Vonage is a VoIP provider that offers residential and commercial solutions for small, medium, and large-sized businesses. From replacing your home phone with an internet-based solution to setting up a call center for your company, Vonage has it all.
Nevertheless, not everyone is satisfied with Vonage. Plans can get pricey, and you’re often forced into long contracts or pressured to sign up for upgrades (for example, even Vonage for Home comes with a 12-month contract).
A lot of services come only as optional add-ons, forcing you to spend more money in the long run. Also, on the home phone plans, free SMS is not supported, and international calling is limited.
Many reviews on Consumer Affairs also complain about the lack of quick responses from customer service, with many people reporting difficulty when trying to cancel their accounts.
However, whether you need a Vonage alternative for residential or business use, many options are out there. Let’s review the top Vonage alternatives for home and work.
Best Vonage Alternatives
1. Ooma
Ooma is the best VoIP alternative for both homes and businesses. Unlike Vonage, it offers residential and commercial plans with no contracts.
You can cancel your account with ease at any time. If you decide to switch back to a regular landline service, you won’t have to wait until your 12 months are up, which gives you more flexibility.
At the same time, Ooma is also significantly cheaper than Vonage, and its home service is top-notch. Unlike Vonage, which charges for its VoIP home service, Ooma offers a free option.
You’ll need to purchase Ooma hardware upfront, but once you do that (and you only have to do it once), you’ll be able to enjoy VoIP calling at the cost of $0/month. You’ll only pay applicable taxes and fees.
Ooma Telo (the hardware device) only costs $99, and it comes with free shipping and a 30-day return period. It is an adapter that allows you to use your devices to make calls over your Wifi network (other devices are available if you don’t have Wifi and want to use a 4G network).
Furthermore, Ooma is the best alternative to Vonage if you have a home office, as you can purchase an Ooma landline device and enjoy free service.
Ooma comes with free HD voice, and it’s well-known for its excellent voice quality. It integrates with Amazon Alexa and smart homes and routes numbers to your local 911 dispatchers.
Depending on your plan, you can also enjoy features like call blocking, a free second line, and the ability to send your voicemails to your email as audio files. Visit this page for updated residential phone pricing.
Businesses will also find Ooma superior to Vonage. While many features and services are similar across both platforms, Ooma comes out the winner in some areas.
For example, while Vonage supports paperless fax, it doesn’t allow you to connect a physical fax machine; Ooma does, making it the better choice if you have a fax machine in your office.
In fact, PCMag ranked Ooma as the #1 Business Choice for VoIP services. It had a ranking of 9.0 compared to Vonage’s ranking of 7.4.
It’s not just about features. If you’re getting a VoIP provider for your business, you’ll need to make sure that you get high-quality audio and excellent system uptime, with no dropped calls.
Ooma got a score of 9.1+ for ease of installation and setup, reliability, ease of use, call quality, customer support, and more.
By the way, those scores were submitted by business users taking part in surveys, so they reflect real results from users.
2. OpenPhone
Designed specifically for small businesses, OpenPhone supplies affordable commercial phone solutions to businesses on a budget. It will port your old number for free, or you can add new numbers to your existing devices.
Features like call recording, group messaging, and call transfers allow you to enjoy complete business phone solutions at a fraction of the cost of Vonage.
While Vonage requires you to sign up for the most expensive plan to record calls or transcribe voicemails, OpenPhone is more generous; those features are included in the basic plan. Furthermore, even the cheapest plan includes an auto-attendant (although with more limited features), allowing you to save even more money.
Like Vonage, OpenPhone is a multiplatform service. Its Chrome, Firefox, and Safari extensions allow you to sync and manage your calls from your Windows computer, Mac, Chromebook, or Linux device.
3. Google Voice
Google Voice offers a free VoIP solution and Vonage alternative for US users. You can install the Google Voice mobile app on your phone and link your Google Voice number with your regular cellular number to set up call forwarding and make calls over the cellular networks.
Alternatively, you can keep your cellular number unlinked and make phone calls over the internet, using Google Voice as a second phone number. If you do that, however, you’ll need WiFi or mobile data.
The app also supports SMS texting. Furthermore, voicemail transcription is available for free, although the transcription you get isn’t always accurate – a lot depends on how clear the speaker was.
You can also use the web app to make and receive calls and SMS messages on your desktop. Sign in to your Google account on all your devices to sync your data between them.
While Google Voice is free, it doesn’t support international texting, and international calling comes at set rates.
There are some business plans available as part of Google Workspace. If you use Google apps, like Google Meet, or if you’re looking for a free Vonage alternative, Google Voice is the best Vonage alternative for you.
Find out more apps like Google voice in this post.
4. RingCentral
RingCentral is a Vonage alternative for small businesses that comes with several features that Vonage is lacking. For example, it offers the unique ability to switch between desktop and mobile devices during video meetings, without interrupting the flow of your meeting.
