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The best softphone app is RingCentral, because it offers comprehensive 24/7 customer support, scalable features like call barges and ring groups, and a bounty of third-party services to integrate with the top VoIP provider.
It’s obviously not the only solution on the block, though, which is why we’ve researched some of the best to give you all the information you need to make the right decision for your team’s communication needs.
In this guide, you’ll learn about all the features, pricing, pros, and cons of the best softphone apps from top VoIP providers. You can also use our free comparison tool – which takes less than a minute – to find out which ones are best for you.
| Price from The typical lowest starting price. The lowest price available for your business will depend on your needs. | Best app for | Pros | Cons | Free Trial | Domestic Calls Included? | International Calls Included? | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEST OVERALL  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 8×8 | Vonage | Counterpath Bria | ZoiPer | Line2 | Ooma | |||
| $4.95/user/month | $49.95 one-time cost | No public pricing (used to be $26/user/month) | ||||||
| Overall softphone functionality | Streamlining Communications | Value for money | Training features | Team collaboration | Security | Managing large call volumes | Starting out with a VoIP phone | Customer Service Teams |
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| 15 days | 30 days | None | 14 days | Free plan | Free plan | Free demo only | 30-day money back guarantee | None |
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| | | | | | | Yes – but not on first plan | | |
Best Softphone Apps for 2025
Alongside these provider softphone platforms, we’ve also listed several other standalone apps that can be used regardless of which VoIP service you use. We’re confident that you’ll find the right solution for your requirements – whether you’re a solo entrepreneur, head of a sales team, or part of a large enterprise. Here are Tech.co’s top picks:
- RingCentral Office – Best for large scale businesses
- Zoom Phone – Best for small businesses with high call volume
- Ooma Office – Best for internal communication
- Google Voice – Best for Google Workspace users
After collating dozens of hours of research, we put together this article to highlight the best softphone apps for businesses. We’ve checked which options are best for features like cost, customizability, and security.
Expert Tip
If you’re committed to expanding your customer base, pairing your VoIP system with a CRM package is a no-brainer. Not only does the integration make it easy to share data across apps seamlessly, but it also lets you personalize each customer touch point to keep your client base happy.
RingCentral Office
- Best for large scale businesses
- Price from $20 per user, per month
The RingCentral softphone application is the best choice for most businesses because it offers the best customer support, is incredibly easy to set up, and has strong external connectivity – ensuring it will work alongside your existing software and infrastructure. Its impressive capabilities don’t break the bank either, with the provider’s packages starting at $20 per month, making it a great option for most small businesses.
In fact, we had the chance to test out RingCentral ourselves, finding the platform particularly easy to setup thanks to third party integrations with Google and Microsoft, allowing you to quickly migrate contacts and calendars over in an instant. Plus, the AI transcription features make it great for businesses that need to track that kind of data over time.
RingCentral’s softphone app operates on web, desktop, or mobile (Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android). It also provides a seamless, high-quality experience, whether you need it for video or audio call softphone functionality. The app is free, but you’ll need to sign up to RingCentral Office to use it.
Pros
- Flexible range of pricing plans, with easy scaling for all businesses.
- Largest library of third-party integrations across our research.
- All-in-one hub for internal and external communication.
Cons
- No automatic downloads for video meeting transcripts.
- High starting price makes it prohibitive for smaller businesses.
- CRM and helpdesk integrations reserved for more expensive plans.
- Core plan: $20/user/month
- Advanced plan: $25/user/month
- Ultra plan: $35/user/month
RingCentral Office features
RingCentral competes with the best video conferencing platforms on the market.
The app is bound to improve your team’s communication and collaboration, and is worthy of the top spot on this list. With a 4.5-star average customer rating across the App Store and the Google Play Store, it seems most users would agree with us.
RingCentral lets you switch devices during a call, as well as access files and add guest users – all of which are super useful and make the overall call experience smoother. There are voicemail-to-text and voicemail-to-email options, and you can even listen to your voicemails inside your web browser.
