7 best Verizon One Talk alternatives in 2024

For current Verizon customers, Verizon One Talk may seem like a solid business phone solution. All phone numbers come with basic features you can bundle with your existing plan.

However, One Talk is far from a perfect phone service — and for thousands of small businesses, the features aren’t a good value for the price. Between contractual obligations and inconsistent services, most businesses end up looking for better options. 

In this guide, we’ll share seven Verizon One Talk alternatives that might be what you’re looking for. But first, let’s look at everything you need to know about Verizon One Talk.

What you need to know about Verizon One Talk

One Talk is a VoIP service you can add to Verizon’s traditional phone plans. This addition became available in 2016, making it one of the youngest cloud communications options on the market.

But its age doesn’t necessarily make it fresh or cutting edge. Verizon One Talk’s all-inclusive features are bare-bones basic:

• Unlimited WiFi calls and text messages (US only)
• Call forwarding
• Conference calls

It’s not clear which features you get on which plans or how much additional ‘extras’ such phone menus might cost. Plus, it lags behind many dedicated VoIP providers in terms of modernized features (which we’ll cover later).

One Talk is only available to Verizon Wireless business customers in the US. So if you’re located in any other country, One Talk won’t be available to you. Keep reading, as we’ll share other providers that let you get a US number outside the US. 

You should also know Verizon One Talk’s plans and included features are no longer publicly available online. That said, we’ve collected the last known information below so you can get an idea of their features and services.

Verizon One Talk pricing

As mentioned, Verizon One Talk pricing is no longer publicly listed (aside from the fact that it starts at $15 per line).

You’ll have to chat with a Verizon representative to customize a package that meets your business needs. You’ll also have to be an existing Verizon customer to get detailed pricing information or purchase a One Talk plan.

Here is the last known information on Verizon One Talk’s pricing and plans:

• Desk phone only: $25 per user per month for landline access to One Talk and features like call forwarding, conference calling, and bridge lines
• Native Dialer: $15 per user per month for a qualified iOS or Android phone preloaded with one mobile number and features like two line appearances, video calling, and moving calls from desk phones to mobile
• Mobile app only: $25 per user per month for access to the mobile app and features like line sharing, text messaging, and business app integrations
• Combo: $25 per user per month for desktop and mobile app access and features like call park and retrieve, calls on hold, and video calling

Keep in mind this doesn‘t include taxes and fees. And remember that certain features cost extra — phone menus (listed as auto receptionists on their website) are a separate add-on.

Why businesses turn to Verizon One Talk alternatives

Verizon One Talk lacks clear pricing, reliability, and other key phone features businesses need. While you can make phone calls and send messages in the domestic US, you’ll be hard-pressed to do so at scale — and you won’t be able to do it at all without a preexisting Verizon phone plan.

Here are a few more reasons One Talk customers switch to another provider:

Call reliability issues

Low call reliability is one of the most frequently cited issues for Verizon One Talk customers.

Take a look at these recent reviews:

“We switched 9 facilities from ATT to Verizon about a year ago. We run everything from restaurants to golf courses to fitness centers. We also run a very busy municipal building. We have been very disappointed. Overall, call quality is poor. Two of our facilities have broken calls constantly. We have tried EVERYTHING to solve the issues. The phones lose their 911 addressing info a lot, which renders them useless.” — VoIP Review

“The One Talk app … is highly unreliable. As a mobile business, I expect to get calls on my mobile phone through the app, again something Verizon stated was the benefit of their business service. Unfortunately, only about 50% of calls ever get through to my mobile phone. I’ll get back to my office and have a voicemail on the desk phone, but nothing on the One Talk app. Verizon bills this as the best service out there but has been very disappointing.” — VoIP Review

Poor customer service

If you run into trouble with your VoIP number, One Talk’s customer service team may not be much help. Poor customer service is a recurring issue, with hundreds of customers airing their frustrations about the not-so-user-friendly system.

