08/15/2022

Top VoIP Phone Services for Business

Insights

35 min remaining

Businesses are adopting more advanced technology and it’s not surprising that they are also switching to voice-over-internet protocol services (VoIP). We tested many top-rated VIP options to assist Adidas in making the right choice if you are considering joining the bandwagon. Based on our research Nextiva was a clear winner. This tool provides unlimited calling, flexible pricing, and free local and toll-free phone numbers.

The Best Business VoIP Phone Service

Nextiva

Best for the Most

You get everything you need from your VoIP provider, including unlimited voice, video, and text calls, unlimited online faxing, a free mobile phone number, and unlimited voice and video calling. Upgrade to UCaaS for more advanced features such as video conferencing or collaboration tools. Plans start at $18.95 per user per month.

Nextiva has been our top choice for most businesses. Each plan comes with all the essential VoIP features that you need to stay connected. All plans include voice, video, faxing, and team messaging.

Nextiva’s calendar integrations add more value. They allow for better communication and auto-attendants. For most small teams, the cheapest plan will be sufficient. Nextiva works well with any size team.

These are the 6 Best Business VoIP Phone Services to Consider.

  1. Nextiva Best for Most (For a limited period, get 25% off and a free smartphone when you sign up!
  2. Ooma Office is best for small businesses that don’t have IT staff.
  3. Grasshopper is the best mobile app for solopreneurs or small teams
  4. RingCentral is the best affordable all-in-one solution for less than 20 users
  5. Phone.com is best if you have less than 300 minutes per user
  6. Freshdesk Contact Center – The best for customer support teams

VoIP Phone Services for Business: When it Makes Sense

VoIP phone services are changing the way businesses communicate. They are replacing old, inefficient, and expensive phone systems.

These devices make it easy for your team and clients to call from any location with an internet connection.

No longer are your employees tied to their desks, waiting for the call.

They can use VoIP systems from their smartphones or laptops. This makes it an even more flexible option than traditional phone systems.

Apart from the cost-effectiveness and convenience,

Many VoIP systems include other communication tools such as texting, faxing, and video conferencing.

You’ll not only save money but also get more bang for your buck.

If you are tired of paying too much for a legacy phone service or want to replace a broken one, switching to VoIP business services is the best option.

#1 – Nextiva — Best For Most

Nextiva

Best for the Most

You get everything you need from your VoIP provider, including unlimited voice, video, and text calls, unlimited online faxing, and a free mobile phone number. Upgrade to UCaaS for more advanced features such as video conferencing or collaboration tools. Plans start at $11.95 per user per month.

Nextiva has been a leader in business communication for a reason. No matter what plan you choose or how big your business is, you will get all you need at an affordable cost. You don’t have to worry about your plan running out. Even the cheapest plan includes unlimited voice and video calling.

It’s versatile enough to suit your needs, whether you need to make or receive calls on your mobile device or modernize your phone system within an office setting.

Each user receives a free phone number or can transfer existing numbers for no additional charge. This makes it simple to get started, without spending hundreds of dollars on new numbers.

You also get unlimited online faxing. This is great for businesses that receive faxes daily or those that send or receive faxes one-off.

Nextiva’s desktop and mobile apps can be installed easily if you require softphone functionality.

It is easy to install and users can use the existing devices to make and receive calls. This makes it a great choice for companies that don’t want new hardware. You can turn all your desktop computers into smartphones. It’s possible. Just download the app, and you are good to go.

You can also use the built-in calendar integrations to make it easy to schedule meetings, calls, and appointments.

Every plan comes with dozens of features that make it easy to handle calls, regardless of whether you use softphones or other phones. Some of these features include:

  • HD Voice
  • An auto-attendant
  • Play Music
  • Groups for calls
  • An intuitive admin panel

If your team calls a toll-free number, the cheapest plan includes 1,500 minutes of toll-free service per month. If you require more, higher tiers offer more toll-free minutes.

Nextiva offers a rental or purchase option for traditional phones. This will ensure that your new devices are compatible and easy to implement.

You can also bring your desk phones with you, but some older phones might need a VoIP adapter.

