
- Free unlimited calling in the US and Canada
- Video conferencing
- Allotted toll-free minutes
- CRM app integrations (requires upgrade)
RingCentral has long impressed us with its business VoIP offerings. The latest iteration, dubbed RingCentral MVP, stands for "messaging, video, and phone," which shows its move away from basic voice services toward a UCaaS approach. RingCentral has also proven itself reliable at high call volumes, something that many rival services struggle with when put under pressure. Its AI-backed transcription and call analysis features are particularly impressive.
Pricing
RingCentral offers price matching on plans with less than 50 lines, ensuring small businesses don’t have to worry about overpaying for their cloud-hosted VoIP service. Additionally, RingCentral Webinar starts at $63 monthly per host and comes with a free trial for new subscribers, allowing you to get the most out of the service without immediately committing to the add-on. Licenses, such as for push-to-talk, start at $7 per month.
RingCentral offers a lot of features that other providers charge extra for, such as generous toll-free minutes. This makes it a cost-effective choice for small businesses.
Ooma
Ooma is a standout choice for businesses, especially those that need reliable and readily available customer service. Ooma's support team is accessible any day and anytime by phone or chat, making it a great option for small businesses that need quick help with issues.
Ooma's phone systems are very flexible. You can use your office phone while working at home, place and accept work calls on your cell phone, and even use the Ooma desktop app to place calls on your computer. Despite offering a range of features, Ooma's plans remain affordable, even for the upper-tier options.
Ooma VoIP Plans
Ooma offers some of the best VoIP services for remote work. Their plans start at $19.95 per month per user. While some customers have reported dropped calls, Ooma is still an ideal choice for businesses that have moved to remote work.
Customer Service
Ooma provides various customer service options, including a FAQ page, issue reports on their website, and email support. Their customer service is a big selling point for small businesses that need a reliable partner to troubleshoot issues as they arise.
Additional Features
Ooma Office offers a decent range of add-on features, including international and pay-as-you-go calling, a personal phone number, and voice-to-text. You can also port an existing phone number to your Ooma account.
Ooma stands out because its product can be used without a computer, and they also sell separate hardware like IP desk phones.
IPRO
IPRO is dedicated to creating innovative and engaging experiences for users. Their VoIP solutions are designed to be future-ready, adapting to technological advancements with ease. This means your business can rely on IPRO for years to come.
Key Benefits
- Scalability: Easily adjust to your growing business needs.
- Reliability: Enjoy uninterrupted service with superior call quality.
- Innovation: Access the latest features that keep you ahead of the curve.
Unified Communication
IPRO offers a unified platform that integrates voice, video, and data. This seamless integration enhances collaboration and ensures all team members are on the same page, no matter where they are located.
With IPRO, you're not just adopting a service; you're embracing a partnership that elevates every aspect of your communication strategy.
Security and Uptime
IPRO prioritizes security and uptime for every conversation. Their robust security protocols ensure protected communications, giving you peace of mind.
Simple Phones
Simple Phones is a great choice for businesses looking for an easy-to-use and affordable VoIP service. Their plans are budget-friendly and offer a range of features that can meet the needs of small to medium-sized businesses.
Reasons to Buy
- User-friendly interface
- Affordable pricing
- Reliable customer support
Reasons to Avoid
- Limited advanced features
- Basic design
Simple Phones is perfect for businesses that need a straightforward and cost-effective VoIP solution without the extra bells and whistles.
Price
Simple Phones offers competitive pricing, making it accessible for businesses on a tight budget. Here is a quick overview of their pricing plans:
Verdict
Simple Phones is a solid option for businesses that prioritize simplicity and affordability. While it may lack some advanced features, it makes up for it with its ease of use and reliable service.
OpenPhone
OpenPhone is a top IP telephone service provider for modern businesses. It offers a range of features that help companies work smarter, not harder. One of its standout features is the ability to create shared phone numbers for specific teams or departments. This means all calls, texts, and voicemails stay in one place, making it easy for team members to get immediate context and delegate tasks.
