If you have less than 100 members of staff, you qualify as a small business. And as a small business you know how funding can be quite an issue. Small businesses are better off maximizing all their capital and getting their money’s worth!

It goes beyond just saving costs; small businesses have needs that are different from larger organizations. Not every system is well-suited for small businesses. Whatever system you choose should fit your staff size and tech-savviness.

An efficient phone system is invaluable for many reasons. For starters, it helps you sort out your tech concerns, they’re an upgrade from regular mobile phones, and they work to keep team communications seamless.

More so, a business phone system keeps you abreast of call duration and allows you to receive calls on multiple devices. Using a business phone system definitely makes you seem more professional.

Wondering what the best-rated phone systems are?

In This Guide:

1. Nextiva Pros
2. RingCentral
3. Ooma Office
4. Vonage
5. 8 X 8
6. Dialpad
7. Grasshopper
8. Free Phone System Price Quotes

This article is aimed at comparing the good, the bad, and the ugly of each system. Ultimately, we want to help you make an informed decision.

Best Rated Small Business Phone Systems

Nextiva Pros

Nextiva Pros comes in highly recommended for all kinds of businesses. It’s easy to use with various great features including VoIP, cloud storage, analytics, CRM among others.

Cost: Starts from $20/user/month

Pros

• Crisp voice calls
• Offers a mobile version
• Good customer support

Cons

• Nextiva may be more well-suited for bigger organizations
• May be too complex for some users

RingCentral

Depending on the package you choose, this system offers many great features including voicemail to text, video meetings for up to 24 hours, and popular integrations.

Cost: Starts from $19.99/ user billed annually.

Pros

• RingCentral options are versatile
• Multiple integrations to choose from

Cons

• Annual billing may be problematic for some users

Ooma Office

Ooma is a Voice over Internet Protocol System. Ooma comes along with advanced call forwarding, business SMS, a 30-day free trial, and more. If you run a very small business, this is great for you.

Costs: $19.95/month/user.

Pros

• Packed with features
• Wide integration - Ooma supports all kinds of mobile devices.
• Flexible plans are available for your business needs

Cons

• May be tricky to set up
• Occasional message delays
• May be considered as a disjointed service

Vonage

Vonage is a basic business phone service with a little extra, like toll-free numbers, call recording, call queues, IT support add-on, and more. Subscription is monthly.

Cost: Starts from $18/month/user.

Pros

• With Vonage, your entire team stays in sync
• You get a little more than the regular tools.
• You’ll be able to seamlessly switch devices even while on calls

Cons:

• Frequent updates
• Spam calls

8 X 8:

With this system, you get call recording, unlimited calls, and desktop/mobile apps, among others. Subscription is done monthly with a generous 30 day-free trial

Cost: Starts from $12/month/user

Pros:

• Has a plan well-suited for small businesses
• Affordable
• In-call features

Cons

• Support staff can be slow
• Difficult updates
• Voice calls not always crisp

Dialpad

Dialpad is a great choice for small businesses. This cloud-based system supports your local phones. The system offers analytics, integrations, web conferencing, etc. You can get a 14-day trial.

Cost: Starts from $15/month/user

Pros:

• Artificial intelligence
• Good value
• Dialpad does not cost much to run.
• Offers flexible payment monthly or annually

Cons

• Rigid settings
• Messaging features can be confusing
• You may lose track of updates

Grasshopper

This has more than just a spunky name. If you’re still trying to get a hang of these phone systems, Grasshopper is a great pick. This system offers a mobile/desktop app, call forwarding, call transfer, voicemail to text, and other features.

Subscription plans are flexible, with options for monthly or annual payment.

Cost: $29 paid as a fixed amount.

Pros

• You can comfortably use a smartphone or your personal computer
• Great pricing model - the cost is not determined by the number of users

Cons

• It may be a little difficult to set up
• Their free trial period is comparatively short at 7 days
• Somewhat basic. Although Grasshopper is easy to work with, you may be more restricted as an end-user.

References:

• Best Small Business Phone Systems of 2020
• 6 Best Business Phone Services for Small Business (2021)

Last Updated: Nov 30th, 2020