Running a small business means watching every dollar and every hour. But with Vonage, many teams find themselves paying more than expected right from the start. Features that you need to run your business day-to-day are locked behind higher-priced plans. If you’re trying to manage a reliable business and keep expenses predictable, the platform can be hard to justify.
In this post, we explore eight Vonage alternatives that offer better features and prices to small business owners.
The best Vonage alternatives compared
Here’s how the best alternatives to Vonage stack up side by side:
| Provider | Starting price | Unlimited calling to US & Canada | SMS/MMS to US & Canada | Shared phone numbers | Additional phone numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vonage | $13.99 per user per month | ✓ | Local US and Canadian numbers only | Shared line appearance only | Starts at $4.99 per number per month |
| Quo | Starts at $15 per user per month | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | $5 per number per month |
| RingCentral | $20 per user per month | Limited toll-free minutes | 25 messages per user per month | Calls only | $4.99 per number per month |
| Google Voice | $10 per month | Unlimited calls to Canada from the US only | US customers only | Requires upgrade, ring groups only | X |
| Nextiva | $15 per user per month | ✓ | 100 texts per user per month | ✓ | Undisclosed fee |
| Ooma | $19.95 per user per month | ✓ | Requires upgrade | ✓ | Starts at $9.99 per number per month |
| GoTo Connect | Contact for a quote | Limited toll-free minutes | US and Canadian customers only | Requires upgrade | Contact for a quote |
| Zoom Phone | $10 per user per month | Requires upgrade | US, Canadian, and Australian numbers only | Requires add-on | $5 per number per month |
| Phone.com | $15 per user per month | ✓ | Requires upgrade | X | $4.99 per number per month |
1. Quo: Best modern business alternative to Vonage
Pros
- Unlimited calls and texts to the US and Canada
- Local and toll-free second numbers are available
- Integrations with 8,000+ apps via Zapier and Make
- AI call tags
- Shared phone numbers
- Call recording on the base plan
Cons
- Can’t verify accounts through two-factor authentication*
*Nearly all virtual phone numbers share this problem. For safety reasons, companies like Facebook, Uber, and Google rarely let you authenticate accounts through a virtual phone number.
Quo, formerly OpenPhone, is a phone system built for businesses that want to scale without losing the personal touch. With just an internet connection, you can answer calls, send messages, and collaborate with your team from anywhere.
We make it easy to streamline your communications through an intuitive cloud-based platform. Every team member on your plan can get a local or toll-free number on the devices they already own. Or they can collaborate on a shared phone number to split responsibility for incoming calls and texts. All customer touchpoints, including voicemails, texts, and calls, are stored in the same thread so you can get better context.
Quo can help you build better customer relationships by creating a seamless experience from the moment they contact you. First, you can create an IVR so callers can reach the right member of your team. Then, you can set company-wide or individual business hours so you don’t have to stay glued to your phone.
When your team is busy or offline, Sona — Quo’s AI voice agent — automatically answers the phone. It can route callers to an emergency contact when needed or take a message so calls don’t go unanswered.
Looking to automate routine tasks to make time for high-touch services? Our API lets you trigger a sequence of events, like sending appointment reminder texts. You can also use snippets to create text message templates and instantly respond to frequently asked questions.
More importantly, Quo is constantly implementing customer feedback into the product — just check out our changelog to see what we’re up to.
Here’s what one business has to say about switching to Quo:
“I recently switched from Vonage to Quo, and I’m so glad I did! The whole system is clean, organized, and incredibly user-friendly. The app is a joy to use — everything is right where you need it. I especially love the call tagging feature, which helps me keep my business organized, and the call recordings, which are a huge help for follow-ups. Lots of great features packed into a simple, intuitive setup. Highly recommend!” — G2
You can try out Quo today by signing up for a free seven-day trial.
How to get a virtual number with Quo
Getting a new phone number from almost anywhere in the world is a simple process when you choose Quo as your virtual phone number provider.
