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10 best VoIP phone systems for HVAC companies

VoIP HVAC

In the early days of your HVAC company, an after-hours phone call could have meant a potential new customer. But a couple years in, that 2 AM call hits differently — these days, all you really want is a full night’s sleep.

Owning an HVAC business isn’t for the faint of heart, especially when it comes to managing clients. But the good news is you don’t have to resign yourself to midnight messages. A VoIP automated phone system can help you reclaim your personal life without confusing customers or sending them to competitors.

This article compares the top 10 VoIP HVAC tools so you can find the perfect platform for your growing company. We also break down their prices, features, and limitations so you can decide which phone service best fits your business.

Top 10 VoIP HVAC tools to make your life easier 

Traditional phone systems can help with basic calling and texting, but VoIP services take these up a notch. You call and text through your internet connection, work with devices you already own, and set up automations like auto-reply texts. With this in mind, here are the best 10 VoIP phone systems to consider for your HVAC business:

1. OpenPhone 

VoIP HVAC: OpenPhone

OpenPhone is a cloud phone system designed to grow alongside your HVAC business. Once you choose a local or toll-free number (or port an already existing number), you can: 

  • Make unlimited calls in the US and Canada. You’ll never have to worry about paying per-minute rates — even for toll-free numbers.
  • Keep technicians’ personal numbers private. Use a shared main line so all team members receive the same incoming calls and texts, ensuring customers always reach someone who can help. 
  • Easily add and remove seasonal workers. Onboard temps when needed and remove them after the season without managing unnecessary admin tasks or purchasing year-long licenses.
  • Automate your business messaging. Send appointment confirmation texts, notify customers when a service rep is on their way, and more using third-party integrations like Make or Zapier with OpenPhone. 
  • Improve communication during seasonal spikes. Set up custom voicemail greetings and auto-replies to keep your customers informed during seasonal upticks. You can also use phone menus to direct customers to the right team members — no live receptionist required.
  • Set boundaries with after hours auto-reply texts. Let customers know when to expect a response so you can clock out guilt-free on evenings and weekends.
  • Share photos and videos with customers. Technicians provide proof of service, send updates, or request clarification via MMS to maximize the value of every visit.

See why OpenPhone is rated the #1 small business phone system on G2 by signing up for a free seven-day trial.

OpenPhone pricing

OpenPhone pricing
  • Starter: $15 per user per month for auto-replies, scheduled messages, manual call recording, and more
  • Business: $23 per user per month for phone menus, call transfers, AI call summaries and transcripts, and more
  • Scale: $35 per user per month for AI call tags, dedicated onboarding, and priority chat and email support

Get signed up with OpenPhone in under 15 minutes. Try out OpenPhone for a week by signing up for our free trial. Then when you’re ready, you can port any existing number to OpenPhone for free. 

2. Podium Phones

VoIP HVAC: Podium Phones

Podium is a popular lead conversion tool that offers a VoIP HVAC service called Podium Phones. This allows you to integrate calls, texts, and voicemail messages into a single inbox, and then manage all these interactions on Podium’s desktop or mobile app.

You can use Podium Phones to tap into basic VoIP features like after-hours call routing, auto-texts for missed calls, and AI-powered call summaries. However, it’s several hundred dollars more expensive than other providers since it integrates with tools like review management and AI messaging. Plus, users complain of significant glitches that make the software feel like it’s constantly in beta testing.

Podium Phones pricing

Podium Phones pricing

First, you need to choose one of three plans:

  • Core: $399 per month for five included phone numbers, 250 bulk SMS messages per month, scheduled messages, and custom phone menus
  • Pro: $599 per month for 15 included numbers, 500 bulk SMS messages per month, high-volume carrier-verified messaging, AI instant answers, text-based surveys, and text marketing generator
  • Signature: Custom pricing for bulk messages pricing discount, desk phone discounts, and the advanced reporting add-on

Though plans include unlimited team members, you need to purchase Phone Seats for team members who will make or receive calls. It’s $30 per user per month for teams of one to four users or $25 per user per month for teams of five or more. Discounts are only available for teams on the Signature plan.

3. Carolina Digital Phone

VoIP HVAC: Carolina Digital Phones

Carolina Digital Phone is a VoIP service provider located in (you guessed it!) North Carolina. The company offers traditional enterprise-grade VoIP features such as auto-attendants, voicemail-to-email, call forwarding, and video conferencing. It specializes in organizations such as schools, governments, and the military.

