There are a lot of factors to consider when making a business purchase. Quality, functionality, compatibility, those sorts of things. But unless you’re working with some very generous budgets, a good many decisions ultimately come down to price. Signing up for a business phone service through a VoIP provider isn’t any different. But, maybe you just want the cheapest VoIP phone service that ticks all of the boxes.
In fact, if you’re reading this, odds are your primary concern is the cost of such a service (what, with that being in the title of the article, and all). With that being the case, there’s actually quite a bit of options, and quality options at that, even among the brands with the lowest price points.
So, let’s take a look at a few of them, and see if we can’t help you find the right VoIP provider for your business (and budget).
- RingCentral: Best overall
- Zoom Phone: Best for lowest monthly price
- Nextiva: Best for enterprises and large-scale teams
- Phone.com: Best for privacy and compliance
- Ooma: Best for sophisticated call management
- Grasshopper: Best for solopreneurs
- Verizon VoIP: Best for all-in-one telecom services
Featured partners
What is VoIP?
You can think of VoIP as kind of the capstone of society’s transition to an internet-based world. In the “before times,” we used to connect to the internet using phone lines. Now, we instead connect phone calls using internet lines.
VoIP (short for Voice over Internet Protocol) is to landlines what email is to standard mail services. It’s a service that enables voice communication (such as a phone call) by transmitting the signal over an internet connection.
We do something similar when we jump on Zoom calls (audio or video), or when we join a teleconference. In fact, many VoIP providers also include these other multimedia communication options in their offerings.
What makes VoIP distinct, though, is that it’s not just internet communication. It’s legitimately a phone line—one that can be dialed by landlines, cell phones, and the like. It’s all the functionality of a business phone, with all of the convenience of internet access and computer technologies.
Top cheap VoIP providers
“Cheap” is a bit of a loaded term (we prefer “affordability-focused”). Seriously though, “cheap” is frequently used to mean “inexpensive due to poor quality or low value,” and none of the vendors in our list qualify under that definition. Each of these competitors, from the most comprehensive platforms, to the most straightforward offerings, provides ample bang for the buck.
Inexpensive? Certainly. Cheap? Not so much. Here’s a comparison table with a quick overview of the best cheap VoIP service options on the market. After the jump, we’ll dive into each of the picks individually
Expert Score
Best For?
Monthly Starting Price (per Line)
Key Features
RingCentral
4.58
Best Overall
$30
- Get AI-powered summaries and insights from voice calls and video meetings
- Hundreds of 3rd-party integrations
- Robust and flexible IVR and call management
Zoom Phone
4.29
Lowest Monthly Price
$10
- Lowest cost option on our list
- Upgrade to unlimited international calling for a fee
- Switch seamlessly between voice calls and video
Nextiva
4.26
Enterprise & Large-Scale Teams
$25
- Social and review management
- Group email inbox
- Supports SMS texts and bulk messaging
Phone.com
4.13
Privacy & Compliance
$14.99
- HIPAA-compliant communications (including video)
- 24/7 support
- Voicemail-to-email and voicemail transcription services
Ooma
4.11
Sophisticated Call Management
$19.95
- Free number transfer
- Advanced call management
- “Starter kits” available
Grasshopper
3.73
Solopreneurs
$18
- Virtual business phone line
- Low monthly costs
- Custom phone greetings
Verizon VoIP
3.37
All-in-One Telecom Services
$20–$35
- All-in-one telecom services
- Extensive list of VoIP features
- Plentiful hardware options
RingCentral: Best overall
Overall Score
4.58/5
Pricing
4.06/5
Core features
4.79/5
General features
4.72/5
Advanced features
4.75/5
Integration
5/5
UX
5/5
Security and compliance
5/5
Customer support and service
4.75/5
Pros
- All plans include unmetered calls, text messaging, IVR, and visual voicemail.
- AI-powered video features, including automated meeting transcriptions and insights.
- Extensive integration, API, and developer tool options.
