10 best VoIP providers in Canada for 2024

After some initial research, you’ve likely noticed dozens of different Canadian VoIP providers. When your business depends on reliable communication, identifying the best phone provider can feel overwhelming.

If your business is based in Canada — or you’re looking to expand to the Great White North by getting a Canadian number — this in-depth guide covers the 10 best Canadian business VoIP providers of 2024, including their prices, features, and limitations.

The best VoIP services in Canada compared

Here’s how the 10 best VoIP apps compare:

Provider	Starting price	Unlimited calling to US & Canada	SMS/MMS to US & Canada	Shared phone numbers	Additional phone numbers
OpenPhone	$15 USD per user per month	✓	✓	✓	$5 USD per number per month
RingCentral	$30 CAD ($20 USD) per user per month	✓ (limited toll-free minutes)	25 messages per user per month	✓	$4.99 USD per number per month
Ooma	$24.95 CAD ($19.95 USD) per user per month	✓	Requires upgrade	X	Starts at $9.95 USD per number per month
8×8	Contact for a quote	✓	X	✓	Contact for a quote
GoTo Connect	Contact for a quote	X	Only available in the US & Canada	Requires upgrade	Contact for a quote
Dialpad	$20 CAD ($15 USD) per user per month	✓	For US & Canadian customers only	✓	Requires upgrade
CallHippo	$25 CAD ($18 USD) per user per month	X	X	✓	Cost varies
net2phone Canada	$29.99 CAD ($22 USD) per user per month	✓	✓	X	Cost varies
Callture	$36 CAD ($26.50 USD) per month (plus extra minutes)	✓	✓	X	Cost varies
Aircall	$30 USD per user per month (three-user minimum)	✓	✓	✓	$6 USD per number per month

1. OpenPhone: Best Canadian VoIP provider for growing teams

Pros

• Unlimited calls to the US and Canada
• Unlimited SMS and MMS to the US and Canada
• Shared phone numbers
• Single-view inbox for all calls, texts, and voice messages with a contact
• Snippets, auto-replies, and scheduled messages

Cons

• No two-factor authentication*

*Nearly all virtual phone numbers share this problem. For safety reasons, companies like Facebook, Instagram, and Google rarely let you authenticate accounts through a virtual phone number.

OpenPhone is a modern business phone service designed to scale as your company grows. All you need is an internet connection to start taking calls from your computer, smartphone, or tablet.

With OpenPhone, you can get as many Canadian numbers as you want on our Starter plan ($15 USD per user per month). Then, just add more phone numbers as your team expands. Each user on your plan comes with one free Canadian, US, or North American toll-free number. Any additional numbers with OpenPhone cost $5 USD per number per month.

Why businesses use OpenPhone 

Every OpenPhone plan comes with free calling and texting to Canada and the US. You can assign team members to their own number or work together from a shared number. With shared numbers, every member of your team can review the same inbox, see the same contacts, and split responsibility for incoming calls. You can also collaborate with team members using internal threads and mentions, making it easier to delegate tasks and follow up with customers.

OpenPhone can help you save time while texting and personalize your touchpoints with customers. For example:

• Scheduled text messages help you send at the best possible time based on your customer’s time zone. This means your US contacts won’t get texts in the middle of the night (and you won’t have to stay up until 11 PM to manually press send).
• Speaking of not having to stay glued to your phone, tools like auto-replies instantly connect with customers while you’re off the clock. Every missed call on your US or Canadian number triggers an automatic message with a short text letting customers know you got their message. 
• If you spend a lot of time answering similar messages, you can create message templates with snippets and save them for future responses (such as ‘thanks for reaching out to our Canadian text hotline’). It’s easy to personalize canned responses and save yourself the trouble of typing the same thing a dozen times.

See for yourself why thousands of businesses have a Canadian virtual number with OpenPhone by signing up for a free, seven-day trial.

