What are the Best business phone systems?
With the best business phone systems, setting up and managing a complete phone system that can accommodate both in-office and remote working is quick and straightforward.
Discover the benefits of owning an office phone system beyond flexibility and convenience in our article: 7 reasons why a corporate phone system is still necessary (opens in new tab).
Business phone systems have undergone a revolution thanks to the shift to cloud services, which also gives small businesses access to telecom technologies typically only available to enterprises.
Supported by VoIP(opens in new tab) services and HD calling, these business phone systems have replaced older PBX systems for many businesses. Additionally, thanks to BYOD (Bring Your Device) features, business smartphones(opens in a new tab) may now be integrated into a modern cloud-based corporate phone system. However, remember to use Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions for enhanced protection.
As a result, any size business, large or small, may access this feature-rich enterprise-grade solution, which is flexible enough to support both office and remote working.
In addition, cloud-based phone systems provide unheard-of levels of analytics and software integration, enabling you to optimize communications throughout your phone system. Along with making it easy for sales and support to interact with consumers, finding valuable insights into the customer journey and their behavior is simpler.
What is the importance of a phone system in a business?
A productive corporate phone system simplifies effective communication between the company and its clients. The telephone is more personal, faster than email, and simple and quick to use.
Features of Best business phone systems:
- Between 50 and 70 percent less expensive than landline phone networks.
- Additional routes for communication, such as IVR, visual voicemail, and automated callbacks, are advanced VoIP features.
- More thorough historical and real-time analytics.
- Enhanced internal cooperation
List of 10 best small business phone systems:
Virtual phones are perfect for expanding companies, but hundreds of brands exist in each category; the top 10 small business phone systems are shown below.
1. Avaya OneCloud:
Avaya’s newest unified communications solution replaces the formerly popular IP Office platform and broadens the company’s current Avaya IX Workplace and Contact Center offerings.
The service seeks to build a genuinely scalable solution using the cloud platform that suits you best. Avaya OneCloud can function through a public cloud for small and medium-sized organizations that are content to rely on outside vendors. As a result, you obtain ongoing support without worrying about software upgrades or IT buy-ins.
A conventional Avaya OneCloud can be set up for enterprise businesses that already use a private or hybrid cloud service, or the OneCloud ReadyNow(opens in a new tab) service can be customized to meet specific needs. Any necessary server hardware can be installed on-site or hosted in Avaya’s data centers.
As a unified communications solution, Avaya OneCloud encompasses more than simply calls and unifies all communication channels into a single platform. Given Avaya’s proven track record of expanding VoIP and UC service offerings, the OneCloud solution’s sheer scalability must be appealing.
2. Ooma Office:
A web-based business phone service called Ooma Office seeks to give small businesses the same phone experience as large corporations.
Ooma might not have all the bells and whistles you can find with certain VoIP services, but it positions itself quite well as a budget-friendly option for smaller businesses.
A lot of functionality is offered for a relatively low monthly cost per user. There is no hassle because you get all the services with just one membership plan, and the system is also simple to set up and use.
Feature sets of the more expensive competitors. T integrations for CRM software(opens in a new tab).
3. GrassHopper:
For solopreneurs and small businesses, GrassHopper offers virtual phone numbers using voice over internet protocol (VOIP). It is forwarded to any other phone or mobile device. However, you will still want a conventional phone connection to make outgoing calls.
They provide user-friendly web and smartphone applications to manage your account and phone service. You can select among local, toll-free, and vanity phone numbers and utilize several extensions with that number. It offers local and toll-free lines in the US, Canada, and the UK.
All standard functions, including call forwarding, routing, waiting, call hold music, voicemail to email transcripts, and more, are included with GrassHopper. Utilized from anywhere using mobile or desktop apps, it is ideal for remote teams.
Their monthly plans start at $29.99 for one local number and a maximum of 3 extensions. You can add more users and local phone lines to their more expensive programs.
4. Phone.com:
Some of the easiest and basic VoIP business phone options are available from Phone.com. In addition, they provide some of the most economical options for small businesses.
The licensing is much more flexible than other top corporate phone systems, so it’s not only the asking price.