RingCentral also has a vast range of CRM integrations that will let you streamline your calls, and ensure all your data and information is being pulled through to the right places. Specifically, RingCentral offers more than 96 CRM integrations and syncs seamlessly with helpdesk options like Salesforce, Zendesk, HubSpot, and Freshdesk. However, unlike 8×8 which offers CRM integrations in its cheapest package, RingCentral users wanting the capability will need to upgrade to its middle-tier package, which costs $25 per month.
Find out if this is the right provider for your business by using our free comparison tool, which will match you to a softphone app based on your answers to a few quick questions about your business.
When we placed a call, the pop-up dial-pad made it easy to interact with the interface. Source: Tech.co testing
RingCentral Office pricing
RingCentral Office is available in three plans: Core, Advanced, and Ultra. The prices discussed below are based on two to 20 users when paid annually.
- RingCentral Core – ($20 per user, per month) RingCentral’s cheapest tier supports up to 20 lines, and includes unlimited calls within the US/CA, voicemail-to-text transcription, messaging, document sharing, and 25 SMSs per month. Due to the plan’s line and SMS limits and lack of analytics, it’s ideal for small businesses running relatively simple operations.
- RingCentral Advanced – ($25 per user, per month) This plan includes everything in Core, with additional calling features like call barge, call whisper, call queues, and call monitoring. The plan increases it’s business SMS limit to 100 per user per month too, making it a great option for small to midsize businesses looking to expand, but potentially too basic for enterprise-level businesses with large quantities of data.
- RingCentral Premium – ($35 per user, per month) This tier will grant you access to RingCentral’s business analytics platform, plus unlimited storage, device-level analytics and alerts, and other advanced features and reporting functions enterprises need, such as end-to-end encryption for video meetings. Business SMS is 200 per user per month. Due to this tier’s extensive feature offering, it’s a great fit for companies that require advanced calling and growth tools like customer service businesses.
Learn more about the provider’s cost in our RingCentral pricing guide.
What's new for RingCentral?
In a July 2024 update, RingCentral added a new feature dubbed Call Answered Elsewhere. Now, when a person answers an incoming call that is ringing multiple endpoints and coworkers at the same time, other persons see “Answered Elsewhere.”
Who should use RingCentral?
- Businesses that make regular video calls
- Small business after great value packages
- Businesses that require 24/7 customer support
Who shouldn’t use RingCentral?
- Businesses that want CRM integrations on the cheapest-tier
- Businesses regularly make charged calls
Zoom Phone
- Best for small businesses with high call volume
- Price: $10 per month
Zoom saw a meteoric rise during the pandemic thanks to its notable ease of use and affordability, making it the go-to option for video chats. It boasts an incredible 3.3 trillion meeting minutes each year.
Zoom has been adding to its business offerings over the past few years, and Zoom Phone represents an excellent VoIP option with a solid softphone app. In fact, Zoom Phone was considered the best value option in our VoIP research thanks to its low starting price and flexible pricing options.
Check out our in-depth Zoom Phone review for more information
Pros
- Very low starting price, ideal for smaller businesses.
- Excellent for managing high numbers of incoming calls (spam prevention, hold music, etc.)
- Top tier security protocol with abundance of compliance certificates.
Cons
- Limited number of CRM and Helpdesk integrations.
- No email support available and you don't get much help with onboarding.
- Insufficient analytics tools with a lack of detail in reporting.
- Metered: $10/user/month
- Regional Unlimited: $15/user/month
- Global Select: $20/user/month
Zoom features
In addition to a low starting price, all of its plans offer an array of inbound communication features, including voicemail-to-text, ring groups, call queues, and spam prevention. This makes Zoom one of the most cost-effective solutions for efficiently managing inbound calls – these features will ensure that your communication workflow is well-organized and running smoothly.
As for the actual app, Zoom is notorious for its easy-to-use interfaces. With high ratings across the App Store and the Play Store, there’s a good reason why Zoom is near the top of this list.
However, unlike advanced softphones like 8×8, the app doesn’t offer advanced calling features like predict dialing, custom call lists, and autodialer. Its security profile lags far behind its competition, with Zoom missing out key features like multi-factor authentication, user permissions, and strict password rules. This makes the app unsuitable for businesses handling sensitive business data, like those in healthcare.