The Nextiva entry-level plan is ideal for small teams that need essential VoIP functionality.

The higher tiers of the service offer greater capabilities and better internal collaboration, which are great for larger companies and teams with more complex needs.

Upgrade to the Professional plan to get unlimited video conferencing for up to 250 participants, unlimited conference calls with up to 40 participants, and unlimited SMS messaging.

Integrations with Hubspot and Zendesk are also possible. These CRM integrations can be particularly helpful for customer service teams and outbound sales campaigns.

The true highlight of the three highest tiers is their professional implementation.

This is especially important for large teams that have complex solutions, or businesses that want to retain a portion of their existing phone system. These types of implementations can be difficult, especially without the support of your provider.

All tiers include 24/7 support via phone, email, or live chat in addition to implementation support.

There are three options available and prices vary depending on how many users you have. You will pay less per user for more lines.

Nextiva offers a limited-time discount on regular rates for a limited period. Click Here to View the Special Sale Prices.

Below is a list of Nextiva’s plans and pricing for 20-99 users.

  • Essential starts at $18.95 per user/month
  • Professionals – Start at $22.95 per user/month
  • Enterprise: Starts at $32.95 per user/month

You’ll be paying a little more per user if you have fewer than 20 users. If you are close to any of the pricing tiers, it is worth doing some calculations. It may be worthwhile to pay more for users to allow for staff growth.

These are annual prices so you will have to pay 12 months upfront. You can expect to pay 30% more per user if you choose month-to-month billing.

#2 – Ooma Office – The Best For Businesses Without An In-House IT Department

Ooma Office

The Best for Businesses without In-House IT

Ooma equipment can be used for softphone functionality as well as traditional desk phones. Most implementations take less than 15 minutes. Unlimited calls and texts, plus conference calling up to 10 people.

You don’t need an IT department to implement your VoIP solution. However, ongoing administration and maintenance can be a crucial part of it.

This is why Ooma is our #1 recommendation to teams that don’t have a team to manage the system.

Its patent-pending technology for auto-configuration makes it one the easiest systems to put in place, regardless of whether you need softphone capabilities or a complete phone system in an office setting.

Ooma’s hardware comes ready to use straight out of the box. Most deployments take less than 15 minutes. Because it is so easy to use, any member of your team can be your system’s administrator (unlike other options).

You can quickly deploy your VoIP system and configure your hardware.

It is simple and easy to use from an administrative standpoint.

The service is simple, but high-quality support can be a challenge. You don’t have an internal team that can troubleshoot or resolve everyday issues. Your provider is the only one who can help you and your team.

Ooma’s customer support team is excellent and doesn’t disappoint.

You and your team can refer to dozens of videos and startup guides for help if you get stuck or hit a snag. Ooma also offers 24/7 support via phone or live chat.

If you don’t feel ready to reach out to support, there’s an active forum where you can ask specific questions. Many users can find the answers they need online and don’t even need to contact support.

If you have any questions, the team is always available.

Don’t be fooled by the service’s simplicity or ease of use. It’s possible to still enjoy all the business VoIP features without paying more for features that you won’t use.

The lowest tier includes all the essentials of VoIP, such as:

  • Unlimited calling and unlimited SMS for business
  • Transfers, forwarding, parking, and flipping are all options.
  • Voicemail with audio attachments
  • Call conferences with up to 10 people

Ooma’s mobile app is free and allows you to make and take calls using your mobile device. Your team can now work remotely from anywhere, whether they are at home or on the move.

Ooma has a virtual receptionist at the bottom tier. This is one of Ooma’s most distinctive features. This is a great deal as most options on our list will charge an additional fee for it.

It can be used to play customized messages, which deliver business information and to create multi-level menus that automatically segment callers. It gives you that big-business feel and seamlessly routes callers to the correct employees.

You can also create custom menus or routing options for calls that are made after hours or on holidays, even if you’re not at work.

This will ensure that your team is happy and calls are answered promptly.

Ooma offers internal collaboration tools for a small monthly fee. This includes video conferencing and a desktop application, call recording, voicemail transcription, and more participants in conference calls.

