Cheapest VoIP Phone Services for 2023

According to our research, Google Voice is the cheapest Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system for small businesses. With plans starting from as low as $10 per user per month, the service can’t be beaten on price. However, there are a range of low-cost alternatives to Google Voice, depending on your VoIP needs. There are cheap options with stronger features, better international value, and better scalability.

To save you the time and hassle of shopping around, this guide compiles eight of the cheapest options on the market, giving particular focus to their starting price, overall value for money, and ability to scale over time. Alternatively, if it's quick quotes you're after, we've also created a VoIP quotes calculator that can connect your business with custom prices to compare in minutes.

Best Cheap VoIP Services

On this page:

• Best Cheap VoIP Phone Services
• Research Methodology: Identifying the Cheapest VoIP Services
• Verdict: Choosing a Cheap VoIP Service
• Frequently Asked Questions

Considering both the short-and longer-term costs of services, our research suggests the cheapest VoIP phone services in 2023 are:

1. Google Voice – Cheapest starting price
2. DialPad – Great option for startups
3. Ooma – Great customer experience
4. Vonage – Best training features
5. Ring Central – Great for small businesses
6. GoTo Connect – Great for scaling
7. 8×8 – Best for sales features
8. Net2Phone – Great for international businesses

1. Google Voice – Cheapest VoIP System Overall 

• Prices from: $10/user/month

After surveying the prices of the top VoIP providers, we found that Google Voice delivers the cheapest service for businesses.  In fact, with plans starting from $10 per user per month, the system's starting price is head and shoulders below its rivals, and its offering isn't bad either.

The cloud-based phone system allows businesses to make and receive domestic and international calls, and its simple usability has helped it to secure a solid customer score of 4.4/5. Aside from its obvious name recognition and ease of use, the system really comes into its own with security features. Google Voice encrypts all consumer information and stores it in world-class data centers for safekeeping. Compared to services like VoIP providers like Vonage which only rank 3/5 for security, Google's commitment to security is pretty extensive.

However, while the service's security features are strong, the rest of its feature package is rather lacking. The system even bypasses basic communication and management tools like call queue, call barge, and call recording, making it a poor choice for lots of businesses. With this in mind, unless you have fairly basic VoIP needs, you're probably better off going for well-rounded systems like Ring Central or Dialpad.

Google Voice pricing

Google Voice is available to businesses at three different price points.

Google's cheapest plan, Starter, retails for $10 per user, per month. It can be used by up to 10 users in 10 different domestic locations and offers a range of classic VoIP features like business SMSs, voicemail transcription, and call forwarding.

Google Voice Standard is available for $20 per user, per month. It can be used by an unlimited number of users in an unlimited number of domestic locations. The package includes everything in the Starter plan, with additional auto attendant, ring group features, and desk phone support.

Google's Voice's most comprehensive plan, Premier, costs businesses $30 per user, per month. It feature's everything in the provider's Standard plan, but also offers unlimited international calling, advanced reporting, and data analytics features.

What we like

• Plans are very affordable
• Ranked #1st VoIP security features
• User-friendly interface

What we don't like

• System isn't very scalable
• Limited business features
• Poor customer support

2. Dialpad – Great for Startups

• Prices from: $15/user/month

Dialpad is a decent all-around VoIP system with all the call features and collaboration tools you need to lift your business off the ground. With its cheapest plan weighing in at $15 per month, per user, the internet telephone service is fantastic value for money, too. This affordable price point makes it perfect for startups and smaller businesses that are looking to stay connected while keeping overheads low.

And the sophisticated VoIP system can do far more than manage inbound and outbound calls. Unlike Google Voice and GoTo, Dialpad has a sterling set of business features, including an advanced voice intelligence (Vi) tool, which transcribes your conversations real time, and a number porting tool that lets businesses use their existing phone number. For the modest price you're paying for the service, this took-kit is pretty impressive.

Unfortunately, DialPad's low monthly fees do come at a slight price. International calls aren't included in the systems start-up costs, meaning that businesses making calls outside the US will be subject to extra fees. The option isn't able to grow well with businesses either, receiving a score of 3.3/5 for scalability. Due to the costs this is likely to incur businesses down the line, we think Dialpad's overall value for money isn't as strong as other solutions like Net2Phone or Zoom.

