- Start saving up to 30%
- Plans as low as $10/month
- Call forwarding, analytics, and business texting
- Flexible pricing plans
- Get a new number or bring your own
- Free additional phone lines
*Promotional discount of 20% off the standard rate applies to monthly recurring voice extension charges for up to 99 lines. The $15.99 price applies to the Basic Mobile service for up to 4 lines. Offer available for new accounts only, and only for purchases completed online. Discount does not apply to add-ons, features, hardware, or one-time charges. Taxes and fees not included. Services and billing will continue until canceled. You may cancel at any time through the Vonage online portal or by calling customer care, but cancellation within contract term subject to Early Termination Fees up to the total price of your service contract. Choose a plan and the promo code 20PERCENTOFF will be applied automatically when you checkout online. Offer valid through 7/25/23.
What Is an IP Phone?
VoIP phones make and receive calls through an internet connection. Due to their low-cost nature, internet phones are cheap alternatives to traditional landline phones because they can work on any computer with a sound card.
Function
IP phones are referred to as internet protocol phones because instead of using plain old telephone system (POTS) for receiving and placing calls, they connect to the internet using broadband. In comparison, VoIP phone service is considered more efficient compared to POTS.
Internet Phone Benefits
- Unified Platform
The ability to converge technology platforms makes Internet phone service more beneficial than traditional phone systems. Your provider probably designs applications that can work with voice systems, Internet, and computer networks. For instance, you can save voice mail messages as data on email because VoIP systems makes it possible to mirror your office phones on computer desktops for use anywhere with an Internet connection. Integrated or unified communications is technology that coordinates mobile devices, office phones, and computers to work together. You can achieve much more with VoIP systems than you can with traditional phone systems.
- Cost Savings
Internet-based phone technology comes with more cost saving features than traditional systems thanks to the ability of your phone provider to deliver both phone and internet on the same cable, which reduces communication costs. Communicating over long distances using an Internet phone costs less than traditional phones because Internet phone billing is not based on the distance between the caller and the receiver. In addition, Internet phone systems make it possible for you to save on interoffice communication because the VoIP system remains part of the network regardless of location.
Types of Internet Phones
Your Internet phone provider has two main types of VoIP systems: Software based and hardware based. Many ISPs provide a wide range of hardware for these services including adapters that allow regular phone systems in your house to be used as internet phones. In addition, VoIP software solutions allow phone calls through applications like Skype from computers with sound cards.
Considerations
Despite their versatility, VoIP do not support 911 calls. Therefore, it is recommended to maintain both IP phones and traditional phone systems for emergencies. Hackers can also use spyware to access your VoIP phone system and eavesdrop on your conversations using “packet sniffers” or direct expensive phone calls through your internet connection. Your business internet phone system must, therefore, integrate firewall security with all networks to enhance security.
Internet phones deliver voice communication and phone service through voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) technology. These phone systems have many advantages over traditional phone systems and have become increasingly popular in many homes and businesses. VoIP systems are affordable and have a wide range of applications. This service can be used for both voice and video communication provided there is an Internet connection.
Our Top 3 Picks
- 1
Tailor VoIP solutions to your industry's unique ...- No. of users - Unlimited
- Pricing - From $13.99/month/user
- Best for - Remote companies seeking mobility
Tailor VoIP solutions to your industry's unique d...Read Vonage ReviewVonage - Best for reliability with 99.99% uptime
Vonage Business emerges as a veteran in the UCaaS landscape, delivering a robust mix of VoIP, SMS, live chat, and video functionalities. This experience translates into a smoother operation than you might find with newer platforms, offering a reliable and refined communication solution for businesses of all sizes.
The platform has 41 built-in features that enhance collaboration, customer engagement, productivity, and employee experience. Agents get tools like Call Announce, which previews the caller's identity and purpose, while managers can access the Busy Lamp Field, showing which lines are active.
Kevin Peña, Strategic Partnerships Manager at Headsets.com, says, "Since moving to Vonage Business Communications, we have team members working in both home and office stations. They’re able to log in from wherever they are that day seamlessly. We can log in to our VBC accounts and make or receive calls from a cell phone just as easily as an office phone. It’s a simple, user-friendly interface that keeps calls, voicemails, and messages all in one place."
Why we chose Vonage: It offers unique industry-specific solutions for sectors like healthcare, retail, education, and finance. Take healthcare, for instance: the platform enables you to route patients directly to the most suitable medical professional for their particular needs. Also, features like the VisuWell app center integration ensure HIPAA-compliant virtual visits, enabling medical professionals to connect with patients on almost any device.
