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The best business phone plans: Reliable 5G for work

matthew-miller

When I started writing for ZDNet 15 years ago , mobile phones were being used by 74% of the US population, but only 14% of those people were using these basic phones to access the internet. The latest data shows that 97% of Americans own a mobile phone, with 85% of those being smartphones that access the internet multiple times a day.

Smartphones and wireless cellular services are now essential for businesses to compete in today's market and broad coverage is an expectation. After T-Mobile's recent acquisition of Sprint, the US market is dominated by Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T. Each of these carriers offers various plan options for businesses of all sizes.

5G continues to roll out across the US, but reliable LTE service is still essential to getting work done. The pricing for business service is competitive, and as someone who has been in the industry for decades, it is amazing to see the reasonable pricing for such fast service that reaches across the nation.

Verizon phone plans for businesses

Verizon Wireless has the most subscribers in the US and is popular with businesses. Three Business Unlimited plans make it easy to find the perfect option for your business. All three  Business Unlimited plans  from Verizon include unlimited talk, text, and data. Support for 5G, mobile hotspot, and tablet use differentiate the three plans. Pricing is also for five or more lines, targeted for business and not for family usage.

Business Unlimited Start

$30 per line per month.

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While there are no limits on minutes, texts, or data, in times of congestion data may be slower with this Start plan. Nationwide 5G, low-band spectrum 5G, is supported with the Start plan and a compatible smartphone.

Tablet, smartwatch, and hotspot options are available for additional costs on the Business Unlimited Start plan. The price also includes $5 per month savings for paper-free billing and auto pay.

Pros  

  • Nationwide 5G coverage
  • Able to add additional devices (watches, tablets) to the account
  • No support for mmWave, high-band, 5G
  • Data speeds slowed down during times of congestion

Business Unlimited Plus

$40 per line per month.

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For $10 more per line per month, Verizon adds 100GB of premium network access, 5G UWB (mmWave) support, and unlimited mobile hotspot service. In addition, Verizon's Business Mobile Secure is included at no additional cost. This enhanced security bundle includes lookout mobile endpoint secure, mobile device management, Wi-Fi protection, and tech support.

  • Nationwide 5G coverage, including mmWave spectrum
  • Enhanced security bundle included
  • Unlimited mobile hotspot service
  • 100GB limit during high usage time periods

Business Unlimited Pro

$50 per line per month.

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The highest level Verizon Business Unlimited plan provides twice the amount of premium network access, 120GB, along with 50% off on Business Unlimited Pro tablet plans.

This plan may be perfect for businesses using connected tablets out in the field and smartphones that are using data throughout the day away from Wi-Fi service.

  • Nationwide 5G coverage with mmWave support
  • 50% cost savings on tablet plans
  • $50 price per line higher than other tiers

T-Mobile phone plans for businesses

After the purchase of Sprint, T-Mobile is now the second largest (in terms of subscriber count) carrier in the US. While T-Mobile has long been known for its consumer-friendly cellular plans, it also has one of the most extensive  libraries of business offerings  for small companies, large companies, and government agencies. Its new  Business Unlimited plans  are presented below, but other options require  direct discussions  between businesses and T-Mobile.

Business Unlimited Select

$25 to $60 per line per month.

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Business Unlimited Select plans are designed for small business customers who need 1 to 12 lines of service. A one line plan is the most expensive, at $60 per month. Two lines are priced at $45 per line per month, four lines are $30 per line per month, and six or more lines are just $25 per line per month.

These plans include 5G network support, 5GB of high-speed mobile hotspot data, as well as unlimited calling/texting/data in Mexico and Canada.

  • Very affordable small business plan
  • Unlimited service in Mexico and Canada
  • Unlimited streaming is limited to SD content
  • Included data in Canada and Mexico is 128kbps speed

Business Unlimited Advanced

$30 to $70 per line per month.

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If the employees of your small business travel by airplane and need Microsoft apps, then you should consider the T-Mobile Business Unlimited Advanced plan. This service plan includes 40GB of high-speed hotspot data, Microsoft 365, one hour of Gogo in-flight Wi-Fi, and 5GB of high-speed data in Canada and Mexico.

  • Affordable per line price point
  • Microsoft 365 productivity service included
  • One hour of in-flight Wi-Fi service
  • 40GB of high-speed hotspot
  • 100GB of premium data

Business Unlimited Ultimate

$40 to $85 per line per month.