Zoom doesn’t offer any onboarding support either, which may be a drawback for users getting started with the software for the first time.
It was easy to leave voicemails with Zoom Phone and we could even leave a note alongside the message. Source: Tech.co testing
Zoom pricing
Zoom Phone has three pricing plans: the Metered, Unlimited, and Global Select.
- Zoom Metered – ($10 per user, per month) Zoom’s entry-level tier includes unlimited metered domestic and international calls, multiple device access, and domestic SMS services. This pay-as-you-go package is ideal for solo intruders and small businesses making the occasional international call. However, as its name suggests Zoom Metered charges extra for outbound calls so don’t be fooled by its low monthly cost.
- Zoom Unlimited – ($15 per user, per month) This plan contains everything in Zoom’s Metered package with unlimited regional calling and the option for users to pay extra for unlimited calling to 19 countries, rather than charging them for each outbound call. This makes the plan best suited to businesses making large numbers of global calls.
- Zoom Pro Global Select – ($20 per user, per month) This tier includes everything in Zoom Unlimited with Unlimited Regional Calling in one of the 48 Countries and Territories, with additional direct dial number features. This makes it a great fit for larger businesses making regular international calls.
You may have noticed that Zoom Phone is one of the cheapest on this list. In fact, it’s easily the best value, undercutting many providers on price while still providing a lot of features. Counterpath Bria Teams is the only noteworthy softphone app that’s more affordable, and it doesn’t have nearly as many features. Simply put, if value for money is important to you, Zoom Phone is a no-brainer.
Learn more about how much the softphone app costs in this Zoom pricing guide.
What's new for Zoom Phone?
In an August 2024 update, Zoom Phone made it possible to enable and disable emojis and attachments in Zoom Phone SMS. This means you can make your business communication a bit more professional or open the door to a fun time with your team.
Who should use Zoom?
- Businesses with basic softphone needs
- Startups with smaller budgets
- Businesses already using Zoom for video conferencing
Who shouldn’t use Zoom?
- Businesses handling sensitive data
- Businesses using Zoom for the first time
- Larger businesses with advanced VoIP needs
Google Voice
- Best for Google Workspace users
- Price from: $10 per user, per month
Google Voice is the VoIP solution add-on to Google Workspace, meaning you’ll have to pay for both to get access to this softphone app. Still, it might be worth it if you’re after a service that is easy to use, as we found it offers an intuitive interface that is simple to figure out across the board. Plus, we were able to take advantage of small but delightful customization features, like the ability to give profile pictures to contacts and color-coordinate them within your directory.
Google Voice is an attractive offer if you already use Google Workspace, because it’s easy to get it set up and the price is quite low for the VoIP industry. On top of that, Google Voice offers one of the better feature catalogs and security offerings in our research. If you don’t use Google Workspace, though, it can be a big hassle, as you’ll have to migrate over your email, calendar, and video conferencing to the platform. Suffice to say, if you’re set up with a different business platform, another softphone app is likely your best bet.
Check out our in-depth Google Voice review to learn more
Pros
- More security compliance certificates than any other provider.
- Low starting price that's great for smaller businesses.
- Seamless integration with other Google Workspace tools.
Cons
- Must also purchase Google Workspace to access ($6/user/month).
- Limited customer support options in lower pricing plans.
- Lacks training features like call monitoring and whisper.
- Starter: $10/user/month
- Standard: $20/user/month
- Premier: $30/user/month
Google Voice features
For features, Google Voice was one of the better options, particularly for the price. Even with the most affordable plan, we were still able to access customizable call routing, call forwarding, and voicemail transcriptions. Even better, thanks to Google AI, the spam prevention was top notch thanks to automatic screening and call blocking with all paid plans.
One of the bigger downsides of Google Voice, however, is that it has a user limit on its most affordable plan. That’s right, if you want to pay only $10 per user, per month, you’ll only be able to have 10 users on the platform. For more, you’ll at least need to upgrade to the Standard plan, which costs $20 per user, per month. No other VoIP provider in our research had a user limit on any of its pricing plans.