You can mix and match plans with Phone.com, which many other carriers don’t provide. You can increase licenses for staff members who require limitless minutes and purchase simple plans for those who don’t use their phones frequently. To access a function that only some of your employees truly need, you are not updating everyone’s license.
No matter your level of technical expertise, building and maintaining your entire business phone system from the user-friendly dashboard is superficial.
5. GoToConnect:
All the usual features are available with their VOIP phone service, With well-known services like Salesforce, Zoho, Microsoft Outlook, Google Workspace, Zendesk, Slack, and others, they also offer hundreds of CRM integrations and other marketing interfaces.
Beyond corporate phone services, GoToConnect provides a platform for genuinely unified business communication. Thanks to their HD video conferencing system, you may quickly work with your customers and team members.
Numerous prominent features, including endless call queues, a sophisticated dialpad editor, cloud branch exchange, advanced ring groups and wait time notification for call centers, paging system, eFax, and more, are among their more than 100 cloud VoIP capabilities.
GoToConnect smoothly connects with their other webinar and meeting softwares, including GoToMeeting, GoToWebinar, GoToTraining, and others, as it is a member of the greater GoTo software family.
Their basic business phone service is priced at $24 per month. Advanced features in their premium package are designed for larger call centers.
6. RingCentral MVP:
It’s a robust but adaptable system that works well with a variety of existing PBX phone hardware and lets you use almost any mobile device to run as a softphone.
As might be expected, a wide range of services is offered as standards, such as call logging, monitoring, recording, and online faxing (opens in new tab). Besides providing team collaboration through screen sharing and HD video for tasks and video conferencing, it also includes HD voice and audioconferencing through mobile devices.
The central contact center provides omnichannel routing, CRM software connectors, agent management tools, and actionable analytics (opens in new tab). Integrations are also offered for various applications, including SalesForce, Microsoft 365, Zoho, Zendesk, Oracle, and others.
The best prices are offered when there are more than two users, depending on the number of users and features needed. The developer network provides access to APIs, another option for creating a customized phone system.
7. Vonage:
Compared to more recent VoIP service providers like OpenPhone and Dialpad, Vonage is a well-known but somewhat outdated option. The few built-in features in its base plan mean it lacks modern necessities like auto-attendant functionality and CRM connectors, which must be added afterward. While Vonage offers desktop, web, and mobile apps, which is excellent for small businesses, it can’t compensate for the high cost of extensions, toll-free numbers, and add-on costs for things other providers include by default.
8. Sideline:
The only choice on our list that is not a real virtual VoIP app is Sideline, a virtual phone that lets you make calls using your Phone. Because Sideline uses your current cell phone service to make and receive calls, you must continue to pay for a standard phone plan in addition to your Sideline plan.
You will receive business texting services like auto-replies on Sideline’s essential subscription. However, if you examine the more expensive Sideline plans, you’ll discover that despite your upgrade, not all features are offered with every single one of their plans. Right, it isn’t very clear.
9. 8×8 X Series:
The 8×8 X Series cloud-powered business phone system delivers a feature-packed bundle, so even with the most basic plan, you still have access to a full range of services, just as you would expect from a full-fledged company PBX system.
The entry-level tier, 8×8 Express, provides a basic set of phone services, such as caller ID, call forwarding, call queues, ring groups, and an advanced auto-attendant. Team messaging, voicemail, voicemail transcriptions, connection with Microsoft 365, and Google Workspace are additional capabilities available at this level.
Except for Interactive Voice Response (IVR)(opens in new tab), the X Series X2 plan is accessible for small and medium-sized organizations. It provides most of the capabilities they are likely to need. Comparing this plan to competitors is also quite affordable, albeit the enterprise plans might be a problem.
10. Microsoft Teams Phone:
Windows, iOS, or Android device to any location in the world, utilizing the cloud facilities If customers currently pay for Microsoft 365, the Microsoft Teams Phone is relatively cost-effective. A cloud-based phone system with cutting-edge capabilities like call transfer, multi-level auto attendants, and call queues is also included, along with round-the-clock customer assistance.
The main disadvantage of Microsoft Teams Phone is that, depending on the plan, there is a participant cap. The free version is 100, and for regular subscriptions, it is 300.
But for companies that currently use Microsoft 365, if that’s not a problem, Microsoft Teams Phone offers fantastic value.