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For small businesses that want it all at reasonable per line prices, the new Business Unlimited Ultimate plan is for you. In addition to the unlimited talk, text, and data (with 5G included) small businesses also get unlimited premium data, 100GB of mobile hotspot, and Microsoft 365.

Streaming content is provided with unlimited 4K UHD quality, WiFi on your flight is unlimited, and data in 210 countries is twice as fast (256kbps) as the other T-Mobile small business plans.

  • Unlimited premium data
  • Unlimited WiFi on your flight
  • Microsoft 365 services included
  • 5GB of high speed data in Canada and Mexico

AT&T phone plans for businesses

After T-Mobile added Sprint subscribers to its total subscriber base, AT&T dropped to third in total subscriber count. However, AT&T is also well established as an enterprise service provider with  four enterprise options  available to customers. AT&T also serves as the backbone for the  FirstNet network  optimized for first responders.

Unlimited Your Way for Business

Starting at $30 per month.

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The Unlimited Your Way for Business plans allow up to 10 devices per plan group and are designed for small to medium-sized businesses. The more lines you add, up to 10 lines, the less expensive the starting price is for AT&T Business Unlimited Starter, Business Unlimited Performance, and Business Unlimited Elite. For 10 lines, the starting price is $30, $35, and $40 per line per month, respectively. For just a single line, these prices are $65, $75, and $85 per line per month, respectively.

Hotspot data allotments, priority data transmission, and higher definition streaming are features that improve as you move from the Starter tier to the Elite tier of service. Select the number of lines on the Unlimited Your Way website to view pricing for your company.

  • Price per line decreases with additional lines
  • Multiple tiers of service are offered
  • Limited to 10 lines of service
  • Priority data transmission restrictions
  • Hotspot data limits

AT&T Mobility Select - Pooled

Starting at $35 per month.

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Unlimited calls and text messages in the US, unlimited calls to Mexico and Canada, and unlimited texting from the US to more than 120 countries are included in the  AT&T Mobility Select - Pooled  plan service. Data is served up to each employee from a single shared pool for each business account.

Plans start at $35 per month, but potential customers need to contact AT&T to discuss specific details and plan pricing.

  • Affordable plan pricing
  • Unlimited calls to Mexico and Canada
  • Shared pool requires management to allocate

AT&T Mobile Share Plus for Business

Starting at $50 per month.

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The AT&T Mobile Share Plus for Business plan supports from one to 25 smartphone lines with various monthly data caps, ranging from 3GB to 120GB per phone. Pricing per phone starts at $50 per month for 3GB and goes up to $615 for one phone with 120GB of data.

Shareable data, rollover data, unlimited talk and text, mobile hotspot service, and international talk, text, and data are provided with these plans.

  • Support for up to 25 lines of service
  • Rollover data support
  • Mobile hotspot service included
  • Data caps allocated by service option

AT&T Business 4GB

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Unlimited talk, text, and 4GB of data per line are provided with the AT&T Business 4GB  plan. Hotspot data and standard mobile security services are also provided with the plan. Pricing for smartphones starts at $50 per month, but further pricing requires consultation with an AT&T representative.

AT&T Business 4GB is available for tablets for $20 per month and for wearables for $10 per month. AT&T advertises this plan as best for small businesses.

  • Unlimited talk and text
  • Controlled pricing per each phone
  • Service options for tablets and wearables
  • 4GB data limit per each line

MVNO options for businesses

While the three major carriers offer focused business plans, there are also a few MVNOs that offer attractive per line plans that may work well for small businesses. MVNOs (mobile virtual network operators) are companies that use establish wireless carrier infrastructure to provide no or minimal contract options for customers. The MVNOs do not openly advertise which wireless carrier infrastructure they are using, but as soon as you insert a SIM into your phone, you can see which carrier is connected to which MVNO. MVNOs are optimized for consumers looking for phone service with no contracts and prepaid options, but these same elements may help small businesses control costs and adjust to market demands.

US Mobile for business

$9 per line and $2 per gb per month.

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Most MVNOs offer attractive per line prices with each account limited to five or six lines. US Mobile is one MVNO that actually provides shared data plans for companies of any size. Enter the number of lines you need and the amount of shared data to view your total monthly payment. 

