Best VoIP providers in 2026
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Cloud-based voice over IP, or VoIP for short, has been the primary technology used by many businesses and individuals for their telecommunications needs. By routing calls over the internet, VoIP reduces costs and makes calling more sophisticated and seamless, but it also adds valuable services like video conferencing and text chat to the mix.
This makes VoIP ideal for various business and personal purposes, as long as you need to make numerous calls throughout the month. To make it easier for you to find a VoIP phone system online, Iโve done the research with the help of the Cybernews team.
In this detailed guide, youโll find my top picks for the best VoIP providers, quick but comprehensive reviews for each, and a comparison table to make finding the right choice easier. The focus is on benefits, features, and pricing, so keep reading to learn all you need to know.
Our top picks for VoIP providers in 2026
- Surfshark's Alternative Number โ overall best VoIP service for business focused on privacy
- Quo โ leading inexpensive VoIP solution for small businesses
- KrispCall โ best multi-OS VoIP for businesses
- Dialpad โ best VoIP business solution with AI features for softphone users
- GoTo Connect โ makes scaling business operations easier
- Zoho Voice โ ideal for existing Zoho customers
- Aircall โ designed for sales and support teams
- 8x8 โ best quick VoIP solution that covers all the basics
- RingCentral โ scalable VoIP solution for enterprises
Comparison of best VoIP providers
With many solutions in the mix, it can be challenging to decide which option is best for you. Thatโs why Iโve created the table below highlighting key aspects and features of all services, including their price and for which purpose or use case they are best suited.
Check the table to make a VoIP comparison between the options and see which ones work best for you, and read the reviews afterward to get all the information you need to make an informed decision.
| Solution | Best for | Price | Supported platforms | Customer support | Software phone | SMS messaging | Voicemail transcription | Call monitoring | Automatic callback | Video conferencing |
| Surfshark's Alternative Number | Privacy-focused individuals and businesses not looking for a robust VoIP service | $3.49/month | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux | 24/7 live chat | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Quo | Small businesses and startups looking for cheaper solutions | $19/month per user | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS | 24/7 chatbot, live chat during working hours | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| KrispCall | SMBs, freelancers, startups, call centers | From $15/user/month | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS | 24/7 chat and email | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dialpad | Softphone users and those looking for AI features | $27/month per user | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS | 24/7 phone and live chat | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, but more robust solution on separate Dialpad service |
| GoTo Connect | High scalability needs | Contact Sales to learn pricing | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS | 24/7 chat and ticket system | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Zoho Voice | Existing Zoho customers | $120/month for 10 users | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux | 24/7 email, phone | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Aircall | Sales and support teams | $40/month per license | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS | Ticket system, phone, chat | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| 8x8 | Basic all-in-solution needs | Contact Sales to learn pricing | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS | 24/ live chat, phone, and ticket system | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| RingCentral | Large companies and enterprises | $30/month per user | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS | 24/7 phone support (2+ users), live chat, ticket system | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
The best VoIP services โ detailed review
Now that youโve seen a brief overview of my top picks and how they compare based on the most important aspects, itโs time for quick reviews of each. I focus on what makes them stand out, the main features, pricing, and pros and cons.
1. Surfshark's Alternative Number โ overall best VoIP service designed for privacy
| Best for | Privacy-focused individuals and businesses not looking for a robust VoIP service |
| Price | $3.49/month |
| Supported platforms | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Customer support | 24/7 chat |
Surfshark is one of the world's leading VPN services, and it offers a VoIP solution called Alternative Number.
This is my top pick because it offers most of what you need from a VoIP phone service but at a much lower cost than the rest. Most importantly, the service is very privacy-focused as it protects your identity and lets you use a VPN.
Your personal number stays secure and private, and you can continually use a VPN service and a full cybersecurity suite to remain completely protected.
The current price is only $3.49/month, but you must pay for 24 months. The deal also gets you 4 months free. This is the price for the Starter plan, but you also have the option to choose more robust plans called One and One+. The cost can be 70% or 80% lower if you subscribe for 1 or 2 years.
2. Quo โ best VoIP for small business needs with low pricing
| Best for | Small companies and startups looking for cheaper solutions |
| Price | $19/month per user |
| Supported platforms | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS |
| Customer support | 24/7 chatbot, live chat during working hours |
Quo (formerly known as OpenPhone) is a unified platform for most VoIP needs and is primarily designed for smaller companies and startups. It comes at a lower price than many competitors, covering most of what you need from a business VoIP service provider.
