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Our latest research shows that Google Voice is the cheapest VoIP phone service, with plans starting from as low as $10 per user per month. However, it only offers the basics when it comes to features, so if your needs are slightly more complex, there are other low-cost Google Voice alternatives you can also consider.
With advanced AI-powered features and packages starting from $15 per user, per month, Dialpad is an excellent option for startups, while Ooma's low downtime and top-notch customer service options make it the most reliable VoIP provider we tested. Read on to learn more about why these three providers currently rank as the best cheap VoIP service in Winter 2023.
Cheapest VoIP Phone Service Overview
- Google Voice – Cheapest starting price
- DialPad – Great option for startups
- Ooma – Great customer experience
- Vonage – Best training features
- RingCentral – Great for small businesses
- GoTo Connect – Great for scaling
- 8×8 – Best for sales features
- Net2Phone – Great for international businesses
Use the links above to start comparing prices for the cheapest VoIP systems, or read on for the reviews.
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, check out our VoIP quotes calculator for prices tailored to your business.
Best Cheap VoIP Services
| Price from The typical lowest starting price. The lowest price available for your business will depend on your needs. | International Call Fees | Scalable? | Domestic Calls Included? | International Calls Included? | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest Starting Price  | Great Option for Startups  | Great Customer Experience  | Best Training Features  | Great for Small Businesses  | Great for Scaling  | Best for Sales Teams  | Great for International Businesses  |
| Google Voice | Dialpad | Ooma | Vonage | RingCentral | GoTo Connect | 8×8 | Net2Phone |
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| Free international calling across all plans |
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| | | | | | Yes – but not on first plan | | |
Does Scalability Matter?
VoIP scalability refers to how effective a system will be at meeting your business's future needs. When researching the cheapest VoIP services on the market, we found that scalability had a massive impact on price. The cheapest systems to set up initially, aren't always the cheapest in the long run. When a telephone system is able to evolve alongside your business, you'll be saved the money and hassle involved with installing a new product, or expensive add-ons, later down the line. Comparing custom price quotes can give you the full picture of costs for your exact business needs.
Google Voice is the cheapest VoIP phone service, but there are loads of high-quality, affordable options on the market. Considering both the short and long-term costs of services, our research suggests that these are the eight cheapest VoIP phone services in 2023:
1. Google Voice – Cheapest VoIP System Overall
- Prices from: $10/user/month
When examining the prices for the top internet phone providers, we found that Google Voice delivers the cheapest VoIP phone 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 overall offering isn't bad either.
As one of the best cloud phone systems, it allows businesses to make and receive domestic and international calls, personalize voicemail greetings, search voicemail transcripts like emails, and block unwanted callers.
It's simple usability helped it secure a solid customer score of 4.4/5. And aside from its obvious name recognition and ease of use, the system really comes into its own with a strong set of security features. Google Voice encrypts all consumer information and stores it in world-class data centres for safekeeping. When compared with services like Vonage, which only rank 3/5 for security, Google's commitment to security is pretty extensive.
Google Voice shown on laptop and mobile. Source: voice.google.com
However, being the cheapest VoIP provider means it's bound to come with a few drawbacks. While it offers strong security features, we founds that the rest of its feature package is lacking. The system even bypasses basic communication and management tools like call queue, call barge, and call recording, making it a poor choice for quite a few businesses. Unless you have fairly basic VoIP needs, we'd recommend you go for well-rounded systems like Ring Central or Dialpad.
What's new for Google Voice?
Pros
- Unbeatable security
- Inexpensive pricing
- Single Sign-On across all plans
- Spam prevention
Cons
- Least features in our research
- Poor customer support
- Limited scalability
- From $10/user/month (+ a Workspace plan)
- Standard costs $16/user/month
- Premier costs $24/user/month
Google Voice pricing
Google Voice is available to businesses at three different price points. We break them down in our table below:
| Price | Users | Unlimited calls in US | 24/7 support | Call recording | Call monitoring | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | |||||
| Starter | Standard | Premier | |||||
| $10/user/month | $20/user/month | $30/user/month | |||||
| 10 | Unlimited | Unlimited | |||||
| | | | |||||
| | | | |||||
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| | | |
What we like
- Cheapest VoIP phone service we reviewed
- Ranked #1 VoIP for 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 the second cheapest VoIP phone service we researched, with its cheapest plan priced at $15 per user, per month. This affordable price point makes it perfect for startups and smaller businesses that are looking to stay connected while keeping their overheads low. We also found it to be a decent all-around VoIP system that includes all of the essential call features and collaboration tools needed to lift your business off the ground – including ring group capabilities to instant messaging features.