Our experience: When we integrated Vonage into our operations, the fully customizable virtual AI receptionist saved us a lot of headaches. It allowed us to set up dependable call routing for holidays, lunch, after-hours, and emergencies. With the AI virtual assistant, managing customer engagement became significantly easier for our agents.
Vonage Pros & Cons
PROS
Video conference with up to 200 participantsNo user limit on lower-tier plansCan flip live calls between devicesCONS
Mobile plan lacks single sign-on for in-app authenticationLocal phone number costs an extra $4.99/month - 2A leading business VoIP platform
- No. of users - Unlimited
- Pricing - From $20/month/user
- Best for - Internal team collaboration and task management
A leading business VoIP platformRead RingCentral ReviewRingEX - Best VoIP provider overall
RingCentral’s RingEx cloud communication service is designed for teamwork. It combines all the essentials—VoIP calling, SMS messaging, team chat, and video conferencing into one streamlined package. Enhanced with real-time AI and conversation intelligence, this unified communications as a service (UCaaS) platform transforms how teams collaborate, making every interaction smarter and more efficient.
You can set up a custom-built phone system with ease and invite users via email. You also get features like voicemail transcription, call recording, and adaptive Interactive Voice Response (IVR) menus to enhance self-service routing. Beyond core functions, RingEx offers over 300 app integrations, seamlessly fitting into your existing communication workflow.
Its HD video meetings require no downloads to join and are supported by AI tools like live captioning and in-meeting transcriptions. Smart features also reduce background noise and keep the camera focused on the speaker.
According to Emma Grotluschen, Senior Manager of Customer Service at Swanson, RingEX Contact Center enables their entire team "to improve [their] customer service operation." She adds, "The reporting capabilities help us continually monitor and improve our performance, and [with] the automatic call recording, our supervisors tripled the calls they can review."
Why we chose RingCentral: You can tailor phone settings like automatic call recording for individual agents and even customize phone numbers, business hours, and caller IDs. Another standout feature is the ability to set basic or advanced call routing rules. Plus, you can adjust ring durations and forward calls with a pre-recorded phone menu. This ensures that customers always connect to the right person without any hassle.
Our experience: When we tested out RingEx, the setup process was remarkably smooth. We appreciated the ability to port both our existing numbers and shared lines without issues. Our agents found it quick and easy to establish new business lines on their personal mobiles, laptops, and desk phones. The RingEx app made syncing everything a breeze, allowing for a hassle-free transition across all devices.
RingCentral Pros & Cons
PROS
Unlimited domestic calling in the US and CanadaUltra plan offers unlimited storage for files and recordingsOffers whiteboard and annotation video meeting capabilitiesCONS
Multi-site admin and management features not available on Core planNo unlimited international calling options - 3Reveal hidden call patterns and user behaviors i...
- No. of users - Unlimited
- Pricing - From $10/month per user
- Best for - Businesses looking for an advanced phone-only solution
Reveal hidden call patterns and user behaviors in...Read Zoom Phone ReviewZoom Phone - Bring your own carrier functionality
Zoom Phone offers a solid VoIP option for small businesses on a budget. It balances cost with various features, making team collaboration easier through messaging, file sharing, and searchable conversations. It also works well with major third-party apps like Microsoft, Google, and Salesforce, which help reduce workflow friction and boost productivity.
For more demanding needs, Zoom Phone offers comprehensive call center capabilities. These include unlimited queues, advanced call distribution, voicemail transcription, and intelligent IVR routing. The system allows effortless call switching between devices, ensuring you stay connected regardless of platform.
Plus, the Bring Your Own Carrier (BYOC) feature offers flexibility. It lets you keep your current PSTN provider while leveraging Zoom's advanced features. This means you can maintain existing contracts and phone numbers while upgrading your setup.
Why we chose Zoom Phone: Zoom's new analytics tools provide deep insights into call performance and usage patterns. You can monitor detailed metrics for call queues, including SLAs, volume, wait times, and call outcomes. The system also offers Mean Opinion Scores for inbound and outbound calls, allowing you to assess quality across individual sites or your entire network.
Our experience: We've been using Zoom Phone's AI Companion to streamline our meetings and it's transformed how we handle follow-ups. Instead of scrambling to take notes, we now receive concise post-call summaries that capture key points and actions. The voicemail task extraction feature also organizes our call-back priorities directly from our voicemails, ensuring we never miss a beat.
Zoom Phone Pros & Cons
PROS
Offers 24/7 phone and chat supportFeatures add-ons for unlimited calling in 19 countriesSwitch between any advice with multi-device callsCONS
Power Pack analytics are an extra $25 a monthHD video with noise cancellation limited to Business Plus plan