Follow these three steps:
- Create an account with Quo. When you sign up, you get a free seven-day trial.
- During signup, choose your city or area code in the US to select your preferred phone number.
- Once the signup process is complete, you’re all set to use your new virtual phone number!
Key features of Quo
- Toll-free numbers
- US, Canadian, and international calling
- AI call transcriptions and call summaries
- Automatic responses to texts, missed calls, and voicemails
- Shared phone numbers for customer support
- Multiple phone numbers tied to one account
- Call forwarding and call routing
- Integrations with tools like Slack and HubSpot
- Internal threads, contact notes, and direct messaging for team collaboration
- Auto-attendant or IVR for incoming calls
- AI voice agent, Sona
Quo pricing
Quo offers transparent pricing — you pay a fixed rate per user per month on each of our three plans:
- Starter: $15 per user per month for unlimited voice calls and text messages in the US and Canada, voicemail transcriptions, shared numbers, and more
- Business: $23 per user per month for phone menus, group calls, analytics and reporting, automatic call recording, HIPAA-compliance, and more
- Scale: $35 per user per month for AI call tags, dedicated onboarding, inbound phone support, and priority live chat and email ticket support
2. RingCentral: Best alternative with desk phone rental options
Pros
- Unlimited calls to the US and Canada
- Provides local or toll-free phone numbers
Cons
- Texting limits across plans
- Toll-free calling limits across plans
- Limited call recording storage on the base plan
RingCentral is priced similarly to Vonage, just with more bells and whistles. In addition to renting desk phones for your business, you get video meetings on the basic plan.
Unfortunately, RingCentral has limitations, with guardrails around its foundational features. The base plan that costs $20 per user per month only comes with:
- 25 text messages per user per month
- 100 toll-free minutes per user per month
- Limited call recording storage, with storage expiring after 90 days
You also have to pay for expensive upgrades to access basic features. For example, automatic call recording requires the Advanced plan, which costs $25 per user per month. Plus, having access to push-to-talk will also cost you an extra $5 per user per month.
Want to buy vanity phone numbers? You’ll have to pay a one-time fee of $30 and $4.99 per month. Plus, international toll-free numbers have a one-time fee of $25 and cost $14.00 per number per month, which can get expensive if you have a global customer base.
You also can’t get unlimited texts on any of RingCentral’s plans, which can cause problems if your team sends a lot of messages.
Want fewer limits from your business VoIP? It would be best to look for an alternative.
Key features of RingCentral
- Free unlimited calls in the US and Canada
- Voicemail transcriptions
- Automatic call recordings, requires an upgrade
- Integrations with Slack and Microsoft 365
- Video meetings
RingCentral pricing
RingCentral’s pricing offers four different plans:
- Core: $20 per user per month to access unlimited domestic calling, 100 toll-free minutes, limited SMS and MMS, and IVR
- Advanced: $25 per user per month to access auto call recording, 1,000 toll-free minutes, advanced call monitoring and handling, and multi-site management
- Ultra: $35 per user per month to access shared SMS Inbox, analytics, and 10,000 toll-free minutes
Find out more about how these two platforms compare with our Vonage vs RingCentral guide.
3. Google Voice: Best alternative for businesses on Google Workspace
Pros
- Free calls to the US
- Integrates with other Google Workspace apps
Cons
- Texting is available in the US only
- No toll-free numbers
- No integrations outside Google Workspace
Google Voice is a popular VoIP service among startups, especially since it offers a free plan. However, businesses will quickly see its limitations. For example, you can’t share access to your Google phone number with the free version. You must also have a US number to sign up, and texting is only available to US customers.
Google Voice has paid plans starting at $10 per user per month. If you have more than one person on your team, you’ll need to pay an extra $7 per user per month for Google Workspace. It might make sense if you already pay for Google Workspace, but its low price aside, the tool is restrictive. You won’t find integrations for Slack, Zapier, and other CRMs. Additionally, Google Voice doesn’t provide toll-free numbers or vanity numbers.