These are the two tiers:

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

While traditional offices may be able to manage with the least expensive plan, remote or collaborative teams might need to upgrade to the Pro plan to have all the features they require.

Ooma is missing many of the advanced features that other providers offer. Its ease of use and simplicity make it an attractive option for small teams without an in-house support team.

Register for a live demo and experience Ooma Office at work.

#3 – Grasshopper – The Best Mobile App For Solopreneurs And Smaller Teams

Grasshopper

The Best VoIP Mobile App

You can get the big business look without spending a fortune. Grasshopper is a simple, no-fuss program that turns your smartphone into a business phone. Unlimited minutes, texting, incoming and outgoing faxes, as well as a free number.

Grasshopper differs from the other options because it isn’t a complete phone system. It focuses on simple softphone functionality, which allows you to make and receive business calls from any mobile device.

Instead of spending days or even weeks ordering equipment and setting up your settings, download the mobile app.

You can set up everything and get a new number within ten minutes.

It’s an excellent option for solopreneurs and freelancers who want to add professionalism and separation to the business without having to deal with lengthy setups and complicated features.

Grasshopper now offers a fully-featured desktop application that allows you to make and receive calls from your computer.

This gives the software a new level of flexibility that was previously only available on a mobile device.

You can use your mobile phone as a business telephone, and you get many other useful VoIP features such as:

  • Free business phone number
  • Pre-recorded custom greetings
  • SMS for business
  • You can receive incoming faxes by email
  • Voicemail transcriptions sent to your inbox
  • To block calls during your absence, set business hours

Grasshopper has a unique feature that allows you to set up text messages automatically if you are late for a call.

This feature automatically sends a follow-up text to callers letting them know that you are unavailable. To speed up your response time, you can let them know they can send you a text with their callback information.

It is a simple way to keep your potential customers interested even if they don’t call back immediately.

You can also save time by setting up automated SMS responses.

The app can automatically switch to VoIP or WiFi connections if your mobile service is weak. This makes sure your calls are always of high quality, even if there isn’t enough data (as long you have an internet connection).

Ruby Receptionist can be added for an additional monthly charge if you feel overwhelmed or backed up by too many calls.

This is a great feature that allows you to have live receptionists answer your calls when you are not available or busy with other aspects of your business.

Live receptionists can answer calls, schedule appointments and answer frequently asked questions. They can also gather information about potential customers, without you even having to pick up a phone.

It not only frees up your time but also gives your small business a larger feel without you needing to work extra hours.

The optional add-on costs $130 per month. This may seem expensive at first. It’s cheaper than hiring an employee or virtual assistant to answer incoming calls, and it will help you grow your business.

There are three pricing options available:

  • Solo – $26/month for one extension and one number
  • Partner – $44/month for 3 numbers and 6 extensions
  • Small Business – $80 per Month for five numbers with unlimited extensions

Extensions with Grasshopper are easy to forward to any number and device. You can add up to two employees, or partners, with their extensions, forwarding rules, and no additional cost, even if you are on a solo plan.

This pricing structure is much cheaper than any other per-user pricing. Grasshopper allows you to have three users at $26 per month, instead of paying $19.99 per user per year.

Additional phone numbers can be added to any plan at $10 per month.

Grasshopper customer service can be reached 24/7 via phone, email, Twitter, Facebook, or live chat.

Get a free 7-day trial that includes 100 minutes of video and 100 text messages to find out if it is right for you.

#4 – RingCentral — Affordable All-in-One Solution for Less Than 20 Users

RingCentral

The Most Affordable All-In-One Solution

You have fewer than 20 users. All the essential VoIP features are available for $19.99 per month. This makes it the best-value option for small teams. Unlimited calls, SMS messages, and video conferencing.

RingCentral is a great deal for small teams with less than 20 employees. It offers an all-in-one communication solution with internal collaboration tools and a communications platform.

It is also ideal for larger teams so that you don’t have to worry about growing your VoIP phone system as your business expands and you hire more people.

Its entry-level plan is for small teams and it makes it stand out among the other options.

