Phone

Can you run a successful business using just your cell phone? I tried…and it didn’t work. When I first started my business over a decade ago, I used my personal cell phone. But the problems quickly became obvious. Important client messages got lost among personal calls. I had to answer every single call myself, and there was no way to transfer calls to team members. Professional and personal communications were completely mixed. Something had to change! I knew I needed a proper business phone system. But, like many entrepreneurs and small business owners, I found myself overwhelmed by choices. Should I go with a traditional business phone line? A business VoIP service? Or perhaps a virtual business phone number? Plus, with a remote team, I needed something that would work across different locations. After weeks of research, comparing features, and separating must-haves from nice-to-haves, I finally found a solution that could scale with my business. In this guide, I’ll share everything I learned to help you choose the best business phone service for your needs without spending weeks on research like I did. Quick Pick – The Best Business Phone Services for Small Businesses In a hurry? No worries! Take a look at my top picks so you can quickly choose the right phone service for your business. # Phone Service Best For Pricing 1 Nextiva Best value for small businesses $21/month 2 RingCentral Large teams & integrations $20/month 3 Zoom Phone Video call integrations $10/month 4 Grasshopper Solo entrepreneurs $14/month 5 Ooma Virtual + desk phone systems $19.95/month 6 Phone.com International calls $12.74/month 7 GoToConnect Video conferencing & collaboration $27/month 8 Freshcaller Sales & support teams $15/month 9 Dialpad AI-powered features $15/month 10 Vonage Call centers 0.41c/minute 11 8×8 Global communication Call 12 Verizon Reliable service & integrated solutions $30/month Learn: Why and When You Need a Business Phone Service How I Test and Review Business Phone Services Why Trust My Recommendations? Now, let’s take a look at the top business phone services for your small business. 1. Nextiva – Overall Best for Small Businesses Nextiva is my top choice for business phone services for small businesses. It stands out because it brings everything together into one user-friendly platform—phone, fax, video, and messaging. This is why I chose it for my business. Setting up Nextiva is straightforward. Plus, the call quality has been consistently excellent, whether using desk phones in the office or the mobile app on the go. Calls are always crisp and clear, providing reliability for my team. I particularly appreciate Nextiva’s call routing, which uses AI to send calls immediately to the right person. Additionally, setting up and sharing business phone numbers has been easy. This allows my team to present a professional image without needing to share personal contact details. Nextiva also includes call analytics that offer detailed reports on call volumes and durations, and even agent performance. It also offers seamless CRM (customer relationship management) integrations. However, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. Some users have noted that the desktop app can be resource-intensive, which I’ve occasionally noticed as well. Closing unnecessary applications usually resolves this, so it’s not a major issue. Also, Nextiva’s unlimited calling is limited to the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico. What I like about Nextiva What I don’t like about Nextiva Nextiva equipment available Nextiva pricing: Pricing for Nextiva’s business phone service starts from $21 per user every month for the Core plan, which is paid yearly when you use my Nextiva coupon. Why I recommend Nextiva: I believe Nextiva is the best overall business phone service for small businesses since it comes with affordable, enterprise-level plans. It’s easy to use, offers excellent call quality, and integrates easily with customer service tools. It has allowed my business to streamline our communication, improve our company, and gain valuable insights into our call patterns. For more details, check out my full Nextiva review. Bonus: WPBeginner users can use my Nextiva coupon code to get up to 44% off. 2. RingCentral – Best for Larger Teams & Integrations RingCentral is my top pick for all-in-one communication for larger teams. It offers a platform that pulls together phone, video meetings, messaging, and contact center features with excellent call quality. Plus, it’s designed to be scalable, which is perfect for businesses that need room to grow. I put RingCentral to the test to see what it can do. Setting it up was straightforward, and the call routing system was impressive. You can set rules based on departments, business hours, and caller ID to help direct calls where they need to go. The call analytics and integrations with CRMs and help desk software were also powerful yet easy to set up. Adding users, setting up phone numbers, and managing basic features was easy. Managing professional numbers, including getting local and toll-free numbers, was also simple once the setup was complete. However, setting up SMS was a bit more challenging than with other services. RingCentral includes extra features like video meetings with screen sharing, team messaging, and integrations with tools like Google Workspace and Microsoft. However, with so many features, some users feel overwhelmed at first. And while the support team is knowledgeable, the wait can be longer than expected. What I like about RingCentral What I don’t like about RingCentral RingCentral equipment available Why I recommend RingCentral: I believe RingCentral is a great business VoIP solution for medium- to large-sized businesses. It has a lot to offer in terms of features, scalability, and integrations. For more details, see my full RingCentral review. RingCentral pricing: Their Core plan starts at $20 per month for each user (billed annually). Other plans come at different pricing and advanced features like auto call recording, internet fax, unlimited video, whiteboards, messaging, and more. You can use my RingCentral coupon code to get up to 33% off. You can also pay extra to get a vanity phone number for your business, which allows you to have a catchy and memorable business phone number. 3. Zoom Phone – Best for Video Call Integrations Zoom Phone is an extension of the Zoom platform, which is known for video meetings.