Key features of OpenPhone

• Local or toll-free Canadian phone numbers
• Free calling and texting in Canada and the US
• AI message responses, transcripts, and summaries
• Integrations with HubSpot, Zapier, Salesforce, Slack, Google Contacts, and more
• Shared phone numbers
• Internal threads and mentions

OpenPhone pricing

• Starter: $15 USD per user per month for call recording, voicemail to text, and one new local or toll-free Canadian or US number per user
• Business: $23 USD per user per month for call transfers, phone menus (IVR), AI call summaries, analytics and reporting, and our HubSpot and Salesforce integrations
• Enterprise: Custom plan and price to unlock audit logs, priority support, and dedicated account managers

How to get a VoIP number for PC with OpenPhone in Canada

Getting a new phone number from almost anywhere in the world is a simple process when you choose OpenPhone as your virtual phone number provider. Follow these three steps:

1. Create an account with OpenPhone (when you sign up, you get a free, seven-day trial).
2. During signup, select your city or area code in Canada to pick your local phone number.
3. Complete the signup process, and the Canadian number you selected is yours!

Once you’ve confirmed OpenPhone is a good fit, you can also port over an existing Canadian phone number to OpenPhone for free. Simply fill out a porting form in your OpenPhone workspace, and we’ll take care of the rest.

2. RingCentral: Best Canadian VoIP for video conferencing

Pros

• Unlimited calls to the US and Canada
• Offers video conferencing

Cons

• Major texting limits
• Only includes 100 toll-free minutes per month on the base plan
• Unlimited call recording storage requires upgrade

RingCentral is a cloud-based phone system offering video, chat, and calling tools. It’s now one of the oldest VoIP solutions still offering dedicated desk phone rentals.

You can use RingCentral to make unlimited calls in the US and Canada. You can also tap into their voicemail transcriptions and video meetings.

Unfortunately, there are several arbitrary limitations on RingCentral’s platform. When you look closer at the service and its features, you may notice some frustrating restrictions:

• You can only send 25 texts per user per month on the Core plan. And since the platform only stores 5,000 texts per user, past messages with customers may disappear over time.
• Toll-free numbers have just 100 pooled minutes if you purchase the base plan. The most expensive plan ($45 CAD per user per month) unlocks the maximum allotted (10,000 pooled minutes per month).

• Each user on your plan only has 1 GB of free data storage on the Advanced plan. Every GB after that costs extra. Plus, RingCentral only offers recording storage for up to 90 days unless you upgrade to the Ultra plan ($45 CAD per user per month).
• A free trial of RingCentral is limited to just five users and two desktop phones. You can’t use SMS at all.

If you want a VoIP software platform with fewer limitations on phone calls, text messages, and media storage, look for a RingCentral alternative.

Key features of RingCentral

• SMS support
• Local and toll-free Canadian numbers
• Voicemail to text
• Document sharing
• Call log reports

RingCentral pricing

• Core: $30 CAD ($20 USD) per user per month for unlimited calls in the US and Canada, business SMS (25 messages per user per month), visual voicemail, IVR, and more
• Advanced: $35 CAD ($25 USD) per user per month for video meetings, automatic call recording, CRM integrations, and more
• Ultra: $45 CAD ($35 USD) per user per month for unlimited storage and device analytics

3. Ooma: Best Canadian VoIP for unlimited calling in Mexico and Puerto Rico

Pros

• Unlimited calling in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico
• Texting (SMS only) in the US and Canada

Cons

• Call recording requires upgrade to Pro
• Calling is only available on the desktop app for Pro subscribers
• Texting is not available on the base plan (no unlimited options)
• Unnecessary features like intercom calling and analog fax machine support
• Voicemail transcriptions requires upgrade to Pro

Ooma offers the basic features you’d expect from a VoIP phone system. The base plan comes with a mobile app and an auto-attendant (IVR) so callers can route themselves to the right team member or department. You can also forward calls to another number or device, which may be helpful if you need to take your work on the road.

That said, Ooma’s Canadian platform has significant differences from the US version. If you live in Canada and want to buy a Canadian number, for example, you can only send 100 text messages per month unless you upgrade — a major problem as your business scales. 

Plus, many of the basic features you get with Ooma don’t make sense for distributed teams. You may not need overhead paging, analog fax machine support, or intercom systems, but you still have to pay for them anyway.

Some of Ooma’s best features are locked behind higher paywalls. For example, you can’t access the desktop app or CRM integrations unless you pay for the Pro plan ($29.95 CAD per user per month). This means that, unless you pay extra, you may have to enter data manually from your phone screen.