A couple of examples include 50 lines with 100GB of data for $674 per month or 30 lines with 50GB of data for $385 per month. We had the opportunity to test out the two available US Mobile SIM cards and found the service to be fast and reliable.

  • Specific service offering for businesses
  • Scalable to your business size and line needs
  • Competitive $9 per line base fee
  • Verizon and T-Mobile serve as network providers
  • Data price per GB may be higher than unlimited plans

Mint Mobile

$30 per month per line.

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Mint Mobile is one of the most popular MVNOs thanks in large part to advertising by one of its owners, Ryan Reynolds. While there are no specific business plans, three/six/twelve month plans for individual phones are available starting as low as $30 per month for unlimited talk, text, and data.

T-Mobile provides the network for Mint Mobile's service so you will need GSM handsets for the service.

  • Unlimited talk, text, and data plan options
  • Flexibility for less expensive data limit plans
  • No specific business service plans
  • Limited to T-Mobile coverage area
  • Three available contract period options

Cricket Wireless

Starting at $25 per line per month.

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Cricket Wireless is an established MVNO, service provided by AT&T, that has retail stores around the country so you can get support and establish service in person if you desire. One to five lines can be setup for each account with measured data or unlimited data. Mobile hotspot data can also be added to each line.

4G LTE and 5G data is provided, along with international support, cloud storage, and more.

  • Established, trusted MVNO
  • Physical retail stores around the country
  • Unlimited and measured data plan options
  • No long term contract required
  • Service coverage area limited to AT&T network
  • Five line limit per account

What steps should a new business take to establish wireless service?

While this buying guide provides current pricing and service options from the three primary US wireless carriers and MVNOs, specific pricing for your business requires a conversation with the carrier to fully define your company needs, available service discounts, and contract lengths.

One of the first things to figure out is where you will need service geographically in the US as all three carriers have slightly different coverage maps. Your geographic operating area may remove one, or more, carriers from your viable candidate list. 

The next step is to determine how many lines of service you will need and then the data needs of those lines. Calling and text messages are unlimited in all cases, but data speed and amount of data will drive your costs.

Most carriers also offer additional incentives and services, such as hotspot, in-flight coverage, Microsoft 365, and more. Make sure to account for the value of these incentives in your decision-making process.

What are the disadvantages of a MVNO?

Most MVNOs are focused on the consumer market so business plan offerings for more than six lines of service are rare. Pricing can be very competitive and with no contracts these MVNOs may be attractive to businesses just getting started that do not want to lock in long-term contracts.

Account management may require more time from businesses given the consumer focus of MVNOs. MVNOs are also subject to the infrastructure provided by the big three US carriers, but there are several established MVNOs with solid reputation and a record of high-quality service and support.

What is the best business phone plan?

We analyzed reliability, coverage, and price to compile a list of the best phone plans for your business which includes: Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.

Does the choice of my smartphone model limit wireless service?

In the past, the US wireless market was split into GSM and CDMA service technologies with two carriers supporting each of these technologies. Modern smartphones support LTE and 5G service without CDMA technology your choice of smartphone is not as limited.

The most popular smartphones in the US, Apple iPhones and Samsung Galaxy phones, support all wireless technologies in the US wireless market so there are no limits on using these phones with any US carrier. If you purchase these phones directly from Samsung and Apple, then you can choose to purchase unlocked models.

Some phones are sold in a locked state so they can only be used on one specific carrier. This may be changing soon and there are processes to unlock your phone from your carrier if you decide to switch carriers. There used to be incentives for purchasing locked phones, but in today's world purchasing unlocked phones gives you the most flexibility for choosing your service provider.

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  • Best Small Business Phone Systems of 2024

Small businesses need reliable phone systems, especially when day-to-day operations rely heavily on this form of communication. We looked into all the features that matter most when it comes to small business phone systems, including Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, which all the companies on our list offer. Our top three best small business phone system providers are Intermedia, Nextiva, and Dialpad.

Popular Business Phone Systems

business phone service cost

Intermedia »

business phone service cost

Nextiva »

business phone service cost

Vonage »

business phone service cost

RingCentral »

business phone service cost

8x8 »

Why Trust U.S. News

Our ratings are unbiased. We follow strict editorial guidelines, maintain a separate business team, and have a transparent methodology.

