If you’re already using Google Voice for personal use, you might wonder if it could work for your small business. However, Google Voice’s free plan wasn’t made for businesses. You’ll have to pay to upgrade to Google Voice for business.
This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about Google Voice for business, including:
- How it works
- The pros and cons
- Key differences from Google Voice for personal use
We’ll also compare Google Voice’s free and business plans side-by-side. If you decide the business plan isn’t the right fit, we’ll offer a Google Voice alternative that might better meet your needs.
What is Google Voice?
Google Voice is a cloud-based virtual phone provider for individuals and businesses. Its platform offers the following features:
- Free calling to US and Canadian numbers
- Voicemail transcription
- Auto attendants
- Google Workspace integrations
Google Voice is a longstanding phone service provider and a familiar brand in the telephony market. However, it isn’t the best phone option if you’re looking to scale. We’ll explain why that’s the case below.
Google Voice pricing and plans
Google Voice offers two different options for users: a free plan for personal use and paid plans for businesses.
The Google Voice personal plan is designed for only one user located in the US. Here’s a list of features available in the personal plan:
- Unlimited calling to US and Canadian numbers
- Texting to US numbers
- International calling with per-minute pricing
- Call forwarding to linked numbers
- Voicemail transcripts
Keep in mind texting is limited to US numbers only.
The business plans offer features that aren’t available in the personal offering. For example, features like ring groups and auto-attendants.
The business plan is available in three different tiers:
- Starter: $10 per user per month for a max of 10 users, unlimited calls to US and Canadian numbers, voicemail transcription, call forwarding, and Google Meet and Calendar integrations
- Standard: $20 per user per month to access unlimited users, multi-level auto attendant, ring groups, and on-demand call recording
- Premier: $30 per user per month to access automatic call recording and advanced reporting in BigQuery
Here’s a quick comparison of all three plans:
Google Voice for business pricing plans compared
| Starter | Standard | Premier | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $10 per user per month | $20 per user per month | $30 per user per month |
| Number of users | Up to 10 | Unlimited – but extra for more than 50 | Unlimited – but extra for more than 50 |
| Domestic locations | Up to 10 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| International locations | ❌ | ❌ | Unlimited |
| Auto attendants | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Call recordings | ❌ | On-demand | Automatic |
| Desk-phone compatibility | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| eDiscovery | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Ring groups | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| BigQuery exports | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ |
In addition to choosing a Google Voice pricing plan, you’ll have to pay for Google Workspace to access Google Voice for Business. Google Workspace starts at an additional $7 per user per month.
Keep in mind if you’re using Google Voice in Canada and other select countries, you won’t be able to text from your Google Voice business number. Texting is only currently available in the US.
How does Google Voice work?
Google Voice uses Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, technology to help businesses make calls and send texts. VoIP platforms convert phone calls into digital data and transmit them over the internet.
Here’s a quick walkthrough of how calls are processed in Google Voice:
- A caller makes a call in the Google Voice app.
- Google Voice converts your voice into digital data.
- Your internet provider sends your data through your WiFi router to VoIP servers.
- The call reaches the Google Voice VoIP server, which then routes it to a customer.
- Your call ultimately reaches the customer, who only hears your voice on the other end of the line.
Google Voice is available on iOS and Android as a mobile app. It’s also available in your browser as a web app at voice.google.com. You don’t need custom equipment or hardware to start using a Google Voice number. You and your team can use your existing devices.
Google Voice personal vs business
Should you start with Google Voice’s personal plan or business plan? As you learn more about each one, it may be tough to decide.
If you’re just getting started with your business and you don’t need advanced phone features, the personal plan may be right for you. But if you have a team and you need to manage your incoming calls efficiently, the business plan is a better option.
Here’s a quick comparison of the two:
| Google Voice for business | Google Voice for personal | |
|---|---|---|
| Available outside the US | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Multiple phone numbers | ✔️ | ❌ |
| SMS and MMS | US only | Personal use only - no group chats over seven people |
| Unlimited calls in the US and Canada | US and Canadian numbers only | ❌ |
| Maximum number of users | 10 to unlimited | 1 |
| Cost | Starts at $17 per user per month including Google Workspace | Starts at $0 per user per month |
| Porting | Free | $20 to port in and $3 to port out |
| Ring groups | Requires upgrade | ❌ |
| Integrations | Google apps only | ❌ |
| Separate business and personal contacts | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Voicemail transcripts | ✔️ | ❌ |
Pros and cons of Google Voice Business
Still on the fence about whether you should use Google Voice as your business phone system? Here are some key pros and cons to consider:
Google Voice pros
- Free calls to the US and Canada: Google Voice for Business provides unlimited outbound calls to US and Canadian numbers. It’s a convenient way to stay in touch with your domestic contacts.
