Best Google Voice alternatives in 2024

Keeping customers happy as their expectations for fast, effective service increase requires investing in technologies that automate common sales and support operations. Dialpad’s AI-based tools for sales reps and its virtual service agents enhance a business’s interactions with current and potential clients while improving the efficiency of its sales and support staff.

Value 

Companies realize value from Dialpad’s VoIP phone service through a more productive sales staff and more efficient resolution of customer problems and questions. The entry-level package from Dialpad is priced higher than Google Voice at $27 per user per month (discounted for annual contracts) compared to Google Voice Starter at $10 per user per month

However, Dialpad’s Standard plan adds a multi-level auto attendant and call recording, which are available only in Google Voice’s higher-tier plans. The Standard and Premier versions of Google Voice are priced in the same range as Dialpad’s entry-level Standard and Pro plans at $20 and $30 per user per month, respectively, but the Google products lack the AI-assisted features offered by Dialpad.

Functionality 

Businesses get top-of-the-line VoIP features at a mid-range price with Dialpad’s Standard and Pro packages. Both Standard and Pro feature unlimited calls in the U.S. and Canada, one local phone number per user, multi-level auto-attendant and call recording. The company’s Pro plan adds many features most SMBs will consider mandatory, however. These include 24/7 live chat support, CRM integrations and support for open APIs and webhooks.

Dialpad sells several VoIP and call-center functions as add-ons, which can increase a business’s monthly VoIP expenses. These include conference room lines, internet fax, toll-free numbers and additional international or local phone numbers.

Support 

All Dialpad VoIP plans come with 24/7 support by chat, web and email. The company’s Pro plan adds phone support and access to a dedicated account manager and professional installation assistance. Self-help options include a resource center, knowledge base, video tutorials and a getting-started guide.

Team collaboration and communication begins with knowing who’s available and when. Intermedia’s Unite VoIP service lets managers and team members see a person’s status at a glance by detecting which account is active when the person is signed into multiple accounts — for example, on both their mobile phone and desktop.

Value 

Companies that are looking for a VoIP solution without too few or too many features may find their sweet spot with one of Intermedia’s two Unite plans, which are priced in the middle range of our best Google Voice alternatives, but higher than Google Voice’s Starter and Standard packages. Intermedia’s VoIP services support up to five concurrent endpoints, so they can be shared by five phones as well as by desktop and mobile apps.

Intermedia lets businesses try its VoIP services for 30 days, but the company doesn’t offer a discount for purchasing an annual contract. However, it provides many productivity-boosting tools for sales reps and support personnel, such as the “advanced hunt group” feature that intelligently routes incoming calls to the most appropriate person.

Functionality 

SMBs benefit from Intermedia Unite’s advanced call center features that include configurable wrap-up time and after-call work status options, as well as customization of the process for removing an agent from the call queue. Managers can monitor calls, “whisper” to agents and barge into calls when necessary.

Intermedia Unite’s Standard and Pro versions both support high-definition video conferences with up to 100 and 200 participants, respectively. They come with 50 GB and 200 GB of storage, respectively, but archiving requires an added fee.

Support 

Intermedia provides 24/7 technical support by phone and live chat. The company’s support center features a knowledge base, FAQs and information on specific features such as its auto attendant and account management. Support resources include getting started guides, help with VoIP hardware and a system status dashboard.

A business’s telephone system connects to nearly every other part of its operation. Ensuring clear and timely collaboration requires putting the information your staff needs at their fingertips — wherever and whenever they need it. RingCentral’s ability to link VoIP phone service with your company’s key data sources delivers your intelligence assets when the need arises.

Value 

The prices of RingCentral’s Core, Advanced and Ultra business VoIP plans fall in the midrange of the Google Voice alternatives we looked at, and at $30, $35 and $45 per user per month, respectively, they’re priced higher than Google Voice’s Starter, Standard and Premier plans.

The discounts for annual agreements bring RingCentral’s prices down to $20, $25 and $35 per user per month, respectively, bringing them closer to the $10, $20 and $30 per user per month of Google Voice’s packages.

