Top 10 Vonage Alternatives & Competitors in 2021

Vonage has been one of the leading VoIP providers for some time now, and while they have a strong offering, it may not be for everyone.

We rounded up a list of what we feel are the strongest Vonage alternatives and competitors for your business, just in case Vonage doesn’t meet all your needs.

 

Why Vonage?

Vonage makes it easier for your business to connect with customers. Here are a few benefits that you’ll get with this business phone service:

• Unlimited business SMS
• 99.999% guaranteed uptime SLA
• Integrations with tools like Google Workspace, Office 365, Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, Slack, HubSpot, ConnectWise, Zapier, Zoho, Zendesk, and more
• Team messaging, video collaboration, and 50+ phone features
• Mobile and desktop apps

 

That said, there are some areas where Vonage falls short:

• The desktop app requires constant updates
• Some international numbers are blocked until you submit a whitelist request
• Service is fully reliant on your internet provider with no contingencies
• Desk phone prices on the Vonage store are expensive — buy elsewhere

 

What Are The Best Vonage Alternatives?

1. Dialpad Talk
2. GoToConnect
3. RingCentral MVP
4. Nextiva
5. Mitel
6. Zoom
7. Grasshopper
8. 8×8
9. Avaya
10. Ooma

 

1. Dialpad Talk

 

 

Dialpad Talk Features

The first unique benefit to note about Dialpad is the fact that it has a handy Chrome extension. This lets you make calls and sends texts without ever leaving your browser which is a nice quality-of-life upgrade that other providers don’t offer.

In terms of voicemail, the transcription from Dialpad was surprisingly accurate when compared to similar services from its competitors. The multi-level auto-attendant was also easy to set up and it felt like a bonus feature since it’s not usually available on base service plans.

Those looking for video conferencing capabilities will be glad to know that Dialpad Meetings functionality comes free with all plans so you won’t have to pay extra just to start a meeting. The only downside is that there’s a 10-participant cap but this won’t be a problem for everyone.

If you want to add more participants then you can upgrade to the business version of Dialpad Meetings which lets you host up to 100 participants and create unlimited recordings of these video conferences.

 

Dialpad Talk Call Quality, Reliability, Support

Dialpad provides HD audio and 99.999% uptime.

Support options include:

• Live chat
• Phone hotline
• Social media
• Knowledge base

 

Dialpad Pricing

Standard	Pro	Enterprise
$15 /user/mo $20 USD if billed monthly 1 License Minimum	$25 /user/mo $30 USD if billed monthly 3 License Minimum	You’ll need to contact them for pricing 100 License Minimum
Unlimited calling2	All Standard plan features, plus:	All Pro plan features, plus:
Unlimited SMS & MMS1	Local number support in 50+ countries	100% uptime Service Level Agreements (SLA)
Call controls (call forwarding, transfer, hold, mute)	CRM integrations (Salesforce, Hubspot)	Extensions
Custom voicemail greeting	24/7 phone support	Unlimited office locations
Voicemail transcription	Unlimited meetings	Enhanced 24/7 Phone Support
G Suite & Office 365 integrations	5 hour meeting duration	Unlimited ring groups (departments)
Fax (add-on)1	API & webhooks	Azure Integration
Custom off-hours routing	10 offices	IAM/SSO Integrations (Okta, OneLogin)
	25 ring groups (departments)	Retention policies
	Hold queues
	International SMS
	Zapier, Zendesk, Slack integrations and more
	Deskphone support

¹Only available in the United States and Canada.
²Unlimited inbound and outbound calls within your country, the US and Canada. For other locations please see their international rates.

 

 

2. GoToConnect

 

 

GoToConnect Features

The cloud phone product formerly known as Jive has continued to impress consumers since its $350 million acquisition by LogMeIn in 2018. You can’t talk about GoToConnect without talking about integrations since its app gallery is one of the most diverse.

While it may not beat out larger competitors like Zoom in the sheer number of integrations, it certainly has the most important ones: Google Workspace, Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Teams, Zendesk, Zoho, Zapier, Calendly, ServiceNow, and Okta.

When it comes to hardware, GoToConnect is one of the best choices since it’s compatible with over 180 desk phone models. This means it will most likely work with your existing equipment as well as new phones that you might acquire as you scale up.

HD video conferencing also comes including with any GoToConnect subscription which means you won’t have to pay extra for a separate GoToMeeting plan. Beyond saving you time, this also unifies communications onto a single platform which can streamline your workflow.

 

GoToConnect Call Quality, Reliability, Support

GoToConnect provides HD audio and 99.996% uptime.

