Best VoIP app for business: Top 15 options in 2023

Several VoIP phone systems are out there with different features and pricing, but if you’re looking to switch to VoIP or a new provider, not all are worth your time. In this article, we’ll break down all the details about the 15 best VoIP apps that give you the best bang for your buck. 💰

Comparing the best VoIP apps

Without further adieu, here are the top paid and free VoIP apps.

1. OpenPhone: Best for growing businesses

OpenPhone is a VoIP phone system that focuses on start-ups, small businesses, and individuals. With OpenPhone, you can make unlimited VoIP calls to anyone in the US or Canada. But that’s not all. As an OpenPhone user, you get access to a range of business communication features:

• Free text messages (SMS and MMS) to the US and Canada
• Send scheduled messages, snippets, and auto-replies to streamline texting
• Local or toll-free numbers
• VoIP call forwarding
• Call recording
• IVR (auto-attendant)
• Shared phone numbers and group messaging
• Voicemail transcriptions
• Integrations for email, CRM, Slack, and Zapier

You can use the service on almost any device — Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. As long as you have a compatible device and an internet connection, you’ll be able to communicate with your team and clients at all times.

OpenPhone has an impressive uptime history, so you don’t need to worry about dropped calls. If you do run into an issue, the customer service team will ensure you don’t have to wait around for help.

OpenPhone’s pricing is transparent and allows you to find the best plan for your business quickly. Affordable pricing (starting at $15 per user per month) and a broad range of features mean great ROI on a phone system that will effectively streamline your business communication. Best of all, you can try out OpenPhone free for seven days with a free trial.

Pricing: Starts at $15 per user per month

2. Google Voice

Google Voice is a simple VoIP phone system that offers both personal and business plans. The personal plan is fairly restrictive for business use — it offers only one phone number and user. If you’re a business and want to use Google Voice, you’ll have no option but to choose Google Voice for Business.

The business plan offers:

• Unlimited domestic calls and text messages
• Support for desk phones
• Voicemail transcriptions
• Google Workspace integrations

However, there’s not much to get excited about except for these features. For instance, you won’t be able to use toll-free numbers, automated replies, or any external integrations (such as Zapier or Slack). 

Google Voice’s business plans look inexpensive (starting at $10 per user per month), but it’s a different story once you add up the hidden costs. You’ll need a Google Workspace subscription to use Google Voice. Unless you’re already a subscriber, you’ll pay at least $6 extra every month for your Workspace subscription.

Pricing: Starts at $10 per user per month (plus $6 per month for Google Workspace subscription)

3. Aircall

WiFi calls, video conferencing, and unlimited international calls make Aircall stand out. But that’s not all Aircall offers — you also get other helpful features with Aircall like:

• IVR
• Call recording
• Dedicated account manager (requires upgrade)
• Salesforce integration (requires upgrade)

But is it the best VoIP solution for your business?

Aircall’s base plan is expensive at $30 per user per month, with a minimum requirement of three users. The high upfront costs are a deal-breaker for most small businesses. Even with its high price, Aircall lacks essential features for conference calls and has occasional routing issues. Learn more about the platform and other Aircall alternatives.

Pricing: Starts at $30 per user per month

4. Dialpad

Among the best VoIP apps, Dialpad offers users convenience with features like conference calls and the ability to toggle calls between devices. The call quality is usually excellent, and setting up Dialpad is a breeze. You can use Dialpad on a desktop, mobile phone, or web browser. 

Once set up, you can start using Dialpad to make unlimited phone calls and send messages (both SMS and MMS) to the US and Canada. The base plan  ($15 per user per month) also offers the following features:

• IVR
• Call recording
• Google Workspace and Office 365 integrations
• Analytics
• Voicemail transcriptions

Dialpad has its ways of making you pay more, though. For instance, you’ll pay separately for toll-free numbers even after an upgrade. You also can’t send international texts or set up auto-replies unless you upgrade.

Pricing: Starts at $15 per user per month

5. Grasshopper

Grasshopper is a legacy phone system that’s been around for over two decades. It’s great that Grasshopper offers all of its features on all plans, but there’s a caveat.

The pricing structure is not only different, it’s also complex. Grasshopper charges users per line instead of per user. For instance, if you choose its base plan, you get one phone number and three extensions.

You also get access to all Grasshopper features, including:

• Voicemail-to-text transcriptions
• Number porting
• IVR
• Gmail integration

If you’re a small business that wants these features but not many phone numbers, Grasshopper might make sense. While you’ll get access to all features, you still won’t have essential features that Grasshopper lacks, like call recording and shared phone numbers.

Pricing: Starts at $28 per user per month

6. Line2

Line2 is a low-cost VoIP phone system for small businesses. It might be a good choice for someone looking for the bare minimum, but if you’re already a growing small business, you should consider other options.

You’ll get numbers that match your local area code, a second phone number, and PBX features like voicemail-to-text transcription and call recording with Line2. However, most features are only available on its higher-tier plans.