Check out our helpful Google Voice guide to learn more
The voicemail transcription was very accurate and our team was impressed with how easy it was to find and access the automatically stored recordings. Source: Tech.co testing
Google Voice pricing
Google Voice offers three pricing plans: Starter, Standard, and Premier.
- Google Voice Starter – $10 per user, per month
- Google Voice Standard – $20 per user, per month
- Google Voice Premier – $30 per user, per month
To be clear, though, Google Voice is not a service you can sign up for on its own. You’ll have to be a Google Workspace customer already in order to add on the Google Voice functionality, which means the $10 per user, per month price tag is a bit misleading. In reality, the lowest price you’ll be able to pay is $16 per user, per month, because the starting price for Google Workspace is $6 per user, per month.
Ooma Office
- Best for internal communication
- Price from: $19.95 per user, per month
How your team will actually interact with a softphone app will go a long way in deciding whether or not you picked the right service. In that case, Ooma delivers big time, providing the best customer experience across our research. We found it easy to use across the board, offering an intuitive interface and a speedy set up time that the company insists will take less than 20 minutes.
On top of that, Ooma offers some of the best customer service in our research, with 24/7 coverage for phone and live chat. There’s also a robust knowledge center and user forum that allows users to solve their own problems. It lacks a bit in security, with no HIPAA compliance available, but still, for more basic VoIP needs, Ooma is a top choice.
Check out our Ooma Office review to learn more
Pros
- Easy to use interface for simple ingoing and outgoing calls.
- Seamless integration with Google Calendar.
- Automatic and voicemail screening available in all pricing plans.
Cons
- Third-party integrations only available on more expensive plans.
- White noise interference with voicemail audio quality.
- Can only invite users to video meeting with external link.
- Office: $19.95/user/month
- Office Pro: $24.99/user/month
- Office Pro Plus: $29.95/user/month
Ooma features
Ooma isn’t known for being particularly feature-rich, which lends itself to being easy to use, even for beginners. Still, the platform obviously offers a wide range of features to handle basic calls and video meetings, including call logs for valuable business analytics and a virtual receptionist to guide your callers to where they’re trying to go.
We did find that the audio quality on Ooma is a bit lacking, particularly when it comes to the voicemail functionality. Fortunately, the business phone service also offers automatic transcription, and it was perfectly accurate, even when it came to punctuation. All that to say, a bit of fuzzy dialogue won’t be a dealbreaker if you’re trying to save a bit of money.
We find the Ooma directory to be a simple and intuitive spot to house all the important numbers for our business. Source: Tech.co testing
Ooma pricing
Ooma offers three paid plan options for most businesses: Essentials, Pro, and Pro Plus.
- Ooma Essentials – $19.95 per user, per month
- Ooma Pro – $24.95 per user, per month
- Ooma Pro Plus – $29.95 per user, per month
Ooma also offers three enterprise-level plans that can get you started for larger businesses.
- Ooma Enterprise Standard – $19.99 per user, per month
- Ooma Enterprise Enhanced – $27.99 per user, per month
- Ooma Call Center – $49.99 per user, per month
What's new for Ooma?
August 2024: Announced in an August press release, Ooma now integrates with Intuit QuickBooks, allowing inbound and outbound calls to instantly present customer information from the accounting platform.
Who should use Ooma
- Small and growing businesses
- Businesses with novice users that need assistance
Who shouldn’t use Ooma?
- Businesses that need robust security
- Businesses that need to be HIPAA compliant
VoIP Softphones vs Hardphones: What's the Difference?
A VoIP softphone is a software-based phone that lets you make and receive calls over the internet, instead of using a traditional physical landline phone. You can use a softphone app on your smartphone or a desktop computer, making them a great fit for any business that offers customer service, sales, or support. They’re also the optimal choice for small businesses and start-ups as they’re more feature-rich, flexible, and affordable than alternatives.
