Affordable VoIP Phone Systems for Small Businesses in 2024

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VoIP enables users to make calls over the internet from smartphones, computers, and other mobile devices. You don’t need a physical phone line to call someone, and these systems can provide a convenient and reliable way for customers to reach you. 

For small businesses that need a budget-friendly way to create business numbers and keep in contact with customers, a VoIP service can be a great option. However, it can be hard to find an affordable provider that meets all your needs. 

That’s why in this article, we outline the best cost-effective VoIP solutions for small businesses. We also explain:

• How VoIP works

• Features to prioritise when choosing a platform

• The benefits of using VoIP for your small business

How Does VoIP work? 

VoIP is a digital technology that converts voice at one end of a line into packets of data (1s and 0s), encapsulating this data and sending it over the internet. It’s then unencapsulated at the other end back into audio. 

Sometimes this data is compressed to allow large amounts of data to be sent. Compression does lower quality to a degree, but it’s a useful technology, as it helps to prevent problems like latency.

To make VoIP calls, you need a VoIP-enabled device, such as a computer with the right software or a landline with an analog telephone adapter (ATA). 

But what happens when, say, a VoIP phone calls an analog landline? The unencapsulated data goes through a VoIP gateway, which converts the digital signal to analog. 

Now we’ve gotten through the technical bits, let's look at the VoIP providers out there and which is the best fit for your business.

Best Affordable VoIP Providers for Small Businesses

Aircall

Aircall’s VoIP solution is an excellent fit for small businesses that need an affordable yet reliable customer communications solution. The platform comes with features like auto-attendant, call forwarding, and call queuing, and 99.95% uptime and excellent call quality means you can provide reliable service to your customers. 

Aircall integrates with over 100 business tools, from CRM to helpdesk software, so you and your employees always have relevant information available to provide a better customer support or sales experience. These integrations also reduce the need to manually transfer and input data, saving you and your team time. 

You can review call recordings and get context around all your customer conversations, plus check the history of each account, lead, or contact. In addition, you get access to powerful analytics and visibility over essential call metrics so you can identify why inbound calls are missed, spot unusually long hold times, and track trends to boost your team’s performance.

Key features

• IVR

• Insight cards

• Live activity feed

• Call monitoring

• Call recording

• Warm transfer

Pricing (annual billing)

• Essentials: $30/month/user

• Professionals: $50/month/user

• Custom: Contact for pricing.

Discover the best VoIP phone system for small businesses: an affordable, reliable solution to help you boost customer satisfaction. Try Aircall for free.

RingCentral

RingCentral gives you a clear overview of the status of all your rooms and devices.

RingCentral’s VoIP service is designed for organisations of all sizes, but the platform has solutions fit for the needs of small businesses, including phone, video, SMS, and messaging features. 

RingCentral offers 24/7 support, so if you have any issues with your VoIP phone service, you can contact an agent at any time, and it has various plans to suit your budget and scale with you as your business grows. 

Key features

• Single dashboard for all communications

• Dedicated app

• Unlimited domestic calling

• Google and Microsoft integrations

• Visual voicemail

Pricing (annual billing, for 1-100 users)

• Core: $20/month/user

• Advanced: $25/month/user

• Ultra: $35/month/user

See our RingCentral alternatives comparison for more information, or check out an in-depth review of RingCentral vs. Aircall.  

Vonage

Vonage offers both a desktop and mobile app so your team can stay connected wherever they are.

Vonage’s VoIP phone service comes with plenty of features, such as a virtual receptionist and call routing, which help direct your customers to the right team member or department. And starting at less than $15/month/extension (annual billing), it’s an affordable way for small businesses to access a VoIP system without a hefty initial investment. 

You can also set up a system where the platform forwards calls, rings on different devices simultaneously, or presents callers with a voicemail message so you don’t have to worry about missing a call when you’re on the go. Plus, if you need to switch devices during a call, you can do so seamlessly without the customer ever knowing.

Key features

• Call recording

• Virtual receptionist

• Business phone app

• Call continuity

• Local and international numbers

Pricing (annual billing)

• Mobile: $13.99/month/extension + taxes and fees.

• Premium: $20.99/month/extension + taxes and fees.

• Advanced: $27.99/month/extension + taxes and fees.

See our Vonage alternatives comparison for more information, or check out an in-depth review of Vonage vs. Aircall.  

Dialpad

Dialpad’s AI features summarise your calls and automatically extract action items.

Starting at $15/month/user, Dialpad is an affordable VoIP solution with built-in AI and analytics features. The platform offers customers the option to try out its service before committing to it with a 14-day free-trial period.

Dialpad lets you communicate across multiple communication channels from its desktop or mobile app. Its visual voicemail feature transcribes voicemail messages for quick review, and call recording transcriptions help you identify issues and train new team members on best practices.  

Key features

• AI contact centre, sales, and communication tools

• HD call quality

• Voicemail transcriptions

• Call routing

• Call forwarding

Pricing (annual billing)

• Standard: $15/month/user

• Pro: $25/month/user

• Enterprise: Contact for pricing.

See our Dialpad alternatives comparison for more information, or check out an in-depth review of Dialpad vs. Aircall.  

Google Voice

Google Voice consolidates all your data onto the Google Workspace Admin console.

Starting at just $10/month/user, Google Voice offers small businesses a budget-friendly, easy-to-use VoIP phone service. You can set it up almost instantly, and the tool integrates well with day-to-day business activities, especially for organisations that already use other Google products like Meet and Calendar.