Functionality 

Taking some of the sting out of RingCentral’s prices are the first-rate VoIP features the company’s plans provide, starting with its AI-generated meeting summaries, video meeting highlight reels and live transcriptions that are searchable and downloadable.

The Advanced plan from RingCentral adds automatic call recording and advanced call monitoring and handling to help managers ensure that calls are promptly routed to the appropriate employees.

In addition to unlimited storage for files and recordings, RingCentral’s high-end Ultra package provides customizable business analytics and unlimited video meetings with as many as 200 participants. It also comes with an overview of device status and a dynamic, interactive device map.

Support 

RingCentral offers 24/7 customer support through live chat and telephone support during extended business hours Monday to Friday. You can submit a case from your RingCentral account and receive a response within 48 hours. Self-service support options include a knowledge base, FAQs and a community forum.

Small businesses that don’t make a ton of outbound calls can save money on their monthly phone bills by signing up for Zoom Phone’s U.S. & Canada Metered plan that caps outbound minutes each month but costs only $10 per license per month. And unlike Google Voice’s Starter package that is priced the same, Zoom Phone’s entry-level plan doesn’t have a 10-user limit.

Value 

Even if the capped domestic calling precludes your business from using Zoom Phone’s lowest-cost VoIP service, the company’s Unlimited and Global Select versions can reduce your phone costs considerably while providing all the phone features your operation requires. At $15 and $25 per user per month, respectively, the plans come with toll-free numbers, unlimited auto attendants and call recording.

If your organization does a lot of business with people in a single country overseas, Zoom Phone’s Global Select gives unlimited regional calling in one of 48 different countries and territories, including Hong Kong, Mexico and the U.K.

Functionality 

The low prices posted for Zoom Phone’s business VoIP products belie the range of call-management features they offer. In addition to call recording and unlimited auto attendants, they provide automatic call distribution (ACD) groups with call queueing, call handoff between devices and call monitoring, whispering, barging and takeover.

The U.S. & Canada Unlimited and Global Select plans from Zoom Phone let you add unlimited calling to 19 countries, and all three Zoom Phone packages can be enhanced with add-ons that include enhanced call queue analytics, premier developer support and hardware as a service.

Support 

VoIP subscriptions of $50 a month or more receive live chat and web ticket support for users and administrators. Administrators using the high-end Business, Business Plus and Enterprise plans have telephone support. The company’s knowledge base features getting started guides, a learning center with training courses and webinars, and a link to the Zoom Community.

Businesses know the value of the data they collect and apply throughout their operations, but many SMBs lack the tools they need to glean real insights from their interactions with customers. Nextiva’s NextOS and Voice Analytics deliver knowledge to decision-makers based on analyses of call behavior and other voice data.

Value 

Nextiva’s three VoIP packages for businesses are more expensive than most of the other Google Voice alternatives we examined, starting at $35.95 per user per month for Essential (discounted with annual contracts). Yet their features and capabilities represent a bargain for SMBs that are in the market for a comprehensive communications solution.

For example, the company’s midrange Professional plan costs $40.95 per user per month and comes with 3,000 toll-free minutes each month, AI voicemail transcriptions and unlimited video meetings. Conversely, Nextiva’s low-end Essential package doesn’t support SMS text messaging, call recording or multi-level auto attendant.

Functionality 

Despite the inclusion of many advanced features in Nextiva’s entry-level Essential plan, most SMBs will be better served by the higher-end Professional and Enterprise packages that feature text messaging, advanced integrations and voicemail transcription. Only the Enterprise plan comes with call recording, premium CRM integrations and unlimited conference calls and participants.

Nextiva sells several call-management tools as add-ons, including its intelligent virtual agent, pre-built integrations with Salesforce and other CRM systems, and real-time performance dashboards. The company also offers a Customer Experience Suite for managing sales and service reps, and a Brand Management Suite for omnichannel marketing.

Support 

Nextiva provides 24/7 phone support and live chat support from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. MT Monday to Friday, and from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. MT on weekends. You can also contact support by email and by submitting a ticket. The company’s support center features a knowledge base, quick-start account setup, video tutorials and a community forum.