Cons
- Some semi-standard features (e.g. auto call recording, advanced call handling, unmetered internet fax) unavailable for entry-level subscribers.
- No unlimited option for international, and included toll-free minutes have very limited allotments.
- Custom roles and user permissions require upgrading.
Why we chose RingCentral
RingCentral has a number of attributes that put it front and center in this particular list. For one, their subscription fees are on the lower end compared to its peers in this list. Beyond that, RingCentral comes with some of its most impressive features and offerings, right out of the gate (even for Core subscribers). Unlimited minutes and AI functionality are both available at every tier, and those are just the start. Competitors often require upgrading to the second or third paid tier for equivalent functionality.
While RingCentral might not be as well-suited to teams that need to support international staff or callers, and while some of the traditional VoIP features require upgraded plans, RingCentral is an excellent fit for smaller teams domestic to North America.
- AI capabilities: boost your video calls, conferences, and webinars with AI-powered features, such as live transcriptions, automated summaries and insights, and searchable notes.
- IVR editor: in addition to customizable call menus, RingCentral’s IVR tools allow you to visualize call flows by building phone trees, and can be integrated into a variety of 3rd-party workflow apps.
- Plentiful hardware options: use some of RingCentral’s certified VoIP phones, or bring some of your own, as BYOD is supported from a number of providers.
- Flexible functionality: RingCentral’s software enables a host of convenient features that allow you to reconfigure your setup and even change things on the fly, like hot desking, call monitoring/whispering/barging/etc., shared lines, hardware rentals, and more.
- Monthly billing
- Core: $30/user/month
- Advanced: $35/user/month
- Ultra: $45/user/month
- Annual billing
- Core: $20/user/month
- Advanced: $25/user/month
- Ultra: $35/user/month
Zoom Phone: Lowest monthly price
Overall Score
4.29/5
Pricing
3.44/5
Core features
5/5
General features
4.3/5
Advanced features
4.25/5
Integration
5/5
UX
5/5
Security and compliance
5/5
Customer support and service
3.25/5
Pros
- Pay As You Go plan is the option with the least expensive starting price on this list.
- Top-tier plan still cheaper than most competitors.
- Can bundle VoIP services with Zoom Workplace for maximum features and savings.
Cons
- Entry-level plan meters domestic calls.
- Toll-free numbers not included in any plan.
- Limited integration options.
Why we chose Zoom Phone
This is a list of inexpensive VoIP providers, right? So we had to have a leading contender on that front (i.e. “low price”), and Zoom Phone is that pick. With a starting monthly price of just $10/user/month, you’re paying less than an ad-free streaming subscription to have a dedicated business phone line. You’re also paying roughly half the starting price for most of Zoom’s VoIP competitors.
Zoom is known for more than just phones, though, and by bundling with your Zoom Workplace subscription, you can add video meeting functionality, AI companion support, and a great deal more. Some of the more sophisticated call handling, analytics, and other advanced features are harder to come by with Zoom, making it less suited for use cases that need to do a lot of complex juggling and shuffling of inbound calls. But for those looking for reliable service at the lowest price, this is the pick for you.
- Low monthly cost: Zoom Phone, and even the Zoom Workplace + Phone bundles feature the lowest subscription costs among its peers in this list.
- AI Companion: Zoom empowers your calls with automated transcripts/summaries, prioritization and workflow optimization, and more.
- Unlimited international calling: does not come standard, but for a nominal fee, you can upgrade for unmetered calling to 19 countries.
- Multi-device support: use multiple devices and/or apps to both make and receive calls.
- Phone-video interoperability: with the Zoom Workplace add-on, easily transfer calls to live video meetings, among other cool integrations.
- Pay As You Go (US & Canada, metered): $10/month/user
- US & Canada Unlimited: $15/month/user
- Zoom Workplace + Phone Pro Plus: $18.32/month/user
- Zoom Workplace + Phone Business Plus: $22.49/month/user
Nextiva: Best for enterprises and large-scale teams
Overall Score
4.26/5
Pricing
3.28/5
Core features
5/5
General features
4.17/5
Advanced features
4.75/5
Integration
5/5
UX
4.06/5
Security and compliance
5/5
Customer support and service
5/5
Pros
- Live chat, chatbot, and even unlimited SMS available, depending on subscription tier.
