DialpadBest overall
AI transcripts and call summaries on the $15 Standard plan (billed yearly), a 14-day trial and CRM integrations from $25 on Pro.
Business phone systems (VoIP)
A business phone system is a cloud service that gives a company its own numbers and routes calls to the right person over the internet. These business phone system reviews compare nine VoIP services on per-user price, the plan with a phone menu, texting fees and contract terms.
RingCentralBest for growing teams
The most complete feature set, with auto-attendant and 100 toll-free minutes on Core from $20 a user yearly, 330+ integrations and an advertised 99.999% SLA; a July 2026 data breach costs it trust points.
Zoom WorkplaceBest value for teams already on Zoom
Unlimited US and Canada calling with auto attendants, call recording and texting on every plan for $16 a user billed yearly, managed in the same app as Zoom meetings.
QuoBest for texting-heavy teams
The old OpenPhone: shared numbers, HubSpot, Salesforce and Pipedrive sync on the $23 Business plan, an AI agent with 10 free calls a month and the clearest published fees.
Ooma OfficeBest no-contract option with desk phones
Month-to-month plans from $19.95 a user with a virtual receptionist, ring groups, free porting and plug-in hardware for existing desk phones.
NextivaBest path to a contact center
Core costs $15 a user on a 12-month term with 100 texts per user, and the same vendor sells an AI receptionist and contact-center plans; no free trial.
Google WorkspaceBest for Google Workspace users
Google Voice adds numbers, voicemail transcription and desk phone support to Workspace; you need Voice Standard at $20 a user for an auto attendant.
Vonage Business CommunicationsBest for phone plus large video meetings
Premium bundles desk phones, CRM integration and video for up to 200 people at $29.99 a line or $20.99 with a 30% promo of unclear length.
GrasshopperBest flat price for solo founders
A virtual number, menu, extensions and texting on your existing phones, with unlimited users on Small Business for $55 a month billed yearly; no desk phones or native CRM links.
Compare side by side
Every score and price in one table. Select a column to sort. Prices are US list prices; hover a price for the full terms.
| Dialpad | 8.5 | 8.4 | 8.0 | 9.4 | 8.4 | 8.6 | $15/user/mo | – | – |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RingCentral | 8.3 | 7.4 | 9.4 | 9.0 | 7.8 | 8.2 | $20/user/mo | – | – |
| Zoom Workplace | 8.3 | 8.8 | 8.6 | 7.8 | 7.6 | 8.4 | $16/user/mo | Yes | – |
| Quo | 8.2 | 8.2 | 7.8 | 8.8 | 7.6 | 9.2 | $15/user/mo | – | – |
| Ooma Office | 8.2 | 8.4 | 8.4 | 7.0 | 8.2 | 8.8 | $19.95/user/mo | – | 30 days |
| Nextiva | 8.1 | 8.0 | 8.4 | 7.6 | 8.4 | 7.8 | $15/user/mo | – | – |
| Google Workspace | 7.7 | 8.0 | 6.8 | 7.0 | 8.4 | 8.6 | Google Voice Standard $20/user/mo + Workspace Business Starter from $7/user/mo | – | – |
| Vonage Business Communications | 7.6 | 7.2 | 8.2 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.4 | $13.99/line/mo | – | – |
| Grasshopper | 7.3 | 8.2 | 6.4 | 5.6 | 7.4 | 8.6 | $14/mo per account | – | – |
How does a cloud phone system work?
Calls travel over the internet from the provider’s cloud. No PBX box in a closet. Staff answer in a desktop or mobile app, on a desk phone, or both, and the same business number can send texts.
The features that matter to a small business are an auto-attendant (the “press 1 for sales” menu), ring groups, voicemail, call recording and business texting. Bigger plans add call queues and CRM links. Some add AI that transcribes or answers calls. Our reviews cover US small businesses. Rules differ abroad.
Which business phone system fits your team?
Default to Zoom Phone if your team already meets on Zoom, and to Dialpad if it does not. Dialpad Standard costs $15 a user a month billed yearly and puts AI transcripts and call summaries on that entry plan, where rivals sell them as add-ons.
- If you expect to grow into call queues or a contact center, choose RingCentral or Nextiva. RingCentral Core costs $20 a user yearly. It includes 100 toll-free minutes.
- If you text customers all day, use Quo Business at $23 a user yearly, which syncs HubSpot, Salesforce and Pipedrive.
- If you want desk phones and no contract, Ooma Office costs $19.95 a user month to month with free porting.
- If you run on Google Workspace, add Google Voice Standard at $20 a user. Starter has no auto-attendant.
