Google Voice in Canada: How to use it and key limitations

Canada is one of the most well-connected countries in the world, but that access comes at a cost. Despite widespread, reliable mobile and internet infrastructure, Canadian phone plans remain among the most expensive. And prices are starting to rise again after a period of decline.

For businesses trying to manage communication costs, that often means looking for alternatives. If you’re thinking about using Google Voice Canada to lower costs, it’s important to know that the free version isn’t available.

In this article, we’ll walk you through how to set up a paid Google Voice account in Canada and explore a better alternative to support your business phone needs.

Is Google Voice available in Canada?

Google Voice’s business plan is currently only available in Canada to Google Workspace customers. As a Google Workspace customer, you can sign up for Google Voice in Canada and assign Canadian phone numbers with a +1 country code to your Google Voice users.

Can I get a free Google Voice number in Canada?

No, the free version of Google Voice is only available in the United States. It isn’t supported in Canada. Some people try to find a workaround, but it’s difficult and unreliable for two main reasons:

1. Location restrictions
   Google Voice checks your IP address during the sign-up process via the web or the Google Voice app for iOS or Android. If you’re based in Canada, the process is usually blocked. Using a US-based VPN may seem like a workaround, but Google can detect VPN usage and restrict access.

2. A US phone number is required for verification
   You need a real US-based landline or mobile number to activate a free Google Voice account. VoIP numbers won’t work. Even if you use a friend’s number or a verification service, Google may ask you to verify again later, which can create ongoing issues.
   
   Workarounds exist, but they can be inconsistent and unreliable, especially if you run a business. For important features like phone menus and call recordings, you may want to choose Google Voice’s paid plan, or a different service.  

How to get a Google Voice number in Canada

Here’s the step-by-step process to sign up for a paid Google Voice plan in Canada.

Step 1: Sign up for a Google Workspace account if you don’t already have one.

Google Workspace provides companies with many business services, including Gmail, Google Cloud Storage, and custom email addresses. The Starter plan costs $9.20 CAD per user per month.

Once you’ve set up Google Workspace for you and the employees who will need business numbers, you can sign up for Google Voice as an add-on for Google Workspace.

Step 2: Select a Google Voice plan

Google Voice offers various plans that are all billed in USD, including higher-tier options with additional business phone features. Choose the plan that best suits your needs:

• Starter: $10 USD per user per month for unlimited calls to the US and Canada from US and Canadian numbers only, voicemail transcriptions with incoming messages, and call forwarding
• Standard: $20 USD per user per month to unlock ring groups, multi-level auto attendants, and the option to record specific calls
• Premier: $30 USD per user per month to unlock automatic call recording and advanced reporting through BigQuery

Step 3: Assign phone numbers 

Once your payment is processed and your plan is activated, you can assign numbers to your team members and start integrating Google Voice with your other Google products.

5 major restrictions to Google Voice in Canada

Even if you choose the paid Google Voice for Google Workspace plans, there are limitations to using Google Voice in Canada.

1. Google Voice doesn’t support texting in Canada

If texting is a frequent part of your business communication, you may want to think twice before signing up for Google Voice. All three of Google Voice’s plans have unlimited messages — but texting is only available in the US for Voice accounts linked to Google Workspace.

If you’re using the personal version of Google Voice, you can text numbers outside the United States. However, you’ll have to add credits to your account, as these text messages aren’t included in the free plan.

2. Google Voice can’t give you toll-free numbers

If you’re expanding into new territories, having a toll-free number can help new customers call you, regardless of long-distance calling prices. Unfortunately, Google Voice doesn’t offer toll-free numbers.

3. Google Voice doesn’t support a fully remote, globally-distributed workforce

Google Voice doesn’t work for remote teams with employees all over the world. At the moment, Google Voice for Google Workspace only provides support for 14 countries. If anyone on your team lives outside of the 14 countries supported by Google Voice for Google Workspace, you won’t be able to provide them with a business phone number. If you can’t provide them access, you may want to consider a remote phone system that works for everyone in your company.

4. Google Voice won’t enable you to work as a team

Google Voice technically has business plans that can‌ work for solopreneurs. Looking to work together on responses and split responsibility for incoming calls and messages? You’ll want to go with another platform, as Google Voice lacks team collaboration features like shared numbers, internal threads, and call routing.

Google Voice also only works with other Google apps, like Calendar and Google Meet, so you can’t connect it to other tools, such as your:

• CRM
• Project management software
• Workflow automation platform, like Zapier or Make

 5. Google Voice doesn’t let you set up a caller ID name 

If your business name is showing incorrectly on Google Voice, appearing as spam, or not showing at all, you probably want to fix it. Unfortunately, Google Voice doesn’t provide a way to control how your name appears. You can change the phone number, but not the caller ID name.

One reviewer on G2 said, “Even though I have used the same Google Voice number for almost 10 years and have never used it for selling/cold calls, it shows up as “Spam Likely” when people receive a call from my Google Voice number. … I can no longer set my business name as the caller ID.”

In this case, you should port your phone number to a different VoIP provider that allows you to customize your caller ID name, like Quo.

The best Google Voice alternative in Canada: Quo

Fortunately, you don’t have to choose between an expensive wireless plan with high calling rates or Google Voice Canada. We know this because we built the alternative — a modern business phone system that’s affordable, flexible, and built to support users worldwide.

Quo’s Starter plan costs $15 USD per user per month, and you can sign up from almost anywhere in the world, including Canada. Unlike Google Voice’s $10 Starter plan, which is ‌$17 with Google Workspace, Quo’s Starter plan comes with free phone calls and texts to the US and Canada. It also includes toll-free numbers and shared numbers.

Here’s a closer look at what you can do with Quo: 

• Chat with team members behind the scenes using internal threads, getting information without leaving the flow of your communication with clients
• Provide more context to your team with notes and custom properties.
• Get creative with your texts using saved message templates, auto-replies, group messaging, and GIFs.
• Save time with automatic voicemail transcription and seamless call forwarding.
• Control your call flow by setting up a phone menu to direct callers to their destination more efficiently.
• Connect Quo to the tools you’re already using in your business — including Slack, Salesforce, HubSpot, and over 8,000+ Zapier integrations.
• Get insight into your usage with data and call analytics.
• Review calls quickly using call views and AI-powered transcripts.

Get up and running with Quo in Canada

If you’re looking for a business phone that works seamlessly in Canada, the US, and beyond, get started with a free seven-day trial of Quo. If it’s a fit, you can get a new number or port your existing one for free.

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