This 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 that transcribes your conversations in real time.
There is also a number porting tool that will allow businesses to use their existing phone number. For the modest price you'll be paying for the service, this is a pretty impressive toolkit, as most other feature-rich options we research cost at least an extra $5 per user, per month.
The provider recently launched an AI coaching hub for early adopters, which makes it easier for managers to track performance, streamline the onboarding process, and improve customer experiences (see below).
Dialpad AI Coaching Hub feature. Source: dialpad.com
Unfortunately, DialPad's low monthly fees means there are a few downsides. International calls aren't included in the systems startup costs, meaning that businesses making calls outside the US will be subject to additional fees. It receives a score of 3.3/5 for scalability because it lacks call monitoring and call flow designer on plans below the Enterprise tier, which means it isn't able to grow well with businesses. 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 Net2Phone or Zoom.
What's new for Dialpad?
Ai Coaching Hub – Gain a complete overview of your team's performance and identify which teams and agents may need additional support. (June 2023)
In-Queue Callback Setting – Allow customers who requested a callback to ring your first with Dialpad's new in-queue callback setting. (June 2023)
Highlights
- Advanced business features
- Easy to set up
- Great customer support options
Key Features
- Unlimited domestic calls
- AI keyword tracking
- AI voice transcription
- Business SMS's
- Three pricing tiers offered
- Cheapest plans cost $15 per user, per month
Dialpad pricing
Dialpad offers three main pricing plans, Standard, Pro, and Enterprise. See how they compare below.
| Price | Users | Unlimited calls in US | Video conferencing | 24/7 support | Call recording | Call monitoring | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | ||||||
| Standard | Pro | Enterprise | ||||||
| $15/user/month | $25/user/month | Custom | ||||||
| Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | ||||||
| | | | ||||||
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What we like
- Second cheapest VoIP phone service we reviewed
- 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 our independent research, which compared telephone services against hundreds of data points, Ooma is the most reliable VoIP provider your business can go for. With an impressive customer rating of 4.4/5 from clients, the system is clearly a favorite among businesses too.
Ooma Call Analytics Feature, source: ooma.com
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. Ooma doesn't display any compliance certifications on its site either.
For many businesses, Ooma's lackluster commitment to data security will be a deal breaker.
What's new for Ooma?
Pros
- Free number transfer
- Multi-level virtual receptionist
- Easy DIY installation
- 24/7 support
Cons
- Pricier high tier plans that others
- Scores poorly for security
- Few third party integrations
- Starts from $19.95/user/month
- Cheapest plan is feature-rich
Ooma pricing
Ooma offers three distinct plans: Office Essentials, Office Pro, and Office Pro Plus. Learn more about them in our comparison table below:
| Price | Users | Unlimited calls in US | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | |
| Ooma Office | Ooma Office Pro | Ooma Office Pro Plus | Ooma Enterprise Standard | Ooma Enterprise Enhanced | Ooma Enterprise Call Center |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| | | | | | |
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
- Price: from $19.99/user/month
With an overall score of 4.4/5, Vonage is one of the best business telephone systems our researchers 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 alongside your business.
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 list of strengths, it's unable to beat contenders like 8×8 and RingCentral 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.
What's new for Vonage?
Pros
- Huge suite of features
- Very Scalable
- Great for Training Staff
Cons
- No multi-factor authentication
- Customer support could be better
- Quite a few features cost extra
- Pricing starts from $19.99/user/month
- Per user price decreases based on the number of users
Vonage pricing
Vonage offers three pricing plans: Mobile, Premium, and Advanced. See how they compare below:
| Price | Users | Unlimited calls in US | 24/7 support | Call recording | Call monitoring | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | |||||
| Mobile | Premium | Advanced | |||||
| Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | |||||
| | | | |||||
| | | | |||||
| | | | |||||
| Additional cost | Additional cost | Additional cost |
Read our guide to the best Vonage alternatives to see how the VoIP service compares.
