Zoom Phone Review 2025: Pros, Cons, Cost, and Features

Zoom Phone is a low-cost VoIP platform with a simple layout and low learning curve, making it an ideal entry-point for beginners. But you shouldn’t be fooled by it’s affordable plans, Zoom’s capable call management features – from call flip, and call queue to AI summaries – make it an equally strong choice for small businesses managing high volumes of in-bound calls, especially if they already rely on Zoom’s video conferencing system. 

Zoom Phone performed better than most best VoIP providers for small businesses in our last round of research and testing, due to it’s commitment to improving over time – but it won’t be the best choice for everyone. For example, Zoom’s limited software integrations and basic reporting features could be a dealbreaker for larger organizations with complex operations. 

Read on to learn more about Zoom Phone’s VoIP capabilities, pricing structure, user experience, and more, based on our desk-based research and user testing, to find out if the telephony provider is a good match for your business.

In this guide:

• What Is Zoom Phone?
• Zoom Phone vs Zoom Meetings vs Zoom Workplace
• Zoom Phone: At a Glance
• Zoom Phone Features
• Zoom Phone Pricing
• Zoom Phone Customer Support
• How Does Zoom Phone Compare to Other Providers?
• How Did We Evaluate Zoom Phone?
• Verdict: Is Zoom Phone Worth It?

What Is Zoom Phone?

Zoom Phone is the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service offered by Zoom, the popular video conferencing platform which attracts 300 million active users every day.

Effectively, it’s a business phone system powered by the internet that allows your employees to communicate with internal staff and external clients, either through VoIP desk phones or their own smartphones.

How Zoom Phone works

Zoom Phone, like all VoIP platforms, works by utilizing the internet to make and receive phone calls, unlike traditional landline systems that rely on phone lines. This generally allows for better audio quality due to the modernized infrastructure, more advanced features, such as call groups and auto-attendants, and lower costs on outdated hardware.

What’s the Difference Between Zoom Phone, Meetings, and Workplace?

Before we get into this Zoom Phone review, we’d like to clarify that this article is a detailed look at Zoom’s VoIP/softphone offering, Zoom Phone. We aren’t covering the company’s world-famous video conferencing software. You can learn more about Zoom’s video conferencing platform here.

Even though it is a rather new product, Zoom Phone quickly shot up in our ranking as the top provider in our last round of VoIP research.

Zoom also launched Zoom Workplace, a consolidated plan — formerly known as Zoom One — that includes Meetings, Team Chat, Whiteboard, and VoIP phone products. However, Zoom Phone is only available on the Zoom Workplace Business Plus or the Zoom Workplace Enterprise plans, with the latter providing a fully featured PBX (private branch exchange).

It is possible — and cheaper — to buy Zoom Phone as a standalone product, which is what we’ll be discussing in this article.

Zoom Phone: At a Glance

Before we dive into the details, here are some important factors you should know about Zoom Phone right off the bat. 

• Pricing: Prices for Zoom Phone start at $10 per user, per month, for the provider’s metered package, with its Unlimited package costing $15 per user, per month, and it’s Global Select plan costing $20 per month.
• VoIP features: Zoom Phone offers advanced inbound calling tools such as call recording, call queue, and ring groups, but offers a poor selection of third-party CRM and helpdesk integrations. 
• Plan restrictions: Zoom Phone’s Metered plan requires users to purchase ‘Pay as You Go’ credits to make outbound calls. If you require unlimited domestic or international calling, you’ll have to opt for a pricier package. 
• Video conferencing: Zoom Phone integrates seamlessly with its video conferencing solution, Zoom Video, allowing users to access both services from one centralized platform. 
• User experience: Zoom Phone’s software is stripped-back and isn’t overloaded with too many features, making it a good VoIP platform for beginners to get started on.
• Customer support: Zoom Phone lets you resolve queries through phone lines and a 24/7 live chatbot. However, you need to upgrade to a premium plan to talk to a member of Zoom’s customer service team.

Who should go for Zoom Phone?

• Businesses on a budget
• Beginners to VoIP software
• Businesses that receive a lot of inbound calls
• Businesses that already use Zoom Video

Who shouldn’t go for Zoom Phone?

• Businesses on a budget that regularly make outbound calls
• Businesses that want to talk to a person to resolve queries
• Businesses that require advanced reporting tools

Zoom Phone Features

While Zoom Phone isn’t as feature-rich as competitors, such as RingCentral and 8×8, it still offers heaps of capabilities. We’ve rounded up some of its highlights below.