The price is only $19/month per user, but it can be as low as $15/month per user if you pay annually. This is the Starter plan, while the service has 2 more plans worth considering.
As for the features, the VoIP service is focused on offering unlimited calls and messages to both the US and Canada, with the slight downside being a monthly messaging fee of $1.5 to $3 on all plans. International calls and texts come as an add-on, as do new phone numbers, each costing $5/month.
3. KrispCall โ best VoIP for businesses using different OS
| Best for | SMBs looking for a multi-OS solution |
| Price | $15/user/month |
| Supported platforms | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS |
| Customer support | 24/7 chat and email |
KrispCall comes third in my list, as it has a dedicated softphone app. Due to this, you can enjoy all the necessary and advanced VoIP features on all of your devices at any time and from any place. Mainly, the KrispCall VoIP is best for small businesses and call centers.
While there are numerous features, the ones that stood out to me are the call forwarding, custom greetings, power dialer, and bulk SMS messaging. Each of these features helps you streamline your workload and manage your calls and texts without an issue.
As for the price, KrispCall starts at $15/user/month. The only downside that I encountered is that thereโs no free plan or a free trial, so you canโt quite test the service before dedicating to a certain subscription.
4. Dialpad โ AI-powered VoIP business solution for softphone users
| Best for | Softphone users and those looking for AI features |
| Price | $27/month per user |
| Supported platforms | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS |
| Customer support | 24/7 phone and live chat |
Dialpad is an AI-powered customer communications platform offering a robust VoIP service set. It provides 4 distinct products, of which Dialpad Connect is the standard business VoIP phone service most will need.
Dialpad Connect comes with unlimited calling and HD voice capabilities. Itโs designed to offer one local number per user, while more expensive plans also offer international numbers.
This VoIP phone system for a small business also offers automatic spam call detection, call recording, SMS messages, HD video meetings for up to 150 participants for 5 hours, and even AI-powered real-time call transcriptions.
The cheapest plan, at $27/month per user, offers most of what you need and costs as low as $15/month per user if billed annually. Bear in mind that Dialpad offers 3 additional services for different needs. If youโre primarily interested in video conferencing, youโll want to check out the cheaper Dialpad Meetings, which also comes with a free plan.
5. GoTo Connect โ ideal for businesses in need of highly scalable solutions
| Best for | High scalability needs |
| Price | Contact Sales to learn pricing |
| Supported platforms | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS |
| Customer support | 24/7 chat and ticket system |
GoTo Connect is an all-in-one, AI-powered, cloud-based VoIP business phone solution for all companies needing to scale efficiently with a VoIP service.
This award-winning system provides you with free calls to 50 countries and comes with toll-free minutes. You get a team chat and SMS and MMS capabilities, while the service also supports video conferencing for up to 250 participants.
With GoTo Connect, you also get call recording capabilities that you can set for specific numbers or throughout, voicemail recordings and transcripts, and much more.
The service also includes add-ons, like an AI receptionist that lets you automate part of the conversations with customers and advanced analytics and reporting.
GoTo Connect features three different services. The business VoIP provider is the Connect Phone System, while the other two are an all-in-one customer experience platform and an AI-powered contact center. None have specific prices, so youโll have to contact the sales team to learn the cost.
6. Zoho Voice โ VoIP telephone service designed for existing Zoho customers
| Best for | Existing Zoho customers |
| Price | $120/month for 10 users |
| Supported platforms | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Customer support | 24/7 email, phone |
Zoho is a well-known brand with a comprehensive set of tools, including CRM, helpdesk, mail, and books. Zoho Voice is a contact center software designed to help small businesses and other organizations stay connected and deliver better service.
It offers unlimited calls within 14 countries, 2-way SMS to more than 100 countries, and high-quality audio throughout.
Where this small business VoIP service really shines is with other Zoho apps. All Zoho apps can integrate well, so if youโre already a Zoho customer, youโll find Voice a perfect addition to your existing set of apps from the well-known brand.
The price is very low, starting at only $120/month for up to 10 users, which makes it cheaper than most competitors. Plus, thereโs a free plan where you get a vast set of features like 250 minutes, call recording, and voicemail transcription.