RingCentral MVP Essentials plans are only available to businesses with 20 or fewer users. However, it includes everything you need for a business phone system including:

  • Unlimited calls within the U.S.A. and Canada
  • Unlimited SMS messaging for business
  • For missed calls and voicemails, text notifications
  • Every user gets a free phone number
  • Ability to transfer existing numbers
  • HD Voice

You also get a free desktop and mobile apps that can turn your mobile devices into business phones. You also get the most important call management features such as call forwarding, parking, and screening.

Implementing desktop and mobile apps is very simple and usually takes only a few hours.

If you have to rent hardware and phones, you can do so at very competitive rates.

RingCentral Essentials is the cheapest annual package at $19.99 per user if you choose to purchase an annual package. Although it doesn’t offer internal collaboration, you can add these features to your RingCentral Video account at no additional charge.

Unlimited video meetings with up to 100 people, group messaging, task assignment, file sharing, and team messaging are all included in the free add-on. This will give your team the collaboration tools that they need.

If your team grows beyond 20 members, you will need to upgrade to the next level.

The good news about this tier is that you can remain there forever regardless of how many users. It also includes internal collaboration features, so RingCentral Video is no longer required.

Standard plans include unlimited internet faxing, many non-CRM integrations, and unlimited HD video meetings. Unlimited conference calling is also included. Professional implementation can be requested.

No matter what plan you choose, RingCentral’s resource center is available to you. You will find hundreds of articles and guides that will help you on your journey.

The resource center can be used to quickly help you with any issue that you may encounter or to provide guidance about how to use specific features.

RingCentral even offers a university with a variety of training videos, webinars, guides, and training videos. It also has full-blown courses that cover dozens of topics such as remote work, how you get started, and many other topics.

RingCentral support can be reached via phone, social media, chat, or live chat if you are still having trouble after all that.

There are four options to choose from:

  • Essentials – $19.99 per month for up to 20 users
  • Standard – $27.99 per user per month
  • Premium – $34.99 per user per month
  • Ultimate – $49.99 per user per month

If you have less than 20 employees, however, we recommend the Essentials plan. This plan is the most affordable way to access all the VoIP and internal collaboration features you require.

You can always upgrade to a higher level if you reach that point.

Register for a free 15-day trial with up to five users and 50 minutes each, to find out if RingCentral is right for your team.

#5 – Telephone.com — Best for Users Who Need Less Than 300 Minutes

Phone.com

The Best for Occasional Phone Calls

Users get 300 minutes and 1000 text messages per month from the cheapest option. This includes all essential VoIP features that you might need to make a phone call. Flexible plans allow you to easily scale your services as you grow your business. Prices start at $12.99 per user/per month

Phone.com can be used by your team to handle occasional calls during the day. It is also the most cost-effective option. We recommend it if you use less than 300 minutes per month.

This is common for companies that deal with few customers and in office settings that allow face-to-face collaboration.

It’s also an excellent choice for startups, and digital and non-collaborative teams.

Phone.com’s cheapest plan was designed for small businesses that don’t use a lot of texting or talking on the phone. It gives each user 300 minutes of inbound and/or outbound calling per month. This is enough to make a few phone calls.

The good news is that minutes can be pooled together when there are more users. If you have three users, that means they each have 900 minutes to share and distribute whatever they want.

Texting is also included in the package. If you have multiple users, each user receives 1,000 texts per month.

Phone.com only allows 160 characters per text message. Texts that exceed 160 characters can be sent, but they will count toward your monthly limit.

Despite these limitations, you still get tons of features at a lower price than buying unlimited minutes and texts.

Video meetings can be set up with up to 10 participants. Administrators can also create call routing rules that will connect callers to the correct employee. These features are not available from other providers, which makes this a great deal.

Your team will also be able to save time by using efficient call routing.

Every plan also includes:

  • Softphone functionality can be achieved via mobile and desktop apps
  • Notifications via email voicemail with audio attachments
  • Internal chat and document sharing
  • For incoming calls, custom greetings
  • Click-to-call your computer
  • Caller ID and Hold Music
  • Porting of numbers is free
  • Unlimited outbound faxing

Softphones are recommended for most businesses. However, many desk phones can be rented or purchased at affordable rates directly from Phone.com.