Take a look:

“I dropped AT&T business lines to go with One Talk because they pitched it so well. However, it’s been a nightmare. Calls are dropped, when you download the app for some reason it [hijacks] our text from our personal number, and some texts don’t come through.” — Gartner

“Our proof of concept went well, but after implementation, it has been a total nightmare. Plenty of call quality issues including dropped calls.” — Gartner

“Each call to Verizon customer service could only contain one problem. Efforts to solve multiple problems in a single call (ticket) [that were] causing failures in the Verizon system, [required] multiple callbacks by me to clear the failed ticket before a new single-issue ticket could be initiated. The resolution of each problem required no less than 8 calls to Verizon customer service, involving a new person with each call [who had] no idea or interest other than reviewing the account in order to sell us additional services.” — VoIP Review

Desk phones have to be purchased from Verizon

One Talk’s desk phones are essentially business landlines. According to the latest available public information, desk phones have to be purchased directly from Verizon to be compatible with One Talk. You can’t use any preexisting hardware at all, making your upfront costs even higher.

Verizon One Talk supposedly works on other devices, including cell phones and desktops. However, past documentation suggests that only the desktop and mobile apps work independently of Verizon hardware. If you don’t own the right mobile devices, certain features like video calling won’t be available at all.

Plus, using One Talk on iOS or Android devices may give you a different set of features. Past documentation says you were unable to put Android calls on hold, which would be a major limitation if you’re trying to get work done from a non-Apple device.

Limited integrations

According to the last public documentation, the only integrations provided by Verizon One Talk are Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. If you’re willing to pay for premium add-ons, you can access Salesforce, Sugar CRM, and Microsoft Dynamics 365.

Compared to the integrations offered by other VoIP providers, this is hardly impressive.

How we ranked Verizon One Talk alternatives

We measured Verizon One Talk’s competitors based on five factors:

• Call quality – Can you trust the uptime of the VoIP provider?
• Overall value – Is the platform worth what it charges? Does the price make sense for today’s businesses?
• Third-party integrations – How can teams save time and streamline their workflows based on a phone system’s integrations? 
• Accessible design – How quickly can you get up to speed with the new software?
• Customer support – Does the platform focus on great customer experiences?

7 Verizon One Talk alternatives

So Verizon One Talk may not be everything you thought it was. 

Fortunately, seven business phone service solutions may be a better option for your company. 

Provider	Starting price	Unlimited calling to US & Canada	Unlimited SMS/MMS to US & Canada	Shared phone numbers	Additional phone numbers
Verizon One Talk	$15 per line	Depends on Verizon plan	Depends on Verizon plan	✓	$15 per number per month
OpenPhone	$15 per user per month	✓	✓	✓	$5 per number per month
Grasshopper	$14 per user per month	✓	✓	X	$9 per number per month
RingCentral	$20 per user per month	✓ (limited toll-free minutes)	X (25 messages per user per month)	Calls only	$4.99 per number per month
CloudTalk	$25 per user per month	US and Canadian customers only	Requires upgrade	Ring groups only	$9 per number per month
Phone.com	$12.74 per user per month	X	Requires upgrade	X	$4.99 per number per month
Dialpad	$15 per user per month	✓	US & Canadian customers only	✓	Requires upgrade, then $5 to $15 per month
Nextiva	$20 per user per month	X	X	Shared call appearance only	Undisclosed fee

1. OpenPhone: Best Verizon One Talk alternative

Pros

• Unlimited calls and texts in the US and Canada
• One free number per user on your account
• Shared business numbers
• 7,000+ integrations

Cons

• No verification through two-factor authentication*

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

OpenPhone is a modern business phone system you can use on your computer, smartphone, or tablet. We don’t just give you business phone numbers: we give you the most efficient way to build better relationships with your customers.

All OpenPhone numbers come with their own inbox, which keeps a record of all the phone activity that’s occurred on the number. That way, you can easily see call recordings, voice messages, and texts in a single view under individual contact threads.

Plus, every user on your plan comes with their own free phone number, which could be a local US, Canadian, or North American toll-free number. If you need additional numbers, you can purchase them at $5 per number per month. 