Sources Reviewed

Business Phone Services Considered

Companies Selected

Table of Contents

What Is a Small Business Phone System?

  • Rating Details

How Much Do Small Business Phone Systems Cost?

Warehouse worker working in a warehouse, talking on a landline phone and making a delivery list.

GoodLifeStudio

If you’re a small business owner, you know that your day is full of juggling tasks and that you just don’t have time to add communication issues to your to-do list. The best small business phone systems make communication reliable and affordable so you can focus on running your business. They also rely on VoIP phone technology, allowing you to use an internet connection for your entire business phone system. VoIP phone systems have no special equipment to buy or staff to manage them. You simply need to download a mobile or desktop app to have a fully-featured phone system at your fingertips.

Many VoIP providers have also advanced business phone systems considerably, allowing you to add unified communications features like video conference, team chat, and voicemail-to-email. We’ve researched and rated the plans, pricing, and features of the best small business phone systems to develop a list you can trust choosing from.

Compare Quotes for Business Phone Systems

Fill out this questionnaire to get customized pricing from providers that meet your needs.

Best Small Business Phone Systems in Detail

Not every good business phone system is appropriate for a small company. We sorted through our rating of the Best Business Phone Systems of 2024 to find ones that are affordable, flexible, and easy to use with a mobile device for businesses with fewer than 50 employees. Follow the links in the companies' summaries to find our full reviews, and read our advice on how to choose the best plan for your small business.

Straightforward pricing

Most integrations available with basic plan

Some features require separate add-ons

Video conferencing maxes out at 200 participants

Intermedia Unite is a unified communications (UC) phone system with integrated chat, video, file sharing, and contact center capabilities. Its two plans offer a variety of add-on features, such as resource lines and toll-free numbers. Along with unlimited calling to U.S. and Canadian numbers, all subscriptions include an auto-attendant, call recording, cloud storage, team messaging, and video conferencing. Also, all users can schedule video meetings from Slack, Google Workspace (formerly G-Suite), and Microsoft products, like Outlook and Teams.

Advanced features and additional capacity come with Intermedia Unite Pro and Enterprise packages. For example, Unite Pro adds a virtual assistant to your video meetings, which provides AI-driven transcripts and insights. Enterprise users get 200 GB of cloud storage, Microsoft Exchange email, and video conferencing with up to 200 participants.

Read more in our Intermedia review .

Round-the-clock customer support

Monthly, no-contract plans available

Integrates with existing contact and CRM tools

Some features aren't available on the base plan

Expensive per-user cost for the base plan

Best price requires a three-year commitment

Nextiva’s UC platform offers unlimited calling within the U.S. and Canada, an auto-attendant, virtual faxing, and U.S.-based local and toll-free numbers. Regardless of the plan tier, users can host and record 45-minute video meetings with 250 participants. The subscriptions include 1,500 to 12,500 toll-free minutes, team messaging, and voicemail transcriptions. Plus, Nextiva provides several payment options with lower rates for one, two, or three-year contracts and annual billing.

Professional and Enterprise integrate with customer relationship management (CRM) programs , such as SugarCRM , Salesforce , and HubSpot . Higher-tier plans also include one to three professionally recorded greetings. Nextiva recently rolled out NextivaOne, a desktop application that puts your calls, texts, and emails into a single inbox.

Read more in our Nextiva review .

Dialpad »

business phone service cost

App integrations available at entry-level

AI-powered call analysis and transcription

APIs provide additional user management functionality

14-day trial period is short

24/7 support not available with all plans

Dialpad Pro and Enterprise plans support U.S.-based and international offices, offering unlimited calling within your country, the U.S., and Canada. The entry-tier version (Standard) provides a robust feature set with tools typically found on higher-tier VoIP packages yet costs $15 per user per month with annual billing. The advanced capabilities include built-in AI and analytics, such as live speech coaching and automated post-call summaries. All subscriptions have multilevel auto-attendants, file sharing, and unlimited texting.

Dialpad users, regardless of the plan, can host five-hour video meetings with 10 attendees. However, Pro and Enterprise users gain international texting, integrations, and local number support in more than 70 countries.

Read more in our Dialpad review .