As you can see, Ooma is an expensive softphone solution that requires you to upgrade to access its best features. No matter how much you pay, it doesn’t provide unlimited text messaging on a Canadian VoIP number, unlimited toll-free minutes, or other key features.

Key features of Ooma

• Ring groups
• Music on hold
• Digital fax
• Call transferring
• Voicemail transcriptions (requires upgrade)

Ooma pricing

Ooma charges different prices depending on where you’re located. If you’re buying a Canadian number while based in the US or Canada, here’s what you can expect to pay:

• Essentials: $24.95 CAD ($19.95 USD) per user per month for virtual receptionists, simultaneous ring groups, music on hold, and more
• Pro: $29.95 CAD ($24.95 USD) per user per month for access to the desktop app, call recording, call analytics, and more
• Pro Plus: $34.95 CAD ($29.95 USD) per user per month for call queuing, hot desking, and integrations with Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365

Keep in mind there’s a one-time activation fee ($49.95 USD) required for all phone numbers.

4. 8×8: Best Canadian VoIP for international calls

Pros

• Unlimited calls to select countries and numbers
• Unlimited SMS in the US and Canada

Cons

• International calling for the base plan is limited to 14 countries, with special restrictions applied to 10 of them
• Clunky user interface
• No transparent pricing is available
• Limited storage for call recordings unless you upgrade

8×8 is another cloud-based VoIP provider in Canada tailored to call centers and larger companies. The base plan offers unlimited calling in 14 countries and basic integrations with tools like Microsoft Teams. The next tier up unlocks unlimited voice calling to 48 countries, which is ideal for companies with customers across the globe. In addition, you’ll get access to its skills-based routing, which connects the right rep to the right customer to resolve their issue.

Unfortunately, 8×8 is more focused on unified communications than calls and texts, which results in many features feeling limited or restricted. Call recordings, for example, only stick around for 30 days unless you pay for the media cold storage add-on. Even then, this upgrade only stores files for a maximum of 10 years. There’s no way to unlock unlimited storage, which could be an issue when storing context from past interactions.

You should also know 8×8 doesn’t offer unlimited texting on any of its small business plans. You may also have to use their SMS API to set things up the way you want.

Other texting limitations with 8×8 include:

• No SMS support on toll-free Canadian numbers and shared virtual numbers
• No support for group texting
• No international text support (you can receive international messages from outside the US and Canada, but you can’t respond to them)

If any of this is a dealbreaker, you might want to consider some 8×8 alternatives.

Key features of 8×8

• Unlimited calls in Canada and the US
• Auto-attendants
• Hot desking
• Unlimited internet fax
• In-app team chat

8×8 pricing

8×8 no longer lists its prices directly online. The last publicly available numbers were:

• X2: $33 CAD ($24 USD) per user per month for hot desking, unlimited calls to 14 countries, and unlimited users
• X4: $60 CAD ($44 USD) per user per month for supervisor analytics, unlimited calls to 48 countries, and call monitoring, whispering, and barging
• X6: $116 CAD ($85 USD) per user per month for skills-based routing, voice-centric advanced reporting, and metered or unmetered call bundles
• X7: $150 CAD ($110 USD) per user per month for integrations with chat, email, and social media channels, omnichannel routing, and co-browsing
• X8: $192 CAD ($140 USD) per user per month for quality management and speech and text analytics

The only way to get accurate pricing as of July 2024 is to request a quote 

5. GoTo Connect: Best Canadian VoIP for unlimited phone number extensions

Pros

• Unlimited calling to the US and Canada
• Integrations with Salesforce and Zendesk
• Unlimited phone number extensions

Cons

• Standout features require upgrades (including shared inboxes)
• SMS limits on the base plan
• No unlimited toll-free minutes
• No transparent pricing

Jive has rebranded to GoTo Connect, a VoIP service provider available to businesses in Canada. You can use the platform to create an unlimited number of phone number extensions and set up virtual meetings using video conferencing tools.

There are a few other standout features. For example, GoTo Connect supports real-time predictive analytics so you can generate insights about customer interactions (including chat conversations and calls). You can also tap into shared inboxes and custom reporting dashboards, although these are only available with an upgrade.

As you may have noticed, GoTo Connect is somewhat limited compared to other business VoIP phone services. The platform doesn’t offer unlimited calling to the US and Canada and limits your toll-free minutes to just 1,000 pooled minutes per month shared between users (no matter how much you upgrade). 

