8 Best Business VoIP Software of 2024
Businesses of all sizes are opting for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) software instead of traditional landline phones for plenty of reasons, ranging from significant cost-savings to heightened convenience in an increasingly remote workfocer.
Team members can make business calls from their mobile phones anywhere they have a reliable internet connection or WiFi. With around 27% of the US workforce working remotely at least part-time as of 2023, VoIP systems have never been more essential.
There are plenty of virtual phone systems on the market today, and finding the right business VoIP provider for your specific business is key. But you don’t have to figure it all out yourself or waste time shopping around for different solutions.
In this article, we’ll look at eight of the top business VoIP solutions of 2024 and share key decision-making criteria to help you choose a perfect partner.
Key takeaways:
- VoIP providers should offer crystal-clear audio quality with high reliability and service uptimes.
- Standard VoIP features often include messaging, audio conferencing, call recording, and auto-attendants. Advanced features might include AI suggestions, time-saving capabilities, and productivity-boosting tools.
- CloudTalk.io is highlighted as an excellent choice for businesses of all sizes, particularly those prioritizing AI integration and advanced analytics.
Discover how CloudTalk call center software can improve team performance
Top VoIP Features and Decision-Making Criteria
When considering different VoIP providers, keep these criteria in mind:
- Quality of calls. Audio quality should be crystal clear, and it’s important to choose providers that have high reliability and service uptimes to minimize potential disruptions of service. Check each provider’s uptime reports and customer reviews when considering call quality. An uptime level of 99.999% is considered top-tier.
- Availability and ease of obtaining local phone numbers. It should be easy to obtain new local or toll-free numbers for your business lines. Ideally, it should also be simple to port existing business numbers to your new service.
- Ease of setup. VoIP software should be intuitive, with easy-to-use dashboards to minimize the time-to-value. Non-technical users and people who are overwhelmed with a large tech stack should be able to easily learn and adopt the new software.
- Key features. Each business VoIP platform offers unique features, with standard options potentially including messaging, audio conferencing, call recording, and auto-attendants. More advanced features may include AI suggestions, time-saving features, or productivity-boosting capabilities. Consider what features you need before you choose a provider.
- Integrations. Choose a VoIP provider that integrates with your existing tech stack, particularly customer management platforms like CRM and helpdesk software to promote data unification. This can give you a 360° view of the customer and potentially help you automate tasks like data entry or call logging.
- Pricing. Find a provider that offers the features, number of users, and call volume your business needs at a price point you can afford. Remember to consider pricing models when comparing different platforms. Many charge per user or per phone line, but often have different rates for international calls or call volume past a certain number of minutes.
8 Leading VoIP Services
When choosing a business phone system, consider your communication needs, budget, and plans for long-term growth. There are plenty of options out there, including small business VoIP providers and unified communications platforms created with call centers in mind.
Let’s dive in.
1. CloudTalk
Best for: Any-sized company prioritizing integrated AI business calling software with advanced analytics and call center monitoring
CloudTalk is a popular VoIP platform used by businesses of all sizes, ranging from small LLCs to large call centers. In addition to strong call quality and reliability for voice calls, CloudTalk offers an array of call center automation features to streamline team productivity, making it a great choice if you want to improve call center performance.
Ease of use is center stage here. Easily set up your entire phone system for free in just a few hours, without the need of coding or IT support. This includes setting up intuitive and customized call flows that connect your customers to the right agents every time, and make real-time adjustments to automations as needed. Finally, with built-in integrations, you can access CRM and help desk data for improved team member and customer experiences.