This plan is the cheapest at $12.99 per month. Unlimited minutes start at $19.99 per user/month. The unlimited plans are comparable to other providers.

The best thing about the service is that you can add users to different tiers.

You can upgrade your support staff to the unlimited plan if they spend more time calling customers. However, your other departments will still be on the lowest tier.

One user might be using more time than they should. It’s okay! To save even more time for your family, you can upgrade them to the unlimited plan.

You can also add managers to the unlimited plan, but keep their employees on the limited plan. This will save you money as they won’t use unlimited minutes. This plan is great for any business, no matter how big or small.

Your account dashboard also allows you to add, update, and remove users.

It is easy to use even for non-IT users so everyone on your team can be an administrator without any problems or snags.

#6 – Freshdesk Call Center — The Best For Customer Support Teams

Freshdesk Contact Center

The Best Support Teams

Are you looking for a more cost-effective way to provide excellent customer service? Freshdesk Contact Center offers everything you would expect from a VoIP system, plus the essential support functionality, at a fraction of the price. Plans are available at no additional cost with usage-based pricing or as low as $15 per user per year.

FreshdeskContactCenter is our top recommendation for customer service teams looking to improve their support processes.

It includes everything you would expect from a VoIP phone service, plus many support-specific features that will help you reduce the number and lost tickets, as well as deliver exceptional customer experiences.

The best thing about this is that you can integrate your CRM with every tier.

You don’t need to spend a lot to unlock this ability, unlike other options on the list.

Freshdesk Contact Center can integrate with many CRMs right out of the box. This includes all Freshworks CRMs, AgileCRM, and NoCRM as well as Infusionsoft, ZenDesk (Pipedrive, Hubspot, etc. No matter what CRM you use, you can pull customer data into your VoIP platform.

These deep integrations allow you to automatically pull customer data into an interactive screen pop that your reps can view before answering the phone.

In a matter of seconds, they can also review previous interactions with you, your company, and any purchases they have made. It also works in the reverse direction.

You can add this data to your CRM automatically. This will allow you to equip any reps who interact with the customer in the future.

Two-way sync is a feature of many Freshdesk Contact Center integrations. This allows you to eliminate the need for multiple platforms to input the same information and reduces the chance of human error.

The service also supports outbound calling at $0.022 per hour for proactive customer service.

You get all the necessary VoIP functionality, such as:

  • An app that allows users to answer calls from their web browser.
  • A fully functional mobile app that allows your representatives to answer calls while on the move
  • Advanced caller ID settings are based on the information that reps require before answering
  • Automated desktop notifications and personalized greetings
  • Ability to attach notes to customer profiles and take notes

The best thing about Freshdesk Contact Center is the free plan that includes all these features and per-minute pricing. You don’t have to pay more to get the same support features that you would receive from other providers.

The only problem is that you will need to buy phone numbers from Freshdesk Contact Center at $1 per month.

You can upgrade to a paid plan for $15 per user per month if you require more advanced features or prefer not to pay per minute. Freshdesk Contact Center’s monthly paid plans offer a fixed number of minutes per user, with reduced per-minute rates if you exceed your monthly quota.

You can also port your existing numbers to Freshworks, so you don’t need to purchase new numbers from Freshworks if they are already there.

Upgrades allow you to set up custom call routing rules, holiday routing, after-hours routing, and other special features when your team isn’t working. You can also use conference calling, call waiting, hold music, and speech-enabled IVR menus to make your team more productive.

The plans of the Freshdesk Contact Center include:

  • Sprout – Free (each line costs $1 per month + $0.016/minute for incoming calls).
  • Blossom – $15 per month, 1,000 monthly incoming minutes per person
  • Garden – $29/user monthly with 2,000 monthly inbound minutes per user
  • Estate – $45/user/month with 3,000 monthly inbound minutes per user
  • Forest – $69/user/month with 5,000 monthly inbound minutes per user

Omnichannel plans include help desk automation, ticketing, ticketing, ticketing, and auto-balanced tickets assignments. Knowledge base functionality, chatbots, email bots, and chatbots are all included. These solutions provide everything you need to centralize support requests regardless of their origin.