For example, you would be able to start a meeting at your office and switch to your phone when you leave.
Another cool feature that is integrated into the RingCentral platform but not the Vonage platform is the ability to add virtual backgrounds to your meetings. It also offers more integrations than Vonage, according to RingCentral.
Moreover, you’ll notice that many features Vonage charges you extra for are included in RingCentral’s pricing by default. That includes voicemail transcription.
For a low price, you can get numbers in more than 100 countries, which is currently a bit more than what Vonage supports. That allows you to expand your global presence through local numbers in the countries you operate.
One more thing: RingCentral offers a free video meeting + messaging solution. That includes the ability to switch between your devices during a meeting, as well as free cloud storage for seven days.
You can always check updated pricing here. Click on the “RingCentral Video” tab to see updated pricing for RingCentral Video.
5. CloudTalk
Another Vonage alternative that offers plans with no contracts and commitments is CloudTalk. CloudTalk also has excellent customer support.
And, with servers located globally, including several in Europe and Asia, CloudTalk is poised to provide you with some of the best call quality in the industry.
You’ll notice that many services available only as addons from Vonage are built into CloudTalk’s platform, allowing for increased productivity and a more streamlined user experience.
If you operate a global business, you’ll find some of CloudTalk’s features very helpful. For example, when calling other countries, you get to choose the outbound caller ID country code – the number that appears on the customer’s screen.
By switching to an outbound caller ID from the destination country, your calls are more likely to get picked up.
For global operations, CloudTalk is a bit better than Vonage, as it supports over 140 countries. You can get a number from any of those countries, so local customers can call you directly without incurring hefty international calling fees.
However, CloudTalk isn’t just for outbound calling. It allows you to set up a full-fledged call center.
Your agents will be able to see each caller’s profile, purchase history, and previous interactions with customer support. To ensure each customer gets the care they need, you can use rules to route incoming calls to different agents and/or set up an interactive voice response system that allows customers to get the answers they need automatically.
Not only that, but the callback feature ensures that no customer gets left unattended, even during high-traffic call volume times. When a call doesn’t get answered, the system will automatically call the customer back, calling agents at the same time until the customer is connected with a live agent.
You can record calls for quality assurance to ensure your team’s performance is on point.
According to CloudTalk, its services are used by global corporations like Glovo (an Uber Eats competitor) and DHL. If it’s a good Vonage alternative for them, it will be good enough for you.
Pricing is affordable, with plans starting at just $25/month, which includes unlimited call queuing/routing and international numbers. A free trial or demo is available – check this page for updated pricing.
6. Nextiva
Nextiva is a Vonage alternative that US News has selected as its pick for the best business phone service. Offering services like a free toll-free number for your business and an integrated voice, text, and chat system, it’s perfect for small businesses.
Supported features include call conferencing, team collaboration (video, chat, and audio), and unlimited HD audio. Live call analytics and call recording are also available.
Vonage allows you to record custom greetings for your business phone systems. While that’s great, it’s not enough for some business owners.
Nextiva offers a professional voice-over recording service for small businesses, created by expert voice artists. Instead of needing to use your own voice or hire someone independently, Nextiva will help you give off an excellent first impression when your customers call.
Voice-overs are available for voicemail greetings, welcome messages, auto attendants, on-hold music, after-hour call greetings, and more. You have to write the script, but Nextiva will do the rest.
7. Callcentric
For residential VoIP services, Callcentric offers a lot more flexibility than Vonage. With “pay as you go” plans and separate plans for incoming and outgoing calls, Callcentric allows you to keep your landline while ditching the cable company and pay as little as $1/month.
You’re not required to purchase a VoIP adapter, as you can use an app on your phone or desktop instead. However, you will need an adapter if you want to make calls from your landline phone, many are supported, with more information available on the website.
In any case, let’s talk a bit about pricing, because that is one of the main reasons people prefer Callcentric over Vonage in the first place.
For starters, all calls to other Callcentric numbers are always free. You can also choose a “pay as you go” plan, paying $0/month and only getting charged when you actually make a call – it’s a great way to keep your landline as a backup, even when you barely use it.
North America Basic is a plan that costs just $1.95/month and gives 120/minutes to the US and Canada from your landline number. It includes an E911 service, like Vonage.
That’s for outbound calls.
Many people find that they never use their landline number to make outgoing calls, but they don’t want to give up their number. Sometimes, it is the only contact number some old acquaintances from years back have to reach them.
If that’s you, you can choose an incoming call plan. For just $1/month, you can get unlimited incoming calls from various US states; you can also go for a “pay as you go” plan to expand service to the entire US and Canada for $1.95/month + $0.015/minute.
Callcentric also provides one of the easiest and cheapest ways for personal users to get a toll-free number, either for themselves or for their home business line.