From here, you can assign your OpenPhone numbers to individual team members so they can hold 1:1 conversations with your customers. Want everyone on your team to split responsibility for incoming calls? With shared numbers, everyone can call and text from the same number.

Unlike One Talk, you can get started in just minutes using OpenPhone, and if you have any questions, our support team is ready to answer. You don’t need to cross your fingers for good call quality, either; our uptime history speaks for itself.

When you sign up for OpenPhone, you get clear pricing upfront. Plans start at just $15 per user per month. We make it easy to choose a plan that meets your needs right now, which makes it easier to upgrade whenever the time is right — no preloaded devices or long contracts are required.

Key features of OpenPhone

• Free calls and texts (SMS & MMS) to Canada and the US
• Phone menus/auto attendants (included with every plan)
• Voicemail transcriptions that can be accessed from any device
• Automatic call recording for all phone numbers
• Integrations with dozens of apps (HubSpot, Salesforce, Slack, etc.), including 7,000+ workflow connections via Zapier
• Auto-reply text options and saved text templates with snippets
• AI-generated message responses
• Call summaries and transcripts
• AI contact suggestions

OpenPhone pricing

• Starter: $15 per user per month for unlimited calls in the US and Canada, unlimited SMS and MMS, one North American local or toll-free number per user on your account, and more
• Business: $23 per user per month for CRM integrations, round-robin calls, OpenPhone analytics, AI tools, and more
• Enterprise: Custom price to build a personalized plan with an assigned account manager (plus audit logs and priority support)

Switch to OpenPhone: The best Verizon One Talk alternative

Sign up for a free seven-day trial. Then, when you’ve confirmed OpenPhone is a great fit, you can easily port over an existing US, Canadian, or North American toll-free number.

How to switch and port your number from Verizon One Talk

Looking to move your existing phone number to OpenPhone? Porting your number is free, easy, and a great way to keep using an existing number that customers already recognize.

1. Set up an OpenPhone account if you don’t already have one.
2. Complete our one-minute porting form by logging into the OpenPhone web or desktop app.
3. Hang tight; the porting process to get a number from your existing carrier to our platform can take up to 10 business days.

2. Grasshopper: Best for phone extensions

Pros

• Affordable pricing
• Easy to use
• Unlimited extensions (with upgrades)

Cons

• No integrations
• No call recording
• Major texting limitations

At first glance, Grasshopper looks like a fairly standard VoIP system. It offers WiFi calling, call forwarding, and basic business texting services.

But when you dive into the details, their features start to look a little, well, dated. You’ll also notice how limited their plans are (and why they’re not a good fit for most small business owners). 

For example:

• There’s no way to purchase additional extensions without upgrading, and even then, you’ll have to pay $3 per extension and $9 per number (nearly double the cost of most VoIP solutions).
• You can’t send international text messages, MMS through toll-free numbers, or text message groups unless you’re using a local phone number.
• And no matter how much you upgrade, you can’t access call recordings, which could be a major limitation for coaching, feedback, and quality assurance.

Worse still, Grasshopper doesn’t offer any collaboration features. This means no shared numbers (except call blasting that allows multiple team members to take calls for an extra $10 per month), file sharing, or internal instant messaging.

Plus, no integrations are provided beyond call forwarding to a Google Voice or Skype account.

This is why hundreds of former customers have switched to Grasshopper competitors.

Key features of Grasshopper

• Virtual fax
• Phone extensions
• MP3 voicemail transcriptions for email
• Call forwarding
• Reporting

Grasshopper pricing

Grasshopper’s pricing plans give you three options:

• True Solo: $14 per user per month for one phone number, one extension, and one user (additional extensions not available)
• Solo Plus: $25 per user per month for one phone number, three extensions, and unlimited users
• Small Business: $55 per user per month for four phone numbers, unlimited extensions, and unlimited users

3. RingCentral: Best for file sharing

Pros

• Built-in team messaging and file sharing
• Unlimited calls in the US and Canada

Cons

• Limited texts
• Limited toll-free minutes
• Limited storage space

If you’ve ever Googled ‘VoIP,’ you’ve probably seen RingCentral pop up once or twice. This provider has been around for decades. Its team messaging interface makes it good for file sharing.

