How much do you have to pay for a VoIP service? Free vs paid VoIP services

In this article, we would like to answer an important question for anyone looking for a VoIP service: How much do you have to pay for a VoIP service? We are also going to compare free and a paid services.

For those who don’t know what VoIP stands for, please visit our links bellow.

All about VoIP

What does VoIP stand for and how does it work?

Why use VoIP?

Assuming that you need to communicate with your business partners from a different country, your work involves a lot of travelling and you want to stay close to your family or you just want to save money on your phone bill, VoIP is your best choice.

Although there are some minor drawbacks, the benefits of using a VoIP service outweigh them.

Advantages of using VoIP

• You don’t need fancy equipment. A computer, laptop or mobile phone is all you need
• It’s not just a voice call: you can make video calls, too
• You are able to have your entire team on the phone at once. Have a meeting with your work team or your entire family, at the same time
• You don’t need to send a fax. You can send a file, a picture or more
• Save a lot on your bills. VoIP is gentle with your pocket

Drawbacks of using VoIP

• If you are not using your mobile phone, your VoIP calls need wall power. Your laptop, computer, modem or router for internet connection need power.
• In case you need to call 911, you will need to tell them your location. Your location cannot be determined based on your IP address as it is with a landline number.
• You may experience interruptions if you have a shared internet connection.

Read more on VoIP issues here.

Free VoIP services

Is it really free? Yes and no. It’s free for in app calls. Let’s take an example: Skype is a VoIP service and it’s free for Skype users, but you need to have money in your account for calls to landlines or mobile phones.

Some of the best free VoIP services in 2018 are:

• Skype – it’s for both personal and business use. It offers voice and video calls. File sharing is also supported. It is free for in app calls. For calls outside the Skype network, you will be asked to add money to your account balance.
• Zoom – Great functionality, well beyond personal use. Supports web conferencing. Great for business. The free version has basic features, such as free in app calls and a limited conferencing option of 40 minutes for 100 people.
• Google Hangouts – mostly popular among students. It offers all the common features such as free calls and conference between its users, but landlines or mobile phone calls from Google Hangouts are not free.

So how much do you have to pay for a VoIP service?

For a VoIP service you have to pay between $10 and $50 per month.

Some of the cheapest VoIP providers in 2018 are:

• OnSip, starting from $18.95/month
• Vonage, a business oriented service, offers monthly VoIP services starting from $19.99
• Grasshopper is also a more business focused VoIP service, starting from $26/month

Six of the best VoIP providers for your business in 2018

So do you have to pay for a VoIP service?

After taking a close look to what free VoIP and what paid VoIP services have to offer, we think that going for a free trial period with any paid plan, would be a wise choice.

There is no financial commitment and you can sample all the paid VoIP services  you want. This might help you make the best decision.