You won’t find auto-replies via Google Voice, either. Plus, if you want to set up an auto-attendant, you need to upgrade to the second-highest plan.
If you want platforms with better call management tools, there are better alternatives on the market.
Key features of Google Voice
- Unlimited calls to the US or Canada
- Unlimited texts in the US
- Auto-attendant, requires an upgrade
- Integrations with Google Calendar and Google Meet
- Apps for mobile and desktop
Google Voice pricing
If you have more than one person on your team, you’ll need to pay for two subscriptions to access Google Voice’s paid plans. The first cost is at least $7 per user per month to unlock Google Workspace. The second is one of these three pricing plans:
- Starter with voice only: $10 per user per month for one user, free calls in the US and Canada, and access to mobile and web apps
- Starter: $10 per user per month for calls to the US and Canada, voicemail transcriptions, and integrations with Google Workspace
- Standard: $20 per user per month to unlock on-demand call recordings, ring groups, and phone menus
- Premier: $30 per user per month to unlock automatic call recordings and advanced reporting
Learn more about how Google Voice and Vonage stack up by checking out our Google Voice vs Vonage guide.
4. Nextiva: Best alternative for teams using Microsoft products
Pros
- Shared team texting
- Video calling features
Cons
- Microsoft Office integration requires an upgrade
- Toll-free numbers require an upgrade
- 100 SMS on the base plan
Nextiva is a Vonage alternative with features and prices designed for enterprise use. Small businesses can still use it to integrate with Microsoft Office, but only if they pay for an add-on or upgrade to the two highest-tier plans. You also don’t have the option to try out their platform until you have a conversation with Nextiva’s sales team.
Unlike other Vonage alternatives, Nextiva requires you to upgrade to the Engage plan to buy a toll-free number. The Engage plan costs $25 per user per month, plus you’ll need to pay 2.5 cents per minute for every inbound call.
Want your team to collaborate on texts? You’ll have to pay for an add-on to the Core plan. Alternatively, you can upgrade to the Engage plan.
While Nextiva is a more expensive alternative to Vonage, it’s better rated for customer support. If you’re not willing to make this tradeoff, you should look for a Nextiva competitor.
Key features of Nextiva
- Desktop, web, and mobile apps
- Unified channels inbox
- Voicemail transcriptions
- Auto-attendant, or IVR
- 100 SMS on Core plan
Nextiva pricing
Nextiva pricing gives you four options:
- Core: $15 per user per month for inbound and outbound voice, video meetings, and screenshare
- Engage: $25 per user per month for live chat, toll-free numbers and minutes, and advanced reporting
- Power Suite CX: $75 per user per month for intelligent routing, web call back, and usage-based AI transcriptions and summaries
See how Nextiva and Vonage compare side by side with our Nextiva vs Vonage guide.
5. Ooma Office: Best alternative with legacy features
Pros
- Unlimited calling in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico
- Texting in the US and Canada
Cons
- Texting requires an upgrade
- Team chat requires an upgrade
- Desktop app requires an upgrade
Ooma Office is a legacy VoIP service provider, which means, like Vonage, its interface isn’t ultra-modern. But it does offer a number of standard calling features, along with a few older ones, like overhead paging systems, should your business need them.
With Ooma Office, you can’t make customer calls on its desktop app unless you upgrade to the Pro plan, which costs $24.95 per user per month. This can be an issue if your team prefers to work from their computers and you’re trying to keep costs down.
Ooma Office lets you make unlimited calls in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. However, you need to upgrade to get team messaging, which costs $29.95 per user per month. This is the same limitation you run into with Vonage.
Want to send text messages to customers? You’ll have to upgrade again. Keep in mind, you only get 250 messages per user per month on the Ooma Office Pro plan.