Plus, you can’t text customers outside the US or Canada. You’re also limited to just 80 SMS per user per month on their base plan.

And since GoTo Connect doesn’t expressly provide its pricing, you can’t estimate your monthly costs unless you contact their team for a quote.

Key features of GoTo Connect

• Local, vanity, and toll-free Canadian numbers
• Unlimited extensions
• Additional numbers
• Auto-replies (to first-time callers only)
• Desktop app and mobile app

GoTo Connect pricing

Like 8×8, GoTo Connect no longer publicly lists its pricing. Their last publicly shared plans started at $24 per user per month for teams of two to 10 users. However, the only way to get an up to date quote is to contact customer support.

6. Dialpad: Best Canadian VoIP for AI coaching tools

Pros

• Unlimited calls in your country, the US, and Canada
• Offers AI coaching tools on the base plan

Cons

• Must upgrade to Pro to have multiple phone numbers
• SMS and MMS are only available for US and Canadian customers
• No option to text internationally without upgrading

Dialpad is a business VoIP service featuring AI-powered phone tools for contact centers and large support teams. Dialpad’s AI Coaching Hub, for example, comes with a Coaches Leaderboard dashboard. This helps supervisors make better decisions about training, especially with stats like ‘overall average grade’ and ‘total number of calls graded.’

The biggest benefit of having a Canadian number with Dialpad is unlimited phone calls in Canada and the US. However, several necessary features are missing from the standard plan.

With Dialpad, you can’t:

• Add additional numbers unless you upgrade to the Pro plan ($30 CAD per user per month), which also requires a three-user minimum
• Integrate with tools outside of Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 unless you pay for the Pro plan 
• Send SMS or MMS if you’re outside the US or Canada 
• Text internationally without upgrading to the Pro plan
• Guarantee 100% uptime unless you pay for the most expensive plan (custom price)

Dialpad’s inability to guarantee your uptime could be a major problem as your business expands. Since even a 1% loss in uptime could cost thousands of dollars, Dialpad may be a more expensive and less reliable option than other Canadian VoIP providers.

Key features of Dialpad

• SMS and MMS support (international texting requires upgrade) 
• Unlimited calling in Canada and the US
• Video conferencing tools
• Voicemail transcriptions
• Call recording

Dialpad pricing

Dialpad pricing includes three different options:

• Standard: $20 CAD ($15 USD) per user per month for internet faxing, auto-attendants, and voicemail transcriptions
• Pro: $30 CAD ($25 USD) per user per month (three-user minimum) for multiple numbers, most integrations, and international text messaging
• Enterprise: Inquire for a quote (100-user minimum) for 100% uptime, unlimited ring groups, and dial-by extensions

7. CallHippo: Best Canadian VoIP for call centers

Pros

• Unlimited calling in the US and Canada
• Telephony API for call centers
• Intuitive interface
• Set business hours

Cons

• Users report support is slow to respond
• Call transcription requires upgrade
• Call recording is only available on higher tiers
• Limited SMS credits and calling minutes

CallHippo is a VoIP solution built to accommodate call centers and enterprise companies. More than 50 international numbers are available for your business, as well as a telephony API if you want more customization. If you’re a smaller business just looking for the basics, they also offer standard features like business hours, voicemail, and number extensions.

But CallHippo may not be a scalable option for businesses finding their feet. The base plan offers just 1,000 free minutes and 100 SMS messages per user per month. Upgrading to the Professional plan unlocks ‘unlimited’ calls and texts to the US and Canada, but even then, all premium, mobile, and toll-free numbers fall outside their ‘unlimited call’ umbrella.

Many of CallHippo’s better features are hidden behind more expensive pricing plans. Voicemail transcriptions and IVR, for example, require an upgrade to the Professional plan ($42 CAD per user per month). Interestingly, you’ll also find basic calling features locked behind the Ultimate plan, including third-party integrations, holiday call routing, conference calling, and more.

CallHippo’s greatest limitation comes before purchasing a plan — they have strict user minimums on every tier. You can only have five users on the Starter plan before needing to upgrade to the Professional plan, which nearly doubles your monthly costs per user. Even the Ultimate plan ($58 CAD per user per month) comes with a 50-user cap. Once you hit user 51, you’ll need to upgrade to CallHippo’s more expensive call center solutions.