Unfortunately, many of RingCentral’s features are limited. Toll-free minutes and text messages, for example, have strict limits on every tier.

Even if you do upgrade for more bandwidth, you won’t get unlimited storage for your performance reports or call recordings. Your call history gets deleted after 9-12 months — and even if you upgrade for ‘unlimited’ storage, you’ll still have to worry about retention periods.

The most widely reported frustration is customer support, which customers say is often slow and clunky. It might take a while to get your questions answered and days to resolve critical issues.

Key features of RingCentral

• Team messaging
• File sharing
• Business SMS (limited)
• Visual voicemail
• IVR

RingCentral pricing

The cost of RingCentral depends on which tier you choose:

• Core: $20 per user per month for 100 toll-free minutes, 25 texts per user per month, basic call recording, and more
• Advanced: $25 per user per month for 1,000 toll-free minutes, 100 texts per user per month, advanced call recording, advanced call queues, and more
• Ultra: $35 per user per month for 10,000 toll-free minutes, 200 texts per user per month, unlimited storage, device analytics and alerts, and more

4. CloudTalk: Best for intracompany calls 

Pros

• Numbers in 160+ countries
• Unlimited inbound and intracompany calls

Cons

• Outbound calls cost extra
• International texts require upgrade
• SMS requires upgrade

CloudTalk is relatively new to the VoIP scene, moving from an embeddable widget to full-blown software in 2018. But CloudTalk still resembles a widget in a lot of ways, especially when you look at its limitations.

For instance, you’ll need to pay extra to access SMS/MMS messaging, which is only available on the second most expensive plan. Even caller ID requires an upgrade, which is something most phone services offer for free.

Here’s another catch: While CloudTalk offers free inbound and intracompany calling, it still bills you for outbound calls. This can add up fast, especially if you spend a lot of time cold-calling. And if you want to use toll-free numbers, you’ll have to pay for both inbound and outbound calls. 

The biggest limitation? User minimums. You need three licenses for the Expert plan and 10 licenses for the Custom plan. This may not be an issue if you’re a well-established company, but for growing teams and departments, it’s unnecessarily restrictive.

Key features of CloudTalk

• Unlimited callers in queues
• One month of recording storage
• Click-to-call options
• International phone numbers
• Desktop, iOS, and Android apps

CloudTalk pricing

CloudTalk’s plans give you four tiers to choose from:

• Starter: $25 per user per month for international numbers, call queuing, and more
• Essential: $30 per user per month for SMS text messages, business hours, caller ID, third-party integrations, and more
• Expert: $50 per user per month for power dialing, call monitoring, Salesforce integration, and more
• Custom: Call for a quote for custom onboarding and enterprise-level security

5. Phone.com: Best for HIPAA compliance

Pros

• Budget-friendly pricing
• HIPAA-compliant video recording (requires upgrade)

Cons

• No unlimited minutes on the base plan
• Only one phone number per account on the base plan
• Call recording requires add-on or upgrade

Phone.com is another legacy provider that’s been around since the early 2000s. Its VoIP platform doesn’t offer many bells and whistles, but it can get the job done for solopreneurs and personal users.

However, you should know that Phone.com doesn’t offer unlimited calls and texts to Basic users. You’ll only have access to 500 pooled minutes on the base plan, which are bound to run out fast if you run a growing business.

Need more than one number? Prepare to upgrade — you can’t even send SMS unless you upgrade to become a Plus user. 

Even call recordings require an upgrade or add-on, the latter costing an extra $8 per month.

Ultimately, Phone.com doesn’t make much sense as a scalable small business phone plan. 

Key features of Phone.com

• HIPAA-compliant video conferencing
• Apps for mobile phones and the web
• 50 standard voice features
• Phone menus
• Call recording (requires upgrade or add-on)

Phone.com pricing

Phone.com’s pricing is based on the types of users you have. You pick and choose different problems for your team, then pay per month depending on your licenses.