Support options include:

• Phone hotline
• Social media
• Knowledge base

 

GoToConnect Pricing

	Basic	Standard	Premium
	Starting at $24.00 /user /month	Starting at $29.00 /user /month	Starting at $39.00 /user /month
Flexible Cloud Phone System
Call from Any Device, Anywhere	✓	✓	✓
Existing Number Porting	✓	✓	✓
Local, Toll-Free & Vanity Numbers	✓	✓	✓
Smart Call Routing	✓	✓	✓
Unlimited Extensions	✓	✓	✓
Call Forwarding	✓	✓	✓
Auto Attendant Recorded Greetings	1	Unlimited	Unlimited
Customizable Dial Plans	1	Unlimited	Unlimited
Ring Groups	1	Unlimited	Unlimited
Call Queues	1	Unlimited	Unlimited
Multi-Site Compatible		Unlimited	Unlimited
Hot Desking		✓	✓
E-Fax		✓	✓
International Calling	Per minute	50+ included (other countries per minute)	50+ included (other countries per minute)
Voicemail to Email		✓	✓
Seamless Call Management		✓	✓
Paging		✓	✓
Intercom		✓	✓
Call Recording		✓	✓
Caller Hold Time Report		✓	✓
Real-Time Analytics		✓	✓
Toll-Free Minutes	$.03 /min	1,000 included per account ($.019 /min thereafter)	1,000 included per account ($.019 /min thereafter)
Built-In Meetings & Messaging
Team Messaging	✓	✓	✓
Audio Conferencing	✓	✓	✓
Meeting Duration	40 mins	Unlimited	Unlimited
Meeting Participants	4	150	250
Simultaneous Webcams	4	25	25
Customizable Cloud Contact Center
Call Analytics			✓
Inbound & Outbound Call Monitoring			✓
Listen, Whisper & Barge			✓
Supervisor Dashboard			✓
Customizable Admin Controls			✓
Real-Time Queue Updates			✓
Agent Effectiveness Reporting			✓

 

 

3. RingCentral MVP

 

 

RingCentral MVP Features

When it comes to finding a well-rounded solution, few alternatives come close to the level of service that RingCentral provides. The video conferencing alone is enough to convince most consumers that RingCentral is the right pick for them.

In-meeting features like screen sharing, whiteboarding, and breakout rooms make it easy to create insightful discussions during any HD video conference. Before meetings even begin, RingCentral already lets you handle scheduling in a stress-free manner.

This is because it provides one-click scheduling with all the top calendar applications like Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Office 365, Zoho Calendar, FreeBusy, CalendarHero, and many more.

Outside its industry-leading communication features, RingCentral also has top-notch team collaboration capabilities. The native task management system is a breeze to use and it also has integrations for tools like Monday or Asana if you want to use your existing stack.

 

RingCentral MVP Call Quality, Reliability, Support

RingCentral provides HD audio and 99.999% uptime.

Support options include:

• Live chat
• Phone hotline
• Social media
• Knowledge base

 

RingCentral MVP Pricing

Plan	Essential	Standard	Premium	Ultimate
Price	$40/month per user	$50/month per user	$55/month per user	$70/month per user
Integrations	None	Office 365, Google Workspace, Slack, and more	Salesforce, Zendesk, and more	All previous integrations
Video conferencing	None	100 participants	200 participants	200 participants

 

 

4. Nextiva

 

 

Nextiva Features

Nextiva has often been a popular choice when companies are looking for a bang-for-buck solution that provides reliable service at an affordable price. For instance, you can get between 1,500 and 12,500 toll-free minutes every month depending on your plan.

The platform also gives customers a path towards unification by offering number porting, online faxing, and a native team chat. This makes it possible to manage every channel through Nextiva which saves your employees from having to hop back and forth between a dozen tabs.

It also provides granular call management capabilities with its call routing, detailed analytics, and multi-level auto-attendant. To top it off, the platform is also compatible with popular tools that can supplement your workflow.

These include Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, ServiceNow, and more. Overall, Nextiva offers a lot of value despite being priced lower than many of its competitors which certainly makes it an alternative worth considering.

 

Nextiva Call Quality, Reliability, Support

Nextiva provides HD audio and 99.999% uptime.

