Voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) providers offer must-have tools for internal and external business communications, but they don’t have to break your budgetThere are several low-cost business voice over IP (VoIP) proveiders that provide great phone calling, short message service (SMS) texting, video conferencing, team chat, and efficient call handling features. We found these six platforms offer the best cheap VoIP services for small businesses:
Grasshopper
Grasshopper is our top choice for cheap VoIP service providers. Its modern user interface is easy to navigate and use. Every calling feature is included with each Grasshopper plan, meaning you can choose the package that makes sense for your user count rather than upgrading to unlock specific features.
Our favorite Grasshopper features are the instant response, custom greetings, and simultaneous call handling. While you have to pay a one-time $75 fee for a professional voice greeting up to 250 words, it adds another layer of polish to your brand.
Phone.com
Phone.com makes our list for its diverse set of pricing plans. Choose from a mix of metered and unlimited plans to ensure your business only pays for what it needs. The entry-level Basic Users plan comes with 300 pooled minutes and 1,000 pooled text segments, making it the perfect option for organizations with low call volume.
Phone.com provides a competitive list of general and advanced features. Users get smart routing, high definition (HD) voice, hold music, international calling, video conferencing, automated attendants, and even customer relationship manager (CRM) integrations.
Plus, you can purchase specific add-ons on an a la carte basis to avoid spending money for features you don’t need. These add-ons include live receptionists, international calling, global numbers, call recording, and toll-free numbers.
Dialpad
Dialpad earns a top spot on this list of the top cheap VoIP services thanks to its simplicity and ease of use. It’s smooth, user-friendly apps are packed with all the essential features most businesses need to communicate. The multi-level auto-attendant is one of the best advanced features Dialpad offers, and it’s even available on the entry-level plan.
Dialpad offers basic integrations and call handling features on all of its plans, making it a great option for small businesses that can’t afford to upgrade to premium tiers. However, while every user gets a local number included with their license, businesses will need to purchase the Enterprise plan to unlock extensions—a feature that comes with Grasshopper’s entry-level plan.
Grasshopper’s Partner plan is a bit more budget-friendly for small teams, but it doesn’t offer video conferencing or the number of integrations that Dialpad supports. If you need one license, we recommend Dialpad—if you need two or more licenses, choose Grasshopper.
8×8
International calling is notoriously costly, but not if you have a unified communications solution like 8×8. 8×8 supports unlimited international calling to 48 locations on the X4 plan, making it more affordable to communicate with teammates and customers across seas and borders.
However, with a hefty $44 per user, per month cost, it’s still costly to do business internationally. Fortunately, you can reduce that cost with 8×8, since one of their unique aspects is the ability to mix and match plans. Users who need the advanced features and international calling capabilities in X Series plans can have them while other users can subscribe to cheaper plans.
8×8 provides unlimited voice, video, and SMS texting in the U.S. and Canada, as well as robust VoIP features like auto-attendants, intelligent call routing, and call handling functionality like monitor, whisper, and barge.
