We have researched hundreds of providers to help you find the best business VoIP service providers. We have everything you need in ONE place, including top provider comparisons, user reviews, a library of articles, a FREE quotes tool, a VoIP/Speed test tool, and much more.
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Read this article on why getting free pricing quotes is a critical step in the buying process.
Voice over IP (VoIP) as a technology and service has improved in leaps and bounds in the last 10 years. Sound quality, reliability and customer service have been prime factors that have been focused on by the industry in large. Combine that with the growth of high speed Internet availability it quickly becomes clear why VoIP has been embraced by companies worldwide, with an average annual growth rate of 30%. The only requirement to use this service for your company is a High Speed Internet connection (such as DSL, Cable, FiOS, etc.) because it sends your voice as "data packets" across the Internet instead of a regular phone line. You can continue to use your existing phones (with the addition of a special adapter), but most will invest in IP phones that directly plug into your Internet connection.
Business VoIP service continues to be adopted across North America at incredible rates, driven by cost savings, extensive features, increased productivity, flexibility, portability, mobility, and ease of implementation/use. When searching the best small business VoIP service providers it is not a difficult switch to justify due to the many benefits and advantages that this technology and service can bring to an organization when compared to a traditional phone service.
Selecting the best busines VoIP service can save your small business an average of 60%, and even up to 80%. The majority of these savings come from the lower cost associated with sending calls across the Internet and from lower regulatory fees. With the large and continual adoption of this technology the regulatory fees are increasing on this industry, as regulatory bodies try to get a piece of the pie.
Traditional on-premise phone systems are not only costly to buy they are also costly to install. They have to be installed by a technician and set up in your office space. The top business VoIP providers ship IP phones to you that are all programmed to work with their service and ready to simply plug in and use. If you are not familiar with business class phones then there may be a small learning curve in learning how to put calls on hold, transfer calls, set up voicemail greetings, and using their secure portal (if applicable).
With everything being digital and in the cloud it makes it easy to manage your phone service yourself or by an administrator within your small business. No need for specialist skills when adding or removing extensions as your business needs change (whether growing or reducing). No need to call someone in to make the changes. In many cases you have complete control and some providers have a "white glove" service where they make changes for you, all with a few key strokes.
Traditional phone services are "circuit-switched", meaning each call requires its own dedicated connection. This is another cost driver as your company grows. With VoIP phone service you just need one (1) Internet connection to your business to enjoy simultaneous calling as it is a "packet-based" system.
Large corporation phone system features such as auto-attendants, ring groups, music-on-hold and versatile voicemail options are now available to any sized business. Being a "digital" system allows for many productivity enhancing features as well as integrations into other cloud and web based systems (such as Email, CRMs and more) that your business may already use. Many providers include 30+ features in their low monthly fees. Traditional "analog" systems are limited with features and integrations.
Another advantage of being a "digital" system is that you can take your IP phone anywhere and plug into an Internet connection and use it, providing both portability and flexibility. Great for workers who telecommute a few days a week or for employees that work from home or away from the main office. Off-site workers are still an extension call away and can answer calls coming into the company's main number. This is not possible with traditional phone services.
Modern life has us connected to work more than ever before, especially with the advent of Smartphones. Many of the best business VoIP service providers include a Smartphone calling App, at least for Android and iOS devices, which puts the power of your business phone into the palm of your hand. Regardless of your location you can answer business calls as long as you have a data connection. This is great for those that are constantly on the go and in and out of the office. This is something that traditional phone systems can not compete with.
Enjoy high definition sound quality on VoIP calls. Clearer and more crisp than the limited sound quality of traditional analog systems. Technology has come a long way since the traditional phone system was created. The use of CODECs now allows for much clearer (higher resolution) voice quality.
The following provides a summary of the benefits of VoIP over traditional phone services:
Benefit Description | VoIP | Traditional |
---|---|---|
Low cost unlimited calling | ||
No setup or installation fees | ||
Self manage secure online portal | ||
Simultaneous calls, 1 LAN connection | ||
Vast features and integrations | ||
Portability and flexibility | ||
HD digital voice quality |
Above we have covered many of the high level benefits that a VoIP solution can offer with respect to a businesses phone service. But, what about any disadvantages I hear you ask? Well, there are two main potential disadvantges of VoIP over traditional landline phone systems, power outages and Internet connectivity outages.
If power goes out, the phones go out. Yes that is true but most mission critical applications are protected by backup power systems. Firstly, ask yourself how often your power goes out to determine if this is even a remote concern. Secondly, if it really is a concern then you can purchase a cheap uninterruptible power supply that will keep your phones up and running. With a home office, you should likely have one of these anyway if power outages are frequent, as it will also keep your computers running.