Phone.com’s three user plans include:

• Basic users: $12.74 per user per month for access to 500 pooled minutes, one phone number per account, 50 standard voice features, and more
• Plus users: $18.69 per user per month for unlimited calls, SMS, video conferencing with up to 25 participants, and one phone number per user
• Pro users: $27.19 per user per month for CRM integrations, voicemail transcriptions, call recording, call analytics, and video conferencing with up to 100 participants

6. Dialpad: Best for AI tools

Pros

• AI tools on every plan
• International numbers available (add-on required)

Cons

• Additional numbers require upgrade
• Ring groups are limited to three users on the base plan
• Ring groups are limited to three users on the base plan

Dialpad is a popular VoIP created by the minds behind Google Voice. It’s primarily used as a call center solution by enterprise brands with established physical locations.

Unfortunately, you can’t purchase any additional numbers on Dialpad’s base plan — and porting more than one number will cost you extra. This is a dealbreaker for most growing brands since most Verizon One Talk alternatives don’t have that policy.

Need to send international SMS? This is only available to Dialpad customers based in the US and Canada. 

Plus, you’ll only have access to basic integrations (like Google Workspace) on the Standard plan. You’ll have to upgrade to the second-highest plan for access to Salesforce, Zapier, and HubSpot, then upgrade again if you want access to SSO powered by Okta or Azure.

Key features of Dialpad

• Multi-level auto-attendants
• Team messaging
• Voicemail transcriptions
• Salesforce integration (requires upgrade)
• Auto-replies (require upgrade)
• Texting internationally (requires upgrade)

Dialpad pricing

Dialpad pricing has three tiers: 

• Standard: $15 per user per month for unlimited calls, SMS, and MMS (one office location max)
• Pro: $25 per user per month for multiple phone numbers per account (minimum of three users and 10 office locations max)
• Enterprise: Call for a quote for unlimited ring groups, 100% uptime, and more (100-user minimum)

7. Nextiva: Best for omnichannel communication

Pros

• Omnichannel communication tools
• Digital service helpdesk tools

Cons

• Limited SMS and MMS
• Toll-free numbers require an upgrade
• No inbound/outbound voice on the base plan

Nextiva is cloud-based contact center software designed to help you manage customers across multiple digital touchpoints. The base plan comes with features like the ability to connect with social media apps and set up shared digital inboxes for your team.

Unfortunately, Nextiva isn’t a great option if you need more traditional business communication solutions. Access to phone calls and text messages, for example, requires you to upgrade to the Core plan ($30 per user per month).

You also have to worry about unnecessary limitations. Toll-free numbers and minutes require multiple add-ons and upgrades, and even SMS messages are limited unless you upgrade to the most expensive plan ($60 per user per month).

Key features of Nextiva

• Messaging apps
• Live chat widgets
• Review management
• Email integrations
• Calls and texts (require upgrade)

Nextiva pricing

Nextiva’s small business plans are broken up into four tiers:

• Digital: $20 per user per month for live chat, email, social messaging apps, and more
• Core: $30 per user per month for inbound and outbound voice, 100 SMS messages per user per month, video meetings, call routing, and more
• Engage: $40 per user per month for call queues, advanced reporting, Microsoft Teams integration, 250 SMS messages per user per month, and more
• Power Suite: $60 per user per month for unlimited SMS messages per user per month, advanced IVR, intelligent team routing, supervisor dashboards, call transcription and summary tools, and more

OpenPhone: The best Verizon One Talk alternative

Finding a great VoIP doesn’t have to feel like a task that takes weeks or months. With OpenPhone, we’ve made it easy to start calling and texting fast: no activation costs, zero contracts, and no traditional phone lines or carriers.

Your team can automate routine tasks in your workflows and easily work together to respond to calls and texts. We offer affordable additional numbers and dozens of time-saving features so that as your team scales, OpenPhone can grow alongside you.

See for yourself why thousands of businesses use OpenPhone by starting a free trial today.