- Includes social media management and review management (unique features in this particular list).
- Group email, productivity tools, and other functionality designed to help teams work better together.
Cons
- Doesn’t actually provide the voice part of voice-over-IP on the basic plan.
- With many key features reserved for the Engage and Power Suite plans, Nextiva is better suited to meeting the needs of larger teams (with slightly larger budgets).
Why we chose Nextiva
We’re well aware that the central conceit of this list is VoIP options with low associated costs. But we had to throw in at least one “I don’t care what it costs” contender. Nextiva is our pick for that very spot. With a wealth of premium features, a legion of valuable add-ons and upgrades, and an enterprise-focused design, it’s the best fit in this list for larger teams with room in the budget to stretch out a bit.
In fewer words: Nextiva is our pick for an affordable premium option. It’s the most expensive on this list, but it’s also the most feature-rich.
Smaller teams looking to minimize costs will likely be frustrated by the higher cost of admission just to get inbound/outbound voice functionality, and most of the “good stuff” is only available to top-tier subscribers (contrasting with brands like RingCentral and Zoom that give you access to those functions at a much lower price).
But if top-tier was where you were aiming in the first place, then Nextiva is your best bet.
- Online interaction management: Nextiva has tools for managing branded social accounts, as well as helping handle online customer feedback and reviews.
- Group email mailbox: Get a shared inbox account, such as for incoming support tickets, customer requests, etc.
- SMS messaging support: Nextiva supports both outgoing branded messages to customers, and customer-to-team messaging (e.g. text support).
- Video meetings: Get unlimited video meetings, both for internal use, and for use with customer calls (complete with screen share).
- Team productivity: Nextiva offers a number of productivity boosting features, including team chat.
- Monthly billing
- Digital: $25/user/month
- Core: $35/user/month
- Engage: $50/user/month
- Power Suite: $75/user/month
- Annual billing
- Digital: $20/user/month
- Core: $30/user/month
- Engage: $40/user/month
- Power Suite: $60/user/month
Phone.com: Best for privacy and compliance
Overall Score
4.13/5
Pricing
3.28/5
Core features
3.75/5
General features
4.31/5
Advanced features
4.5/5
Integration
5/5
UX
4.38/5
Security and compliance
5/5
Customer support and service
4.25/5
Pros
- Lower than average cost among competitors.
- Platform prioritizes privacy, particularly HIPAA compliance, for both audio and video calls.
- Video conferencing functionality even for Basic users.
- Mix-and-match subscriptions based on user need, rather than paying the same subscription price for everyone.
Cons
- Included domestic phone numbers are limited, and international phone numbers cost extra on every plan.
- Some “standard” features among other competitors require upgrading subscriptions or paying for add-ons (if they’re available at all).
- HIPAA compliant video not available for Basic users.
Why we chose Phone.com
Premium offerings tend to come with everything but the kitchen sink. Not because everyone will need every feature, but because, for the price you pay, you expect that all the features you do need will be in the list. More affordable options tend to go the opposite route, stripping out anything unnecessary or outside the niche of the target use case.
Phone.com is an interesting example of bridging the gap to some degree. Its feature list isn’t quite as broad or deep as some of the competitors. But it isn’t the slimmest either. And it offers incredible flexibility regarding pricing, as you can “mix and match” subscription tiers. That way, each user is signed up according to what features they need, and you only pay higher tier rates for staff that need them. Get the savings of affordable solutions and the power of more premium options at the same time.
Beyond their pricing structure, though, Phone.com stands out as the only entry in the list to prioritize above-average privacy compliance. Specifically, they guarantee HIPAA compliance throughout the platform for plus and pro users. And while your organization may not do anything regarding healthcare, that’s a higher data privacy bar than most industries (so if it matters to you and yours, you’re pretty much covered).