Other potential solutions include using Call Forwarding to redirect your calls to your cell phone, a different office location, or you can allow your calls to go straight to voicemail and receive emailed alerts with your voicemails attached.
If your Internet goes down then the VoIP phone system is down. Not much can be done about this one and most companies that have mission critical voice systems typically have redundant connections to the Internet. So if one line goes down, the other one kicks in. In more typical applications both are always active and the traffic is being balanced across the two links to the Internet. In most cases, if your Internet goes down, getting it back up is the number one priority and the voice service can be pre-configured with back-up routes to try if the main route goes down. An example of this is sending 1-800 calls for head-quarters to a remote office while the network is down, or to a specific company/personal cell number.
Some companies may choose to keep a small number of analog phone lines (POTS type lines also referred to as Plain Old Telephone Service) as a back-up for Internet or power outages. As with power outages you can also utilize the various phone service features to route your calls appropriately.
The following provides a summary of the disadvantages of VoIP over traditional phone services:
Issue Description | VoIP | Traditional |
---|---|---|
Susceptible to power outages | ||
Susceptible to Internet outages |
Use the following guide to find the best VoIP phone system solution based on your business size and needs:
When we talk about business VoIP phone service we are typically meaning a Hosted VoIP solution, also referred to as Hosted PBX, Virtual PBX, or Cloud-based Communications. All the functionality of your phone service is "hosted" in the "cloud" and provided as a "virtual" service (as opposed to being on-premise in a networking equipment closet). What this really means is that all your IP phones connect to a server in a data center somewhere via the Internet. This server acts as your own Private Branch eXchange (PBX) and routes all your incoming and outgoing calls, as well as provides all the great features.
This type of telephone service is very popular with both small and medium sized companies that typically require fewer than 200 lines and want the large business features associated with it (such as auto-attendants, voicemail system, ring groups, call management, music-on-hold, etc.). A newer breed of VoIP, known as Unified Communications As A Service, or simply UCaaS, is starting to bridge the gap between multiple communication platforms like voice, conferencing, presence, and messaging. Along with technological advancements this has helped providers to focus on the Enterprise market also. This can be a very lucrative market for the larger providers. However, pricing starts to converge more when compared to on-premise solutions as the number of seats rise.
If you have a home based or very small office based business (often referred to as SOHO - Small Office / Home Office) with only 1 or maybe 2 people and you do not expect to grow over time then a SOHO VoIP solution will be sufficient. This niche market can take advantage of residential focused providers that sometimes offer a SOHO VoIP plan at often a lower cost point, as well as business focused VoIP service providers. One note is that they do not always have the business focused features you may want so considering your requirements up front is key. For example, you may want an auto-attendant feature when someone calls your main company phone number. You can record a message with options for the caller to choose from, such as which department they want to connect with and offering other options such as company hours, location, dial-by-name directory, etc. which can leave a great impression on anyone who calls. Don't worry though, you can always just forward every selection to your own phone.
This is the sweet spot for many business VoIP phone service providers. This market has become very competitive and as such the winner is undoubtedly the customer. Companies offering Voice over IP service are cutting their prices and offering feature sets you would expect for large businesses. This is very valuable to small businesses as the features such as auto attendant, voicemail systems, music-on-hold, and the quality of service give the appearance of a much larger business.
For Enterprise, the main benefit may not be about costs as it typically is with smaller businesses, but more about Unified Communications. Having a single platform that combines enterprise features like texting, messaging, presence, conferencing, and voice can be very appealing. Combining that with mobility, flexibility, portability, and simple management, creates a winning formula.
Some businesses have invested serious capital into their own on-premise PBX system. This is the monster piece of equipment that lurks in your telecom closet. It is possible to upgrade some of these systems to an IP-PBX, allowing you to utilize Voice over IP technology to reduce monthly costs. Depending on the age of this equipment and level of investment it may be wiser to switch to a hosted solution and claim back that storage cupboard!
Businesses with a technical background or IT group may consider utilizing their own IP PBX also. There are several free and low cost open source solutions available such as Asterisk, FreePBX, Elastix, and 3CX. You then just need a SIP provider to connect you to the outside world. Check out our on-premise IP PBX phone system section for more information.
If you are using an IP based on-premise system you will need a SIP trunking service provider for VoIP calling. Check out our SIP Provider section for more information.
The most common hardware you will require for using with your new phone service is IP phones. We have reviewed some of the major IP phones that many of the top business VoIP providers support. You can also find comparisons of headsets and adapters. Check out our VoIP Equipment section to learn more.