Support options include:

• Live chat
• Phone hotline
• Social media
• Knowledge base

 

Nextiva Pricing

Essential	Professional	Enterprise	Ultimate
From $18.95 /user/mo	From $22.95 /user/mo	From $32.95 /user/mo	From $57.95 /user/mo
Unlimited voice & video calling	Everything in Essential, Plus	Everything in Professional, Plus	Everything in Enterprise, Plus
Auto-attendant & toll free numbers	Unlimited conference calls, 40 participants	Unlimited participants on voice & video conferencing	Sales productivity & pipeline management
Integrations with Outlook & Google Contacts	Unlimited video conferencing, up to 250 participants	Unlimited video conference recording & call recording	Service productivity & ticket management
Voicemail to email notifications	Call Pop, up to 250 contacts	Unlimited call pop	Automated surveys
Unlimited internet fax	Mobile SMS/MMS	Voice analytics & voicemail transcription	Customer journey analytics
Mobile & desktop app	Extended integrations with Salesforce, Hubspot, Zendesk	Extended integrations with Microsoft Teams, Oracle Sales Cloud, ServiceNow
24×7 customer support	Professional setup	Single Sign On

 

 

5. Mitel

 

 

Mitel Features

Mitel may not top everyone’s list when it comes to the VoIP market, but the platform still has a few useful features like voicemail transcription, business SMS, and 100-person video conferencing.

The Mitel Chrome extension lets you make and accept calls as well as join a conference bridge. It plays nicely with Google Workspace so you don’t have to worry about incompatibilities or manually migrating your contacts.

You can even import contacts from Office 365 or Google Contacts directly into Mitel to hasten the setup process. There are also quite a few integrations to choose from including Salesforce which makes it possible to unify your CRM and VoIP solutions on a single platform.

While the quick installation and simple maintenance through the admin portal, it’s worth noting that there have been some historic gaps in Mitel’s customer service. To learn more about that, be sure to read our Waiting for Mitel article.

 

Mitel Call Quality, Reliability, Support

Mitel provides HD audio and 99% uptime.

Support options include:

• Live chat
• Phone hotline
• Social media
• Knowledge base

 

Mitel Pricing

Essentials	Premier	Elite
Starting at $20.99 /user/mo. *	Starting at $26.59 /user/mo. *	Starting at $38.49 /user/mo. *
PBX Features	All Essential Features +	All Premier Features +
Collaboration	CRM Integration	Archiving
Conferencing	Call Recording	Operator

 

 

6. Zoom

 

 

Zoom Features

You can’t talk about video conferencing without mentioning the product that took the world by storm during the pandemic: Zoom.

Features like custom backgrounds, live transcription, mid-meeting polling, and cloud recording can all be found with Zoom.

The only drawback of using Zoom is that you’ll have to deal with the 40-minute time limit as a free user. Of course, upgrading removes this restriction altogether while also providing additional benefits such as storage, transcripts, company branding, and more.

In terms of scale, Zoom is already competitive at its baseline of 100 participants. That being said, you can increase capacity to 1,000 participants by getting the Large Meetings add-on for $50/month — though this will be overkill for most except power users.

Last but certainly not least, the Zoom App Marketplace is host to over 1,000 integrations making it the largest tool gallery on this list. Apps like Slack, Dropbox, MailChimp, Google Calendar, Hive, Salesforce, HubSpot, and so many more are available. If you can name it, Zoom has it.

 

Zoom Call Quality, Reliability, Support

Zoom makes no audio quality or uptime guarantees.

Support options include:

• Live chat
• Phone hotline
• Social media
• Knowledge base

 

Zoom Pricing

Plan	Basic	Pro	Business	Enterprise
Price	Free	$15/month	$20/month	$20/month
Integrations	Salesforce, Slack, HubSpot, Hive, and over 1,000 more	Salesforce, Slack, HubSpot, Hive, and over 1,000 more	Salesforce, Slack, HubSpot, Hive, and over 1,000 more	Salesforce, Slack, HubSpot, Hive, and over 1,000 more
Video conferencing	100 participants	100 participants	300 participants	500 participants

 

 

7. Grasshopper

 

 

Grasshopper Features

It’s true that Grasshopper doesn’t have nearly as many bells and whistles as its competitors but its focus on solid, affordable service is nothing to scoff at. You also get a lot of options when it comes to creating custom numbers.

Local, toll-free, and vanity numbers can all be created when you have a Grasshopper account. Furthermore, their Ruby virtual receptionists ensure that customers can always reach someone even past operating hours — saving you from the expense of hiring a dedicated  24/7 team.

Grasshopper also excels in cross-platform compatibility through its iOS, Android, and Windows apps. Any agent will be able to access full voice calling and SMS capabilities through the app while on the go since all they need is a device with an internet connection.

The app also simplifies the organization process since call/SMS histories are stored separately on the device, voicemail transcriptions can be read on demand, and you’re even able to send/receive faxes.

 

Grasshopper Call Quality, Reliability, Support

Grasshopper guarantees 99.999% uptime.

