6 Best Cloud Phone Systems for 2024

6 Best Cloud Phone Systems for 2024

A cloud phone system goes beyond traditional telephony by providing advanced features to enhance the flow of business communication. It uses voice-over-internet protocol (VoIP) technology to enable businesses to manage and route calls over the internet. Among many competitors on the market, the best cloud phone systems provide scalable plans, an intuitive interface, robust call management, and collaboration tools like chat and video meetings. Pricing varies across providers, but monthly plans typically start at about $10 per user, per month. 

Below, we listed the six best cloud phone systems and evaluated them based on cost, features, usability, and customer support. 

  • Vonage: Best for customizable phone system
  • Zoom Phone: Best for unpredictable call volumes
  • RingCentral: Best for advanced phone system
  • Nextiva: Best for unified employee and customer communications (UCaaS)
  • Google Voice: Best for Google Workspace users
  • Grasshopper: Best for entry-level phone service

Vonage: Best for customizable phone system


Pros

  • Sleek, user-friendly interface
  • Basic plan includes 43 pre-built VoIP features
  • Rich mobile app functionality
  • Call continuity service during power outages

Cons

  • Many VoIP features require add-on fees
  • Visual voicemail locked at most expensive plan
  • Limits call recording to 15 hours each month
Vonage logo.

Our Rating: 4.79/5

Vonage is a hosted private branch exchange (PBX) service integrating voice, video, and messaging. It has an intuitive mobile app that allows you to use your work number to send calls and messages. A secure video conferencing solution is built into its platform with collaborative features like whiteboard, screen share, and team chat. For richer customer experiences, Vonage tightly integrates with popular customer relationship management (CRM) systems like Salesforce and Zendesk.

Zoom Phone: Best for unpredictable call volumes


Pros

  • Mix and match metered and unlimited plans
  • Cheap monthly per-user fees
  • All plans have the same VoIP features
  • Multiple device use

Cons

  • CRM integrations are very few
  • Unlimited calls
  • Charges extra for call queue analytics
Zoom Phone logo.

Our Rating: 4.73/5

Zoom offers a cloud phone system that integrates seamlessly with its popular video meeting software. Users have two options to avail of its VoIP service: Zoom Workplace or Zoom Phone. The Zoom Workplace plan provides an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered platform for phone, chat, meetings, and collaboration, creating an integrated communication experience. With Zoom Phone, you get a scalable cloud phone service with flexible call plans and all-inclusive VoIP features.

RingCentral: Best for advanced phone system


Pros

  • Complete business phone features
  • Entry-level plan includes team chat and video meetings
  • Uses AI for real-time call notes
  • Up to 300 pre-built integrations

Cons

  • Pricier than other alternatives
  • Overwhelming number of features for small teams
  • Limited SMS credits per plan

RingCentral is a popular name in the business phone service industry with its rich feature set and admin controls for voice, video, and messaging. This provider recently reinvented itself as an AI-powered communications platform, introducing smart features like virtual assistant, conversation intelligence, and AI writer. On top of its intuitive app, RingCentral boasts robust call management features and collaboration capabilities.

Nextiva: Best for unified employee and customer communications


Pros

  • Generous toll-free minute bundles
  • Clean and modern interface
  • Supports a wide range of VoIP hardware and accessories
  • Free telephone number
    porting

Cons

  • Discounts are reserved for long-term contracts and volume subscriptions
  • Voicemail transcription is locked at Enterprise
  • Requires third-party software installation to unlock more integrations
Nextiva logo.

Our Rating: 4.52/5

Nextiva is a hosted VoIP service that bundles phone, video, chat, and collaboration tools. As a VoIP service, this provider offers high-quality voice calls and an uptime guarantee of 99.999%. Remote management allows companies to configure call flows, users, and access permissions. While monthly pricing is slightly higher than the competition, Nextiva ensures a full-featured cloud phone system equipped with CRM integrations and over 45 VoIP features.

Google Voice: Best for Google Workspace users


Pros

  • Free phone service for personal use
  • Budget-friendly monthly business plans
  • Unlimited calls and texts within the
    U.S.
  • Simple to use

Cons

  • Integrates only with Google apps
  • A paid Workspace subscription is required to unlock Google Voice services
  • Limited business phone features
Google Voice logo.