But Carolina Digital Phone has its roots in the 1980s — and it shows. For example, you won’t find modernized features like auto-replies or AI-powered call tagging. Plus, there’s no easy way to add or remove users on your own. You’ll have to manually set them up by calling the customer service team (not ideal if you manage many seasonal workers).

Carolina Digital Phone pricing

Although Carolina Digital Phone doesn’t offer public pricing, they do provide a per-user range of $6-$32 per month. If you want a custom quote, you’ll need to contact the sales department, then consider add-ons for video conferencing, custom conference bridging, and faxing.

4. Ooma Office

VoIP HVAC: Ooma

Ooma Office is a business phone solution designed for small business owners. It offers features like virtual receptionists and call forwarding, making it easy to add users and lines as your business grows. Technicians can also use the mobile app to make and receive calls from a single business line, which means they don’t have to worry about giving out their personal numbers.

Because Ooma Office is an older provider, it doesn’t always offer the most up-to-date features. Plus, many of its best features are locked behind upgrades, including texting, call recording, and access to the desktop app. There’s also limited customization on certain features. You can’t add shared numbers or always customize your after-hours replies, and you can only have one external line to forward calls.

Ooma Office pricing

Ooma office pricing

Ooma’s pricing has three tiers:

  • Essentials: $19.95 per user per month for a virtual receptionist, hold music, and access to the mobile app
  • Pro: $24.95 per user per month for video conferencing, access to the desktop app, analytics, text messaging, and call recording
  • Pro Plus: $29.95 per user per month for hot desking, advanced call management, call queuing, and access to the Salesforce integration

5. Service Fusion

VoIP HVAC: Service Fusion

Service Fusion is a field service management tool that comes with basic voice and text message support. In addition to its standard VoIP features (like call recording, call transcriptions, and routing), you can tap into its other tools for payment processing, project management, scheduling and dispatching, and more.

Of course, Service Fusion isn’t a fully functional VoIP system, so don’t expect features like IVR or AI messaging support. But you’ll still pay high prices — the cheapest plan is almost $200 per month.

Service Fusion pricing

Service Fusion pricing

Service Fusion has three pricing plans, which all come with unlimited users:

  • Starter: $192 per month for text message alerts, the ServiceCall call tracker, QuickBooks integration, and customer management (no voice or messaging) 
  • Plus: $298 per month for everything in Starter and integrated voice and text
  • Pro: $489 per month for everything in Plus and open API integration

6. Net2Phone

VoIP HVAC: Net2Phone

Net2Phone offers VoIP solutions that work on laptops, desktops, and mobile phones. Its biggest claim to fame is long-distance support: upgraded users have access to 99.9% uptime and unlimited calling in 40+ countries.

You get all the basics with an entry-level Net2Phone subscription, including unified communications services and unlimited domestic calling (US, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico). 

However, Net2Phone wasn’t designed with scalability in mind, and many of its features come with limitations. You’ll also have to worry about pricing changes as you scale. Since Net2Phone’s prices depend on the size of your team, adding and removing seasonal workers could significantly affect your monthly price.

Net2Phone pricing

Net2Phone’s pricing

As mentioned, Net2Phone’s pricing depends on the size of your team. The fewer people you have, the more you’ll pay — not ideal for growing businesses.

Here’s what you’ll pay for a group of one to nine users:

  • Essentials: $27.99 per user per month for unlimited calling in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, call routing, call recording, SMS and MMS support, and integrations with Google Calendar and Contacts
  • Professional: $34.99 per user per month for productivity integrations (Zoho, Slack, Zapier, etc.), group messaging, call summaries and transcriptions, extension mirroring, and international calling in 40+ countries
  • Ultimate: Custom pricing for advanced analytics, custom reporting, integrations with Salesforce and Microsoft Teams, and advanced AI features (sentiment analysis and AI coaching notes)

7. Nextiva 

VoIP HVAC: Nextiva

Nextiva is a customer experience management platform that also offers a VoIP service. If you upgrade to its second tier, you’ll unlock features like toll-free calling, call groups, and unlimited internet fax. You can also connect multiple customer channels (think WhatsApp, Facebook, and email) into a single shared inbox.

But because Nextiva focuses on such a wide range of channels, it somewhat neglects its VoIP functionality. For example, you’ll have to upgrade to the third tier to unlock toll-free minutes, and even then, you’re limited to 2,000 minutes per month. Unlocking unlimited SMS requires an upgrade to the highest tier — pretty steep, considering providers like OpenPhone offer unlimited texts on every plan.