Wholesale VoIP providers are the middle men that provide origination and termination of voice calls to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), and include users from hobbyists to VoIP service providers. Some wholesale providers aggregate tier 1 voice carriers and therefore can offer services to many areas around the USA as well as International calling, E911 calling and support, Caller ID lookup, and toll free services. Refer to the Wholesale VoIP section to learn more.
Check out our infographic on selecting the right business phone solution for a visual guide.
Above, we discussed finding the best solution for your needs. The next step is to select a provider that best suits your requirements. Making a bad choice can be costly, time consuming, and a painful experience for your business. Spending a little time up front can help significantly reduce the chance of making a bad choice.
Follow these 3 simple steps, with all the information you need right here on this website, for selecting the best VoIP provider for your business. We will first explain the 3 steps so you become familiar with them and then follow up below with more guidance to help you navigate easily through each step.
Any technology decision can be a little daunting if you have no background knowledge of it, and VoIP is no different. That is why we have created a knowledgebase of FAQ's, in-depth articles, guides and tools to help you through this step. Understanding the basic technology, what it can bring to the table for your business, and considering your requirements is a key step.
Steps 2 and 3 can be interchangeable and part of a "decision loop". We have created various tools to help you with comparing providers and for getting the best pricing deals. This includes ways to compare provider features, compare basic pricing according to number of users, different ways to compare provider ratings, and a FREE quote request tool.
Anyone who has shopped on Amazon knows the importance of user reviews in this age of online shopping. Reading about real user experiences is another key step in the process of selection. Not only do we have thousands of user submitted reviews but we have also performed our own editor reviews of more than 50 different service providers, providing more insights for the decision process.
The below buttons give access to some great starting tools and guides for understanding the technology. The VoIP (and speed) Test tool will give you a snapshot of your business Internet connection capabilities and suitability for VoIP service. The FAQ and features guides are great resources for getting to know VoIP and it's capabilities. "Provider Questions to Ask" will arm you with all the right questions to ask when you communicate with providers so you can be ready to compare them apples to apples.
Here are some more popular articles as well as a link to the articles directory from which you can browse all articles.
So you have done your background research, you have a basic understanding of the technology and what it can offer, and you know the type of solution you want. Now you need to do your comparisons to help you make the perfect provider choice. To help we have created various provider comparison tools that focus on features, pricing, and reviews.
One of the great benefits of using a VoIP solution for your business is the substantial array of features that come included. Please note that some more advanced features may incur small monthly fees depending on the provider, such as 3rd party integrations, call recording, faxing and conferencing add-ons.
If there are specific features that your business requires or are show stoppers then our Feature Comparison Tool will be of interest to you. It allows you to select well known providers for a side by side comparison of their supported features. For those looking for specific feature sets this tool can help you short list providers quickly.
Sometimes getting a ball park figure for pricing can help any selection. Especially if you are not ready to get actual quotes to compare. Our Pricing Comparison Tool can be a good place to start for this type of activity. Please note that it only relates to standard pricing for service and does not include any special deals/rates and items like taxes and regulatory fees. Additional fees are a mine field, depending on the location where the service will be used. There are state taxes, state defined utility related taxes, regulatory fees, E911 fees etc. and they vary from state to state as well as city to city.
To get firm pricing for a real apples to apples comparison there is no replacement for getting official quotes from service providers directly. One easy and quick way to get multiple quotes (from up to 4 providers maximum) and to get providers competing for your business is to use our FREE Quote Request Tool. One simple form is all you need to complete to get started. We partner only with established and approved providers and our tool matches you up to ones that best match your business size and location. Alternatively, you can visit specific providers in our table above that you are interested in and request a free quote from them directly.
You may have found the perfect provider with all the right features and a great price rate, but how do their services rate by actual users? Step 3 below will help you access user reviews and editor reviews for over 50+ providers but sometimes it is nice to compare ratings side by side for multiple providers. That is where our Ratings Comparison Tool can be of assistance to you.
We have performed some of our own comparisons between well known providers in the industry. Use the buttons below to access any that are of interest.
Business VoIP reviews that have been provided by real users provide a unique insight into various experiences with different services. Like any major decision it is good practice to do your research and compare your options. Reading user reviews should be part of that process, especially with so many solutions on offer in the market today.
Each submitted review includes comments from the user as well as their rating on various aspects of the service based on their own experience (such as reliability, sound quality, features, customer service, and value for money). We have received thousands of user submitted reviews through our website.
We have performed in-depth research for over 50 different business phone service providers to provide our own editor review and to give our opinion, including what we see as the good, the bad, and the ugly!
