What are the best VoIP services for residential use?

VoIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol services allow you to communicate with other platforms through a computer with a headset or through another platform. This technology allows more convenience for both parties. This makes it recommended for both office and residential setups.

Should you get VoIP services for your home?

Residential VoIP services are best for those who want quality calls along with maximum convenience. Because it is connected to the internet, you are not required to worry about constant downtimes or high costs.

Another benefit of using VoIP is cheaper costs for calling internationally. While prices may change depending on the specific countries where you will be calling, VoIPs are almost-always guaranteed to cost less. Some may even offer unlimited or free international calling.

Last, VoIP services offers a lot of features aside from being able to call others. These include caller ID blocking, E911 Integration, simultaneous ringing, and more. This makes it good for both family use or for running a small to medium business within your household.

What should you look for in a residential VoIP service?

• Pricing – You should always look at the pricing plans of VoIP services. You must make sure that they match how frequently you call and if you will be using the features included at all. This is because most services prioritize VoIP for business. This makes some add additional features more suited for office use with residential plans only to make it more expensive.
• Equipment – The equipment for VoIP is mostly centered around internet connection or hardware from the provider itself. You must make sure that their advertised prices include the actual equipment (some have very expensive equipment while some do not offer these at all). Some may also allow you to use your own device to connect.

The following are the best VoIP residential services for 2020:

1. RingCentral – This VoIP is cloud-based which allows maximum integration with many software. This allows higher quality of calls with maximum reliability. Its platform has fifteen servers scattered around the country to ensure the best quality of service.
   Pros: Affordable rates (including international ones), easy setup, compatible with many business communication applications, does not require contracts for its plans
   Cons: None
2. Nextiva – They are praised for quality features and helpful customer support. While you may not be getting the most affordable prices, you can get business-level service. For a starting price of $19.95 per month, you are given access to unlimited calls and virtual PBX. In case you plan to start an office from home, Nextiva is recommended for you.

Pros: Has a lot of features (video conferring support, mobile support, automated receptions, professional voicemail, etc.) and quality customer support
Cons: Expensive for a residential service

3. 
   Phone.com – They offer residential-friendly pricing for a great number of features that can rival other VoIP services. They are also known for having an easy set-up process that is transparent in its pricing and comes with a free 30-day trial. They are entirely cloud-based which makes transitioning to their service very easy.
   
   Pros: Cheap international calling, easy transitioning to their service (sends hardware without shipping fees along with a trial period), affordable
   Cons: No video-calling feature, quality of calls may be unreliable at times
4. Axvoice – This is a service that is known for quality calls in both USA and Canada. They offer several pricing plans that is flexible depending on the locations you want to call and the number of minutes you want to use. They offer standard features such as 3-way calling, caller ID blocking, failover, and simultaneous ringing.

Pros: Flexible pricing for different customers, reliable call quality,
Cons: Does not offer video calling feature

5. OnSIP – This VoIP service is best recommended for those who do not want a standard plan. This is because their pricing depends upon your usage which allows flexibility in pricing. This is very recommended for residential use especially if you don’t always use the service. Features such as browser extensions, Slack and ZenDesk integration, and more are also available. They also offer plans standard plans, too, for those may prefer it.

Pros: Flexible pricing that depends on how frequently you use it and which features you would like to add
Cons: Does not provide direct hardware, does not have a mobile application