These features are available for an additional $34 per month. We recommend this feature only if you do not already have them elsewhere.

Although it can be confusing to see all the pricing options and plans available, it allows for flexibility that will work well for customer service teams of all sizes.

Register for a 21-day free trial and take Freshdesk Contact Center for a test drive!

Methodology for Choosing the Best Business VoIP Phone Services

There are many options for business VoIP phone services.

There are many details and factors to consider before making a decision.

We have created a method to help you make the right decision for you, your team, your customers, and your business.

Call volume and number of users

Both the number of calls you take and the number of users you have will play a significant role in deciding which VoIP solution is best for you.

An affordable phone system, doesn’t require any hardware, and can be implemented without the involvement of an IT department is best for smaller companies. You will need to rely on them for any issues.

For small teams with low call volumes, usage-based billing is the best way to save money on all your features.

If your team handles high volumes, however, affordable per-user pricing might be more suitable.

A more intuitive administration portal, user management features, and custom integrations are important for larger teams that have dedicated IT support.

Your in-house team can create a custom internet-based phone system that is tailored to your team’s needs using custom integrations. This can significantly increase productivity and reduce the time it takes to implement a new system.

Multi-site management tools are available for multi-location businesses. Advanced analytics can be used to monitor your team and improve performance.

We recommend per-user pricing and unlimited calling for larger groups.

You should keep in mind that you may need to upgrade to higher tiers for some capabilities. Many providers require that you sign a long-term contract to receive the best pricing.

Hardware requirements

There are three main types of business VoIP phone deployments–traditional desk phones, softphones, or a combination of the two.

Softphone functionality allows you to make and receive calls from your computer or mobile device using softphone functionality. Any of these devices can be used to make calls from your company phone number. This is the most common option, as it doesn’t require any additional hardware or equipment.

It’s usually easy to install. To get started, users simply need to install the software on their devices and connect to their accounts. It’s easy for your team members to get started.

If you are looking to set up advanced menus to receive calls, port existing numbers, integrate with your CRM or implement advanced call routing, there are some additional tasks to be done on the administration side.

The process is much simpler than traditional phone deployments.

Softphones make a great choice for mobile teams such as field service providers, start-up businesses, and work-from-home environments.

Because they integrate better with your CRM, they are also useful for customer service, outbound sales, and marketing teams.

If you work in an office environment, desk phones might be more suitable and easier to use for your team. You will need to rent or buy office phones if you don’t have them.

It’s important to ensure that your existing devices are compatible with the new internet-based service. You may need to purchase a converter in some cases.

However, the hardware requirements and complications don’t end there.

You may be required by some providers to purchase a separate server for VoIP data storage. To make your infrastructure work, you may need some other items. It is best to get your IT department involved as soon as possible.

They will be able to tell you more about the equipment that you require, where they can be found, and how to put them in place.

Also, each phone requires its ethernet cables. Are you able to run them to every desk already or will you have to buy new ones? Your IT department will be able to tell you more and show you how to do it.

You may also need to upgrade your internet speed and bandwidth to support your new system. This is especially important if your team handles multiple calls at once.

Be sure to talk with all providers before making any major decisions. Your IT team should be involved to fully understand the costs and benefits of your new phone system.

Implementation

Once you have all the hardware that you require (if any), you can start to implement your VoIP phone system. It can be difficult to gather and install the hardware needed, but it can be much more challenging to ensure a smooth implementation. 

It’s crucial to understand how long it will take, who is responsible for what, and how your team will be able to adapt.

Most softphone systems can be set up in a matter of hours, rather than weeks or even months. However, some may require several conversations with support and may take several days to complete.

However, not all providers offer the same level of support. Before you spend any money, it is important to know how responsive and helpful their support team is. Before making a final decision, we recommend that you reach out to them directly to inquire about their implementation capabilities and to see if they can assist.

It is essential to provide strong customer support, especially if your IT department doesn’t have the resources to assist with setup or troubleshooting.