Hardphones, on the other hand, are physical, hardware-based IP phones that resemble traditional desk phones. Like softphones, they run on IP technology, allowing users to access sophisticated calling features. They also charge users monthly subscription fees, instead of per-minute-rates charged by landline services. Hardphones offer marginally better connectivity and call qualities, making them ideal for businesses handling large volumes of calls.
What’s the Best Softphone App for iPhone and Android?
The best softphone app for iPhone and Android is RingCentral because it allows you to access plentiful features, low costs, and a vast number of integrations, no matter what device you use.
Again, RingCentral isn’t the only softphone app that works on the iPhone and Android. You might need a different set of features, a lower price point, or some different integrations that one of the other providers on this list. Every single provider on this list has an Android and iPhone app, so there’s no need to check on your equipment ahead of time.
Here’s a quick look at the interfaces you’ll get from RingCentral, 8×8, and Vonage (our top three picks).
You can also view the ratings and reviews on the App Store and the Google Play Store to further verify that the softphone apps are still maintained and functional, and that the features you need are included on the mobile and desktop versions. They’re all free to download, so if the VoIP service offers a free plan or free trial, you can use this to test out the mobile app.
Don’t forget to compare softphone providers to see how much it will cost your business.
How to Choose a VoIP Softphone App
Each business needs something slightly different out of a softphone. So, before investing in a new app it’s important to make the following considerations.
- Prioritize must-have features – Whether you plan to do with your VoIP softphone, businesses should be keenly aware of what VoIP features they need before selecting an app. Do you need AI time-saving features? Do you need advanced calling features like call screening and call transfer? These are all questions to ask yourself before choosing an app.
- Consider integrations – If you’re planning to integrate your VoIP softphone apps with existing business systems, you’ll need to make sure the products are compatible first. It’s also worth considering what extra integrations your business may benefit from in the future, to ensure the app will keep up with your needs in the long-term.
- Be mindful of extra costs – Most softphone apps have a straightforward pricing structure. However, it’s common for providers to charge extras for services like international calls and number porting. To avoid getting caught out by surprise bills, we’d recommend doing your homework before signing the dotted line.
- Research customer support options – Whether you’re new to VoIP softphones or well-versed in the technology, chances are you’ll require technical support at some point. To make sure you’re able to resolve issues fast, you should assess how regularly support is offered, and via what channels.
- Review security measures – VoIP security is a top concern for businesses in 2024. To ensure sensitive data is safeguarded, you should check for advanced features like end-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication, and use permissions.
We take our hands-on testing and impartial 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 business phone platforms on the market, we assessed ten of the top VoIP systems across 78 areas of investigation.
Based on years of market research, product testing, and user needs analysis, 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 feedback and ratings given by customers who have used a particular VoIP system, as well as the wider reputation a VoIP software holds.
- Cost: the pricing structure associated with the VoIP service, including factors such as monthly subscription fees, domestic and international call rates, setup fees, hardware costs, and extra costs like add-on features or services.
- Features: the functionalities and capabilities offered by the VoIP service, including basic features such as call forwarding, and voicemail, as well as more advanced features like auto-attendant, conference calling, and interactive voice response (IVR).
- External Connections: the VoIP service's ability to connect and integrate with external systems or devices. This can include compatibility with existing phone systems, mobile devices, or other third-party software.
- Customer Support: the assistance and resources provided by the VoIP service provider to customers, including online resources, knowledge bases, and access to customer support representatives and AI chatbots.
- 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.
- Scalability: the ability of the VoIP service to accommodate the growth and changing needs of an organization, including its capacity to handle a growing number of users, support multiple locations or offices, and scale up or down.
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.
Verdict: What Is the Best Softphone App?
RingCentral Office is the best softphone app for businesses on the market today because it has a robust feature catalog, high scalability, and vast set of possible integrations, which means it will work well with your existing software.
You’ve made it this far, which means you’re definitely in need of a softphone app to improve communication at your business. RingCentral isn’t the only worthwhile option. If you want to take the next step towards signing up, you can fill out our free survey and get matched with the best softphone app provider for your business’s needs.
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