Key features:
- Voicemail drop to leave customers pre-recorded voicemail messages
- 360° customer view while handling calls to provide personalized customer service
- Preview dialer to give call center agents access to historical customer data
- Notifications through the desktop app and mobile app so team members never miss a call
- Customized call queues, intelligent call forwarding and call flow designer functionality
- Interactive voice responsive (IVR) using virtual receptionists to direct incoming calls and handle basic customer inquiries
- Advanced call center analytics, including call sentiment analysis, talk/listen ratio, and real-time dashboards
- End-to-end protection of your customers’ data and regulatory compliance
- AI to automate repetitive tasks and reduce human error (call recording, call transcription, topic extraction, automatic summaries and tags)
Pricing:
CloudTalk’s pricing starts at $25 per user per month, billed annually. This includes unlimited calling for domestic phone calls within the US and Canada, and unlimited inbound and intracompany calls. This plan includes softphone features through desktop, iOS, and Android apps. The platform’s call analytics are included in the $30 per month plan.
Want to uncover the data that truly matters? Check out the most important call center metrics to track.
2. RingCentral
Best for: Enterprises with complex tech stacks
Many business communications platforms offer AI features, but RingCentral’s business VoIP system is largely centered around AI cloud-based calling. Businesses can use a single phone number for inbound and outbound calls, SMS text messaging, and faxes.
RingCentral is a reliable option for large teams that have significant existing tech stacks, high call volumes, and the need for complex call flow customization.
Key features:
- AI-powered personal virtual assistant that takes notes during voice calls
- Real-time and post-interaction insights
- AI video conference calls and team meetings
- Build workflows around voice calls and SMS messaging
- Call experiences for Microsoft Teams
- 300+ integrations, including those for popular CRMs
- High reliability and uptime
Pricing:
- Core: $20/user per month when billed annually. This plan includes features like unlimited domestic calling, IVR, Google and Microsoft Teams integrations, AI meeting transcriptions, and unlimited AI-powered video meetings with up to 100 participants.
- Advanced: $25/user per month
- Ultra: $35/user per month
3. Dialpad
Best for: Small businesses prioritizing AI-powered transcription
Dialpad Voice (which is one of several business communication products) is another AI-focused VoIP business phone service. Dialpad Voice is a great fit for small businesses looking to access basic AI features on a budget, as their software is reliable and secure, but requires upgrading to their Contact Center plan for more unified communications functionality.
Key features:
- DialpadGPT, which is a generative AI feature providing live call transcription and in-call coaching to improve the customer experience (available depending on the plans and products you choose)
- Enterprise-grade security
- Integration with popular apps
- AI meetings, calls, and voicemails
- Real-time analytics and reporting
Pricing:
- Standard: $15/user per month, billed annually. It includes unlimited calling, SMS messaging, unlimited AI meetings for up to only 10 participants, and AI-powered call and voicemail transcriptions.
- Pro: $25/user per month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Outside of the flat-rate pricing, there are also optional add-ons for conference room lines ($15 per number per month) and additional local numbers ($5 per number per month).
4. Nextiva
Best for: Larger businesses working primarily with video calls
Nextiva, like other tools on this list, has a few different products, including contact center solutions, customer experience suites, and brand management suites. Their VoIP product integrates with these popular platforms, so brands looking for comprehensive and unified communications platforms may benefit from Nextiva.
Key features:
- An intuitive dashboard with no-code workflow customization
- Online faxing
- High definition voice and video conferencing with team collaboration functionalities
- Auto-attendants and IVR
- Smart call routing, customizable call queues, and easy call transfers
- Integrations with popular CRMs
- Potential to create omnichannel customer experiences, with 360 customer view
- Conversational analytics
- Call center analytics, for relevant customers and products
- Automated and manual call recording compliant with industry regulations
Pricing:
- Customer Conversation Suite: $18.95/user per month. It includes unlimited voice and video calls with 1,500 toll-free minutes and unlimited internet faxes. The plan also includes standard auto-attendant and 24/7 live customer support.
- Professional: $22.95/user per month
- Enterprise: $32.95/user per month
5. Google Voice
Best for: Businesses on a budget prioritizing simple VoIP phone systems
If you need a relatively basic virtual business phone system and are on a tight budget, Google Voice may be a good option. Their virtual business phone has somewhat barebone features like simple call forwarding and voicemail transcription, but for small businesses who only need the basics, it will do the trick.