- HIPAA compliance: perhaps Phone.com’s standout feature—audio and video communications are encrypted and HIPAA compliant, ensuring data privacy.
- Video conferencing: all users, even Basic users, get access to video conferencing, and while participant numbers have caps, meeting durations don’t.
- Voicemail features: voicemail-to-email notifications come standard with every plan, and voicemail transcription is available for all but basic subscribers.
- 24/7 support: Phone.com support teams are available around the clock.
- Live answer: as an add-on service, Phone.com provides live answering and attendant services for those who need it.
- Monthly billing
- Basic: $14.99/month/user
- Plus: $21.99/month/user
- Pro: $31.99/month/user
- Annual billing
- Basic: $12.74/month/user
- Plus: $18.69/month/user
- Pro: $27.19/month/user
Ooma: Best for sophisticated call management
Overall Score
4.11/5
Pricing
3.59/5
Core features
4.79/5
General features
4.86/5
Advanced features
3.75/5
Integration
5/5
UX
4.06/5
Security and compliance
2.81/5
Customer support and service
4.75/5
Pros
- No contract required.
- Unlimited calling in North America for all plans.
- A majority of core VoIP functions included even in the Essentials plan.
- Lengthy list of advanced tools and options for call routing, handling, and management.
Cons
- Auto-attendant and IVR unavailable for Essentials users.
- Desktop App only facilitates calling on Pro and Pro Plus plans.
Why we chose Ooma
When we think of business phone services, we’re probably thinking of the (hopefully) seamless passing of calls from one agent to the next throughout the organization. We pass emails back and forth, shouldn’t voice communication have similar flexibility and versatility? Ooma is the emphatic “Yes” to that question.
Plenty of providers offer call management, with varying levels of impressiveness. Ooma pulls out all the stops with some of the most capable call wrangling in the business. It’s not the cheapest, and it doesn’t boast some of the ancillary features of its peers in the list, but it’s the leader in call handling, making it perfect for call centers, agencies, and other businesses in need of, well, all of those things.
- Advanced call management: the list of functions and tools available for Ooma subscribers that want to get fancy with their footwork (so to speak) is very extensive, especially for those paying to use the full suite of features.
- Phone numbers: Ooma offers free number transfers, and each account comes standard with a main company number, direct-dial numbers for each user, and one free toll-free number.
- Starter kits: anyone or any team that needs to kickstart their VoIP functionality can opt for a “starter kit,” combo deals that include phone hardware and an ongoing subscription. No contract, and the hardware comes at a discount.
- Text messaging: those looking to do a lot of text-based marketing and messaging can make use of Ooma’s text messaging functionality. You can even call for a quote on bulk SMS packages.
- Productivity and integration: Ooma integrates into a host of apps and productivity tools, from Microsoft Office to Salesforce, to Quickbooks. Beyond that, the audio and video calling features can be used internally with your team, and have some added bells and whistles besides.
- Essentials: $19.95/user/month
- Pro: $24.95/user/month
- Pro Plus: $29.95/user/month
Grasshopper: Best for solopreneurs
Overall Score
3.73/5
Pricing
3.75/5
Core features
3.33/5
General features
4.17/5
Advanced features
3/5
Integration
2.91/5
UX
4.06/5
Security and compliance
4.69/5
Customer support and service
4.5/5
Pros
- Get the benefits of a dedicated business phone line, without having to use your personal number, or buy an extra device.
- Leverage automated greetings, professional voice talent, and caller ID to make an excellent first impression.
- Low cost, and designed around solo professionals and small businesses.
Cons
- No options for video calls or conferencing.
- International calling is add-on only.
- Can receive faxes, but cannot send them.
Why we chose Grasshopper
Not every operation is a large and complex one. Sometimes, the team is very small, perhaps even just one person. And sometimes, all you need is a way to separate business calls from personal ones, without having to lug around an entire extra phone.