Our Rating: 3.81/5

Google Voice is a cloud telephony solution offered for free to Google account users and as a paid add-on for Google Workspace subscribers. The personal plan is designed for individual users needing a free local number and a mobile VoIP app with call forwarding and voicemail transcripts. Availing of the business plan grants companies professional features like desk phone support, auto-attendant, ring groups, and unlimited calls within the U.S. and Canada.

Grasshopper: Best for entry-level phone service


Pros

  • Fixed monthly fee for unlimited users
  • All plans have the same number of VoIP features
  • No extra charge for toll-free and vanity numbers
  • Offers live answering services and professional greetings

Cons

  • No team chat or video meetings
  • Lacks international numbers
  • No third-party integrations
Grasshopper logo.

Our Rating: 3.6/5

Grasshopper is a virtual phone system offering all-inclusive VoIP features across its service plans. The entry-level tiers cater to solopreneurs with basic phone needs, while higher plans are dedicated to small teams that want unlimited user access while paying a fixed monthly fee. Besides its straightforward phone features, Grasshopper offers additional services like live receptionist and professionally recorded greetings.

Cloud phone system features

A cloud phone system consists of key components that contribute to its overall functionality and performance. These components are essential to what makes a cloud phone service flexible, cost-effective, and reliable. Below, we list the key elements we typically find in most cloud phone providers.  

Virtual phone numbers: Cloud phone services offer a phone number upon subscription. Since it is independent of a location, a virtual phone number allows you to pick your desired area code. Most providers offer toll-free, vanity, and international number options for a small monthly fee.  

Call management: Call features vary across cloud phone providers, but they typically include capabilities that facilitate routing, forwarding, and scheduling of incoming calls. Call management in a cloud phone system commonly consists of an auto-attendant, ring groups, conference calling, voicemail, and business hours.  

Third-party integrations: Integrations streamline processes by allowing users to connect their third-party application to their business phone system. This makes it easy to pull up information without switching between different platforms. For example, CRM integration lets you quickly access customer data directly from the phone interface. 

Softphone: Compared to traditional desk phones, cloud phone systems enable users to use their preferred devices and take calls from anywhere. A VoIP provider offers a softphone that you can install on your desktop, tablet, or smartphone. Regardless of the device used, logging in on your softphone lets you access the same set of phone features and communication history.  

Benefits of cloud phone systems

Cloud phone systems are a worthwhile investment, regardless of your business size. When implemented effectively, they offer a significant impact on team communication, customer experience, and the company’s bottom line. Let’s take a look at these advantages.

  • Cost-effective: A cloud-based telephone system eliminates the costs associated with installing and maintaining on-premise phone systems. Instead, you’ll only pay a minimal monthly subscription fee to access your business phone service, while the provider will handle the upgrades, configuration, and security measures. 
  • Mobility: With cloud-based telephone systems, all you need is an internet-connected device to send and receive calls. This benefits remote teams wanting to stay connected while working from home. You can also apply changes to your call flow directly from your browser and keep the same phone number regardless of your location. 
  • Better customer service: Professional phone features like auto-attendant and call queues ensure a smooth caller experience by reducing wait times and routing calls to the right department. Call analytics generate valuable insights into the customer journey, while integrations provide in-call access to customer data. 
  • Efficient team communication: Most cloud phone services integrate voice with other communication channels like chat and video conferencing. They also offer collaboration tools, such as file attachments, calendar sharing, and whiteboard. This creates a unified workspace, where teams can access the same files and communication tools on one platform.  

Choosing the best cloud phone system

Cloud phone systems are critical communication tools for any size business, as they provide a range of features that enable efficient communication, collaboration, and customer experience. While choosing the right provider can be a tough call, knowing your specific needs and budget can help you make an informed decision that aligns with your business objectives.

Vonage is our overall best cloud phone system due to its customizable phone features, making it a great fit for businesses with unique communication needs. Teams with unpredictable call volumes all throughout the year should consider Zoom Phone, as it allows mixing and matching of metered and unlimited call plans. 

RingCentral works best for enterprise-level businesses with sophisticated communication needs like advanced analytics, robust integrations, and extensive call routing capabilities. Its close competitor, Nextiva, integrates its phone system with customer experience tools, helping sales and support teams streamline customer interactions. 

Cash-strapped teams with an existing Google Workspace subscription are better off with Google Voice’s budget-friendly phone system. However, if you’re new to VoIP and value simplicity, we strongly recommend Grasshopper’s virtual phone system. 

If you’re looking for more options, check out our guide for the best PBX phone system for small businesses.

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