Base-level Express plan is very inexpensive

Compliant with various privacy standards including HIPAA

Many plans include unlimited international calling

24/7 support is limited to higher plan tiers

Basic plan doesn’t offer as many features as other companies

8x8 stands out with plans catering to very small businesses and global corporations. The competitively-priced 8x8 Express plan supports companies with five or fewer users and includes unlimited calling in the U.S. and Canada, an auto-attendant, video conferencing, and team messaging. 8x8 X-Series offers unlimited calling to 14 or 48 countries, depending on your subscription. These versions work for teams of any size, and you can customize plans to only pay for features each individual needs.

Along with call management features, X-Series business communications plans support 500 video conference participants and live streaming to YouTube. Interactive meeting features like breakout rooms and instant polls keep remote users connected, while CRM integrations can help track customer interactions.

Read more in our 8x8 review .

Designed for office, remote, and mobile employees

Unlimited number of users can be added

Offers secure global PBX services

Essentials plan limited to 20 users

No video conferencing capabilities on the base plan

No 24/7 technical support on the base plan

RingCentral offers three plan options: Core, Advanced, and Ultra. The Core plan begins at $20 per user per month with an annual contract.

All plan levels include:

  • Unlimited domestic calling 
  • Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
  • Single sign-on
  • SMS and MMS
  • Analytics for IT administrators

The platform also offers many collaboration tools for remote and hybrid teams, with different capabilities on each plan. For example, users can host 24-hour video meetings with breakout rooms and whiteboard sessions. Upper-tier versions integrate with hundreds of applications, including HubSpot and Salesforce .

Read more in our RingCentral review .

Business phone service providers typically charge a per-user fee that can be paid monthly or annually. Base subscriptions range from $10 to $30 per user per month. The flat price per person generally includes a business telephone number, unlimited or metered calling, and other communication features.

Some other important pricing factors you may encounter include:

  • Tiered pricing models: They provide more features on higher-priced plans. 
  • Cloud-based tools: These tools generally don’t require onsite servers and, therefore, typically don’t require an installation fee. 
  • Hardware: VoIP phones and headsets are optional purchases that depend on your business’s specific needs.

Add-on features: Features such as international calling packages, increased conferencing capacity, and integrations are offered by many companies. For businesses that can benefit from these services, the added cost will be worthwhile, and businesses with simpler requirements can forgo them and save on costs.

What Should I Look For in a Small Business Phone System?

Small businesses can face narrower profit margins, especially in their early years of operation, and trimming costs wherever possible can be essential to success. “Cost is a huge factor for [these companies] in their operations," explains Supradeep Dutta , a Rutgers School of Business–Camden assistant professor and an expert in technology and entrepreneurship. "VoIP is one thing to reduce the cost of communications.”

Cloud VoIP phone solutions are an excellent option for mitigating costs associated with traditional phone services. For example, VoIP means that small companies can not only skip traditional office phones but can also explore remote work options for staff that doesn’t rely on a physical office. With the help of the apps associated with these services, employees can use their own mobile phones or computers to make or receive calls, send texts, or hop onto a video conference call – all from a business number.

Aside from the cost, two of the most important factors to look at in a small business phone system are:

  • Ease-of-Use: The simpler and more intuitive the service and associated apps are, the better. Making a phone call or sending a text should be straightforward, and your VoIP service should never make you feel like you need to hire a switchboard operator just to reach the right person. Look for a service that offers features that will make your life easier. Depending on your business, this can mean generating automatic transcripts, offering custom hold music, ensuring reliable voicemail functionality, or employing spam protection.
  • Flexibility: For a small business, flexibility is key. The ability for your VoIP service to scale with your business should be clear from the start with easy-to-add lines and transparent pricing. Don’t forget to consider integrations, either. The compatibility of your VoIP service to integrate with a CMS or help desk system is something to note before committing to a provider.

Every small business is unique, and a single feature can’t address every concern. It can be helpful to make a list of the features you need or want most from a phone system, beyond cost. While it might not be at the forefront of your mind, be sure to think about the security needs of your business and if the VoIP provider you’re considering can meet them. And, don’t forget to look into the provider’s customer support.

It’s easy not to think about problems until you have one, but the last thing any business needs is to encounter a technical issue and be unable to reach the right person who can help. Some providers offer 24/7 support and others are more limited. Make sure this availability will work for your operating hours.