Grasshopper provides that, and much more. Their entry-level tier provides nearly all of their functionality, with most of the benefit for upgrading coming in the form of increased user counts and limits. And with lower-than average costs, and a number of unique perks and add-ons to help your business sound as professional as possible, there’s plenty to love about Grasshopper’s VoIP services.
This makes Grasshopper an excellent choice for solo professionals and small teams, though the lack of video and collaboration tools make it less effective for larger operations.
- Virtual business line: with a dedicated business number, and a full-fledged virtual phone service, you can keep your personal and professional communications separate, while using the same device for both.
- Low monthly fees: even when billed monthly, Grasshopper has some of the least expensive monthly fees in the game.
- Cross-platform functionality: use your phone, your desktop, your tablet, and more to take calls, send and receive messages, read incoming faxes, and the like.
- Professional custom greetings: let your callers know that you’re the real deal with custom greetings. You can even check out Grasshopper’s Voice Studio to have something recorded for you by professional voice actors, in English, Spanish, and French.
- Small-team focus: built to service individuals and small teams, Grasshopper’s features can help you make the most of your human assets. Call forwarding, call blasting, instant response, simultaneous call handling; the list goes on.
- Monthly billing
- True Solo: $18/month
- Solo Plus: $32/month
- Small Business: $70/month
- Annual billing
- True Solo: $14/month
- Solo Plus: $25/month
- Small Business: $55/month
Verizon VoIP: Best for all-in-one telecom services
Overall Score
3.37/5
Pricing
2.03/5
Core features
3.96/5
General features
3.61/5
Advanced features
3.75/5
Integration
2.5/5
UX
4.69/5
Security and compliance
5/5
Customer support and service
3.75/5
Pros
- Use the same provider for ISP, cellular, and VoIP/SIP services.
- Robust call handling and call management features.
- Advanced admin and supervisor tools for better visibility and control.
Cons
- Bundle pricing is great, unless you don’t need it.
- Reviews cite lackluster customer support.
Why we chose Verizon VoIP
Verizon’s VoIP services obviously come with many of the same features and functions of its peers in this list. As a VoIP solution, it’s effective, the rates are competitive, and in many ways it’s comparable to any industry leading brands in this space. While we could get into the nitty-gritty of how individual features differ, or what small advantages Verizon has over the competition, we’d like to focus on something else.
Verizon is the only one in this list that is a full telecommunications provider. In fact, most of their brand recognition comes in the form of what they do besides VoIP. Verizon is a cellular service provider, and an internet service provider (ISP). If you’re in the market to bundle these services like we used to do with landlines and cable television, you stand to save a great deal by getting it all from the same place.
In a nutshell, pick Verizon if you need VoIP, internet, and business cell phones. If not, there may be more compelling options elsewhere.
- Holistic telecommunications: Verizon is a mobile network, an ISP, and a VoIP service, and offers discounts for those who sign up for more than one service at a time.
- Mobile-focused: because part of their business is dedicated to cell phones and mobile service, a number of their VoIP features are geared specifically toward those kinds of devices, like In-Progress Calls and Outbound Calls.
- Versatile call management: clearly, Verizon knows a thing or two about phones; their list of call management functions is one of the longest in the business.
- Hardware selection: in addition to their cell phones (obviously), Verizon has plenty of desk phones and VoIP-specific hardware to choose from.
- With Fios bundle (internet service): $20/month/VoIP line
- Standalone VoIP: $35/month/VoIP line
- 2-year contract required
Key features of cheap VoIP service providers
As we round out this article, let’s go over some of the top points of interest and differentiation that we looked at (and that helped competitors stand apart from each other).
Price
It’s right there in the name—both the article title, and this subheader. This is a discussion of cheap VoIP services, after all, so it wouldn’t do much good to look at solutions that charge an arm and a leg.
Advanced call management
Many VoIP subscribers are using their solution the same way businesses used fancy landline services 20–30 years ago. Call handling and call management have historically been rather difficult to facilitate, and required a great deal of both specialized expertise and specialized equipment.