7. Aircall โ ideal VoIP solution for sales and support teams
| Best for | Sales and support teams |
| Price | $40/month per license |
| Supported platforms | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS |
| Customer support | Ticket system, phone, chat |
Aircall is one of the best VoIP phone solutions for sales and customer support teams because it offers features specifically targeted at these departments. For instance, there are many productivity tools like routing automation and features for team collaboration.
Setting up and adding greetings to incoming calls, voicemail messages, and on-hold music is easy. You can further customize by adding audio files and text-to-voice options with pre-recorded voices in different accents.
You get unlimited calling and texting but no video or team chat. But what makes this one of the best business VoIP phones are the unique features you wonโt find elsewhere, like queue callbacks, multiple calls from one number, and a shared call inbox.
The price is steep, $40/month for a single user, but the minimum is three users, so you actually have to pay $120/month. If you pay annually, youโll save 25%.
8. 8x8 โ best quick VoIP business phone system covering all the basics
| Best for | Basic all-in-solution needs |
| Price | Contact Sales to learn pricing |
| Supported platforms | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS |
| Customer support | 24/ live chat, phone, and ticket system |
8x8 is a customer experience platform with everything you need in terms of VoIP features. The service offers calls, SMS, chat, and video conferencing, covering all forms of communication one needs from VoIP business phones.
The quality of audio and video is one of its strong suits, but it also has a good deal of AI features like translation, transcription, and summary and message generation.
The service is ideal for any company needing VoIP setups that cover all the basics, but itโs primarily designed for bigger companies and enterprises. The business VoIP service is suitable for almost every industry.
Among its best features is the flexibility you get during calls. You can transfer calls from one device to another, and there will be no reduction in quality. More than that, the person on the other end wonโt notice anything.
Thereโs no information on the price โ youโll need to contact sales to get a quote based on your specific needs and company size.
9. RingCentral โ best scalable VoIP service for large companies and enterprises
| Best for | Large companies and enterprises |
| Price | $30/month per user |
| Supported platforms | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS |
| Customer support | 24/7 phone support (2+ users), live chat, ticket system |
RingCentral RingEX is one of the most robust options on the list, designed with a focus on large companies and enterprises. It covers most enterprise needs, which is why itโs one of the best large business VoIP services.
Thereโs almost every feature a VoIP customer might need, which is why itโs more expensive than most solutions and offers around a dozen add-ons.
You get excellent audio and video quality, file sharing, team messaging, call recording, real-time transcriptions, call monitoring, and unlimited calling in the US and Canada.
The cheapest package is $30/month per user, but it drops to $20/month per user if you pay annually. Custom pricing starts at 100 users.
How I tested these VoIP providers
I used the help of my research team to find the best services and analyze their main aspects, including features and pricing, but I also looked into user feedback and expert VoIP reviews. Hereโs a quick overview of what I focused on the most:
- Tools and features (30%). Features like call recording, automatic transcriptions, and voicemail are the most important parts of a VoIP service. I review what each solution offers and give a higher grade to those offering more options than others.
- Pricing (20%). The service price plays a significant role in my recommendations because there needs to be a good cost-to-value ratio. Most options charge monthly subscriptions per user, making comparisons easy.
- Setup and ease of use (15%). A quality small-business VoIP system should be easy to set up and use.
- Customer support (15%). Every provider with 24/7 customer support gets a higher grade in my evaluations because this shows commitment to solving customer issues.
- User and expert reviews (20%). I carefully study customer and expert reviews of each provider. This feedback helps me determine the overall quality of each small business VoIP solution.
Key features to look for in VoIP providers
Iโve presented you with a list and detailed reviews of every VoIP provider, but you still have to decide which service to choose. Here are the main criteria that should help you make that decision:
- Call quality. Check the uptime, which should be 99.99%, and see what people are saying about the call clarity.
- Reliability. Look into online reviews and user feedback to see how reliable the small business VoIP phone system is. You can also ask the provider about their data centers or network redundancy.
- Pricing. Look into the available plans and pricing breakdown. Almost every provider charges monthly subscription fees per user, but there are other expenses, like setup and add-on costs.
- Scalability. If you have a company poised for growth, choose a scalable solution that can keep up with your increasing needs.
- Features. Check that the provider has all the features you need, like call-waiting, call recording, and voicemails. Look into the more advanced features as well, like video conferencing, call recording, integrations, and analytics.
- Customer support. Ensure the VoIP companies youโre considering offer reliable customer support. It should be 24/7, and user feedback should be largely positive about the agentsโ availability and helpfulness.