- If you are one person who needs a second line, Grasshopper True Solo costs $14 a month billed yearly.
| Service and plan | 1 user, yearly | 1 user, monthly | 5 users, yearly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dialpad Standard | $15 | $27 | $75 |
| Zoom Phone US & CA Unlimited | $16 | $18 | $80 |
| RingCentral Core | $20 | $30 | $100 |
| Ooma Office Essentials | Not offered | $19.95 | Not offered |
| Quo Business | $23 | $33 | $115 |
Monthly billing can nearly double the price. Dialpad jumps from $15 to $27.
When do you not need a business phone system?
When one person takes a handful of calls and a second number on the phone you already own does the job. A full system is overkill for a solo founder.
If you’ve got a personal Gmail account in the US, Google now sells one-user Voice plans, and Grasshopper’s True Solo plan is another light option that rings the mobile you already carry. Don’t bother with per-user plans until two or more people answer calls, and skip the desk phones entirely if everyone works from a laptop and a mobile.
What hidden costs and rules catch VoIP buyers?
Three catch most buyers: texting registration fees that no plan price shows, promotions with no clear end date, and 911 rules that leave the admin work to you. None appears in the headline price.
- Texting registration. US carriers require A2P 10DLC registration before you text from a local number. Twilio’s fee schedule lists a $4.50 brand registration, $15 campaign vetting and $1.50 to $10 a month per campaign. Quo charges $19.50 once plus $1.50 to $3 a month.
- Promotions. Nextiva advertises up to 12 months free without showing the terms on its pricing page, and Vonage’s 30% discount has an unclear end date. Don’t trust a promo without the month-13 price in writing.
- 911 and robocall rules. Under the FCC’s RAY BAUM’S Act rules, VoIP calls to 911 must carry a dispatchable location. When you add or move a user, update the address. The FCC also began removing more than 1,200 providers from its Robocall Mitigation Database in August 2025, so check a small reseller is listed before you port.
Most people forget taxes too. Every vendor adds regulatory fees. Quo lists telecom taxes in 16 states.
How do we build our business phone system reviews?
Each service gets a research score out of 10 from official pricing pages, plan comparisons, help articles and SEC filings, cross-checked against dated reporting. We don’t make test calls. Every service is costed for 1 and 5 users.
Price and call handling carry 25% each, reliability and trust 20%, and AI and ease of use 15% each. In practice trust can move a rank. RingCentral disclosed a breach on July 28, 2026, and Have I Been Pwned counts about 1.6 million affected accounts. Related: video conferencing and team chat.
How we score business phone systems
Every product here is scored 0 to 10 on the same criteria, using published evidence. The overall score is the weighted average.
Price & total costPer-user price on monthly and yearly billing, minimum users and contract terms, which plan you need for an auto-attendant, extra numbers, toll-free minutes, texting registration (A2P 10DLC) fees, porting fees, and a worked monthly cost for 1 user and 5 users.weight25%
Call handling & featuresUnlimited US and Canada calling and fair-use limits, auto-attendant and IVR, ring groups and call queues, call recording, included texts, toll-free numbers and minutes, international calling, and desk phone support.weight25%
AI & integrationsCall transcription and summaries, AI receptionists and their add-on costs, and which plan unlocks CRM integrations such as Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho and Pipedrive or Microsoft and Google suites.weight15%
Reliability & trustPublished uptime SLAs and where they are stated, dated outages, data breaches and regulator actions, company ownership and stability, and transparency about fees.weight20%
Ease of use & supportFree trials, contract flexibility, setup effort, apps on desktop, mobile and web, support channels and hours, and how clearly the vendor publishes prices and terms.weight15%
Questions people ask
How much does a business phone system cost per user?
Expect $15 to $30 a user a month on yearly billing for a plan with a phone menu, and up to twice that month to month. Dialpad and Nextiva start at $15, Zoom Phone at $16 and RingCentral at $20. Don't forget taxes, regulatory fees and texting registration on top.
What is the cheapest business phone service for one person?
Grasshopper True Solo costs $14 a month billed yearly and runs on the phone you already own. Google also sells one-user Voice plans to personal Gmail accounts in the US, and Dialpad Standard costs $15 a user billed yearly when you want AI call summaries as well.
Can I keep my existing business number?
Usually. Ooma Office ports numbers for free, and porting fees are part of what we check for every service. Before you port to a smaller reseller, check that it appears in the FCC Robocall Mitigation Database, because other carriers must block calls from providers removed from it.
Do I need to register to send business texts?
Yes, in the US. Texting from a local business number needs A2P 10DLC registration through The Campaign Registry. Expect a one-time fee of about $19.50 plus $1.50 to $10 a month per campaign, depending on the provider.
Do VoIP phone systems work with 911?
Yes, but you have to keep the details current. FCC rules under RAY BAUM'S Act require VoIP calls to 911 to carry a dispatchable location, so register each user's address with your provider and update it when people move or work from home.