Use the table below to access our editor reviews for over 50 business providers as well as thousands of user submitted reviews. If you are considering updating your home phone service then check out our Residential VoIP Reviews.
19
User Reviews
4.8/5
Average Rating
95%
Recommended
2
User Reviews
4.4/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
128
User Reviews
4.5/5
Average Rating
91%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
1
User Reviews
1.8/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
18
User Reviews
3.1/5
Average Rating
50%
Recommended
3
User Reviews
3.7/5
Average Rating
67%
Recommended
5
User Reviews
1.6/5
Average Rating
20%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
65
User Reviews
3.9/5
Average Rating
69%
Recommended
8
User Reviews
3.7/5
Average Rating
63%
Recommended
23
User Reviews
4.6/5
Average Rating
96%
Recommended
4
User Reviews
3.5/5
Average Rating
50%
Recommended
21
User Reviews
4.9/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
1
User Reviews
4.2/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
2
User Reviews
4.8/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
29
User Reviews
4.6/5
Average Rating
93%
Recommended
2
User Reviews
2.3/5
Average Rating
0%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
1
User Reviews
1/5
Average Rating
0%
Recommended
31
User Reviews
4.4/5
Average Rating
84%
Recommended
2
User Reviews
4.4/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
59
User Reviews
4.1/5
Average Rating
76%
Recommended
1
User Reviews
4.2/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
1
User Reviews
4.4/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
16
User Reviews
4.9/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
131
User Reviews
4.5/5
Average Rating
88%
Recommended
1
User Reviews
4.6/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
90
User Reviews
4.8/5
Average Rating
99%
Recommended
2
User Reviews
3/5
Average Rating
50%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
147
User Reviews
3.8/5
Average Rating
71%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
3
User Reviews
3.7/5
Average Rating
67%
Recommended
3
User Reviews
1.7/5
Average Rating
0%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
1
User Reviews
4/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
10
User Reviews
3.7/5
Average Rating
70%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
7
User Reviews
3/5
Average Rating
43%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
1
User Reviews
4/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
5
User Reviews
4.2/5
Average Rating
80%
Recommended
12
User Reviews
4.8/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
216
User Reviews
4.4/5
Average Rating
84%
Recommended
4
User Reviews
3.7/5
Average Rating
50%
Recommended
7
User Reviews
4.9/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
1
User Reviews
5/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
34
User Reviews
4.8/5
Average Rating
97%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
5
User Reviews
4.8/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
44
User Reviews
4/5
Average Rating
73%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
258
User Reviews
4.5/5
Average Rating
90%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
1
User Reviews
3.8/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
39
User Reviews
1.5/5
Average Rating
8%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
2
User Reviews
4.3/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
2
User Reviews
5/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
1
User Reviews
3.8/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
1
User Reviews
4.4/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
95
User Reviews
4.9/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
95
User Reviews
4.5/5
Average Rating
88%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
37
User Reviews
2.2/5
Average Rating
16%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
1
User Reviews
4/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
1
User Reviews
4/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
9
User Reviews
3.2/5
Average Rating
33%
Recommended
2
User Reviews
4.9/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
1
User Reviews
4.4/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
12
User Reviews
4.9/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
1
User Reviews
4.8/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
1
User Reviews
4/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
4
User Reviews
1.9/5
Average Rating
25%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
12
User Reviews
4.8/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
2
User Reviews
4.6/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
3
User Reviews
3.9/5
Average Rating
67%
Recommended
5
User Reviews
4.4/5
Average Rating
80%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
140
User Reviews
3.9/5
Average Rating
72%
Recommended
0
User Reviews
NR/5
Average Rating
-%
Recommended
3
User Reviews
2.2/5
Average Rating
33%
Recommended
2
User Reviews
4.9/5
Average Rating
100%
Recommended
3
User Reviews
1.3/5
Average Rating
0%
Recommended
Modern validation techniques are used to combat fake reviews being submitted through our site in line with our Review Guidelines but we cannot guarantee 100% of the reviews on our site are from real users. Every review has been submitted through our review forms on this site and have been accumulated since we started allowing users to submit reviews back in 2005. Our philosophy back then was that user reviews provide a great value to early adopters of VoIP and that has not changed. We continue to encourage real users to submit their experiences for others to learn from. If you currently use a VoIP provider then please write a review of your experience to help others make an informed decision.
If you cannot find an answer to any of your specific questions, access our discussions page and send us your question. We typically answer within 24 hours. The discussions page also displays the most recent questions we have received along with answers. You can search our questions archive to find similar questions received in the past.
We also partner with providers in other countries. Use the below buttons to access providers who service Canada, the UK, and Australia.