If you need voicemail transcriptions and scheduled messages but you’re on a budget, Ooma Office probably isn’t the right fit. But if you’re willing to pay for legacy features you may not need, it’s a Vonage alternative to consider.
Key features of Ooma
- Unlimited calling in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Mexico
- Texting in the US and Canada
- Enhanced call blocking
- Ring groups
- Call recording, requires an upgrade
- Digital fax
Ooma pricing
Ooma’s pricing plans give you three options:
- Essentials: $19.95 per user per month to access 50+ standard features, unlimited calling in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, and a virtual receptionist
- Pro: $24.95 per user per month to access the desktop app with calling, limited text messaging, and video conferencing with up to 25 participants
- Pro Plus: $29.95 per user per month to access CRM integrations, video conferencing with up to 100 participants, and hot desking
6. GoTo Connect: Best alternative for video calling
Pros
- Unlimited extensions
- Integrations with Google Workspace and Microsoft Outlook
Cons
- SMS and MMS are only available in the US and Canada
- Limited toll-free minutes
- Shared inbox requires an upgrade
GoTo Connect is a newer solution that offers unified communications like voice and video calls. Its video conferencing feature lets you make and receive group calls with up to 250 participants.
This Vonage alternative requires a few sacrifices. This includes sharing 1,000 toll-free minutes across your team account. If you want to integrate your VoIP provider with CRM solutions like Zoho, Salesforce, and Microsoft Dynamics, you’ll have to upgrade. Plus, your reps can only have a shared inbox if you upgrade to the Connect CX plan.
That said, GoTo Connect offers free calls to 50 countries on its base plan. This may beat the price of Vonage’s plans. But if you want to avoid paying $0.019 per minute for toll-free calls, you may want to consider another alternative.
Key features of GoTo Connect
- SMS and MMS messaging are available in the US and Canada
- Integrations with Google Workspace and Microsoft Outlook
- Conference calling
- Integrations with Zoho, Zendesk, and Salesforce require an upgrade
- Free international calling to 50+ countries
GoTo Connect pricing
Business owners can choose from three GoTo Connect pricing plans. Since their pricing isn’t public, you’ll have to reach out to their sales team to get the specific cost. Here are the features you can expect to get on each plan:
- Phone System: Video meetings with up to 250 participants, free calls to 50 countries, and team chat
- Connect CX: Shared inbox, AI call summaries, and AI sentiment analysis
- Contact Center: Intelligent call routing and supervisor reporting tools
7. Zoom Phone: Best alternative for large industry events
Pros
- Video meetings
- Call recording
Cons
- No scheduled texts
- No unlimited domestic calling on the base plan
- Complicated pricing
Zoom Phone is a popular Vonage alternative for businesses that host large conferences or events. In addition to toll-free numbers and call whispering/listening, you can get business call recordings on every plan.
Want to make international calls? You’ll have to pay an extra $10 per user per month on top of an unlimited calling plan. If you want to access call queue analytics and historical insights, you’ll have to buy the Zoom Phone Power Pack add-on. This costs an additional $25 per month.
Keep in mind, Zoom Phone’s base plan doesn’t include toll-free minutes. Instead, you need to buy them, and the cost ranges from $0.02 to $0.04 per minute. This can get costly if your customer base prefers to call you for free.
But if you don’t mind paying extra for outbound calls, it may be an alternative to Vonage’s basic features.