Advantages of VoIP over traditional phone systems
VoIP phone systems are much cheaper and easier to implement and use than traditional phone systems like landlines. Quality is improved thanks to modern technologies, and you also get added features, most notably a unified system of communications that includes voice, chat, and video, as well as various advanced call management features like automatic call distribution, recording, analytics, and queues.
| Feature | VoIP systems | Traditional phone systems |
| Technology | Digital signals, internet | Analog signals, copper wires |
| Standard and advanced features | Voice, chat, and video communications. Call management features like call distribution and recording, transcriptions | Voicemail, call waiting, call forwarding |
| Call quality | Typically high definition audio | Standard landline quality |
| Initial setup costs | Usually free or low cost | Typically costly |
| Subscriptions and contracts | Flexible contracts, low fees | Fixed contracts, high fees |
| Ease of setup and ease of use | Straightforward setup and usually easy to use | Requires technicians and can take time to set up; largely easy to use |
| Management | Self-managed | IT experts often required |
| Scalability | You can add or remove lines and users easily | Requires implementation of new lines and hardware |
| International calls | Found in more expensive plans in most cases, sometimes free or low cost | Come with higher charges |
Comparing pricing models of the best VoIP providers
Most VoIP providers have a similar pricing model where youโre charged a monthly subscription fee per user. The price is typically around $20 but can be as low as $10 or as high as $40. However, occasionally, youโll find an option that charges a flat monthly rate.
Some services donโt have pricing models; instead, they invite you to contact their sales teams to discuss the price. This usually means the pricing is customizable and highly dependent on your required services.
Most business VoIP solutions are paid, but some also offer free plans. Naturally, free tiers are limited in one way or another, but youโll often get most of the basics included. If thereโs no free plan, you may be able to get a free trial for a week or two.
Bear in mind that most of these services will incur some additional costs. These typically include things like setup fees, international call or message fees, and charges for add-ons like advanced call management features, certain integrations, and AI-powered features.
How to set up a VoIP system
Once youโve chosen a VoIP phone provider, you should check that your internet connection can support it. Cable or fiber-optic internet is recommended, and to get better quality, the download and upload speeds should be 5 Mbps or higher.
Furthermore, you need the hardware. If it doesnโt come from your chosen provider, youโll need to buy it. Once thatโs done, hereโs how the setup process works in most cases:
- Sign up for a VoIP service. Join the service by signing up for an account.
- Set up a phone number. Youโll get to port your existing phone number or get a new one from the VoIP service.
- Set up the VoIP office phone system. Install the hardware and connect the VoIP phones to your data network. Also, install the softphone apps provided to you by the VoIP service.
- Test the new line. Once everything is ready, test the new VoIP phone to see how it works. Itโs best to do it during high network activity to ensure the line works well during peak congestion.
Conclusion
The best VoIP providers have revolutionized personal and business communication, offering robust calling services over the internet for a lower price than traditional options. At the same time, they provide various advanced features like AI-powered transcriptions, video and chat communications, and better call quality.
Iโve brought VoIP solutions closer by providing you with top VoIP phone systems for small business, enterprise, and individual needs. Youโre only left with choosing the service that offers the best fit for your needs.
Evaluating each option and looking into my main criteria is crucial to finding your match. However, if youโre interested in the overall best solution, I recommend Surfshark's Alternative Number. Even though itโs not a standard VoIP service, it comes with many quality features at a very low price and provides complete privacy and security online.
FAQ
Which mobile VoIP provider is best?
All the options we recommend are top VoIP providers for mobile use, while Surfshark's Alternative Number is the overall best. It might not be a complete VoIP solution, but itโs far cheaper and offers security and privacy on the web.
Who owns the patent for VoIP?
Marian Croak has around 100 patents connected to VoIP, and she is credited as responsible for developing VoIP and VoIP-related technologies. She was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for her contributions to VoIP in 2022.
What are the 3 disadvantages of VoIP options?
VoIP solutions come with very few disadvantages and many advantages. Still, if I had to choose, the top 3 cons would be dependence on an internet connection, potential call quality problems, and vulnerabilities in terms of security.
Why is VoIP so expensive?
VoIP isnโt expensive, at least not compared to traditional solutions. Most VoIP systems for small businesses or individuals cost less than $20/month per user, and the subscriptions are even cheaper when you pay annually.