Virtual Phone System Comparison: 3 Best VOIP Providers Compared (and which is the cheapest & most reliable)

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Tired of getting locked into expensive contracts with local phone companies and spending a small fortune just for a couple lines? So were thousands of other people until VOIP phone services came along. And now with the internet getting more and more worldwide sound infrastructure everyday, voice over internet protocol (VoIP) is just as clear and reliable as a landline, only much much cheaper. You can’t even tell the difference between a landline and a voip line these days, and large companies like Dell and Remax use virtual phone systems to connect multiple customer support call center office in different states seamlessly. Well now, you too have access to those same providers, and below we’re going to review which virtual phone system provider is the best for different need. By the end of this article, you’ll be able to choose the perfect VOIP provider for your needs, and have the best virtual phone system features for the lowest cost possible.

Grasshopper Toll Free Virtual Phone System

Which Is The Best Virtual Phone System For Your Business?

Most businesses of today have less overhead, fewer offices, and some even operate from a single cell phone. No matter your situation, there’s a good provider that will work excellent at an affordable rate. All of the providers I use myself, and recommend below are all no contract, monthly based services.

Below I’m going to break down which phone service providers will be the better option depending on how you want to use your devices:

The Top 3 Best VOIP Providers Based On How You Want To Connect

For instance, if you know you’re unlikely to have an office with a secretary, and will need very few lines, you can save some money by going with a company like Grasshopper. On the other hand, if you’re likely going to grow your business (even if you’re just starting out with a side business or startup) and know up front you’ll eventually need multiple lines, office desk phones, and maybe even connect multiple office locations, RingCentral or Phone.com would be the better choice for your needs.

Below I’m going to cover the three most common ways business owners typically use their business line, so you can decide which provider is right for you based on your industry and office needs. I’ll provide an example business for each, so you can get a good idea of which features match up to your needs. If you have a question I didn’t answer in this article, there is a comment system at the bottom of this page and I respond to questions within 48 hours.

1) The Best Business Virtual Phone Number Provider For Cell Phone Use

grasshopperlogo

  • Cheapest startup costs at $12/mo
  • Mobile office for business owners and entrepreneurs
  • Run your entire business from your cell phone

Who’s this a perfect fit for and what types of businesses love this service?

Any service based business thrives with Grasshopper’s phone system, particularly general contractors, estimators, sales agents, etc… any business where the majority of their time is spent on the road, or doing business outside of an office or retail location.

For example, a contractor is likely mobile 90% of the time, and runs their business from their cell phone almost always. However it’s still nice to have a dedicated business line, and not have to carry multiple devices. Grasshopper let’s you do that easily with their free smartphone app, that fully integrates your business line into your iphone. Now you can make and take calls on your business line right from your personal cell phone, but customers will never know! Business SMS text messaging is also built in if you text your customers, and fax to email still works the same for proposals.

The cost savings can be huge compared to landline providers, and it’s super easy to get a toll free 800 number, a local area code number, and even a custom vanity number all on the same system.

contractor-phone-service-att
Don’t let this happen to you… This company saved a fortune by using Grasshopper over AT&T

2) The Best Virtual Phone Service For Side Businesses That May Grow Into An Office

  • Plans starting at $9/mo
  • Free mobile app to add a business line to your smartphone
  • Great flexibility with the added ability to add an office desk phone at any time

Who’s this a perfect fit for and what types of businesses love this service?

Plans from Phone.com are perfect for anyone starting a business that may lead to having a retail store, secretary, etc… Where you a physical hard wired office desk phone system would be required.

The great thing about these plans, are they’re flexible and very affordable as your needs change.

3) The Best Virtual Phone System For Small Businesses That Will Have An Office With Multiple Lines/Employees

ringcentral_logoPlans starting at $24/mo

  • Support multi-line phone systems
  • Great for connecting multiple locations
  • Wider variety of phone adapters, hardware, and softphone apps with video conferencing

Who’s this a perfect fit for and what types of businesses love this service?

Ring Central is best suited for businesses who want to connect multiple locations, do more phone conferencing, or are looking for a way to handle inbound calls on multiple devices.

Transferring calls from the office phones to your mobile is a snap from their softphone app, which lets you manage your entire phone system from any laptop or desktop computer.

What’s The Best Virtual Phone System For Most Small Businesses?

Most small businesses these days run on cell phones, but very often we’d like to have a way to differentiate between business and personal calls… without having to carry more than one device.Below I’m going to outline which providers I choose, based on my needs for a particular business:

  • Grasshopper – perfect for adding a dedicated business line to any cell phone, with that big company feel even if you’re just a one man show. Expandable to unlimited extensions, and a very handy built in custom voice greeting studio with voice-over actors on standby for you to use.
  • Phone.com – the most felxible virtual phone provider I know of. A few more bucks a month than Grasshopper, but allows you to add physical office desk voip phone at any time… something you can’t to with grasshopper. This is the best fit for anyone who thinks their business might grow into a bigger office with receptionists, etc…
  • Ring Central – much more robust, with multi-office line support, advanced features like video conferencing, and much much more. The best fit for larger offices, with multiple dedicated lines, physical hardware support, and softphone application usage for remote working employees.

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