OpenPhone also comes with automation features like auto-reply texts and IVR functionality, which allows for automatic VoIP call routing when clients dial your number. You can integrate your favorite business apps, including Slack, Gmail, and Zapier, to get added context without jumping between platforms.
Key Features of OpenPhone
- Unlimited calling and texting in the U.S. and Canada
- Voicemail transcripts and call recording
- AI message responses
- Integration with popular business apps
Pricing
OpenPhone offers a seven-day free trial, allowing you to test the platform using a US, Canadian, or toll-free number. This makes it easy to see why OpenPhone is the #1 rated phone system for small businesses.
OpenPhone is actively monitored by Vanta and has a successful SOC 2 report, ensuring your data is secure and compliant.
Nextiva
Nextiva is a robust communication system that caters to both small businesses and large corporations. It offers unlimited calling, texting, and internet faxing. One of its standout features is the auto-attendant, which helps manage calls efficiently.
Nextiva's service includes:
- Audio conferencing
- Voicemail transcription
- Auto-attendant
For those running a contact center, Nextiva can set up a VoIP service tailored to your needs.
Why We Picked It
Nextiva is a versatile VoIP system with a user-friendly interface that works on both desktop and mobile platforms. It offers comprehensive call analytics and straightforward administration functions, including a graphical call-flow builder for automatic call routing and interactive voice response (IVR) trees. Additionally, it can sync contacts with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 address books.
General Features
Nextiva provides unlimited voice and video calling, voicemail, and internet faxing. Customers receive toll-free numbers at no extra cost. Upgrading unlocks features like unlimited conference calls, screen sharing, voicemail transcription, and an auto-attendant.
Nextiva VoIP Plans
Data as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Vonage
Vonage is a well-known name in the phone industry, trusted by over 100,000 business owners. Vonage offers an affordable solution for unlimited calling, ultra-portability, and contact center options. It has over 40 powerful features with its plans, making it a strong choice for small to mid-sized businesses.
Value
Vonage provides a wide selection of add-ons, though the overall cost of ownership can be high. Service and support reviews vary, so consider these when weighing the overall cost and value of a Vonage plan.
User Reviews
- 4.4 on G2
Pricing/Line/Month
Why We Picked It
Vonage has exceptionally good quality service with great uptime for unlimited calling and texting. It also has one of the most stylish designs available on the market.
Best For
Small to mid-sized businesses
Vonage VoIP Plans
Vonage phone service can easily grow with your company, so you don’t have to worry about difficult transitions to new systems as your needs expand. Vonage integrates with everything from Salesforce to Slack, so you’re covered if your business ever outgrows its current customer relationship tools. And Vonage offers VoIP communications features that make the service easy to use even when you’re at home.
8x8
8x8 is a well-known VoIP provider, recognized for its high recording quality and convenient message alerts. It has recently shifted its focus from small businesses to enterprise-level support. This change means there is no free trial available, and pricing details are not publicly listed. To get a quote, you will need to contact their sales team.
Pricing
While 8x8 does not publicly list its prices, here are some general estimates:
Storage
If you record a lot of phone and video calls, note that the X2 plan only offers 30 days of storage. Upgraded plans provide 130 days of storage, and for an additional cost, you can unlock up to 10 years of media storage.
Best For
8x8 is ideal for businesses with a large volume of international calls looking for a long-term contract. It supports unlimited calling in the US and Canada, team messaging, and auto-attendants with every plan. Upgraded plans also offer unlimited international calls to 14 countries, interactive video conferencing, and live streaming features.
A growing number of customers feel that 8x8’s focus is primarily on enterprise-level companies, with some expressing frustration over transparency in pricing and plan details.
