The 10 Best VoIP Phone Providers for Remote Teams & Virtual Offices

Remote work has been with us for a long time. However, it was not until 2020 that it really started to gain steam. Today, a significant number of employees and even entire offices operate remotely or in a hybrid fashion. Having the right technology to ensure ongoing, accurate communications within a widespread team is critical to success. That’s where VoIP phone providers enter the picture.

VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) is not a new technology. It debuted about the same time high-speed Internet connections started to become more common in the late 20^th century. However, they’ve evolved a lot over the intervening years. Today, they offer robust capabilities, integrate with your organization’s existing technology stack, and provide multiple ways for employees to communicate, collaborate, and engage with one another and with your customers or clients.

The state of remote work today

Just a few short years ago, remote work was a rarity. Today, it’s becoming much more common, although the lion’s share of employees still work within a physical business location. What does the remote work/virtual office landscape look like currently? Here’s a snapshot:

• Almost 27% of US employees work from home, but almost 30% follow a hybrid model.

• An expected 32.6 million Americans will work from home in 2025. That equals roughly 22% of the entire workforce.

• 98% of employees want to work remotely at least part of the time.

• 16% of all companies operate fully remote.

• 59% of workers say they will choose an employer that allows them to work remotely over one that does not.

As you can see, remote work is not going anywhere. In fact, it will continue to increase thanks in large part to the benefits it offers, including improved productivity and a better work/life balance for employees. Employers also report that remote workers are less likely to be absent, have better morale, and take fewer sick days than in-office workers.

Of course, remote and hybrid work situations require the right underpinnings. Communication technology is perhaps the single most important consideration. Remote workers within virtual offices must be able to communicate with one another quickly and without any hurdles. The right technology can replicate the seamless, near-instantaneous communication that in-office workers enjoy.

We’re talking about VoIP phone providers. The field has exploded in recent years, with familiar names and newcomers jostling for position and your attention. With the diversity of providers out there, how are you supposed to choose the right one?

How to choose a VoIP provider

Every business has different needs. However, when choosing a provider for VoIP services, there are some similar features that you’ll want to keep in mind. For starters, while your budget matters, don’t focus too much on cost. Find providers that fit within your budget and then take the time to explore the details of the plans that they offer to find the one that works for you. Remember to consider:

• Know your communication needs and balance the provider’s offerings against them.
• Compare each company’s reputation and customer service history.
• Check if you get unlimited calling and texting or if additional fees apply to overages.
• Check that each provider offers remote team features like message boards or internal chats.
• Explore the features offered for the price.
• Determine the available upgrade/scaling options.

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With that out of the way, let’s explore the 10 best VoIP providers for remote and virtual teams and what each can offer.

The 10 best VoIP providers for remote and virtual teams

1. Google Voice

With Google Voice, remote teams can stay in touch without having to spend a small fortune. If you need a VoIP solution for your whole team, you may have to pay to upgrade to business plans. However, if you’re looking for an easy way for your teams to keep in touch, Google Voice is free for a single user when making domestic calls and sending text messages. 

That means that you can get a Google Voice number for your business, mask your personal number, and handle all of your business communications from any desktop or mobile device. Google can even forward calls to your phone and integrate them with other tools that you use to keep everything streamlined. 

Check out key features like:

• Price: Free for a single user 
• Domestic calls and text messages only
• Call forwarding and number masking
• Credits can be purchased for international calls
• Integrates with G Suite and other Google tools

2. CloudTalk‍

CloudTalk was designed for call centers, but it offers a great platform for remote teams today, too. It offers cloud-based VoIP solutions in all sizes for everyone from the small business to the enterprise virtual team. You get personalized greetings, skill-based call routing, and many other features. You can even tag internal numbers for easy tracking. 

CloudTalk makes it easy to collect caller information, redirect calls, and integrate with your existing tech so that everything stays organized. You can track calls and texts, manage support tickets, and even set business hours. Mobile apps are available so that communicating is easy on any device, too. 

The highlights of this provider include:

• Price: $25 per user, per month
• AI and automated call routing
• Android and iOS apps 
• Intelligent auto-attendant
• Monitoring and analytics

3. Grasshopper

Grasshopper offers a reliable service for VoIP teams that are looking for a better way to communicate. There are several different feature-rich plans available, and you can depend on US-based support that’s available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. An auto attendant and call routing are standard, and plans start at less than $30 per month, which is affordable for any budget. 

There are apps for your mobile devices and scalable plans mean that you can create whatever your team needs. There’s even a free trial, which will help you see what all you can do before you commit. This platform ranks on the “best of” lists time and time again for VoIP services, and for several good reasons. 

Key features include:

• Price: $14 per month with the True Solo tier and 1 user, $28 per month for Solo Plus with unlimited users
• Free trial offered
• Cloud-based VoIP services
• 24/7 US-based customer service
• Android and iOS apps available
• Automation and AI

4. Dialpad‍

Dialpad offers affordable VoIP services for remote teams that are great for custom mobility and scalability. The AI-based service can even collect information from calls to help you make better communication moves. Contacts sync with Outlook, G Suite, and others, and the customer service that you get is fantastic. The reporting of this platform is a bit more limited, but for remote teams, it’s got a lot to offer. 