Support options include:

• Phone hotline
• Social media
• Knowledge base

 

Grasshopper Pricing

Solo	Partner	Small Business
$26/mo billed annually	$44/mo billed annually	$80/mo billed annually
1 Phone Number	3 Phone Numbers*	5 Phone Numbers*
3 Extensions	6 Extensions	Unlimited Extensions

 

All Grasshopper plans include:

• Mobile + Desktop Apps
• Business Phone Number*
• Business Texting
• Call Forwarding
• VoIP + WiFi Calling
• Virtual Fax
• Voicemail
• Read Your Voicemail
• Extensions
• Instant Response
• Custom Greetings
• Call Transfers
• Simultaneous Call Handling
• Incoming Call Control
• Reporting

*Additional phone numbers can be added, post-purchase, for $10/mo each.

 

 

8. 8×8

 

 

 

8×8 Features

One of 8×8’s strongest areas is definitely analytics since you can access real-time reporting across your entire organization. There are also numerous features that help optimize the effectiveness of your agents such as speech analytics, recording, and coaching.

When it comes to international communication, no competitor really comes close to the range that 8×8 provides. Having unlimited calling to 47 countries not only saves you a fortune but also makes it easier to cater to a global audience.

This focus on international service likely explains why the provider has over two million customers. Video conferences can also support up to 100 participants on X2 plans or higher which keeps 8×8 competitive with other top alternatives.

Lastly, the AI-powered insights and workflows on the 8×8 platform leverage the power of machine learning to make your company as productive as possible. This is likely going to become more common in the future but 8×8, as an early adopter, will master it first.

 

8×8 Call Quality, Reliability, Support

8×8 guarantees 99.999% uptime.

Support options include:

• Live chat
• Phone hotline
• Social media
• Knowledge base

 

8×8 Pricing

8×8 Express	X2	X4
$12 /user/month	$24 /user/month	$44 /user/month
8×8 Express Features	X2 Features	X4 Features
Voice, Video and Messaging in one app	Unlimited voice calling to 14 countries	Unlimited voice calling to 47 countries
Unlimited calling in the US and Canada	Video & audio conferencing	Call quality reporting
Auto-attendant, intelligent call routing, music on hold & voice mail	SMS, MMS and Team Chat	Supervisor analytics
	Small business & enterprise integrations and fax	Monitor, whisper and barge

 

 

9. Avaya

 

 

Avaya Features

While Avaya has historically been known as a telecommunications equipment provider, its partnership with RingCentral has since enabled it to provide cloud services to a large portion of its 100 million customers.

Avaya has all the usual benefits that come with RingCentral service but adds in a unique flavor of hardware integration. One example is how you can use smart devices like Alexa to create an always-on experience for your conference rooms.

Any workspace can also be transformed into a conferencing room through Avaya Cloud Office Rooms. When you sign up, you’ll get to choose from three deployment options — cloud, on-premise, and hybrid — depending on your needs.

In terms of scaling up, Avaya makes it feel like the sky is the limit. All customers can scale up to 250,000 users which means even the largest enterprises will be accommodated. Considering Avaya facilitates 15 million calls every minute, there’s no question about server reliability.

 

Avaya Call Quality, Reliability, Support

Avaya provides HD audio and 99.999% uptime.

Support options include:

• Live chat
• Phone hotline
• Social media
• Knowledge base

 

Avaya Pricing

Plan	Essentials	Standard	Premium	Ultimate
Price	$33/month per user	$43/month per user	$48/month per user	$63/month per user
Integrations	None	Office 365, G Suite, Slack, and more	Salesforce, Zendesk, Canvas, Smarsh, and more	All previous integrations
Video conferencing	None	100 participants	200 participants	200 participants

 

 

 

10. Ooma

 

 

Ooma Features

Ooma focuses on being an out-of-the-box solution that can be up and running in a matter of minutes. It uses auto-configuration technology to adjust the settings based on your system. This eliminates multiple steps that are usually required to get a VoIP system set up.

If you’re away from your computer and can’t access the desktop app then you can always use the mobile apps from the App Store or Google Play. You’ll be able to check your voicemail, update account information, and make/receive calls.

The virtual receptionist feature from Ooma also makes it easier to manage calls coming into your business. You can set a custom greeting, transfer calls to a specific extension, or create a menu that directs callers to the appropriate agent.

Free calling to Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Canada is also included on Ooma plans which can be helpful if you have customers in those regions. Ooma may not be as feature-rich as its competitors but it still provides an affordable, easy-to-use service.

 

Ooma Call Quality, Reliability, Support

Ooma provides HD audio but makes no uptime guarantees.