This VoIP system works on mobile devices, laptops, and supported deskphones so your team can stay connected wherever they’re working. Plus, the tool uses AI to block spam calls and transcribe voicemail messages. 

Key features

• Voicemail transcription

• iOS and Android apps

• 24/7 support

• Call forwarding

• Usage and activity reporting

Pricing (monthly billing)

• Starter: $10/month/user

• Standard: $20/month/user

• Premier: $30/month/user

Must-Have VoIP Features

Cheap VoIP services don't always mean better outcomes, so it’s important to consider what features your business needs before choosing a platform. You need a solution that can scale with your operations and remain at the forefront of emerging technologies, such as AI as a tool for small businesses.

Unlimited calling

Unlimited calling is a must-have for any VoIP service and necessary for scaling businesses. This also ends up being more affordable in the long run, as you’re not paying per call or per minute, which can get very expensive, very quickly. 

This should include both unlimited outbound, inbound, and internal calls. It’s vital that your customers are able to get hold of you when they need you, and you also need your employees to be able to easily communicate with each other for improved collaboration and efficiency. 

Call routing 

Call routing enables you to seamlessly redirect incoming calls to the right team members. This reduces the risk of customers getting frustrated, as their call reaches the right person instantly and helps your team resolve their queries quicker. 

This improves your service quality and business reputation, as it’s much more practical and efficient than telling the customer to hang up and call another number to reach the department they need to contact. 

Domestic and international calls

For businesses that have operations and customers in multiple countries, it’s vital to have both domestic and international call capabilities. It’s especially important to find a solution that comes with international numbers at an affordable and bundled rate to keep your operations affordable as you scale. 

Even if you don’t have customers across the globe yet, you want to be able to reach new markets as your business grows without having to invest heavily in international calling. 

Call recording 

Call recording helps you monitor agent performance as well as train new employees; you can show them what a conversation with a customer should sound like, decreasing the time it takes to get them up to speed on customer support and sales best practices.

This feature also enables you to protect yourself should a dispute arise with a customer. While all business owners hope to avoid situations like this, a recorded call can be sufficient proof to resolve an issue or disprove an unfounded customer complaint. 

Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

IVR is a major time-saver for small businesses. By giving callers options to select based on the nature of their inquiry, the technology routes them to the correct agent or department, saving the customer time and hassle. 

You can also pre-record messages that answer common customer inquiries, freeing up your employees to focus on more important, high-level tasks rather than fielding frequently asked questions.

Video conferencing 

VoIP systems can enable you to hold video calls either on their own or via native integrations with other tools, which isn’t possible with a traditional analog system. Video conferencing provides a more personal and engaging way to communicate with customers, which can be especially valuable for complex customer support issues or sales demos. 

This tool is also valuable for internal communication, especially among remote and dispersed teams that want to stay connected even though employees are spread across different locations. 

Business messaging

While it’s important for customers to be able to call you when they have questions or issues, many people prefer sending you a message. That’s why your VoIP solution should also come with business text messaging features. 

It’s important to keep this consolidated with your voice solution so you can track customer interaction history and provide a consistent support or sales experience, no matter the touchpoint. 

4 Benefits of Using a VoIP Service for Small Businesses

Our 2024 The Voice of SMBs report found that 61% of growing businesses are prioritising improving customer experiences. A key way to do this is by strengthening your customer communications processes with a VoIP solution. 

Here are four key benefits to leveraging this software for your small business: 

1. Lower costs

VoIP services come at a smaller start-up cost and lower ongoing maintenance expenses compared to analog solutions. In addition to unlimited calls per user, you can operate a VoIP system from your computer without having to invest in special hardware. 

Your team members can also make calls from anywhere, potentially saving you money on office space as you grow your business and hire more employees. And if your whole team works remotely, there’s no need to pay for an office at all.

2. Scalability

Using VoIP software rather than traditional phones makes scaling your business easier, as all you need to do to add an employee is pay for an additional user. The same goes for international calling; if you want to expand globally and enter new markets, you can pay for a bundled international calling plan that suits your needs. 

These systems are designed to meet your business’s changing needs, so it works the same way if you’re scaling down, too. Simply remove users from your VoIP system as you scale your operations back during the off season or slow periods. 

3. Business integrations

VoIPs come with a major advantage, which is their ability to connect with other business software solutions, like CRM, helpdesk, ecommerce, and productivity tools. 

The right VoIP solution will integrate seamlessly with your existing tech stack and allow you to better manage customer conversations. This unified source of information helps your employees provide a superior experience to customers and prospects. 

4. Call quality

As long as your internet connection is good, you’re going to have superior, HD-quality calls compared to regular, analog calling services. In addition to the VoIP technology itself, your bandwidth is also an important factor here, and there should be no latency issues, lag, or call dropouts if your internet connection is strong.

Aircall: A Budget-Friendly, Reliable VoIP Phone Service for Small Businesses

Aircall provides an affordable VoIP phone service packed with features designed to make your small business run smoother and make your conversations more impactful. With a low-cost basic plan that includes essential features and access to all our integrations, we provide an accessible starting point that can scale along with your growing business. 

Discover the best VoIP phone system for small businesses: an affordable, reliable solution to help you boost customer satisfaction. Try Aircall for free

Published on September 6, 2024.