Dialpad pricing

Dialpad offers three main pricing plans, Standard, Pro, and Enterprise.

Dialpad's Standard plan retails at $15 per user, per month, and doesn't feature a user limit. The basic package gives businesses access to unlimited domestic calls and SMSs, AI-powered call and voicemail transcriptions, video meetings, and web support.

Dialpad Pro, available for $25 per user, per month, offers everything included in their Standard plan, with local number support in 70+ countries, global SMS capabilities, and a number of CRM integrations including Salesforce, Hubspot, and Zendesk. This plan requires a minimum of three users.

Dialpad Enterprise, the provider's premium plan, guarantees 100% uptime, can be used in an unlimited number of office locations and offers a number of SSO integrations. This plan requires a minimum of 100 users, and prices are available on request.

What we like

• Low start-up costs
• Great customer support options
• Sophisticated AI features

What we don't like

• The system isn't very scalable
• Poor external connections
• International calls cost extra

3. Ooma – Great Customer Experience

• Prices from: $19.95/user/month

With competitive pricing, a decent range of business features, and round-the-clock customer support, Ooma is a simple yet practical VoIP solution. According to Tech.co's own independent research, which compared telephone services against hundreds of data points, Ooma is the most reliable VoIP provider your business can go for. And don't just take our word for it, with an impressive customer score of 4.4/5, the system is clearly a favorite among businesses too.

There are, however, some limitations with the service. If you're serious about data security, Ooma's features probably won't cut the mustard. All plans lack basic security tools like multi-factor authentication and user permissions, and Ooma doesn't display compliance certifications on its site either.

For many businesses, Ooma's lackluster commitment to data security will be a dealbreaker. But if this isn't your business's top priority, we discuss its pricing plans below.

Ooma pricing

Ooma offers three distinct plans:  Office Essentials, Office Pro, and Office Pro Plus.

Starting at $19.95 per user, per month, Ooma Office Essentials is the provider's cheapest plan. It offers unlimited domestic minutes and has no user limit. The plan gives users access to a mobile app, as well as basic features like holding music and video calling.

Next up, Office Pro retails at $24.95 per user, per month. It contains all the features of Ooma's Office Essentials plan, with additional video conferencing, call recording, call blocking, and voicemail transcription capabilities.

Ooma Office Pro Plus is available for a slightly higher price point of $29.95 per user, per month. It includes everything offered in Omma's Office Pro package, with extra call queuing, hot-desking tools, and Salesforce integrations.

What we like

• Great customer support features
• Solid customer score of 4.4/5
• Potential to scale the system down the line

What we don't like

• Higher upfront costs than other services
• Poor security features
• Confusing pricing plans

4. Vonage – Best Training Features

• Prices from: $19.99/user/month 

With an overall score of 4.4/5, Vonage is one of the best business telephone systems our researchers have reviewed. With excellent sales and customer service features, and solid security tools, all for the monthly price of $19.99 per user per month, Vonage is a great system for teams on a budget. The system ranks high for scalability too, making it easier to grow with your business's needs.

For businesses looking to get to grips with internet protocol technology for the first time, Vonage's packages offer live customer training options covering topics like Online Accounts, Features, and Hardware. The software also provides interactive guided and video tutorials to all of its users to make the learning curve as manageable as possible.

Despite Vonage's strengths, however, it's unable to beat contenders like Net2Phone and GoTo Connect because the system doesn't rank as high across all our criteria. For instance, its customer score isn't very strong and its packages don't include international calling.

Vonage pricing

Vonage offers three pricing plans: Mobile, Premium, and Advanced.

Mobile starts at $19.99 per user, per month, and is available to an unlimited number of users. It offers unlimited inbound and outbound calls, SMSs, and team messaging within the US, as well as a mobile and desktop app, and access to the Vonage App Center.

Vonage's most popular plan, Vonage Premium will set businesses back $29.99 per user, per month. It contains everything in the Mobile plan with unlimited meetings for up to 100 users, CRM integrations, and IP desk services.