Call management

All plans offer HD call qualities, with active noise and echo cancellation along with keyboard typing suppression to ensure your voices are heard. The provider lets you record calls with ease too. I was impressed by how easy it was to activate this feature when I used Zoom, all I had to do was click the automatic call recording toggle and it was enabled.

Zoom also has advanced conversation features such as call forwarding, call flip, call whisper, and call barge on all of its plans. These features allow users to transfer calls, switch devices, and join calls between other users and customers. These features are must-haves if you’re working in customer service or sales and you need to be supervising and training new staff members.

It was easy to leave voicemails with Zoom Phone and I could even leave a note alongside the message. Source: Tech.co testing

These features are less common for a VoIP provider, particularly one as affordable as Zoom Phone: Neither 8×8 nor RingCentral offer call whisper or call flip on their first two plans, even though these are two of the best smartphone apps for businesses. Net2Phone, another VoIP provider we tested, does not offer this at all.

Number porting

Zoom Phone lets you procure new or migrate phone numbers from your existing service provider at no extra cost. Porting takes place between Monday and Friday, but as Zoom ports numbers from all over the globe, porting windows will depend on where your company is based.

What’s more, businesses should be aware that the provider will require a copy of a telephone bill dated within the last 3 months before porting requests can be approved. Therefore, if you’re considering switching to Zoom Phone in the near future, we’d recommend leaving a small window when transitioning between providers.

Collaboration

SMS and live chat features are included in all of Zoom Phone’s plans. They don’t cost extra either, unlike alternatives such as Nuacom, which charge businesses per SMS. Zoom Phone users can set up 1:1 and group chats too, depending on their communication needs.

Users can use the feature to send audio, video, and image files, and can even attach GIFs using the platform’s GIPHY integration. When we tested the live chat tool ourselves, we were impressed with how many mixed-media options are available, and with how easy the feature was to access.

Zoom Phone lets you communicate with your team virtually with its chat feature. Source: Tech.co testing

Zoom Phone also lets you launch video calls with just a tap using its Zoom Video integration. You will have to pay extra to make unlimited 1:1 calls, or to make calls over 40 minutes, though. The VoIP provider does lack E-Fax features, however. So if your business sends and receives internet faxes, we recommend choosing a VoIP provider like Dialpad or Net2Phone instead.

Scheduling

Zoom Phone’s in-house scheduling feature, Zoom Scheduler, seamlessly connects users to their calendars, where they’re able to generate lots of scheduled availability for call attendees. Zoom Scheduler also supports Google, Office 365, and Zoom Mail services, allowing users to streamline their schedules across different platforms.

A member of our user testing was particularly impressed with the seamless nature of these integrations, commenting that they “reduced the need to switch between multiple applications”, as all the software she needed was accessible from one window.

Users can also customize meeting notifications, and choose between email or SMS reminders based on their preference. Zoom Scheduler does cost $5.99 per month, per license extra, however, so it’s important to factor this in when working out overall costs.

Security

Although Zoom’s VoIP security features haven’t always been strong, recent improvements have ensured there are very few holes in Zoom’s armor.

Users can now enable two-factor authentication to add a second layer of security to their accounts, and Zoom now enforces a range of complex password rules so users can’t make weak passwords. All Zoom Phone voice recordings are stored in Zoom’s cloud.

Zoom has a wide variety of certifications and attestations, like the majority VoIP providers bar Ooma Office. Zoom’s historically poor score was down to the fact that there were no password rules users had to abide by when the product first came to market but, once again, this is no longer the case.

While both of these features have been included in all Google Voice plans for much longer, Zoom Phone really has closed the gap on its rivals in this regard. Now, in 2024, Zoom Phone even offers user permissions and role management features, which allow admins to restrict other users from accessing parts of the software, and helped it achieve a perfect score in our security research category.

Zoom Phone Integrations

If you want to get even more out of Zoom Phone, the VoIP provider integrates with some of the most widely used software solutions out there. These include:

• Salesforce CRM
• HubSpot CRM
• Zendesk Helpdesk CRM
• Zoom video conferencing service
• Slack
• Five9 Contact Center
• Gmail 
• Microsoft Outlook
• Google Workspace

However, compared to the competition, Zoom’s integrations aren’t anything to write home about. The platform doesn’t let you connect with other web conference software than Zoom, and lacks customer service live chat integrations.

Zoom App Integration Library. Source: Tech.co testing

In contrast, RingCentral has a total of 400 pre-built integrations, including 96 CRM-related integrations, at least 57 analytics integrations, and external live chat options in the form of WhatsApp and Facebook. The caveat here is that RingCentral’s pricing plans aren’t nearly as affordable as Zoom’s.