Small businesses that are active overseas or would like to enter global markets get a boost from Webex’s ability to translate messages in real-time into more than 100 languages. The top-of-the-line VoIP package from Webex adds simultaneous interpretation in Webex meetings, while both the midrange Suite and Enterprise plans feature the company’s productivity-enhancing AI assistant.

Value 

Webex made a name for itself by offering businesses a free video conferencing solution that lets you conduct online meetings with as many as 100 participants. The prices of the company’s three VoIP plans fall in the middle of Google Voice alternatives we reviewed, starting at $17 per license per month for Webex Call.

However, most SMBs will realize more value from the Webex Suite priced at $25 per user per month, and the high-end Webex Enterprise that’s priced based on a custom quote. These two plans come with the company’s AI Assistant that features summaries, catch-ups and enhanced messaging.

Functionality 

Another reason businesses have for upgrading from Webex Call to a high-end Enterprise plan is the latter’s inclusion of call-management features such as call recording, call queues and call barging. The Enterprise package also adds developer tools, group paging, voicemail-to-email and the Webex Go mobile app.

The midrange Webex Suite offering overcomes many of the limitations of the entry-level Webex Call. For example, Suite supports meetings as long as 24 hours as opposed to Call’s limit of 40 minutes, and it allows as many as 200 meeting participants rather than Call’s 100-person limit. Webex Suite adds 10 GB of cloud storage in addition to local storage.

Support 

Webex provides 24/7 technical support in English and during business hours in seven other languages. The company’s help center features a chat assistant, and customers can access a case form from their account. Self-help resources include a knowledge base, community forum, webinars and the Webex Academy that offers more than a dozen on-demand courses.

Sometimes, one line simply isn’t enough for a busy business person. Line2 offers an affordable solution that lets you switch easily between the number assigned to the Line2 app running on your mobile phone and the phone’s native number. This straightforward approach excludes many features found in other Google Voice alternatives, such as hardware options and third-party integrations, but it’s a handy, low-cost option for many mobile managers and workers.

Value 

Many businesses realize the greatest returns on their VoIP investment by getting access to advanced features for managing calls and integrating their phone system with other operations. Line2 goes a different direction, delivering convenience and efficiency in communication and collaboration without as many of the bells and whistles.

Prices for the company’s plans start at $15.99 per month for Starter, but Line2’s midrange Growth package is a more valuable choice for many SMBs. It costs $20.99 per month and comes with a call scheduler and auto attendant. Companies that need voice transcriptions and call recording can either upgrade to the company’s Business plan at $25.99 per month or pay for them as add-ons to the Growth package.

Functionality 

Businesses get a comprehensive collection of call-management features with Line2’s plans, all of which include access to as many as five lines through the mobile app, as well as call merging, call screening and call whisper. They also provide toll-free numbers with unlimited minutes in addition to local and vanity numbers.

However, only the company’s Growth and Business plans have an auto attendant and call scheduling that forwards calls when you’re out of the office. The two higher-end packages from Line2 also feature a full range of usage reports.

Support 

Telephone support is available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET Monday to Friday. You can also contact support from within the Line2 app using live chat or by submitting a request through email. The company’s self-help resources include a knowledge base, getting started guide and how-it-works page.

For businesses, every dropped call is a missed opportunity. Vonage’s Business Communications VoIP service gives SMBs access to sophisticated call-center features such as call announce that serves as an advanced screening tool, and call rerouting that automatically switches calls to an active number when the first line fails.

Value 

Vonage’s VoIP plans for business start at $19.99 per line per month for the Mobile version that has both a mobile and desktop app but doesn’t support desk phones or team management features. For most SMBs, the Vonage packages delivering the most value for their teams are Premium at $29.99 per line per month and Advanced at $39.99 per line per month.

Ensuring that your company’s teams communicate and collaborate effectively requires features offered only in Vonage’s Premium and Advanced plans, including unlimited video meetings for as many as 200 participants, team messages and access to the Vonage App Center. Many businesses will benefit from the added investment in the Advanced plan for its on-demand call recording and video voicemail.