And if you run into trouble or need to ask questions, you may find their support is slow to respond.

Key features of CallHippo

• Unlimited calls in the US and Canada
• Webhooks
• Ring groups
• Set business hours
• Desktop, web, and mobile phone apps

CallHippo pricing

CallHippo offers two distinct plans: a call center solution and an office phone system.

Here’s what you can expect to pay for the office phone system:

• Starter: $25 CAD ($18 USD) per user per month for one local Canadian number, unlimited calls in the US and Canada, and ring groups (five user max)
• Professional: $42 CAD ($30 USD) per user per month for call recording, voicemail to email, and country-specific blocking tools (50 user max)
• Ultimate: $58 CAD ($42 USD) per user per month for custom greetings, customizable integrations, and professionally recorded greetings (50 user max)

If you’re an enterprise brand with a higher call volume, you may choose to pay for the call center solution. This unlocks advanced features more applicable to bigger brands, including tools like role-based access control.

There are three separate tiers:

• Bronze: $22 CAD ($16 USD) per user per month for shared numbers, shared inboxes, recorded voicemail, and more
• Silver: $32 CAD ($24 USD) per user per month for call recording tools, basic IVR, individual working hours for each user, and more
• Platinum: $52 CAD ($40 USD) per user per month for multi-level IVRs, call whispering, conference calling, and more

8. net2phone Canada: Best Canadian VoIP for live support

Pros

• Unlimited calling to the US and Canada
• Phone, chat, and email support
• Easy-to-use platform

Cons

• Some users mention poor call quality
• Call recordings are only available as a paid add-on
• Limited integrations

Formerly known as Versature, net2phone Canada is a VoIP provider located in Ottawa, Ontario. They offer live customer support through phone, chat, and email so you can troubleshoot issues as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, many users suggest there are consistent problems with net2phone Canada, including poor billing and call quality issues. Reviewers mention lots of downtime, which may prevent you from addressing customer questions quickly.

Other limitations of net2phone Canada include:

• An additional fee for one-year call recording storage on all plans 
• No integrations with tools like Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, and Zoho unless you upgrade to the Business Select plan (starting at $39.99 CAD per user per month)
• Pricey additional toll-free minutes once you exceed the allotment on your plan (starting at $0.05 per minute)

While net2phone Canada may be a good bare-bones service, it’s not a robust business phone solution for growing brands.

net2phone Canada key features

• Unlimited calls to the US and Canada
• Auto attendants
• Call forwarding
• Ring groups
• Integrations with Salesforce, Zoho, Zendesk, and more

net2phone Canada pricing

net2phone Canada can get expensive for small teams. The fewer users you have, the more you pay per month.

If you have one to five users, you have to pay for the ‘Starter Kit’ plan, which costs $134.99 CAD per month and doesn’t include toll-free minutes. You also have to pay a $60 CAD one-time activation fee per user, plus tax.

If you have six or more users, you can choose from one of three plans:

• Business Lite: $29.99 CAD ($22 USD) per user per month for unlimited calling to Canada, the US, and 40+ other countries
• Business Select: $39.99 CAD ($29 USD) per user per month (six-user minimum) for video conferencing, 2,000 toll-free minutes, SaaS integrations, and more
• Business Premier: $49.99 CAD ($37 USD) per user per month (six-user minimum) for 5,000 toll-free minutes and premium complementary PBX phone rentals (only for three and five-year contracts)

You also have access to two ‘high volume’ plans:

• Call Centre: $59.99 CAD ($44 USD) per user per month for call reporting, call recordings, queue callback, and more
• Call Centre Pro: Call for pricing for omnichannel routing, predictive dialers, workforce management tools (WFM), and more through net2phone Canada’s partnership with Five9

9. Callture: Best Canadian VoIP for desk phone systems

Pros

• Unlimited outgoing and incoming calls in Canada
• Simple pricing model

Cons

• Confusing user interface
• Users report hard-to-reach support
• Bare-bones features with little growth opportunity

Callture is a Toronto-based company offering business VoIP services with a simple pricing model. All plans offer the same basic features — IVR, multiple extensions, on-hold music, and more. You can also set up extensions for every rep or department, and each extension can deliver a different message to your customers.