These days, the right provider can basically turn an entire work-from-home organization into a decentralized call center, with minimal loss of functionality. Not all VoIPs are created equal, though, so your mileage may vary depending on the one you pick.
Scalability
Some solutions are better suited to serving solopreneurs and small teams, while others are designed to support whole enterprises. A few are built to be your partner as you grow and transition from the former to the latter.
Add-on options
Up-sells and cross-sells are big business in just about every industry. VoIP is no different, and you may find plenty of reasons to upgrade or choose add-ons with the right provider. Some offer bundled internet and/or cell phone services. Others include video conferencing and webinar hosting. Some integrate with a variety of 3rd-party software, and some can support distributed teams across international boundaries.
Just be sure to shop around if an “add-on” is more of a “must-have” for you and your team, to be sure you get the best deal.
Specialty functions
This is similar to add-ons, and probably could have been included in the above section, but we mention it separately here because certain functions are non-issues for most, but critical to a few. Information privacy and compliance to data regulation standards, for example, doesn’t always drive decisions for businesses. But for, say, organizations working in healthcare in the US, HIPAA is a pretty big deal, so finding vendors that can support their efforts to ensure compliance are a must.
Choosing the best cheap VoIP service provider for your business
If you’ve never heard it before, then let us be the first to tell you: there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution, least of all in software (so don’t let any vendor tell you otherwise).
Fact is, just like how no single hat can fit every head size and shape, each business has its own unique needs and circumstances. Even within the same industry, one use case can vary wildly from another. But there are still a few common threads and overlapping factors we can point to, if you need help guiding you in your search. We’ve covered some of the prominent ones below.
Number of phone lines
This is an article about cheap VoIP providers, but since the starting price of many of these are so close together (more on that below), then it’s the number of business lines you’re paying for that will determine much of the overall cost.
If all you need is a dedicated line for your freelance business, you’re in a very different market than someone looking to connect 2000 call center workers. Some providers serve one market better than the other, so judge accordingly.
Budgetary limitations
While the cost ranges are (comparatively) close together in this market, there are some noteworthy outliers. Most providers that offer something affordable have price ranges between about $15 to $60 per line, per month. Costs higher than that are stepping into more “premium” market ranges, and costs lower than that are rare—and usually include some pretty stiff limitations, like metered minutes.
Now, most B2B tech has wider price differentials than that, and prices are often much higher for tools like CRMs, PM platforms, marketing automation, and the like. Even so, what seems like a small price difference for a small team can become a significant one after scaling up. A choice between $20/line/month and $40/line/month is nominal with a team of 1-5 users. By the time you’re paying for 50 different lines, the gap is already $1,000 per month.
Geographical distribution
Though I’m sure we’d all like to leave terms like “long-distance” and “international calling” in the past, they still occasionally come into play in contexts like this. Some VoIP providers still charge extra for international calls, and what counts as “included” or “add-on” can vary as well. This goes both for the person calling in, and the business line that’s picking up on the other end.
In other words, you’ll want to be aware of how your team is distributed across geopolitical boundaries. Similarly, you’ll want to know where your customers are calling you from. Because otherwise, an “affordable” solution may prove to be anything but.
Current tech stack
Not everything in our tech stack needs to be interoperable. But some things should, and a few things must. Unfortunately, those concerns of compatibility, integration, and user experience can be major deciding factors, and rule out vendors with otherwise compelling offerings. Just keep an eye out, and double check before you sign on the dotted line.
Call management complexity
If you need to be able to juggle calls, park them and pick them up, transfer them, switch them around and merge calls, and otherwise accomplish some telephone-based wizardry, then mark that as a major priority. Most VoIP services will provide some measure of functionality in this regard, but not all do, and some make you subscribe to higher tiers for it.
Find out how much you’ll have to pay to get access to the advanced features you want, and compare that against competitors (who may include those functions standard, or at a lower price).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