Functionality 

Much of the functionality of Vonage Business Communication products is delivered by add-on components that include Call Queue for adding call tags to queues for fast screening, and the Company Call Recording service that lets businesses schedule the recording of inbound and outbound calls and control employee access to recorded calls. Vonage’s Conference Bridge gives managers full control over conferences, including adding and muting participants and adding password protection.

As beneficial as these and other VoIP add-ons can be, they serve to drive up your business’s monthly communications bill. However, the advanced call-management capabilities serve as a bridge for firms between standard business VoIP service and a full-featured call center solution.

Support 

Phone support for Vonage Business Communications is available from 8 a.m. to midnight ET Monday to Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. The company’s live chat support operates from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET Monday to Friday. You can also contact Vonage by webform. Self-help support options include a knowledge base and getting-started guides.

Modern business phone systems put a world of communications capabilities into workers’ hands, but as the products become more sophisticated, they also become more difficult to install and operate. Ooma Office takes much of the sting out of upgrading your company’s phones by making it easy to integrate its VoIP services with analog and IP phones, and with its mobile app.

Value 

Ooma Office’s straightforward interface is matched by the company’s straightforward monthly pricing that requires no long-term contracts. The entry-level Essentials plan from Ooma Office costs $19.95 per user per month and includes unlimited calls in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and Mexico.

Unlike the low-end plans of other Google Voice alternatives, Ooma Office packs first-rate call-management tools into its Essentials plan, such as virtual extensions and distinctive ring tones. Among the benefits of upgrading to the company’s midrange Pro package ($24.95 per user per month) are call recording and voicemail transcriptions, while the top-of-the-line Pro Plus ($29.95 per user per month) helps teams track members and lets them share voicemail boxes and other resources.

Functionality 

Getting started with Ooma Office is facilitated by the company’s setup videos that cover configuring your virtual receptionist, setting up a paging group and using call park and number porting. The entry-level Essentials plan has a full complement of call-management features, including call logs, three-way calling and IP phone paging.

Stepping up to the Pro package adds call recording, enhanced call blocking and dynamic caller ID. The high-end Pro Plus provides team-management capabilities such as Find Me, Follow Me that automatically routes incoming calls to the number you’re most likely to be found at.

Support 

Telephone support for Ooma business services is available 24/7. Support is also available using live chat and email. Self-help support resources include getting started guides, FAQs and forums.

Technology continues to connect the business world, allowing companies of all sizes to reach customers in far-flung countries. Aircall helps SMBs establish an international presence by providing flexible team creation and international phone numbers in countries on every continent.

These capabilities come at a relatively high price, however, as Aircall’s entry-level business VoIP plan costs more than Google Voice’s high-end offering.

Value 

The key to ensuring that individuals and teams are as productive as possible is communication. Aircall’s Essentials and Professional business VoIP plans are designed to promote collaboration by allowing managers to create custom call-distribution rules that match customers with the team member best able to meet their needs while also confirming the agent’s availability automatically.

Further justifying the relatively high price of Aircall’s VoIP services is the potential the systems offer for boosting the quality and quantity of a team’s production. That becomes easier to do for companies that need to coordinate the work of large teams or many small teams working in tandem. Conversely, small businesses may find the added expense of Aircall’s offerings doesn’t provide as big a boost to their output.

Functionality 

Many of the Google Voice alternatives we examined take a cafeteria approach to VoIP services that can quickly escalate a business’s phone bill. Aircall leans the other way, selling two all-in-one solutions designed to meet all of a company’s communication needs right out of the box. They include a local or toll-free number, SMS text messaging in the U.S. and Canada, and advanced call routing and call queuing features.

Even with their comprehensive features, Aircall’s Essentials and Professional packages exclude the company’s AI module that analyzes calls to gain insights into customers, and its Analytics+ add-on that visualizes call activity and helps track unanswered and outbound calls.

Support 

Aircall provides live chat support in English 24/5 and in French from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT Monday to Friday. Users can also submit a support ticket using the company’s support portal. The Aircall support page has getting started guides and tips for users and administrators. Also provided are live training sessions, on-demand webinars and guides for developers.