- Split responsibility for incoming calls with ring groups: Call forwarding allows teams to share responsibility for answering incoming calls based on availability. Note that Google Voice’s ring groups require upgrading to the Standard plan at $20 per user per month.
- Free number porting: You can transfer existing local numbers to Google Voice at no charge once you’re on a paid plan. There are also restrictions on transferring numbers between Workspace accounts or from consumer Gmail accounts.
- Workspace app integrations: Google Voice seamlessly integrates with Google’s ecosystem, including Calendar, Meet, Drive, and Gmail.
Google Voice cons
- One Google Voice phone number per user: Each Google Voice business account is limited to a single local phone number. You can’t have multiple phone numbers for different regions or purposes. And if you want a toll-free number with Google Voice, you won’t find it. Google Voice doesn’t support toll-free numbers.
- Google Workspace purchase required: You must pay for a Google Workspace subscription, starting at $7 per user per month on top of your Google Voice plan. This requirement forces you to pay for features you may not need, like video attendance tracking or in-domain live streaming.
- No desktop app: Google Voice only offers mobile and web-based apps. It doesn’t have desktop apps. This makes it harder to quickly switch between tools and manage calls efficiently.
- No integrations outside of Google Workspace: Your phone system is locked into Google’s ecosystem, unable to connect with CRMs like HubSpot or automation tools like Zapier. You also won’t be able to build a custom workaround since there’s no Google Voice API.
- No team collaboration features: Team messaging requires switching to Google Chat. Your coworkers can’t collaborate on customer conversations, either. Sharing call responsibility through ring groups requires upgrading to the $20-per-month Standard plan.
- Lack of automations: Google Voice doesn’t support message templates, auto-replies, or scheduled texts. This means manually crafting every response and missing out on features that could reduce your workload by hours each week.
- Makes it difficult for your business to scale: The Starter plan caps you at 10 users, forcing costly upgrades as you grow. Google Voice also lacks analytics to track call volume patterns or team performance.
- Texting unavailable outside the US: International users can’t send SMS messages. Even US users face restrictions with no automation capabilities. Send too many manual texts and you risk getting throttled or suspended entirely.
- More difficult to catch up on conversations: Calls, texts, and voicemails are stored in separate inboxes with no unified view of customer interactions. This fragmented system makes it time-consuming for team members to understand the context and history of conversations.
- Call recording isn’t available on the base plan: Recording calls in Google Voice requires upgrading to the Standard plan. Automatic recording needs the Premier tier. This essential feature comes at a premium price compared to competitors.
- No ways to save time following up after calls: Without AI call summaries or automatic call tagging, teams must manually review calls. There’s no AI voice agent to handle calls when you’re unavailable or to automatically log information to your CRM.
- Limited customer support: Google Voice relies primarily on self-service documentation and help forums. Only administrators get limited live chat access. Users are forced to troubleshoot issues on their own without real human support.
Get a better alternative to Google Voice for Business with Quo, formerly OpenPhone
Google Voice for business provides some basic tools for business communications. But as you can see, it doesn’t provide much room to grow.
Just to get started, you’ll need to jump through quite a few hoops. Plus, the platform itself hinders team collaboration and is better suited to smaller team use. Even if you want to connect your team to one number, you won’t have access to external integrations beyond Google Workspace apps.
That’s why hundreds of users have ported their numbers from Google Voice for business to Quo.
Quo is the modern business phone system built for small businesses and growing teams. Our mission is to help small businesses build meaningful customer relationships effortlessly.
Here’s what our users love about Quo and why they made the switch:
- Easily add new reps and locations: Every new user on your plan comes with one free local US or Canadian number or a toll-free phone number. Unlike Google Voice, you can port both toll-free and local numbers.