Compare the Best Business Phone Systems for Small Business of 2024

How do i choose the best small business phone system.

Buying a business phone service can be an overwhelming process. The choices are vast and you have much to consider, from system types and features to cost and even your customers’ expectations.

The number of providers selling these services has grown as well. “Right now there are over 500 companies selling hosted phone systems in the United States,” says Phillip Sherman, president of Telecom Advisors Group , which helps companies find phone solutions to fit their business needs. “A new one or two pops up just about every day.”

Here are some factors you should consider when making a purchase.

  • Number of users: How many employees will be using your phone system? Most providers charge a monthly fee per user, so costs can really add up with the more users you have. A provider that charges a flat monthly fee regardless of the number of users might be a better choice if you’re just looking for a basic office phone system. 
  • Video conferencing: Does your company rely heavily on video conferencing with clients or other employees? If so, you’ll want to choose a provider that offers video meetings in its most affordable base plans. Those that offer it in their top-tier plans will drive up your monthly cost per user.
  • Automated features: If you expect a high volume of calls, you’ll want a provider that offers many automated call management features. These can include auto-attendant, voicemail-to-email or voicemail-to-text, and hold music. To keep your customers from waiting, you may also want to look into plans that include intelligent call routing, forwarding, flip, and transferring. 
  • Remote employees: If you manage many remote employees, you may also need a service with strong team communication tools. These can include an easy-to-use mobile app, team and one-on-one messaging, file sharing, and video conferencing. Just make sure you choose a cloud-based rather than on-premise PBX system that will support these remote features.
  • Customer service: If your business relies heavily on your phone system, make sure you choose a business with round-the-clock support. The last thing you’ll want to be doing when your phone system is down is submitting a support ticket. Instead, you’ll want to speak to a real person who can help you solve your problem fast.

How Do Small Business Phone Systems Work?

Business phone systems connect your employees to one another as well as to those outside of your business, like clients or customers. This can happen through voice conversation or through other tools like text or instant messaging. While there are different types of business phone services you can utilize, the ultimate goal should be to streamline communications to help your business run more efficiently.

Types of Business Phone Systems

Business phone systems can be broken down into a few different types. Each has its own benefits, but some are better suited to the needs of a small business. Larger companies may still lean toward the traditional private business exchange (PBX) system or IP-enabled PBX, which are dedicated systems to a specific company and generally based on-premise. On the other hand, small businesses most commonly use cloud-based VoIP systems.

Benefits of Cloud-Based VoIP Systems

When it comes to cloud-based VoIP systems, there are many benefits businesses can reap:

Cost savings: A cloud-based telephone service is not a dedicated system. Instead, it's hosted in the cloud and managed by the service provider. This allows the business phone service to be provided at a lower cost on a subscription basis.

Hardware-free: These types of phone systems don’t require hardware and can instead be accessed through mobile and desktop apps.

Dynamic updates: The hardware-free infrastructure allows the business phone provider to keep the service updated at all times and provides your company with access to UCaaS features, such as messaging tools, video conferencing, and third-party integrations.

Simplified implementation: The relative simplicity of implementing a cloud-based VoIP system makes it the ideal option for most small businesses.

Saves resources: VoIP systems give your company access to all the modern-day business phone system features, without the upfront cost of having to build out a dedicated on-premise system or the required staff to maintain it.

Mobility and flexibility: These systems give your employees the flexibility needed to work from anywhere since they can access your business communications network from an app on their cell phone.

To learn more about the ins and outs of VoIP systems, read our guide, What Is VoIP ?

Choosing the Right Business Phone Service for Your Needs

While cloud-based business phone services have many benefits, this type of system may not meet the specific needs of your company. Consider your options and how your business interacts with a phone system to complete your work in order to make a choice that best fits the way your company is run. Think about your business’s size, budget, and the most important features that you require from your business phone service.

Why Do Small Businesses Need a Business Phone System?

All businesses, small and large, benefit from better communication. For small businesses, however, there may be more specific needs that have to be addressed in finding the right phone system, like tighter budgets. That is why researching business phone systems are so imperative for small businesses.

As a small business owner, you will want to find a system that is the best balance of price and the features you need. To learn more, read our guide on How to Buy a Business Phone .

