A virtual phone system gives your business its own number without a phone line or a box in the closet. Calls ring in an app on your cell phone and laptop, a greeting menu sends callers to the right person, and your personal number stays private. The providers price this in two ways: per user, from about $15 a month, or per account, where the whole team shares one line. Here is what eight of them cost, taken from their own pricing pages.
The virtual phone systems at a glance
| Provider | Entry plan | Billed monthly | Billed annually | What the entry plan includes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grasshopper | Solo Plus | $32 a month | $25 a month | Unlimited users, 1 number, 3 extensions |
| Quo | Starter | $19 per user | $15 per user | 1 local or toll-free number per user |
| Dialpad | Standard | $27 per user | $15 per user | A direct line per user |
| Nextiva | NEXT Core | $23 per user | $15 per user | 100 business texts per user |
| Zoom Phone | US & CA Unlimited | $18 per user | $16 per user | A domestic number, SMS and MMS |
| Google Voice | Starter | $10 per user | $10 per user | Up to 10 users; Workspace extra |
| Ooma Office | Essentials | $19.95 per user | Not offered | A direct number per user, 1 toll-free number |
| RingCentral | Core | $30 per user | $20 per user | 100 toll-free minutes, 25 texts per user |
All eight include unlimited domestic calling on these plans (Ooma also covers Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico; Quo's is subject to a fair usage policy). Calls abroad are billed per minute at Grasshopper, Ooma and Zoom, and at Google Voice's rate card on every plan.
What a 3-person and a 10-person team pays in the first year
- 3 people
- 10 people
Show the numbers
| 3 people | 10 people | |
|---|---|---|
| Grasshopper | $300 | $660 |
| Quo Starter | $540 | $1,800 |
| Dialpad Standard | $540 | $1,800 |
| Nextiva NEXT Core | $540 | $1,800 |
| Zoom Phone | $576 | $1,920 |
| Google Voice + Workspace | $612 | $2,040 |
| Ooma Essentials | $718 | $2,394 |
| RingCentral Core | $720 | $2,400 |
Grasshopper: best for one number shared by a small team
Grasshopper charges per account, not per person, which makes it the cheapest option here for a team that shares one line. There are three plans:
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed annually | Users | Numbers | Extensions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| True Solo | $18 | $14 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Solo Plus | $32 | $25 | Unlimited | 1 | 3 |
| Small Business | $70 | $55 | Unlimited | 4 | Unlimited |
Every plan has unlimited calling minutes and unlimited business texting, and the mobile and desktop apps. Each person answers through an extension: a caller hears your greeting and presses a number to reach them.
What to watch:
- Texting has its own fees. Carriers require registration: $19.50 one-time, then $1.50 a month.
- Extras are priced per item. More numbers are $10 a month each ($9 billed annually), and extra extensions on Solo Plus are $5 a month each ($3 billed annually).
- True Solo is limited. It is one user and one extension, with no call recording, and it forwards calls to a single number only.
- Taxes are added. Prices are subject to sales tax.
At the time of writing Grasshopper also offers $75 off at checkout on annual billing ($15 off monthly), as a promotion.
Choose it if your callers ask for "the business", not a person, and you want one bill whatever the headcount.
Quo: best for a team that texts customers
Quo, the new name of OpenPhone, is built around a shared inbox for calls and texts. Every plan includes one local or toll-free number per user and unlimited calling and messaging within the US and Canada, subject to its fair usage policy.
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed annually |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $19 per user | $15 per user ($180 a year) |
| Business | $33 per user | $23 per user ($276 a year) |
| Scale | $47 per user | $35 per user ($420 a year) |
What to watch:
- Texting registration. A one-time $19.50 review fee with The Campaign Registry, plus a monthly messaging fee of $1.50 to $3 depending on your use case.
- More numbers cost extra. Each additional number is $5 a month (the price shown with annual billing).
- Taxes and fees are added at checkout.
Choose it if your customers text you as often as they call, and you want every message in one shared place. There is a 7-day trial.
Dialpad: best for AI call notes on a budget
Dialpad Standard costs $15 per user a month billed annually, or $27 monthly. Every user gets a direct line, unlimited calling in the US and Canada (toll-free calls excluded), real-time transcripts and an AI summary after each call. Pro, at $25 billed annually or $35 monthly, adds CRM integrations, 24/7 support and management of several offices. Enterprise is priced on request.
What to watch:
- The monthly price is much higher. Standard costs 80% more when you pay month to month, the widest gap of any provider here.
- Extra local and toll-free numbers are add-ons. The pricing page lists them as optional add-ons without a price.
Choose it if you want written summaries of every call and will commit to a year. There is a 14-day free trial.
Nextiva: best for calls, texts and a basic CRM in one
Nextiva sells its small-business plans as a customer-service platform, with phone, video, team chat and shared inboxes in every plan.
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed annually | Texts per user | Toll-free |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEXT Core | $23 per user | $15 per user | 100 | Add-on |
| NEXT Engage | $50 per user | $25 per user | 500 | 1 number, 2,000 inbound minutes |
| NEXT Scale | Not listed | $75 per user | Unlimited | 3 numbers, 10,000 inbound minutes |
Nextiva lists a single price for NEXT Scale.
NEXT Core also includes a basic CRM and ticketing system and 50 AI transcriptions and summaries. If you need a fuller CRM, several free CRMs for small business connect to a phone system. NEXT Engage adds live chat, virtual fax and single sign-on.
What to watch:
- The annual price has conditions. It is for new customers with 1 to 100 employees on a paid term of 12 months or longer.