- Review calls quickly: Quo can provide AI-generated transcripts and summaries of every call. This helps your team quickly get up to speed on customer conversations.
- Handle incoming calls 24/7: Quo’s AI voice agent Sona is always available to handle calls, answer questions, and take messages. It can even send texts to callers and transfer urgent calls to your team.
- Easy call management: Use Quo’s call handling features like ring groups and IVR phone menus to help callers reach specific team members or departments..
- 8,000+ third-party integrations: Give your team more context and automate repetitive tasks with our integrations. Unlike Google Voice, you can integrate with apps outside of Google Workspace. Connect directly to CRMs like Salesforce, Jobber, and HubSpot. Or you can use our Zapier and Make integrations to connect to other tools. Get even more control of your integrations with the Quo API.
- Save time with texting automations: Quo speeds up customer interactions with built-in text automations on local and toll-free numbers. For example, you can instantly respond to common questions with saved snippets. Use auto-replies to set expectations about your hours and when you’ll be back. You can also schedule text messages in advance so you can better reach customers in different time zones.
- Collaborate as a team: You can invite multiple team members to a single Quo business phone number and work together from a shared inbox. This way, you can all team up to respond to customer calls and messages at the same time. Plus, all texts, calls, and messages associated with a specific number are in one box so anyone on your team can continue the conversation.
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of how Quo measures up against Google Voice for business:
| Feature | Quo | Google Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Starts at $15 per user per month | $17 per user per month including the Workspace subscription |
| Unlimited calling to US & Canada | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| SMS, MMS messaging | ✔️ | US customers only |
| Voicemail to text | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Set business hours | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Additional phone numbers | $5 per number | Varies |
| Number porting | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Call recording | ✔️ | Requires upgrade |
| Shared phone numbers | ✔️ | Ring groups only; requires upgrade |
| Dedicated business address book | ✔️ | ❌ |
| IVR phone menu with extensions | Requires upgrade | Requires upgrade |
| Team Messaging | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Group text messaging | Up to 10 business contacts | Up to 7 contacts |
| Auto-replies | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Snippets | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Slack integration | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Zapier integration | ✔️ | ❌ |
| CRM integration | ✔️ | ❌ |
| iOS and Android apps | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Web-based app | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Switch from Google Voice for business to Quo
Google Voice is an affordable VoIP service for small businesses. Unfortunately, the setup is rigorous, hinders team collaboration, and lacks external integrations.
Quo is the best Google Voice alternative for small and fast-growing businesses.
Don’t just take our word for it. We’re rated the #1 business phone solution for customer satisfaction on G2. Ready to make the switch from Google Voice for business to Quo? Sign up for a Quo business phone number and get a seven-day free trial today.
FAQs
Setting up Google Voice for business is a straightforward process that involves adding Google Voice to your Google Workspace account and configuring your phone settings. Follow these steps to get started:
1. Add the Google Workspace app. If you don’t already have a Google Workspace account, go to the Google Workspace website and sign up for one.
2. Add Voice. In the Google Workspace admin console, go to Menu > Apps > Additional Google Services. At the top, click Add Services. Under Categories, click Google Voice.
3. Select a subscription. Choose a plan and purchase the subscription. You’ll be charged per user per month. For example, if you have six users, you’re charged $60 each month on the Starter plan, plus at least $42 per month for Google Workspace.
4. Add your Voice locations. Set up your organization’s locations to comply with regulations and enable local number assignment. You can do this under Menu > Apps > Google Workspace > Google Voice > Locations. Then click Add a location and Save.
5. Assign Voice licenses to users. Assign Google Voice licenses to the users who will need access through the admin console. You can do this under Menu > Directory > Users. Then click Assign licenses, select Google Voice, and click Assign.
6. Configure phone numbers. Go into the admin console and assign local numbers to users. You can port a number if needed.
7. Set up call routing and auto attendants. In Google Voice settings, set up ring groups and auto attendants to direct inbound calls to the right rep or department.
Google Voice plans cost $10, $20, or $30 per user per month, depending on the tier. Voice pricing depends on which plan you choose. However, you have to pay for an active Google Workspace subscription to use Google Voice. Google Workspace starts at $7 per user per month.
No, Google Voice isn’t compatible with landlines. However, you can port your landline number to a cell phone. After that, you can port it into Google Voice.