The base plan, on the other hand, is pretty barebones and includes features like:

• Unlimited calling
• A local or toll-free number
• Basic call forwarding service

If you want things like call scheduling, call recording, and advanced reporting, you’ll need to pay for the top-tier plan costing $25.99 per month. Also, features like team numbers and integrations are missing altogether.

Pricing: Starts at $15.99 per month

7. Ooma

Ooma offers all features you’d want in a VoIP phone system, including a virtual receptionist, call recording, and voice-to-text transcriptions. But most essential features require an upgrade. Here are some features you do get with Ooma Office (their base plan):

• Mobile app
• Call forwarding
• One virtual fax number
• Voicemail
• Call logs

Keep in mind features like video conferencing and the desktop app are also only available on the more expensive Ooma Office Pro ($24.95 per user per month).

Pricing: Starts at $19.95 per user per month

8. Vonage

Vonage is another popular service and one of the first to provide VoIP phone systems. Like most VoIP providers, Vonage offers some of the essential features you’d want in a business phone system, such as:

• Mobile and desktop apps
• Unlimited calling and SMS messages
• Unlimited team messaging
• Call recording (only on the top-tier plan)

Vonage comes with lots of bells and whistles. But many features come with hidden fees. Here are features (or add-ons, as Vonage calls them) that cost extra:

• Unlimited SMS to Canadian numbers
• Call recording 
• Toll-free numbers

The costs pile up quickly with Vonage’s already-expensive base plan and hidden fees. If you’re a small business, you might want to look for something more cost-effective.

Pricing: Starts at $19.99 per user per month

9. RingCentral

RingCentral is a leading VoIP service that offers standard and advanced features geared toward enterprise users. 

The advanced features come with a trade-off, though. RingCentral can sometimes be too difficult to use unless you have an in-house IT expert. If you’re an established business with ample resources and a need for advanced features, RingCentral might make sense for you.

Here are the features you get as a RingCentral user:

• Unlimited calling and SMS
• Voicemail-to-text transcriptions
• Integrations for Slack and CRMs
• VoIP apps for PC, Mac, Android, iOS, and web

RingCentral’s feature set also comes with a bigger price tag. The base plan (costing $19.99 per user per month) doesn’t include any advanced features and is only available to teams of 20 or less. If you want those features (or have to upgrade due to your team’s size), you’ll need to pay even more per user.

Pricing: Starts at $19.99 per user per month

10. Nextiva

Nextiva has grown to be one of the most widely used VoIP systems. With clients including corporations to call centers, Nextiva has managed to stand out as a VoIP provider.

Though popular, its pricing is anything but transparent. Like RingCentral, the price you pay per user for any plan differs based on your team’s size.  

Essential features like SMS and video conferencing require upgrades, making them expensive for small businesses and pushing many teams to Nextiva alternatives. But if you’re an enterprise user and don’t mind spending more on a VoIP phone system, here’s what Nextiva offers:

• Unlimited voice and video calls
• Auto-attendant
• Caller ID
• Mobile and desktop apps
• Internet fax

Nextiva integrates with popular platforms like Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, and Zendesk. But you’ll need to pay extra for integrations. 

Pricing: Starts at $23.95 per user per month (for 1-4 users)

11. Zoiper IAX SIP VoIP Softphone

Zoiper is a vintage SIP and VoIP app that can make calls from a Windows, Linux, Mac, Android, or iOS device. The app is fast and offers IAX and Bluetooth support. You also get basic features like contact list management. But paying for Zoiper GOLD will give you access to some more features, such as:

• Better audio quality
• Call waiting
• Video support
• Call transfer

If you only need to make voice calls, Zoiper’s lifetime access to its VoIP software might make sense. In most cases though, Zoiper will come off as inadequate for business use. 

Pricing: $49.95 for lifetime access to Zoiper Pro

12. Sideline

Sideline isn’t technically a VoIP app, although it does offer a lot of the features you find on a VoIP system. 

Unlike a VoIP system, Sideline offers you a second phone number app and voicemail. Any calls you make or receive with this second number go through your mobile carrier. Regardless, it can still serve as an effective business phone system.

You get the following features with Sideline:

• International calling
• Setting business hours
• Auto-attendant
• Shared phone number
• Group messaging

The excellent feature set comes with a catch: None of the plans offer all of the features. This means a lack of flexibility in choosing features. Plus, the absence of other key features like call recording and toll-free numbers make Sideline restrictive for business use.

Pricing: Starts at $10 per month

13. iPlum

iPlum is a HIPAA-compliant phone app that offers calling via a second phone line on your current mobile carrier plan. Though you can make calls from anywhere, you’ll always need your phone for calling because the app is only available for iPhone and Android devices.

Here’s what you get with iPlum:

• HD calling
• Messaging
• Voicemail
• IVR

You can allow your team to make and receive calls with a shared number, but that’s the extent of the collaboration features on iPlum. It also lacks any integrations your business might need.