- AI is metered. The XBert AI assistant is $1.50 per conversation on every plan.
- A toll-free number is extra on Core.
Nextiva advertises "up to 12 months free" for businesses that switch; that is a promotion, so ask for its terms in writing.
Choose it if your phone is mostly customer service and you want texts, chat and tickets in the same place.
Zoom Phone: best if your team already meets on Zoom
Zoom Phone's US & CA Unlimited plan costs $16 per user a month billed annually, or $18 monthly, and includes a domestic phone number, SMS and MMS, call recording, 50 pages of online fax a month and AI call summaries. A metered version, where you pay per minute, is $10.50 per user at checkout. Pro Plus is $20.50 billed annually ($24 monthly) and Business Plus $24.50 ($29 monthly).
What to watch:
- Taxes are added at checkout, based on where you are.
- International calls are metered on every plan.
Choose it if you already pay for Zoom meetings and want calls in the same app.
Google Voice: best if you run on Google Workspace
Google Voice is an add-on to Google Workspace, so you pay for both:
| Voice plan | Price per user | Users | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $10 a month | Up to 10 | Unlimited US calling and texting, call recording |
| Standard | $20 a month | Unlimited | Auto attendants, ring groups, call queues |
| Premier | $30 a month | Unlimited | International locations, automatic recording, reporting |
Google Workspace itself starts at $7 per user a month for Business Starter with a 1-year commitment. Google also runs an introductory discount for new customers on the first 3 months (the percentage changed between our visits), which this guide does not count.
What to watch:
- Starter has no phone menu. Auto attendants ("press 1 for sales") and ring groups need Standard, at $20 a user.
- Starter stops at 10 users.
Choose it if your email and calendar are already on Google Workspace and a simple number per person is enough.
Ooma Office: best for month to month with no contract
Ooma Office has no annual plans and no contract: Essentials is $19.95 per user a month, Pro $24.95 and Pro Plus $29.95. Every plan includes a direct number per user, a virtual receptionist, unlimited calling in the US, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico, digital fax and one free toll-free number.
Texting starts on Pro, with 250 messages a month; Pro Plus has 1,000 and adds call queues and CRM integration. The free toll-free number includes 500 inbound minutes a month.
What to watch:
- A one-time activation fee. The sign-up calculator lists $29.95.
- Taxes and fees are not included in the prices.
- No texting on Essentials.
Ooma also advertises free IP desk phones as a limited-time offer.
Choose it if you want a toll-free number included and the freedom to cancel any month.
RingCentral: best for a full phone system with toll-free minutes
RingCentral's RingEX plans cost the same for 1 to 100 users:
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed annually | Toll-free minutes | Texts per user a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core | $30 per user | $20 per user | 100 | 25 |
| Advanced | $35 per user | $25 per user | 1,000 | 100 |
| Ultra | $45 per user | $35 per user | 10,000 | 200 |
Core includes unlimited calling in the US and Canada, on-demand call recording, video meetings for up to 300 people and an AI virtual assistant. Advanced adds CRM integrations and multi-site management.
What to watch:
- Texting registration is required. RingCentral says registration with The Campaign Registry is required for SMS and that more fees may apply, without listing the amount on the pricing page.
- Extra numbers cost $4.99 a month each; vanity numbers also carry a $30 one-time fee.
- The trial is limited to five users and has no texting.
Choose it if you need toll-free minutes, several locations or a bigger feature list, and will pay a few dollars more per user for it.
What a team pays in a year
| Provider and plan | 3 people | 10 people | How it is worked out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grasshopper | $300 | $660 | Solo Plus $25 × 12 for 3; Small Business $55 × 12 for 10 (Solo Plus has 3 extensions) |
| Quo Starter | $540 | $1,800 | Users × $15 × 12 |
| Dialpad Standard | $540 | $1,800 | Users × $15 × 12 |
| Nextiva NEXT Core | $540 | $1,800 | Users × $15 × 12, 12-month term |
| Zoom Phone US & CA Unlimited | $576 | $1,920 | Users × $16 × 12 |
| Google Voice Starter + Workspace Business Starter | $612 | $2,040 | Users × ($10 + $7) × 12 |
| Ooma Office Essentials | $718.20 | $2,394 | Users × $19.95 × 12, before the activation fee |
| RingCentral Core | $720 | $2,400 | Users × $20 × 12 |
All figures use annual billing where it is offered and leave out taxes, texting registration and add-ons. Paying month to month instead, a three-person team pays $32 a month on Grasshopper Solo Plus, $54 on Zoom, $57 on Quo, $59.85 on Ooma, $69 on Nextiva, $81 on Dialpad and $90 on RingCentral.
How to choose
- Callers ask for the business, not a person? Grasshopper: one account price however many people answer.
- Your customers text you? Quo, for the shared inbox, or Nextiva if you also want chat and tickets.
- Already on Google Workspace or Zoom? Add Google Voice or Zoom Phone rather than another app.
- Don't want a contract? Ooma Office, month to month, with a toll-free number included.
- Need toll-free minutes or several locations? RingCentral Advanced, or Nextiva NEXT Engage.
- Calling from your CRM? Some CRMs sell calling as an add-on: Follow Up Boss Grow adds calling for $39 per user a month (see CRMs for realtors), so compare that with a separate phone system first.
- Paying monthly? Compare the monthly column, not the annual one: on the entry plans the gap is up to $12 per user a month.
- Running a salon? Some salon booking systems sell their own phone line, such as Mangomint at $70 a month (see salon software), so compare it with these plans.