Key features of Zoom Phone
- Desktop and mobile apps
- Hot desking
- CRM integrations
- Voicemail transcription
- Call recording
- Shared line appearance
Zoom Phone pricing
Zoom Phone’s prices are the most complicated of all the alternatives on this list. In addition to add-on fees, you have to choose between these plans:
- US & Canada Metered: $10 per user per month for metered domestic and international calling, HD call quality, and post-call summaries
- US & Canada Unlimited: $15 per user per month for phone extension numbers, domestic SMS and MMS, and unlimited domestic calling
- Pro Plus: $18.33 per user per month for access to Zoom Workplace Pro, which includes unlimited docs and cloud storage
- Global Select: $20 per user per month for domestic calling in 40 selected countries and direct dial numbers
- Business Plus: $22.49 per user per month to access Workplace Business, which includes unlimited whiteboards and multi-region storage and media control
8. Phone.com: Best Vonage alternative for HIPAA-compliant video calls
Pros
- Call logs
- HIPAA-compliant video calls
Cons
- Voicemail transcriptions requires an upgrade
- Analytics requires an upgrade
- Call recording requires a paid add-on or upgrade
Phone.com is a small business communication solution that offers video conferencing with up to 100 participants on the base plan. You’ll also be able to access call logs, which let you view all incoming, outgoing, and missed calls to your number. Plus, you can send faxes from your phone, which is a handy feature for traditional offices.
While you can track your reps’ calls with analytics, like duration and time of day, you have to upgrade to the Pro plan to unlock it. Plus, if you want to record calls without upgrading, you need to pay an extra $8 a month.
Ideal for healthcare providers, all Phone.com video calls are HIPAA compliant. But keep in mind that you won’t be able to access any call analytics unless you upgrade to the most expensive plan.
Key features of Phone.com
- HIPAA-compliant video
- Call recording, requires an upgrade or add-on
- CRM integration, requires an upgrade
- Unlimited minutes, requires an upgrade
- Voicemail transcriptions, requires an upgrade
Phone.com pricing
Phone.com offers three different pricing plans:
- Basic: $15 per user per month for mobile and web apps, IVR, and video conferencing
- Plus: $22.50 per user per month for voicemail transcriptions, texting, and AI-powered call routing
- Basic: $33.33 per user per month for call recording, call analytics, and CRM integrations,
What you need to know about Vonage
Vonage is a legacy video conferencing and voice platform that has existed since 2001. It offers two main services: Vonage Business and Vonage Residential. The platform is compatible with your desktop, phone, and browser. It also has over 50 features, including video meetings and team messaging.
The drawbacks of Vonage Business
While Vonage may be a well-known cloud communications service, it comes with four major drawbacks. These can make it difficult for small business owners to get the most out of their phone communications. Let’s take a closer look at how these drawbacks can affect your team.
1. No built-in support for scheduled texts
If you use your small business phone system to text clients, you’ll run into major limitations with Vonage. For example, its pre-built plan packages don’t let you schedule messages. Instead, you’ll need to pay for Vonage’s SMS API on top of your plan. Additionally, you likely have to hire a developer to use Visual Studio Code to try, test, and deploy the code.
2. Fees, fees, and more fees that aren’t small business-friendly
Vonage’s pricing varies depending on the size of your team. For example, its lowest rate — $10.49 per line per month — is only available if you have 20 or more users, which can be an issue for small teams.
Many popular features require paid add-ons or upgrades. For example:
- Automatic call recording costs an extra $49.99 per month.
- Voicemail transcriptions require an upgrade to the Advanced plan, which costs $27.99 per line per month.
- Shared inboxes with your team members that include MMS, SMS, and more cost $9.99 per month.
- Toll-free numbers cost $39.99 per month.
- Vonage’s call queue feature costs $14.99 per month per call queue.
- Team messaging requires upgrading to the Premium plan, which costs $20.99 per line per month.
Compare this to other softphones and Vonage alternatives. Many offer the same features, starting around $15 per user per month, with no hidden fees.
3. Clunky user experience can slow team members down
Like other legacy VoIP services, Vonage was founded over 20 years ago and has kept the user interface and aesthetic of early 2000s web products. Reps will work more efficiently with an easy-to-use VoIP app on their mobile devices and computers.
This is where Vonage alternatives like Quo shine. When you switch, you and your team can access a VoIP provider that’s easy to set up and use on all your devices.
