Google Voice and the Alternatives
Google Voice is a phone service provided by Google and is a great alternative to traditional landlines with different benefits within the three different pricing plans. Whether for business, or for personal use, there is a Google Voice plan suitable for everyone.
Aside from Google Voice, there are other alternative phone services similar to the Google service. Here, we will break down the top Google Voice alternatives and how they compare in terms of pricing and other features.
Google Voice
Before comparing Google Voice to its alternative, we must discuss Google Voice in terms of its pricing and features per pricing plan. Google Voice offers three different pricing plans: the Starter, Standard, and Premier.
Starter Plan
The Starter Plan with Google Voice costs $10 per user per month. This is the most basic plan and all features in this plan are also available in the Standard and Premier plan. The Standard plan supports a maximum of 10 users from 10 different domestic locations and no international locations. Other features include free domestic calling, unlimited SMS, voicemail transcription and more.
Standard Plan
The Standard plan with Google Voice costs $20 per user per month. This plan supports an unlimited number of users, at an unlimited number of domestic locations and no international locations. The Standard plan includes everything within the starter plan and additional features such as desk phone support and eDiscovery technology.
Premier Plan
The Premier plan with Google Voice costs $30 per user per month. This plan supports an unlimited amount of users at an unlimited amount of domestic and international locations. The Premier plan includes all the same features of both the Starter and Standard plan with additional features such as advanced reporting and data regions.
Grasshopper
A popular alternative to Google Voice is Grasshopper. Generally, Grasshopper is more expensive. Similar to Google Voice, Grasshopper also has three different pricing plans to choose from: Solo, Partner, and Small Business.
Solo
The Solo plan costs $29 per user per month. This plan is inclusive of 1 phone number and 3 extensions. Additional features include voicemail transcription, call forwarding, and business texting.
Partner
The Partner plan costs $49 per user per month. This plan allows for 3 different phone numbers and 6 different extensions. Additional features are the same as in the Solo plan.
Small Business
The Small Business plan costs $89 per month. This plan is good for 5 different phone numbers and unlimited extensions. Additional features are the same as in the Solo plan.
Ring Central
Ring Central is another popular alternative to Google Voice and is great for both large and small businesses. There are 4 different pricing plans: Essentials, Standard, Premium, and Ultimate
Essentials Plan
The Essentials plan costs $19.99 per user per month. This plan allows use for up to 20 users and includes unlimited calling, texting, voicemail transcription, team messaging, and document sharing. These features are also available in the other plans.
Standard Plan
The Standard plan costs $24.99 per user per month. This plan is good for an unlimited amount of users and includes everything in the Essentials plan. Additional features include unlimited internet fax, unlimited audio conferencing and even integrations with other services such as G Suite.
Premium Plan
The Premium plan costs $34.99 per user per month. This plan includes everything included in the Standard plan as well as additional features such as single sign on, call recording, and up to 8 digit extensions.
Ultimate Plan
The Unlimited plan costs $49.99 per user per month. This plan includes everything in the Premium plan and also includes device status reports and alerts, as well as unlimited storage.
Whatsapp is another popular service that caters to simple phone service needs. This app is free to use and is available via mobile app and computer application for Windows and Mac. While Whatsapp does not have nearly as many features as the alternatives, it is a great simple phone service for quick and simple tasks.
Conclusion
There are many alternatives to Google Voice. Each VOIP service offers different features to accommodate varied personal and business needs.
When it comes down to it, we have to look at affordability and features. All services offer great features but for a much higher price than Google Voice, and while Whatsapp is free to use, it does not have half the features that Google Voice does. Google Voice is a great phone service in terms of features and pricing.