Nextiva pricing 

Nextiva pricing

Nextiva has four pricing plans to choose from:

  • Digital: $20 per user per month for integrations with messaging channels (email, Messenger, WhatsApp, etc.), unified user inbox, and reporting tools
  • Core: $30 per user per month for inbound and outbound voice, 100 text messages per month, smart call routing, AI voicemail transcriptions, and desktop and mobile apps
  • Engage: $40 per user per month for live chat and chatbot, 250 text messages per month, digital fax, toll-free numbers plus 2,000 minutes per month, customer-to-team SMS, and integration with Microsoft Teams
  • Power Suite: $60 per user per month for unlimited text messages per month, 10,000 toll-free minutes, priority and skills-based routing, and an inbound call center for sales and service

Get the full breakdown in our guide to Nextiva pricing.

8. Grasshopper 

VoIP HVAC: Grasshopper

Grasshopper is another virtual phone system that has useful features for HVAC companies. Each plan comes with options for phone extensions, SMS and MMS, and custom voicemail greetings.

But what Grasshopper doesn’t come with is easily scalable plans. Case in point: no additional extensions are available on the base plan, and only the most expensive plan comes with more than one phone number. Even its ‘modern’ features come with serious limitations — for example, auto-replies only go out to first-time callers.

Grasshopper pricing

Grasshopper pricing

Grasshopper offers three pricing plans:

  • True Solo: $14 per month for one user, one phone number, and one extension
  • Solo Plus: $25 per month for unlimited users, one phone number, and three extensions
  • Small Business: $55 per month for unlimited users, four phone numbers, and unlimited extensions

Check out more details in our guide to Grasshopper’s pricing.

9. Dialpad 

VoIP HVAC: Dialpad

Dialpad is an AI-powered phone system that specializes in call analytics and real-time call transcriptions. HVAC business owners can take advantage of automations such as after-business-hours text messages, which allow you to queue messages in the desktop app .

Unfortunately, Dialpad is less scalable than the other options on this list, especially when you consider its user minimums (three users on the Pro plan and 100 users on Enterprise). When you factor in Dialpad’s SMS limitations and steep learning curve, it likely won’t be a good fit for smaller HVAC companies.

Dialpad pricing

Dialpad has three pricing plans to choose from:

  • Standard: $15 per user per month for unlimited calls, video meetings (150 participants max), SMS and MMS support, and up to three ring groups
  • Pro: $25 per user per month for additional numbers, up to 25 ring groups, hold queues, international SMS, and third-party integrations beyond Google Workspace
  • Enterprise: Custom pricing for 99.9% uptime, dial-by-extension, and unlimited ring groups

Get the full scoop on Dialpad’s pricing.

10. RingCentral 

VoIP HVAC: RingCentral

RingCentral provides unified communications solutions (voice, video, and text) tailored to larger HVAC companies and enterprise brands. They offer features like call monitoring, advanced call queue rules, and 300+ integrations with popular tools. If you can’t give up the office yet, you can also rent traditional IP phones.

But you should know that RingCentral comes with limitations. For example, the Core plan limits you to 25 texts, 100 toll-free minutes, and limited storage per user per month. Plus, prices are higher for smaller teams, which could be frustrating (and costly) in the early days of your business.

RingCentral pricing

RingCentral pricing

Like Net2Phone, RingCentral’s pricing depends on the size of your team. Here’s what you’ll pay for one to five users:

  • Core: $20 per user per month for unlimited calls in the US and Canada, 25 business texts, 100 toll-free minutes, IVR, and shared voicemail
  • Advanced: $25 per user per month for 1,000 toll-free minutes, 100 business texts, video meetings with voicemail transcriptions, CRM integrations, and automatic call recording,
  • Ultra: $35 per user per month for 10,000 toll-free minutes, 200 business texts, unlimited storage, and device analytics

Improve your HVAC business workflows with OpenPhone

OpenPhone web and mobile apps

You don’t need a miracle to grow your business and get a full night of sleep — just a high-quality VoIP phone system with customizable settings like auto-replies. 

With a top-rated provider like OpenPhone by your side, you can save your sanity while building better relationships with your customers. No more midnight ringing on your personal number. OpenPhone is cost-effective, easy to customize, and more intuitive than traditional phone systems. 

What makes us a favorite of the HVAC industry? See for yourself with OpenPhone’s seven-day free trial.

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