Given the lack of any modern VoIP system features, iPlum might work for solopreneurs. But a growing business probably won’t find iPlum very useful.

Pricing: Starts at $9 per user per month

Free (or almost free) VoIP apps

On an extremely tight budget? These apps may not support all your business’ needs but may be an initial option if you’re not expecting much from your phone system.

14. Skype

Skype can seem like an obvious choice for a startup. You can use Skype to manage video calls, voice calls, and SMS in a single app. Skype calls — both video and voice — allow up to 100 participants.

Skype’s features might make it look appealing to solopreneurs or for personal use, but it lacks essential features that a business requires. Here’s what you should consider before choosing Skype:

• You can’t make domestic calls to non-Skype users in the US without subscribing to their paid plan
• Sending an MMS message isn’t possible
• Skype lacks basic calling features like caller ID

Skype can be restrictive when your team’s growing fast. Microsoft itself recommends using it for teams of up to 20 employees only.

Pricing: Starts at $3.59 per month for 2,000 minutes (calls only to the US, Guam, and Puerto Rico)

15. Viber

Viber is a free VoIP app that’s not as popular in the US as in other parts of the world. You can make calls with Viber from almost any device — Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android. 

Unlike WhatsApp, Viber’s desktop app doesn’t require you to keep Viber connected through your phone.

With Viber, you get the features like:

• Voice and video calls (including to international numbers)
• Group chats and calls
• File sharing
• Stickers

While Viber is top-notch for personal use, it doesn’t offer any business-oriented features such as analytics or automated replies.

Pricing: Starts at $5.99 per month for unlimited calling

How we ranked the best VoIP apps

We ranked the best VoIP service providers based on the following factors:

• Functionality: You want a VoIP phone service that offers all the business communication functionality a modern business needs. While ranking, we looked for features including unlimited calling, call recording, and automated replies to text messages. The best VoIP apps for iPhone, Android, and your computer are available across all your devices.
• Cost-effectiveness: As a business, you work on a budget. You also need to consider the ROI from a business phone system.
• Customer support: You can’t put the business on hold when there’s a problem with your VoIP system. Reliable customer support ensures you get assistance when you need it.
• Call quality: Poor call quality translates to a poor experience for clients and tarnishes your reputation. You want VoIP providers that can offer top-notch call quality at all times.

What exactly is a VoIP app?

A VoIP app is a software application accessible from your computer/and or mobile device that lets you call and text via an internet connection. A VoIP provider gives you a unique phone number you can use to access their services.
If you need to get buy-in from your team on using a VoIP app, we’ll share the major benefits of using a VoIP system in the next section.

5 key reasons to use a VoIP app for business

Investing in a VoIP system modernizes your business communication, but that’s not all. Your business can benefit from this technology in multiple ways. 

1. Streamline your communication

The best VoIP apps offer features that streamline your everyday business communication. The right provider can integrate with Zapier to automate parts of the communication process and pull client data from your CRM, eliminating the need to recreate data from scratch.

They also offer features like snippets so you can respond to clients and team members quickly.

2. Take a cost-effective approach to business communication

You want to maximize the value you derive from each dollar invested in your business phone system. For this, you’ll need a system that costs less and offers all the features your team needs.

Traditional providers and on-premise systems cost more than a VoIP system and lack modern features, which translates to poor ROI. You’ll do your bottom line a favor and enable your business to communicate effectively by investing in a VoIP phone system.

3. Access your virtual number from anywhere

You might want to remain available even when you’re on a vacation or business trip. A VoIP system lets you keep in touch with your business as long as you have a compatible device and an internet connection. 

4. Keep your personal number private

Using a personal phone number for business isn’t a good idea unless you don’t mind receiving client calls outside of business hours. Plus, you might find it hard to answer calls yourself during business hours as you scale your business.

The best VoIP systems allow you to separate work and personal calls by giving you a business phone number. When clients call outside of business hours, they’ll hear a greeting and then connect to your voicemail.

You can allow multiple team members to access this number, enabling them to respond to clients. Since you can share phone numbers on a VoIP system, it also aligns well with a BYOD (bring your own device) policy.

5. Easily scale your phone system as the team grows

VoIP solutions are wireless and don’t require physical space. You won’t need a communication center for managing call routing — VoIP systems run all processes in the cloud, enabling your team to work remotely. The low requirement for physical space makes VoIP phone systems far more scalable than traditional setups.

OpenPhone: The best VoIP app for small businesses

Small businesses need a VoIP service that won’t break the bank but still offers enough features to fully derive the benefits of a VoIP system. With OpenPhone, you’ll have access to features that streamline communication, facilitate responding to clients quickly, and automate parts of your communication workflow. 

OpenPhone offers its strong lineup of features for as little as $10 per user per month. OpenPhone’s large feature set and low pricing translate to excellent ROI in the long term. Try out OpenPhone using a temporary number for seven days with a free trial.

VoIP app FAQs