For just $3.95/month, you can get a toll-free or vanity number to impress your friends, put up a professional number on your website, or let customers call you for free from everywhere.
Vanity numbers are toll-free numbers that include your business or personal name, like 1-800-BATTERY.
You can check updated rates here. While rates are subject to change, Callcentric has consistently provided super cheap rates for a long time, and that’s probably not going to change any time soon.
8. Dialpad
Dialpad is a business phone solution that has several advantages over Vonage. Besides more inclusive pricing options (instead of needing to buy a lot of add-ons), Dialpad has an intuitive interface and world-class customer support.
It even won the Stevie Award for sales and customer support.
Furthermore, Dialpad beats Vonage when it comes to analytics. For example, it provides additional reports like call heat maps that show when during the day you get the most calls and how quick you are to answer them.
In-person and live virtual training options are available to help you get onboarded.
Dialpad syncs across your devices, allowing you to set up a business line, with set business hours, and answer calls from wherever you are. You can also set up custom call routing and attend video meetings with your team members.
With HD audio and automatic call transcriptions, you’ll be able to get the most out of your business phone plan.
Video meetings are free, while business communication plans start at just $15/month (talk and text), making it cheaper than Vonage. A fax solution is available as an add-on.
Always check the pricing page to see current plans.
Check out the best alternatives to Dialpad.
9. GoTo Connect
GoTo Connect is a Vonage alternative that offers cloud phone solutions for businesses. Overall, businesses will find it easier to set up a business phone line with GoTo Connect compared to Vonage.
For example, if you want to set up custom call routing rules, it’s as easy as using drag and drop to build a rule tree. With multiplatform support and a claimed 99.996% uptime, you can stay connected all the time, from wherever you are.
You’ll be able to enjoy HD video quality while meeting with your team members. Custom hold music, pre-call announcements, and even wait time announcements ensure your customers enjoy calling you and have a satisfactory experience.
On G2, users ranked GoTo Connect better than Vonage in all categories, including ease of use, ease of setup, and the quality of customer support. Furthermore, users felt that it met their needs better than Vonage.
Also Read: Best Discord Alternatives
10. Ringblaze
One of the problems of Vonage is its obfuscated pricing plans and add-on costs. Even if you can afford to pay more, it can quickly get confusing when trying to figure out which plan is justified based on your needs and budget.
Enter Ringblaze. Ringblaze has one simple plan (which is cheaper than Vonage), so you don’t have to worry about upgrading, downgrading, or purchasing add-ons. Just sign up for Ringblaze and all features will be included.
The shared dashboard allows the entire team to collaborate together. You can get local and international numbers, as well as toll-free and vanity numbers, for your business to connect with customers worldwide.
International numbers are available from more than 220 countries and territories. That’s a lot more than most other competitors in the industry, including Vonage.
There’s the ability to offer phone and chat support and add a call widget/button to your website or app, so customers can call you directly from your page. You can set up an auto-attendant, forward calls, and access customer history while on a call, so you can give them more personalized assistance.
One of the best things about Ringblaze is its ease of setup, which can take as little as 15 minutes. Ringblaze is designed for busy business owners like you who need a solution that is ready to go with minimal setup time.
Ringblaze costs just $15/month (if billed annually; $19/month when billed monthly) and comes with a free trial; see here for current pricing data.
11. Axvoice
People requiring a residential VoIP system for international calling should consider Axvoice instead of Vonage For Home. Axvoice allows for unlimited international calling to over 45 countries for a price that is around half of what Vonage charges (even if Vonage supports a few more countries).
Whether you need to make international calls or not, Axvoice still comes out cheaper than Vonage.
Furthermore, it sends you free hardware to get your home phone system set up to make calls over the internet.
Besides, Axvoice has tons of cool features. For example, you can link multiple numbers and have all of them ring at the same time.
You can manage your voicemail from your email, see the caller ID and name of the person calling you, set your phone line to Do Not Disturb mode, set up multiple Axvoice numbers, and assign different ringtones to each.
Axvoice also has business solutions, with features like music on hold.
Pricing for residential services starts at just $4.99 + $0.015/minute for calls to the US and Canada or $5.99/month with 200 free minutes of call time included. Unlimited calls to the US and Canada will cost you $8.25/month, while international calling starts at $16.58/month for unlimited calls to over 45 countries.
You can see updated residential calling pricing here and updated international plans here.
Wrapping It Up: What Is the Best Vonage Alternative?
Ooma is the #1 Vonage alternative for both residential VoIP systems and businesses. Call quality is superb, customer support is excellent, and there are a variety of features designed to help businesses operate more smoothly.
If you are using Ooma to replace your home system, you’ll be able to enjoy features like E911 phone calling and unlimited calls to domestic numbers at zero cost (once you buy an Ooma Telo), not including taxes. You can’t beat free!
Enjoyed the post?