Grasshopper
Grasshopper is a distinctive and cost-effective solution tailored specifically for small businesses, particularly startups. It boasts a simple, user-friendly interface that facilitates seamless navigation. The streamlined call-forwarding functionality enables the elimination of app downloads unless the need arises to engage in text-based communication through the Grasshopper business number. Furthermore, incoming voicemails can be conveniently emailed, thereby obviating the necessity for callers to listen to them directly.
Grasshopper is best for mobile businesses. While Grasshopper may suffer from minor audio quality and transcription problems, the service is a major contender for businesses that operate from multiple locations. It’s easy to set up and easy to use, and it includes toll-free vanity numbers.
Grasshopper’s layout is known to be simple and easy to use thanks to its experience on the market.
Their website suggests using the FAQs and Documentation to solve problems. If this doesn’t fit your criteria, there’s an option to “Call Support” at the end of relevant FAQ articles.
Grasshopper starts at $14 monthly with an annual agreement. Its plans are priced to suit solopreneurs, startups and very small businesses. If you are looking for an easy way to set up a professional contact with a simple phone system, Grasshopper represents an affordable option with decent value for money.
Grasshopper is a popular VoIP option among individuals and small business owners. Satisfied customers frequently mentioned that they enjoyed how simple and easy the service is while providing everything necessary to support a virtual business operation or remote work. They also enjoy its convenience and mention that it is priced fairly.
Some customers had issues with poor call quality. I also noted a few Grasshopper customers found it difficult to connect with live agents.
Dialpad
Dialpad is a business VoIP provider that offers unlimited video meetings, as well as unlimited VoIP calling and texting in the US and Canada. It’s best known for offering built-in artificial intelligence (AI) features for call centers. This includes real-time call transcriptions, automated post-call summaries, and real-time analytics, which can help you make more informed decisions.
We like Dialpad's dedication to its role as a software-based communications service. Although Dialpad supports hardware handsets, its real focus is its softphone, which the company regularly updates. In fact, Dialpad says it ships new software updates every two weeks. Frequent updates aren't always a good thing, but we appreciate the company's insistence on constantly refining its offering. In particular, it's another entry in our roundup that's using artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance its services.
Dialpad stands out as a highly technologically advanced phone system solution. The company embarked on the development of their proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) technology several years ago, well ahead of the prevailing trend. This strategic decision has endowed Dialpad with a heightened level of security, surpassing that of most of their competitors.
You can use Dialpad for video meetings, SMS, and MMS messages, and more. This all occurs from one user-friendly desktop and mobile app.
One of the coolest features is Dialpad’s artificial intelligence (AI). It transcribes meeting notes and calls, so you don’t need to assign a notetaker.
Dialpad is a great, affordable option for small businesses that want an all-in-one communication hub.
Dialpad is your go-to solution for never missing a customer call. With our AI-powered agents, you can forward missed calls or get a new number, and we'll handle the rest. Want to see it in action? Try our demo agent now!
Conclusion
In 2023, the landscape of IP telephone service providers has shown significant advancements, making communication more seamless and efficient for businesses. Providers like IPRO are leading the way with cost-effective solutions that integrate voice, video, and data, catering to the evolving needs of modern workplaces. As we move forward, embracing these technologies is not just about staying current but about enhancing collaboration and productivity. Choosing the right VoIP provider can transform your business communication, offering a future of limitless possibilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is VoIP technology?
VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. It allows you to make phone calls using the internet instead of a regular phone line.
Why should I choose an IP telephone service for my business?
IP telephone services often cost less than traditional phone services and come with advanced features like video calls, voicemail, and call forwarding.
Is VoIP reliable for business use?
Yes, VoIP is reliable for business use. It offers high-quality calls and many features that can help improve communication in your business.
Do I need special equipment for VoIP?
You don't need much special equipment for VoIP. Usually, a good internet connection and a VoIP-enabled phone or computer are enough.
Can I keep my current phone number with a VoIP service?
Yes, most VoIP providers let you keep your current phone number when you switch to their service.
Is VoIP secure?
VoIP can be secure if you use strong passwords and encryption. Many providers offer security features to protect your calls and data.