Zoom Phone Pricing

Zoom Phone has three pricing plans: the Metered plan, the Unlimited plan, and the Select plan.

Take a look at how the plans compare at a glance below or scroll down for a deeper dive into each package.

Zoom Metered

Zoom’s Metered plan tied with Google Voice as the cheapest VoIP provider plan we tested. Both plans offer 24/7 support and basic calling and messaging features.

However, while Google Voice’s Starter plan is capped at 10 users, Zoom Metered’s unlimited user limit makes it a better value for large teams looking to keep costs low. Google Voice doesn’t let you record or monitor calls on its entry-level tier either, making it less suitable than Zoom for users looking to do anything but just make calls.

Zoom Metered tiny price tag of $10 per user, per month, combined with excellent selection of call management, training, and AI capabilities earned it the title as the best VoIP plan for microbusinesses – especially those operating on a tight budget.

However, as the name suggests, Zoom Phone Metered charges extra for outbound calls. So if you make a lot of calls, the amount you pay for the plan could quickly add up over time.

Zoom Regional Unlimited

Zoom Phone’s mid-tier package offers everything in Zoom Metered, with unlimited calls to the US and Canada, and an optional, paid, add-on for unlimited calling to 19 countries. At $15 per user, per month, it’s price still undercuts lots of similar VoIP plans on the market, which is why our research determined that its the best VoIP plan for small businesses.

Zoom Regional Unlimited

If you’re based outside the US and Canada, Zoom Phone’s Global Select plan offers unlimited regional calling in 48 countries and territories. Costing $25 per user, per month, the package also unlocks direct dial numbers capabilities, allowing the phone number to ring directly instead of going through a menu or an extension.

See how Zoom Phone’s pricing compares with other providers with our free tool.

Zoom additional costs and add-ons

Zoom has a few optional add-ons that cost a little bit extra, but might just make one of its packages a better deal for your business, especially if these are essentials. The most popular add-ons are:

• Toll-free numbers: from $5 per month
• Additional phone numbers: from $5 per month
• International calling: from $10 per month
• Zoom Scheduler: from $5 per month

There’s also a “Zoom Phone Power Pack” that costs $25 per month, and it’s designed for call center supervisors and receptionists. It includes what Zoom calls “enhanced call queue analytics” as well as “historical insights”.

Zoom Phone Customer Support

As with any software, if it’s difficult to acquire support when things go wrong, you can end up with some serious periods of downtime that can significantly affect your bottom line.

Compared to other VoIP providers, Zoom’s customer support is middle of the road. The provider offers a user forum and an extensive online knowledge base for customers to refer to if they’d like to attempt to troubleshoot a problem themselves.

Zoom’s AI live chatbot is available to users on all plans. Tech.co testing

What’s more, while some of Zoom’s customer support options were previously only available for an additional cost, AI live chat bot and phone support are now included on all Zoom Phone plans.

However, there’s still no onboarding support offered on any of Zoom’s plans, so the platform might not be as ideal as alternatives such as RingCentral for businesses that hire and train staff on a regular business. See if one of their plans is a better fit for your business by using our free quote comparison tool.

How Zoom Phone Compares to Other VoIP Providers

According to our research and testing, Zoom is among the best options for smaller teams looking to keep costs low. However, it won’t be the natural choice for every business. RingCentral will do a better job for larger teams as it offers a broader selection of call management features than Zoom Phone, as well as more than 200 integrations with other software platforms.

RingCentral’s calendar integration makes it easy to view scheduled events and meetings in the platform. Source: Tech.co user testing

Dialpad, on the other hand, offers a wealth of AI and advanced call management features for as low as $15 per user, per month – competing with Zoom Phone’s low price point. Dialpad offers useful onboarding assistance as well, giving the VoIP provider an advantage over Zoom Phone for rapidly growing teams.

Dialpad AI Coaching Hub feature. Source: dialpad.com

If keeping overheads as low as possible is your priority, Google Voice offers a reliable VoIP service that matches Zoom Phone’s entry price eye-to-eye. Google Voice’s Starter plan includes unlimited calling too, but the catch is you need to subscribe to Google Workplace to use the software, which bumps up it’s price if you aren’t already a user.

It’s easy and simple to add a contact profile within Google Voice. Source: Tech.co testing

Still undecided? Find out how Zoom compares to its competition by checking out the best Zoom alternatives, and by looking at our comparison table below.

Methodology: How Did We Evaluate Zoom Phone?