Since Callture works with PBX phone systems, users have many hardware options. There’s also a mobile app available (though a bit outdated) and browser support via WebRTC.

Unfortunately, the term ‘outdated’ describes a great deal of Callture’s platform, including its clunky UI and confusing user experience. It doesn’t have many features for team collaboration or offer advanced features like auto-replies or AI message templates.

Unless you already use a PBX system, Callture is likely not the best option for your business.

Key features of Callture

• Unlimited inbound and outbound calls from Canada
• Dial-by-name directory
• Custom voicemail
• Conference calling (10 people maximum)
• HD voice

Callture pricing

Callture charges the same price per user per month ($26.50 CAD) across all its pricing plans.

Each tier comes with the same basic features:

• Unlimited outgoing calls
• Unlimited incoming calls
• Includes internet fax Number

• First month free (60-minute limit)
• Free tech support

Once you pay for two users or more, you’ll get a toll-free number.

10. Aircall: Best Canadian VoIP for cold calling

Pros

• Unlimited calls in the US and Canada
• Webhooks and API are available on the basic plan

Cons

• No MMS support for non-US or Canadian numbers
• Steep learning curve
• Call recordings are only accessible for up to one year without an upgrade

Aircall combines the benefits of a PBX system with a virtual phone solution. It integrates with tools like Slack, Salesforce, and Zendesk and comes with API and webhooks for additional customization. You can also set up a power dialer for cold calling.

But Aircall falls short when it comes to business texting, especially outbound messaging. You get unlimited inbound SMS on all plans, but just 4,000 outbound SMS per user per month in the US and Canada. You also can’t send any MMS messages through non-US or Canadian numbers.

Want to store recorded calls for training or legal purposes? Aircall’s Essentials plan only offers one year of call recording storage. If you want unlimited storage, you need to upgrade to the Professional plan ($50 USD per user per month). At a three-user minimum, that’s $60 more per month.

Key features of Aircall

• Unlimited calls to the US and Canada
• Smart call routing
• Ring groups
• Call recording
• Conference calling

Aircall pricing

All Aircall plans come with a set user minimum, which means if you’re a solopreneur, you’re not paying the listed price per month. Instead, you’re paying for additional users you don’t yet have — or swallowing the cost to get the features you need.

Your options include:

• Essentials: $30 USD per user per month for IVR, business hours, call recording, up to one year of call recording storage, and more (three-user minimum)
• Professional: $50 USD per user per month for unlimited access to call recording storage, queue callback, Salesforce integrations, and the Power Dialer (three-user minimum)
• Custom: Get a custom quote for unlimited worldwide calls, access to API developer support, and custom analytics (25-user minimum)

How did we find the best Canadian VoIP providers?

Our team took a deep dive into the most popular and top-rated VoIP phone systems available in Canada. After evaluating all the features businesses need from their phone service, we landed on our top 10 VoIP providers based on these eight factors:

1. Customer support: How easily can you get the answers you need? How helpful are the support reps?
2. Cost-effectiveness: Money is something small businesses need to consider. That’s why we only listed business communication platforms with cost-effective, scalable prices.
3. Features: We looked at VoIP services that offer (or don’t offer) the tools your business will need to grow. Then, we selected the best of the best to include in our final lineup.
4. Integrations: We chose platforms with third-party integrations your business may use now or in the future. This includes several popular tools (including CRMs, webhooks, and APIs).
5. Customer reviews: What are current or past customers saying? We combed through reviews to see how satisfied customers were with the provider and its reliability. 
6. Scalability: You don’t want to spend resources switching VoIP providers once your business starts to grow. How scalable is the business phone system, and can you unlock more advanced features as you grow?
7. Security: Security is important to prevent hackers from listening to customer conversations and gaining access to confidential information. The best communications platforms offer multiple forms of security so you can rest easy knowing your data is safe.
8. Ease of use: We analyzed which platforms are easy to navigate and don’t have a steep learning curve. It should be easy to get started with a communications solution and quickly get the rest of your team up to speed.

8 key features to look for in a Canadian VoIP phone service

There are lots of different Canadian VoIP providers to choose from, but only a few provide the tools and features modern businesses need.