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
- Price: 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 it provides the best VoIP softphone app and one of the best internet phone services on the market, second only to Ooma.
Receiving a 5/5 for help and support and scalability thanks to onboarding support and a multitude of ways to contact customer service, it's a great option for small businesses looking for a comprehensive solution that can grow with the needs of a business. However, while RingCentral's plans are affordable, its startup costs are a little steeper than rivals like DialPad and Google Voice. With international calls also costing a premium, RingCentral isn't able to climb any higher than fifth position.
What's new for RingCentral?
Pros
- Highly Scalable
- Lots of external connections
- Feature-rich
Cons
- Limited inclusive minutes
- Not popular with users
- Core plan available from $20/user/month
- We recommend the Advanced plan for $25/user/month
- Ultra plan available from $35/user/month
RingCentral pricing
RingCentral offers three pricing plans: Core, Advanced, and Ultra. Learn about their prices and features below.
| Price | Users | Video conferencing | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | ||
| Core | Advanced | Ultra | ||
| 20 lines max. (for more, contact sales) | 20 lines max. (for more, contact sales) | 20 lines max. (for more, contact sales) | ||
| 100 participants | 100 participants | 200 participants |
What we like
- Excellent scalibility
- Advanced business features
- 24/7 customer support
What we don't like
- Higher startup costs than some of its rivals
- International calls charged extra
- Average customer score of 3.5/5
6. GoTo Connect – Cheapest Scalable Option
- Pricing: from $27/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. With a customer rating 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, except for Google Voice which is the most secure system we tested.
GoTo connects scalable packages and abundance of external software integrations – from the likes of Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, Zendesk and more – make it a great VoIP service for growing businesses.
However, GoTo Connects 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. Therefore, just like Net2Phone, its shortage of standard VoIP features make it less suited to large businesses than more adaptable solutions like RingCentral and 8×8.
What's new for GoTo Connect?
Instant Message Response – GoTo Connect's new feature allows you to set up an instant response with its desktop app, allowing you to customize its time period and response frequency. (August 2023)
Pros
- Excellent 24-hour support
- Uncomplicated product range
- Lots of features for the price point
Cons
- Confusing setup
- No free trial (demo only)
- Pricing starts at $27/user/month
- Standard plan available for $32/user/month
GoTo Connect pricing
GoTo Connect offers two plans: GoTo Connect Basic and GoTo Connect Standard. Scroll down to learn more.
| Price | Users | Unlimited calls in US | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | |||
| Basic | Standard | |||
| $29/user/month | $39/user/month | |||
| Unlimited | Unlimited | |||
| | |
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 Teams
- Prices: from $24/user/month
Our research ranks 8×8 as #2 for business and security features – with a perfect category score of 5/5 – and its plans start from as low as $24 per user per month.
We found that 8×8 is the best VoIP option for sales teams as its 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 boost productivity, identify setbacks and reduce costs. Users can also use 8×8's automated dialing capabilities and AI virtual customer 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 with premium plans. The provider's higher tiers cost as much as $140 per user, per month, pushing the system's average price far above most of its rivals.
If your business is growing and you're preparing to scale up your VoIP solution in the future, 8×8 will be a good option as it offers loads of pricing plan and it's value offering improves over time.
What's new for 8x8?
SMS Spam Blocking – 8×8 has recently introduced a spam prevention feature that lets admins block messages from select numbers for the whole company. (May 2023)
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Integration – 8×8 has also deepened its connection with the CRM platform, allowing users to tailor CX workflow within Dynamics, and benefit from single sign-on options. (May 2023)
Pros
- Popular with users
- Great integrations & features
- Great for security
Cons
- Unimpressive customer score
- Higher tiers are quite expensive
- Pricing starts from $24/user/month
- 30-day free trial
- Contact center plans: $85-$140/user/month
8×8 pricing
8×8 offers two main VoIP plans: X2, and X4. To learn more about the provider's VoIP packages, read our guide to 8×8's prices and features, or check out our comparison table below.
| Price | Users | Unlimited calls in US | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | |
| X2 | X4 | X6 | X7 | X8 |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| | | | | |
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: $23.99/user/month
With Net2Phone's cheapest plan weighing in at $24.99 per user, per month, the system's price point is marginally steeper than its rivals. However, after reviewing the provider's full package, our researchers 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.