Key features:
- Google calendar integration
- Voicemail transcription
- Mobile apps for iOS and Android
- Desktop app
- Call forwarding
- Multi-level aut-oattendants, ring groups, and call recording for advanced plans
Pricing:
- Starter plan: $10/user per month, but can only include up to 10 users. It includes calls between Google Voice numbers and to the US and Canada.
- Standard plan: $20/user per month, with the potential to add an unlimited number of users.
6. Grasshopper
Best for: Small teams looking for small business VoIP services
Grasshopper is a budget-focused VoIP service provider, but it offers more robust standard features than Google Voice for brands who want to find a solid middle ground. According to user reviews on G2, the platform is extremely easy to use and offers easy implementation.
Key features:
- Automated greetings
- Local, toll-free, and vanity business phone numbers available
- Call forwarding and transfers
- Call transcription
- Virtual fax
- Simultaneous call handling
- Business texting
Pricing:
- True Solo plan: $14 a month for one phone number and one extension.
- Solo Plus plan: $25 a month, and includes three extensions and one phone number but unlimited users.
These flat-rate prices may be most affordable for small businesses with small teams, but those with multiple team members who each need their own phone line will likely benefit from looking at other options.
7. Vonage
Best for: Productivity capabilities for large teams
Vonage offers consistent call management features compared to other service providers on our list, but their unified communications platform comes with productivity features built-in. By leveraging features like on-demand call recording, streamlined team messaging, and call tagging to easily identify contacts, your team can respond to internal questions and customer queries faster and more effectively.
Key features:
- Team messaging
- Access management and account monitoring features
- On demand call recording
- Easily see which agents are and aren’t available
- Call tagging to easily identify and prioritize contacts
- Unlimited video meetings with up to 200 participants
Pricing:
- Mobile: $13.99/month per line when billed annually, and includes desktop and mobile apps, unlimited domestic calling, SMS and MMS messaging, and voicemail.
- Premium: $20.99/month per line
- Advanced: $27.99/month per line
8. Ooma
Best for: Teams looking for collaboration features with great reliability
Ooma is another straightforward VoIP provider with standard features and apps you can access both on desktops and mobile devices. One strength of the platform is that it has strong team collaboration features, which can facilitate internal communications with company directories, and productivity alongside it.
Key features:
- Easy access to company directories and shared speed dials
- Easy configuration and customization
- Virtual receptionist
- Reliable call quality
- Video conferencing with advanced plans
Pricing:
- Essentials: $19.95/user per month, including unlimited calling in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. It also includes 50 standard features and a virtual receptionist.
- Pro: $24.95/user per month
- Pro Plus: $29.95/user per month
Discover how CloudTalk call center software can improve team performance
Choosing the Right VoIP Provider
Business calls are a critical part of the overall customer experience and impact how you work with internal and external team members. It’s essential to choose a service provider that offers the key functionality you need, scales in bandwidth regarding users and phone lines, and offers outstanding reliability.
Many providers offer expansive features, with voice VoIP calls only being one small part of the overall phone system. When considering a provider, make sure it actually creates a unified ecosystem for sales and customer service teams’ communication. For instance, CloudTalk’s features like customized call flows and advanced call center analytics can boost team efficiency, identify optimization opportunities, and let you connect seamlessly with your customers.
Frequently Asked Questions About Business VoIP
What’s the best VoIP phone system for small businesses?
While each small business has its own unique needs (and may prefer different VoIP providers as a result), CloudTalk is a popular choice for small businesses as it provides both cost-effective pricing and comprehensive business phone system features.
What’s the cheapest VoIP phone service?
The cheapest VoIP phone service on our list is Google Voice, with costs starting at just $10 per month per user. That said, remember to look at your immediate and long-term needs for potential features and call volume. Choose a platform that has what you need now and as you scale.