4. Poor customer support that costs you time and money
Many long-term Vonage customers share a common complaint. The customer service isn’t that good. Vonage Business users reported on G2 that the support team is slow to resolve critical problems, costing them time and money. These aren’t the sort of issues you’d want to face long-term, especially if your phone service is critical to your business operations.
See for yourself:
“The customer support was lackluster, and it was a separate product- causing it to ultimately be too expensive for us to use and go for a more integrated solution. The texting doesn’t include campaign messaging, so this was a feature we wanted to have as well.
” – G2
Vonage pricing
Vonage Business has three pricing plans that are based on how many users you have.
Here’s what you’ll pay for up to four users:
- Mobile: $13.99 per line per month for desktop and mobile apps, unlimited domestic calling, and SMS/MMS
- Premium: $20.99 per line per month for support for VoIP desk phones, unlimited video meetings, and team messaging
- Advanced: $27.99 per number per month for on-demand call recording, call groups, and voicemail transcriptions
How we ranked Vonage alternatives
To compare Vonage competitors, we reviewed their official product documentation and current pricing pages. We tested the platforms hands-on to see how calling, texting, and setup work. We also looked at user feedback from review sites like G2. Then, we evaluated each option using the criteria below:
- Reliability: Abrupt call drops can give you a bad reputation and lead to wasted time troubleshooting. Is your VoIP phone system reliable enough to protect your reputation?
- Value for money: You’ll want to see a positive ROI for every dollar you spend for the business. How will the VoIP phone system impact profitability?
- Budget: While you shouldn’t look for a system with the lowest price, pricing is an important consideration for most businesses.
- Third-party integrations: Integrations eliminate the need to manually migrate business data. Does your VoIP system have integrations for the apps your business uses?
- Ease of use: Can your employees quickly become comfortable with the VoIP system? If not, you’ll need to invest resources in training them. Selecting an easy-to-use system minimizes these costs and makes employees more likely to accept the new system.
- Customer support: Is customer support available when you need it, or do they keep you waiting? Businesses need quick solutions when they run into an issue with their VoIP phone systems.
- Security: Business calls and messages can include sensitive information. We looked for providers that protect data with encryption in transit and at rest. We also considered whether each platform supports HIPAA compliance for healthcare teams. This allows teams to securely communicate protected health information.
How to choose the best Vonage alternative
Once you’ve narrowed down your options, the next step is figuring out which communication platform to choose.
- Calling and messaging: Look at both calling and texting, and whether usage is capped or unlimited.
- One place for conversations: Choose a system that keeps calls and texts together so context is easy to follow. For example, shared phone numbers let your team use the same SMS inbox, preventing missed messages and duplicate replies.
- International calling: If you serve customers across borders, check which countries are supported. Do they offer calling or texting outside the US? Some providers limit international access or don’t support it at all.
- Scalability: Look at how costs change as usage increases. Pay attention to limits, overage fees, and which features require an upgrade.
- Ease of use: A simpler system helps teams get set up faster and spend less time onboarding.
Quo: The best Vonage alternative
If you’re thinking of making a switch from Vonage Business, Quo is your best bet. It’s a business phone system without hidden fees. Quo also offers a sleek, user-friendly interface and transparent pricing — more so than any other option on this list.
Ready to make the switch? Sign up for a free trial of Quo. It takes less than a minute to get started!
FAQs
Vonage alternatives differ in how calling, messaging, and AI features are packaged across plans. When features are split into tiers or add-ons, it can be harder to understand what you’re actually paying for. Quo’s pricing is transparent, flexible, and predictable. For example, unlimited domestic calling and texting are included on all plans, so you know what to expect each month.
The best Vonage alternative for small businesses is one that’s easy to set up and stays simple to manage over time. Quo is a good fit for small teams. It keeps calls and texts in one place, supports shared phone numbers, and lets you set up automations that save your team time.