While Net2Phone may not be the cheapest VoIP phone service we reviewed, its entry-level 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 more likely to save businesses money in the long term.
The service isn't perfect though. Net2Phone ranks poorly on scalability, coming in seventh place behind providers like RingCentral, 8×8, and Vonage. This means that while the provider's system is great value overall, it's lack of basic web conferencing, analytics and external communications integrations make it less suitable for growing businesses with evolving needs.
Net2Phone's feature set is pretty limited too. While the plans offer basic VoIP functions such as call voicemail, call forwarding, and business SMSs, it foregoes standard external coms, call management, and conversation features. This makes the system less suited for larger enterprises and those with specific business call requirements than systems like RingCentral and 8×8.
Pros
- Scalable from 9 users to over 101
- Superb reporting package
- Excellent value pick
Cons
- Limited external connections
- Few third party integrations
- Middling feature offering
- Plans from $24.99/user/month
- Domestic and international calls included
Net2Phone pricing
Net2Phone offers three packages for small businesses: Office, Pro and Power. See how they compare below.
| Price | Users | Unlimited calls in US | 24/7 support | Call recording | Call monitoring | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | | | |||||
| Office | Office Pro | Office Power | |||||
| $24.99/user/month | $26.99/user/month | $29.99/user/month | |||||
| 5-19 | 5-19 | 5-19 | |||||
| | | | |||||
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| | | | |||||
| | | |
What we like
- Affordable pricing plans
- Domestic and international calls to 40+ countries included
- 24/7 support
How Do I Switch VoIP Providers?
If you want to keep your current number, there shouldn't be any noticeable disruption to your phone service. However, we do advise that you port your number ahead of time because the process typically costs extra and takes at least one business day to complete.
We take our impartial research and analysis seriously, so you can have complete confidence that we're giving you the clearest, most useful recommendations.
After conducting an initial exploration to identify the most relevant, popular, and established tools in the market, we put them through their paces with hands-on testing to see their real strengths and weaknesses. In this case, we put ten VoIP systems to the test across 78 areas of investigation.
Based on years of market and user needs research, we've established a VoIP system testing methodology that scores each product in seven main categories of investigation and 16 subcategories; this covers everything from the features and security options available to the product's value for money and customer score, as well as much more.
Our main testing categories for VoIP phone systems are:
Customer Score: the external customer opinion as to their satisfaction with the VoIP product; the feedback and ratings given by customers who have used a particular VoIP system, as well as the market poisiton and reputation a VoIP software holds.
Cost: the pricing structure associated with the VoIP service. It includes factors such as monthly subscription fees, call rates (especially for international calls), setup fees, hardware costs (if applicable), and any additional charges for add-on features or services.
Features: the functionalities and capabilities offered by the VoIP service. This can include basic features such as call forwarding, voicemail, call waiting, and caller ID, as well as advanced features like auto-attendant, conference calling, and call recording.
External Connections: the VoIP service's ability to connect and integrate with external systems or devices. This can include compatibility with existing phone systems, integration with mobile devices, and support for softphones or IP phones.
Customer Support: the assistance and resources provided by the VoIP service provider to customers. This can include technical support, documentation, online resources, knowledge bases, and access to customer support representatives.
Security Options: Security options refer to the measures and features implemented by the VoIP service to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and protection of voice communications and data. This can include encryption of voice calls, compliance, password ruels and user permissions.
Scalability: the ability of the VoIP service to accommodate the growth and changing needs of an organization. This includes factors such as the capacity to handle a growing number of users, support multiple locations or offices, and scale up or down according to the organisation's requirements.
When it comes to calculating a product's final score, not all testing areas are weighted evenly, as we know some aspects matter more to our readers than others, which are merely "nice to have." After hundreds of hours, our process is complete, and the results should ensure you can find the best solution for your needs.
At Tech.co, we have a number of full time in-house researchers, who re-run this testing process regularly, to ensure our results remain reflective of the present day.
Verdict: Which Cheap VoIP Provider Should You Choose?
Even with our guidance, we understand that whittling through the competition isn't easy. This is why we've developed a unique tool that lets businesses compare the prices of VoIP providers with just a few clicks. Click on the button below to find a budget-friendly VoIP provider in minutes.
However, free VoIP systems normally offer limited business features and have strict user caps. This means they won't fit the needs of most businesses.