Support options include:

• Live chat
• Phone hotline
• Social media
• Knowledge base

 

Ooma Pricing

	USD Price	CAD Price	Billing Frequency
Ooma Office base price (includes a user extension, a local phone number, and unlimited calling to the US, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico)	$19.95	$24.95	Monthly
Ooma Office Pro (includes all standard Ooma Office features plus Ooma Meetings, Call Recording, enhanced call blocking, Voicemail Transcriptions, and more.)	$24.95	$29.95	Monthly
Capacity
User extension (includes Virtual Fax and a local phone number)	$19.95 Base $24.95 Pro	$24.95 Base $29.95 Pro	Monthly
Local phone number	$9.95	$14.95	Monthly
Toll free phone number (includes 500 minutes, 3.4¢ per additional minute)	$9.95	$14.95	Monthly
Conference bridge (includes phone number)	Free	Free	N/A
Ring groups	Free	Free	N/A
Virtual receptionist	Free	Free	N/A
Services
Number porting	Free*	Free*	N/A
Toll-free calling plan (includes 1,500 minutes, 2.9¢ per additional minute)	$15.00	$15.00	Monthly
Toll-free calling plan (includes 3,000 minutes, 2.4¢ per additional minute)	$30.00	$30.00	Monthly
International calling	Varies by use	Varies by use	Deducted from prepaid account after each call
Hardware
Expansion Base Station	$99.99	$99.99	One-time
Ooma DP1 desk phone	$89.99	$109.99	One-time
Ooma Linx	$49.99	$49.99	One-time
Ooma DP1 desk phone	$89.99	$109.99	One-time
Ooma Wireless Adapter	$49.99	$49.99	One-time
Yealink IP phones	Starting at $99.99	Starting at $129.99	One-time
Yealink Conference IP phone	$399.99	$529.99	One-time
Cisco IP phones	Starting at $109.99	Starting at $109.99	One-time

 

 

Which Vonage Alternative is the Best for Your Business?

 

RingCentral — Overall Winner

If versatility and general value are your criteria, then RingCentral will likely be the best choice. It has native features like task management and video conferencing while simultaneously providing a wide range of integrations — all at an affordable price.

 

Nextiva — Value

If you’re looking to scale up without breaking the bank, Nextiva gets you the most bang for your buck. You’ll be able to host 250-participant video conferences and use 3,000 toll-free minutes on the $31/month professional plan.

 

Dialpad Talk — Budget

While Dialpad is better suited to smaller teams, the free video conferencing and useful Chrome extension makes it a good option for those working on a tight budget. Other features like the auto-attendant and voicemail transcription also add extra value to its already-low price.

 

Grasshopper — Calling

Grasshopper isn’t a feature-rich platform but the simplicity and reliability on offer, coupled with its affordable bulk pricing, make for an ideal calling solution. After all, why pay more for a ton of features if you’ll only be using a service for calling?

 

Zoom — Integrations

When it comes to integrations, no one comes close to beating Zoom. Not only does the Zoom Apps gallery have more than 1,000 integrations to choose from but you can use an unlimited number of them regardless of what plan you’re on — including the free plan!

 

GoToConnect — UCaaS

Thanks to its seamless cohesion with GoToMeeting, GoToConnect is able to combine calling with HD conferencing and instant messaging. Coupling that with its analytics, call recording, and phone support on all plans, it’s not hard to see why GoToConnect is a popular UCaaS solution.

 

8×8 — International

Global businesses who want to stay connected to their customers overseas will be best served by 8×8 thanks to its wide reach. Unlimited calling to 47 countries is the type of international value that no other provider can offer.

 

Mitel — Availability

It’s no secret that some of the best providers limit their scope of service to high-adoption countries. Mitel is the exception since it’s available in Russia, China, Australia, New Zealand, the UAE, Europe, South America, North America, the Caribbean, and many more regions.

 

Avaya — Hardware

Avaya is first and foremost a telecommunications equipment provider so, if you’re looking for first-party hardware, it’s the clear favorite. Combining their hardware experience with the RingCentral software experience created the perfect union for customers.

 

Ooma — Analog

Ooma Office doesn’t have a ton of features to write home about. However, it has one unique benefit that supplements its affordable price point: analog support. Companies that own analog telephone handsets can save a lot of money by using Ooma since they won’t need new phones.

 

Conclusion

As you can see, the VoIP world has one of the most diverse selection of service providers. The industry is much like P.T. Barnum’s circus in that it has “something for everyone.” Just make sure to do your research to make sure you won’t be one of the “suckers born every minute.”

Always factor in your budget, needs, and which features will provide the most value to your company or customers. With so many alternatives to choose from, there’s no excuse to settle for subpar service.