Cloud-based business phone systems work on your existing devices, such as cell phones and computers. No additional hardware is required. Mobile and desktop apps replace traditional analog telephones, and features like virtual faxing happen in the cloud. However, computer users may want a VoIP headset for call privacy and quality reasons.

If you want to use your current analog devices, including fax machines and conference phones, with VoIP, you will need an analog telephone adaptor (ATA). In addition, many small business phone providers support IP phones, which resemble analog desk phones but connect to the internet instead of a landline.

Yes, you can install your business phone system yourself. The best business phone systems for small businesses are commonly cloud-based telephony services. These services are quick and easy to set up because they do not require hardware to be configured on-site.

Cloud-based VoIP phone systems take a do-it-yourself approach. The system is hosted off-site and managed by the business phone system provider. So you don’t need to go through a complicated process to get your phone system up and running. Simply sign up for an account and pick out your phone numbers. Download the provider’s mobile and desktop apps to gain access to the business phone system. You will still want to set up typical features like voicemail and call routing, but once the app is installed, you are all set to make business phone calls.

You may also opt for IP desktop phones. These act as a more traditional business phone option and might be a good choice for small businesses with an office where employees spend most of their time. IP desktop phones are generally easy to set up with plug-and-play options or some minor configuring.

The average small business will generally require up to 10 phone lines. However, this number can be impacted by a wide range of factors, number of employees being foremost among them. If you are the sole proprietor of your business, you may only need a single. If you are a 50-person operation that fields calls daily across multiple locations and departments, you may require significantly more lines.

Some additional factors to think about include:

  • Number of both internal and external calls that occur in your business
  • How many employees actually require a line or separate number
  • How many locations, offices, and departments will require phone services
  • What your budget can comfortably accommodate
  • What hardware or equipment will be required to support your operations

Yes, internet-based phone services support employees regardless of where they work. VoIP lets you route or forward calls to employee-owned and company-owned devices. Your teams can answer and transfer calls, even if your physical office is closed. Home users typically have access to the same features provided for in-house staff, including virtual faxing, unlimited calling, and voicemail.

Moreover, many small business phone systems offer collaboration tools, allowing remote and on-site teams to interact in real-time through video and group messaging. These features may include file sharing, whiteboards, screen sharing, and breakout rooms.

Small business phone services often have security and privacy certifications that can help protect your company when communicating with clients over the phone. Secure networks, encryption, and modern internet protocols are among the industry standards for business phone providers. Although most VoIP providers encrypt phone calls, cloud-based tools do have vulnerabilities.

The type of information shared over the phone depends on your small business's industry. While some companies in sensitive information fields need to be more cognizant of these risks, all businesses should consider the inherent risk of using an internet-based business phone system. Robust password management policies, security software, and regular software and hardware updates help keep your business phone system secure.

Companies that handle personal health information (PHI) may need additional security measures, including working with a HIPAA-compliant VoIP vendor. These certifications are generally published on the phone provider's website for your reference. Be sure to find a provider that offers the necessary credentials for the regulations in your industry.

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U.S. News 360 Reviews takes an unbiased approach to our recommendations. When you use our links to buy products, we may earn a commission but that in no way affects our editorial independence.

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COMMENTS

  1. How Much is A Business Phone Line? (Pricing + Phone Types) -

    A business phone line can cost anywhere from $20 per month to $30 per month per user. Change how you call. Get Nextiva business phone. Get your business phone, messages, video meetings, contact management and notes–integrated in ONE powerful app. Get started But here are some other factors to consider before you buy your business phone system:

  2. Best business phone plans (2022)

    Business Unlimited Select plans are designed for small business customers who need 1 to 12 lines of service. A one line plan is the most expensive, at $60 per month.

  3. Small Business Phone Service: Top Provider for 2024

    Auto attendant Direct incoming calls like a pro. Route customer support and sales phone calls reliably to the right team members. Call recording Record business calls on your terms. Cloud-based call recording lets you provide feedback to your team for up to six months. Unlimited calling Talk as much as your small business needs.

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    4.1 U.S. News Rating Monthly Plan Cost: $23.00/User More Details Compare Options Best Value 8x8 » 4.0

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    RingCentral provides phone service that is 99.999% reliable, cost effective, and designed to meet even the most advanced business phone needs. Flexible deployment options ensure that you can deliver an experience that balances business needs, end user demands, and an exceptional customer experience.