Finally, the provider's priciest package, Vonange Advanced, retails for $39.99 per user, per month. It features everything in Vonage Premium with additional call recording, visual voicemail, and call group capabilities.

What we like

• #2 for business features
• Great training features
• Strong scalability score

What we don't like

• Average customer score
• Not as affordable as other solutions

5. RingCentral – Great for Small Businesses

• Prices from: $20/user/month

We're massive fans of RingCentral at Tech.co. In fact, after analyzing and cataloging the leading VoIP providers, we found that they're one of the best internet phone services on the market, second only to Ooma.

Receiving a 5/5 for help and support and scalability, the service a great option for small businesses looking for an all-in-one solution that can grow with the needs of their enterprise. However, while RingCentral's plans are affordable, its start-up costs are a little steeper than rivals like DialPad and Google Voice. With international calls costing a premium too, RingCentral isn't able to climb any higher than 6th position.

RingCentral pricing

RingCentral offers four pricing plans: Core, Advanced, and Ultra.

RingCentral's Core plan costs $20 per user, per month offers an array of call management and phone administration features, and has an unlimited cap on calls within the US, as well as video meetings with up to 100 participants, internet fax services, and unlimited audio conferencing.

RingCentral's Advanced plan is available for $25 per user, per month and features extra automatic call-recording tools, real-time analytics, a single sign-on functionality, Salesforce integrations, and video meeting with up to 200 participants.

Finally, RingCentral Ultra is available for $35 per user, per month, and contains everything in the premium package with unlimited storage, and device status reports.

What we like

• Excellent scalibility
• Advanced business features
• 24/7 customer support

What we don't like

• Higher start-up costs than some of its rivals
• Internation calls charged extra
• Average customer score of 3.5/5

6. GoTo Connect – Cheapest Scalable Option

• Pricing from: $24/month/user

GoTo Connect is another safe bet for businesses looking for a budget-friendly VoIP solution. Boasting reasonable monthly prices and options to scale further down the line, the system is great for businesses looking to keep installation costs minimal. And with a customer score of 4.4/5 — beating industry titans like RingCentral and 8×8 — GoTo Connect also appears to be a firm fan favorite.

Our research suggests its security features are top tier, too. Offering multi-factor authentication, end-to-end encryption (E2EE), and user permissions on all its plans, GoTo Connect is far more secure than lots of other VoIP providers of its kind.

However, despite GoTo Connect's perks, the solution's features aren't as competitive as others on the list. For instance, the service lacks basic functions like call transcription, call monitoring, predictive dialing, and custom call lists. Unfortunately, just like Net2Phone, its shortage of standard VoIP features rules the service out from being used by many larger companies.

GoTo Connect pricing

GoTo Connect offers three plans.

GoTo Connect Basic is the provider's cheapest plan. Setting back businesses $24 per user, per month, it's more affordable than most other standard packages on this list. This Basic plan offers users unlimited domestic calls, and a slew of common VoIP features including voicemail, virtual receptionist, call queue, and voicemail-to-text capabilities.

GoTo Connect's Standard plan retails for $29, per user, per month. The plan contains all the functions of the Basic plan, with additional international calling and video calling (up to a limit of 150 people).

Finally, GoTo Connect Premium is the provider's most generous package. Available for $39, per user, per month, the plan includes everything in the Standard plan, with extra call motoring, call whispering and call barge features, and access to a support center.

What we like

• Great value for money
• Scalable packages that can grow with your business
• High customer score of 4.4/5
• Compatibility with over 180 desk phones

What we don't like

• Ranked worst for external connection features
• Limited feature set

7. 8×8 – Best for Sales Features 

• Prices from: $24/user/month

Next up, we have 8×8. With our research ranking it #1 for business and security features and its plans starting from as low as $24 per user per month, we think 8×8 is the best VoIP option for sales teams.

Sales features are really what truly sets 8×8 apart from its competition. Through speech analytics software, businesses using the system can gather useful customer insights to improve their sales record. Users can also use 8×8's unique dialing capabilities and AI virtual assistant to improve their call productivity ⁠— tools that are fairly unique to the provider.