Traditional phone setups are more complex and require a longer implementation process. We recommend Ooma Office if you are interested in this route but don’t have IT staff.

All their phones will come out of the box. This makes it easier to plug and play than other options.

If you have a larger team or want to retain a part of your existing phone system, it will be more difficult to deploy your VoIP system. You will need to get support from both your provider and in-house.

The more complicated the solution, the longer it will take to get all the details sorted out for company-wide deployment.

It is important to find a provider who can work with your team to provide excellent implementation support. To ensure a smooth deployment, you should be able to identify which team is responsible for each task.

Strong implementation support is essential, no matter how simple you think it will be.

But that doesn’t mean your provider should stop providing customer support.

For your team, we offer ongoing support

Your team must learn how to use the system once it is established. There are many people you need to learn from, including administrators and technical experts.

This is especially true if the new system you are using is more complex than the one you used before.

Administrators need to know how to add lines, remove lines, set up the telephone book, change numbers, and many other things. There is a lot of room for error with VoIP services.

Even worse, most VoIP software’s backend is not intuitive enough for everyday users. If your administrators aren’t IT professionals, you will need strong onboarding support.

End users must learn how to make calls, transfer calls and put callers on hold.

You can’t afford to provide onboarding support to your employees, even if they have IT staff. They will need it.

While some providers offer customized training, others charge for it. Others only offer written guides or offer them for free. You should consider the technical abilities of your employees. You will find that some employees require more support than others. It is important to select a provider who offers the right level of support for your entire team.

Even when everyone is up to speed, there can still be a lot of snags or issues. These include software bugs, system malfunctions, user errors, and account lockouts.

Small issues can become very frustrating if you don’t have strong support from your provider.

Additionally, scaling customer support is more important the more users you have. Your provider will have more users and administrators, which means that they can rely on you for quick fixes and resolutions.

We recommend that you have these conversations with every provider before you make a decision.

UCaaS features

All options on this list offer phone-based features that can be used for both outbound and inbound calls.

These features include call recording, hold music, parking, and automated menus.

Solopreneurs, freelancers, and small teams working in traditional offices will find the basic phone system sufficient for their needs. If this sounds like you, then the introductory plan with any of our providers is a great choice.

You can also choose Grasshopper for solopreneurs or small teams or Freshdesk Contact Center for customer service teams.

Some providers offer more features than simple voice calling. These include tools that enable teams to communicate with one another and customers. These more extensive packages are often referred to as United Communications as a Service.

Typically, UCaaS providers include:

  • The majority of phone-based features are plus
  • Conferencing
  • Video conferencing
  • SMS messaging
  • Chat features for internal use
  • Internet faxing

Nextiva and RingCentral are some examples. Ooma and Phone.com are other examples. All of these features are available on higher-tier plans.

Although they are more costly than basic phone systems in general, they are a great way to enable large, remote, multi-location teams to have all their communication tools under one roof.

Consolidating existing conferencing, faxing or internal chat solutions is smart. Consolidating your communications tools means that there are fewer moving parts, fewer integrations, and a single monthly fee, rather than having to pay for each one.

UCaaS features might not be required for smaller teams or people who work in a single-location office environment where collaboration and face-to-face meetings are more common.

Nextiva

Best for the Most

You get everything you need from your VoIP provider, including unlimited voice, video, and text calls, unlimited online faxing, a free mobile phone number, and unlimited voice and video calling. Upgrade to UCaaS for more advanced features such as video conferencing or collaboration tools. Plans start at $18.95 per user per month.

Summary

VoIP phone systems are affordable and accessible for even small businesses due to their low cost. No matter your business size, VoIP phone systems can give you that big-business feeling when customers call. They also provide top-notch internal communication and support for employees.

We recommend Nextiva for most businesses because of its flexibility and scalability. It also comes with a budget-friendly price. It may not be right for you depending on your needs.

Remember to follow the method we discussed when you are looking for the best business VoIP service for you and your staff.

About the author

Kobe Digital is a unified team of performance marketing, design, and video production experts. Our mastery of these disciplines is what makes us effective. Our ability to integrate them seamlessly is what makes us unique.