Here are eight key features you should look for while narrowing down your list:

1. Shared numbers

Everyone on your team needs to work together to tackle your daily to-do list. Thankfully, shared numbers make this easy.

With shared numbers, all members of your team can split responsibility for incoming calls and messages. Everyone on the shared number can collaborate in-platform and delegate tasks when they run into problems. Plus, your supervisors can have clear oversight into all the conversations between your team and your contacts.

If your Canadian VoIP provider doesn’t offer shared numbers, consider crossing them off the list.

2. Call routing options 

Your VoIP provider in Canada should help callers get where they need to go. This means offering plenty of VoIP call routing options like:

• Shared numbers for specific teams or departments
• Round-robin calling features that ring multiple devices with an incoming call until someone picks up the phone
• Self-service phone menus that help customers reach the right department (like ‘Press Three for Billing)
• Call transferring tools that help you send live calls to a teammate

3. Voicemail transcriptions 

Gone are the days of calling a number to listen to audio-only voicemails. Today, you can partner with a Canadian VoIP service to get written transcripts of your voicemails without having to playback an audio file. 

With OpenPhone, you can easily review a voicemail transcription in the context of your entire conversation history. Plus, you can push your transcriptions to apps already in your tech stack and keep everyone looped into new developments.

Keep in mind that some providers lock voicemail transcriptions behind premium plans to force you to upgrade prematurely. Watch out for phrases like ‘add-ons’ or ‘with upgrade,’ then ask for more details before signing any contracts.

4. Free calling to the US and Canada

Your business needs to reach US and Canadian customers without paying extra for inbound or outbound calls. But as you can see in the guide above, not all VoIP providers in Canada offer free unlimited calling.

Paying extra to reach these countries should be a dealbreaker. You shouldn’t have to deal with overage fees, hard minute limits, or unnecessary red tape. If you don’t want to bloat your phone bills, look for a provider with free calling to the US and Canada.

5. SMS and MMS support

Customers expect businesses to meet their needs faster than ever before. And if you can’t send texts or messages with rich media, you’re already falling behind.

The best Canadian VoIP providers offer both SMS and MMS for your business. They should also offer texting features on local and toll-free numbers since not all companies support messaging on both types.

6. Automated texting options

Automation is a great way to save time for your team, especially when it comes to SMS and MMS. Not only can you focus more on complex tasks, but you can look professional to customers and show you care about their experience.

Canadian VoIP services like OpenPhone offer texting automations on every plan. Depending on what your business needs, you can:

• Send auto-replies to let customers know when your team is out of the office
• Schedule text messages to contacts outside your time zone
• Use AI-generated responses to avoid writer’s block
• Automate specific touchpoints (such as appointment reminder texts) and keep customers in the loop

7. Call recordings 

Call recordings are an essential component of small business success. If you can’t look back on past recordings to get context, coaching, or quality assurance, you may struggle to answer questions quickly or help your new agents get up to speed.

The Canadian VoIP provider you choose should offer call recording features on every plan. You should also get unlimited storage for all your media without arbitrary retention periods or time-based limitations. With the best business phone solutions like OpenPhone you can save time reviewing any recorded call with AI-generated call transcriptions and summaries. 

8. Conversation threads

You shouldn’t need to flip between different apps just to send messages to your coworkers. You need to connect with your team immediately if something comes up or if you need more clarification.

Platforms like OpenPhone help you collaborate with your team without hopping between different tools. All call recordings, texts, and voice messages stay in a single thread so everyone knows where to look for past conversations.

If you need a second pair of eyes while answering a question, you can tag other team members to help you review and follow up faster. You can also comment on any call recording, message, or voicemail so reps can easily stay up-to-date and keep track of issues as they’re resolved.

Get a number that supports your presence in Canada with OpenPhone

There’s a lot to consider before buying a Canadian number — and dozens of factors to weigh while picking the right phone service. But if you’re looking for a competitive VoIP provider with flexible plans and a user-friendly interface, OpenPhone ranks at the top of the list.

We’ve helped companies big and small build better relationships with their customers through automations, third-party integrations, and shared numbers. You can buy as many Canadian numbers as your team needs, then delight your customers with the help of our platform.

Start a seven-day free trial to see why thousands of brands use OpenPhone for their business phone communications in Canada.