8×8's expansive tool kit aside, the system has only been able to achieve a value score of 2.5/5 because basic features like analytics and call transcription are reserved for users of premium plans. And with 8×8's higher tiers costing as much as $140 per user per month, the system's average price is far above most of its rivals. 8×8 does rank well for scalability though, meaning that its value for money is likely to improve over time.

8×8 pricing

Available for $24 per user, per month, 8×8's X2 plan is the provider's cheapest plan. It has no user cap and offers unlimited calling to the US, Canada, and more than 10 other countries. Users will be able to access a raft of features including voice and video massaging, intelligent call routing, hold music, and voicemail capabilities. There's also a host of business integrations to take advantage of, from CRM programs like Pipedrive to communication platforms like Microsoft Teams.

Clocking in at $44 per user, per month, X4 is a plan that focused on advanced call handling and analytics. Aside from boasting supervisor analytics, call quality reporting and call monitoring, whispering, and barge features, it provides unlimited voice calling to over 48 countries.

To learn more about the provider's VoIP packages, read our guide to 8×8's prices and features here.

What we like

• Sophisticated business features
• Can grow easily with businesses
• #1 for security features

What we don't like

• Cheaper options are available
• Average customer score

8. Net2Phone – Great for International Use

Pricing from: $24.99/user/month

With Net2Phone's cheapest plan weighing in at $24.99 per user, per month, the system's price point may be marginally steeper than its rivals. However, after reviewing the provider's full package, our researchers have awarded the system a value score of 4.5/5 making it one of the best value VoIP systems on this list, and great value for international businesses in particular.

So what justifies this impressive score? Well, even Net2Phone's cheapest package includes free desk phones and unlimited domestic and international calls to over 40 countries. Since these benefits typically cost VoIP customers a premium –  with providers like Google Voice charging as much as $2.50 per minute for calls to certain territories – Net2Phone is much more likely to save businesses money in the long term.

The service isn't perfect though. Net2Phone ranks poorly on scalability, coming in 7th place after providers like RingCentral, 8×8, and Vonage. This means that while the provider's system is great value overall, you may be forced to invest in a different solution if your business's needs diversify down the line.

Net2Phone's feature set is pretty limited too. While the plans offer basic VoIP functions such as call voicemail, call forwarding, and business SMSs, they forego standard external coms, call management, and conversation features. This makes the system less suited for larger enterprises and those with specific business call requirements.

Net2Phone pricing

Net2Phone's Office package will set businesses back $24.99 per user, per month. The plan offers unlimited nationwide and international calling, video conferencing, call recording SMS text messaging, and a web and mobile app.

Office Pro, Net2Phone's mid-tier plan, includes everything featured within the Office plan, with additional Receptionist Console (RCon) and Polycom, Yealink, Cisco, and Panasonic desktop and phone integrations. Office Pro is available for $26.99 per user, per month.

Finally, Net2Phone's premium plan Office Power costs $29.99 per user per month. The package includes everything in the Office Pro plan, with an additional Virtual Fax, customer relationship management (CRM), and an application programming interface (API).

What we like

• Affordable pricing plans
• Domestic and international calls to 40+ countries included
• 24/7 support

What we don't like

• The system ranks poorly (3.1/5) for scalability
• Poor external communication features
• Limited toolkit

How Did We Compare the Cheapest VoIP Phone Services?

Our research team takes product comparison pretty seriously. To make sure we only list quality products on our site, we compare VoIP products against seven key metrics. These include:

• Cost factors – How much will this cost business in the short and long term?
• VoIP features – What's included in the systems software?
• External communications – Will the product seamlessly integrate with existing business software?
• Customer support – What help and support options are available?
• Security options – How secure is the telephone system?
• Scalability – Will businesses be able to scale the system when their needs evolve?
• Customer score – What do users think of the product?

After researching how each VoIP provider performs in these core categories, we award them a set of scores. These scores dictate how these businesses' telephone services size up next to each other.

When it comes to working out a provider's cost factors, we consider their plan's retail price, scalability, and domestic and international call limit. If systems have a low retail price, are scalable, and offer generous call limits, they appear higher up on our list.

We leave no stone unturned when it comes to analyzing products. You can about our vigorous research process here.

Frequently Asked Questions