Dialpad has more add-ons and upgrades available with premium plans, but the basic plans are impressively feature-rich and affordable for what you get. Remote teams that do a lot of video conferencing will want to upgrade for premium access, but there’s still plenty to love here. 

Check out the highlights like:

• Price: $15 per user, per month
• Free trial for 14 days
• AI voice intelligence
• Integrations and syncing are available

5. RingCentral

RingCentral started the buzz with Internet faxing. Now, it’s one of the best options for VoIP service that you’ll find online. Annual payments earn a discount on the monthly rates, but even at full price, the base plan starts at just $20 per user, per month when paid annually. Cloud hosting and call routing come standard, and you can customize the features to suit your needs. 

RingCentral offers a free trial, along with intelligent routing and auto attendant features. Premium plans are even available for less than $100 a month and you can scale the platform as you grow, too. This dynamic platform offers a lot for virtual and remote teams, as well as anyone looking for a reliable VoIP service. 

Key features include:

• Price: $20 per user, per month
• AI and automation come standard
• Cloud-hosted VoIP
• Intelligent call routing with auto attendant
• Annual discounts available

6. Ooma

Ooma offers a different type of VoIP solution that changes the way businesses handle communication. If you have a small team, you can purchase the Ooma device(s) and get free basic access to the plan. Plus, that includes 60 days to try the Premier plan if you go this route. The other option is to bring your own devices and pay for the monthly subscription, which includes all the features that you need. 

Ooma also integrates with smart devices like Amazon Echo and every single user gets a 30-day money-back guarantee when they sign up. Customized greetings, voicemail transcription, and even reporting and monitoring are available, as well. 

Highlights include:

• Price: $19.95 per user, per month
• 30-day guarantee
• AI-powered call routing
• Unlimited calling and texting available
• Desktop and mobile apps

7. Aircall

Aircall promises “better outcomes from every conversation”. It’s a flexible solution for remote teams that provides plenty of features and capabilities, and it’s particularly well-suited for sales-related needs. Aircall allows you to automatically dial multiple parties back-to-back and provides you with access to critical information about the party you’re calling right in the interface.

Another high point with Aircall is the level of automation on offer, including automatic call distribution. It’s designed to integrate with your other software, too, including Zapier and Pipedrive, among other platforms. However, it only offers limited screen-sharing capabilities, and it’s not well-suited for those who need to host webinars frequently.

Some of the things to know about Aircall include:

• Price: $30 per license

• 100+ integrations

• Unlimited domestic calling

• SMS

• Unlimited simultaneous outbound calls

• Callrecording and IVR

8. GoToConnect‍

GoToConnect offers some of the leading VoIP services out there, even with their basic plans. The platform offers several different levels of service, though, offering something for remote teams of all sizes. For starters, meetings offer up to 250 participants, and you can even upgrade to get advanced analytics and more features. 

You can keep your current numbers when you choose this plan and you’ll have access to online faxing whenever you need it, too. Perhaps one of the biggest reasons we love this platform is because it comes with unlimited calls and texts. Call routing is included, too, along with plenty of other AI and automation. 

Key features include:

• Price: By quote only
• Unlimited queues and attendants available
• Unlimited calls and texts
• Intelligent call routing

9. MightyCall 

MightyCall offers business communications “your way” and provides scalable calling solutions specifically for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). It’s an interesting combination of business communication capabilities, call management features, and analytics that ensures even small businesses can enjoy the same call flexibility as bigger companies.

MightyCall offers plenty of benefits, including toll-free and local numbers. SMS messaging allows you to engage your audience without making a single call. You can also use the CNAM feature to see who is calling your business. Other features include number porting, call logging, and available mobile apps (Android and iOS).

Some of the features we love about MightyCall include:

• Price: $15 per user per month

• Free trial

• Unlimited calling and messages

• Plenty of integrations

• API access

• SMS and MMS

• Voicemail and voicemail to text

10. Nextiva

Nextiva is a leader in VoIP services for several reasons. For starters, everyone gets a 30-day free trial to check out the platform before they commit. Plus, when you do sign up, plans are affordable. Each one includes unlimited Internet faxing and unlimited audio plans are available for those who need them, too. Automated call routing and a virtual attendant ensure that everyone gets the communication that they need. 

You can scale and customize plans to your liking, and they will even grow with you over time. Texting and calling are easy on any device, and your remote team will always be connected when you choose this platform. 

Highlights of this platform to note:

• Price: $18.95 per user, per month
• 30-day free trial
• Unlimited Internet faxing
• Customizable and scalable
• Upgrade for unlimited audio
• Automated greetings included

Speaking of virtual teams, partner with the virtual receptionists at Smith.ai for success

You are running a business, and while that includes taking care of your customers, it doesn’t mean that you always have to be there to answer the call. And how can you? Fortunately, there’s a solution. When you hire the virtual receptionists at Smith.ai to act as the face of your brand, we’ll field all your calls, messages, and anything else that you need. 

We’ll even provide 24/7 service to ensure that your business never misses a call or message, even when you’re busy, sleeping, or enjoying the life you’ve worked so hard for. VoIP is doing a lot to improve communications, but you can take it one step further when you partner with us. 

To learn more, schedule a consultation to see what the 24/7 virtual receptionists at Smith.ai can do for your business, from answering after-hours calls to fielding SMS messages, and so much more. You can also find us at hello@smith.ai or (650) 727-6484.