Which VoIP service is the best?

Traditional telephony is outdated. It is expensive, it doesn’t offer enough flexibility and features. VoIP, on the other hand, has become very popular throughout the world, in both the business setting and for individual use as well.

VoIP stands for voice over internet protocol and it is a technology that allows you to make/receive calls over the internet, instead of using the PSTN. This brings a plethora of benefits:

• VoIP services are more affordable and cost-saving in terms of setup, required hardware and monthly bills
• Long-distance calls won’t break the bank anymore, as it is the case with landlines
• You can enjoy a lot of useful features such as voicemail to email, online faxing, video conferencing and many more
• You can use VoIP from any location on the globe, as long as you have internet access
• You can make VoIP calls using just your smartphone, laptop or computer

Which are the best VoIP services available right now?

RingCentral

RingCentral is a renowned communication company that offers both online fax services and VoIP services. The company was founded more than 15 years ago and is based in California, but has offices in many other places throughout the world: Singapore, Russia, Philippines. RingCentral has plans for both small businesses and enterprises and a lot of VoIP features to offer.

RingCentral Office is the company’s VoIP offer for small businesses. There are four plans to choose from: Essentials, Standard, Premium, Ultimate.

The price of the plans varies depending on the number of users you opt for and the type of billing option you choose: monthly or annually. Annual billing will save you up to 33%.

Essentials is the most basic plan offered and it is priced at $19.99 per month per user, when billed annually. This plan includes unlimited phone calls in the US and Canada and 100 toll-free minutes per month. You can choose between toll-free or local numbers.

Standard is your next option and this plan starts at $24.99 per month per user, also with annual billing. Offers 1,000 toll-free minutes per month, unlimited calls in the US and Canada, unlimited video conferencing with up to 4 people per meeting, unlimited internet fax and unlimited audio meetings.

Premium is the next upgrade. The plan is priced at $34.99 per month per user, with annual billing. The plan includes 2,500 toll-free minutes per month, unlimited video conferencing for up to 100 people per meeting and automatic call recording (plus all the benefits in the other two plans).

Ultimate is the most expensive plan for small businesses and it is priced at $49.99 per month per user, with annual billing. The unlimited video conferences allow up to 200 people per meeting. You also get 10,000 toll-free minutes per month and all the benefits included with the other plans.

All these plans also include a free 15-day trial in minutes, which allows you to test the VoIP service.

RingCentral also offers additional numbers (local or toll-free), vanity numbers and international numbers, for an extra charge.

RingCentral also offers VoIP solutions for enterprises but you have to contact them for an exact quote. You will receive a customized offer, based on the size of your company and your specific VoIP needs.

When it comes to features, RingCentral has a lot to offer. In addition to video and audio conferencing, it also offers visual voicemail and voicemail to email, unlimited business SMS, call logs reports, call delegation, call forwarding, screening, call park, integrations with Zendesk, Box, Desk.com, Okta, Google, and more.

There is also a mobile app available and it is compatible with both iOS and Android devices.

Nextiva

Nextiva is another great VoIP service provider to consider. This cloud communication company is very popular in the United States and it has an experience of more than 13 years in the industry. Nextiva is based in Arizona and in addition to VoIP services, it also offers internet fax services.

Nextiva also has plans for small businesses and large corporations. The plans offered by Nextiva vary in price depending on the number of users you opt for. The more users you opt for, the lower the price. Same principle applies to the length of the contract. If you opt for a longer period, you will save more money.

Enterprise plans are custom, so you have to contact them for a quote, based on your specific needs.

There are 3 plans for small businesses: Essential, Professional, Enterprise.

Essential starts at $19.95 per month per user with annual billing and includes 1,000 toll-free minutes and unlimited calling in the US and Canada.

Professional starts at $20.95 per month per user with annual billing and includes 2500 toll-free minutes per month per user.

Enterprise is priced at $27.95 per month per user with annual billing and includes 10,000 toll-free minutes per month.

These plans also include unlimited internet fax, unlimited business SMS (except for the Essential plan), free local or toll-free numbers, unlimited audio conference calls, unlimited video calling (with the higher tiers), a mobile app, team messaging and much more.