How to Get a VoIP Number and Enhance Your Calling Experience: A 2024 Comprehensive Guide

VoIP services are becoming increasingly popular and a real asset for businesses of all sizes looking for an economical way to place calls and streamline their customer service.

In this article, we’ll explain how to get a VoIP number, go over all the specifics you should be aware of before switching VoIP service providers, and review the top 5 VoIP options for both personal and commercial use.

What Is a VoIP Number?

The main difference between VoIP phone numbers and traditional phone services is that VoIP phone numbers aren’t connected to a physical phone line. Although that may appear unimpressive at first glance, it represents a fundamental shift and presents a sizable number of opportunities.

The days of needing several phone lines for different numbers are long gone; today, you can have a single VoIP phone service and just about as many numbers as you like. You can obtain a number in any town, city, or even country of your choice.

Why Do You Need a VoIP Number?

VoIP technology offers you or your business total freedom, superb call quality, and less expensive phone calls. Use a single number for all business communications, call from any location, and take advantage of convenient features like caller ID customization, call recording, and call forwarding.

Another huge advantage is the economic value that VoIP systems offer, as they’re far more cost-effective than a traditional phone line – so if you’re a small business that makes a lot of outgoing calls, you will save yourself a large chunk of money.

Businesses of all sizes can benefit from VoIP, with many of the larger tech corporations having their own systems in place already.

How To Get a VoIP Number | At a Glance

Getting a VoIP number for yourself or a business is pretty straightforward. Later in this article, we’ll run through the steps in more detail, but here’s a short step-by-step guide if you’re in a rush.

• Step 1 – Pick a plan from a reputable provider such as Vonage. We handpicked Vonage as our top VoIP provider for 2024 thanks to its affordable plans and its impressive range of features.
• Step 2 – Create an account by heading over to the website. You’ll just need to supply some basic details and enter your email address and create a password.
• Step 3 – Add any additional numbers. If you or your business require any extra numbers, you can add these on when tailoring your plan. Every user gets a free number with Vonage, and it’s $5/month for each extra.
• Step 4 – Assign access. Give your team members access to the same shared number, or you can choose to give them a new one if you wish.

That’s it – you’re now all set up with Vonage and ready to make calls.

Benefits of VoIP

A VoIP phone system offers a number of benefits that traditional phone systems cannot. For example, you can save money, and the call quality is crystal clear. Below are some of the key advantages of implementing a VoIP system.

Cost

VoIP numbers use your internet connection instead of a phone line. The cost is lower than maintaining a traditional phone system, even with a monthly subscription. Don’t be fooled by a low price, though, because even the cheapest VoIP phone service providers offer a strong set of features that make it a worthy investment.

The monthly fee is also likely to include access to a tonne of premium features, such as an auto-attendant, call queuing, intelligent call forwarding, and one-click conference calls. Additionally, a toll-free VoIP number is available to you at no additional cost with many of the top providers.

Accessibility

A VoIP phone system doesn’t require a physical location to make and connect calls. Instead, you just need a reliable internet connection. This means you can make phone calls to different countries and locations all over the world without paying extortionate overseas fees.

VoIP doesn’t require much bandwidth, either. You can make 100 calls simultaneously over a connection as small as 10MB, and you can even make and receive calls using your smartphone with the improvements in LTE technology.

They work best using a wired connection, but if you have a good, reliable WiFi service, then they can operate on there just fine.

Flexibility

A VoIP network is extremely flexible, and you have the ability to add more phones to an existing system. They’re also compatible with pretty much any device and can be used across phones, PCs, and tablets. The majority of VoIP phones have add-ons like corded or wireless headsets to enhance your workflow.

Quality

If you have a reliable internet connection and high bandwidth, the voice quality you experience using VoIP software will be much better than a traditional phone connection.

VoIP digitally converts sound, removes line noise and static, and then sends it over the internet using the newest sound compression technology known as “codecs.” Every call is clearer as the G.722 codec has double the bandwidth of an analog call, meaning HD-quality audio.

When there’s a rare case of insufficient bandwidth, the call seamlessly drops to regular quality without your input. Additionally, calls made using the conventional phone system may be in partial HD but will still sound great.

Multiple Devices

One of the main benefits is that you can use multiple devices on a single virtual number. Having a VoIP number that’s assigned to a person rather than a specific place allows them to access their account from any location and on any device.

After logging in, they can make calls using a VoIP-capable laptop, desktop, or cell phone that belongs to them or is provided by their employer. If the user so desires, these virtual numbers can also be configured to forward calls to different phone numbers.

Remember that call routing can always be tailored as you like using VoIP. All or some of the phones on your sales team may ring simultaneously if you want to forward incoming calls to them.

Pick Your Own Area Code

For your VoIP phone number, you can select an area code that’s not associated with your city or state, unlike traditional phones. With the use of this feature, a person or a business owner can call an area code of their choice without being charged for a long-distance call.

In order to create trust, business owners can also give themselves a local number. This is advantageous for companies with multiple locations. Additionally, it can be helpful for people who want a number of local numbers to route to a single location.

Portability

Unlike in the past when phones were stationary, and you had to call your phone provider to change your address and number, as well as needing to get a technician out whenever you moved, VoIP offers complete flexibility.

The portability of VoIP numbers can save any business owner unneeded downtime as VoIP phones can continue to use the same number wherever it is. All you need to do is make sure you have reliable IP connectivity, and you’re good to go.

Toll-free

Calling toll-free is no longer just for big businesses. With the use of VoIP numbers, small and medium-sized businesses can now receive toll-free calls. While it differs from service to service, the majority will offer either free or very cheap toll-free calling.

A business can benefit from toll-free calling by removing the impression that they’re restricted to an area in particular. The best part is that these toll-free calls can be forwarded to either your phone or computer because VoIP enables you to have different VoIP lines ring on various devices.

Getting VoIP For Your Business vs Home

There are a few variations between business and residential VoIPs, despite the fact that they make and receive calls the same way. For one, the business plans cost more due to the added flexibility and functionality for growing companies. Here are some of the key differences between these two:

Feature List

Residential VoIP services come with a small number of functions and are relatively simple to use. The best VoIP services for home will include call blocking, call waiting, caller ID, do not disturb, e911, and voicemail, which are all included with a home VoIP subscription.

However, you receive more features with a business VoIP system that are tailored toward boosting productivity and efficiency. For example, there are useful tools like Whisper that provide agents with key customer information, like CRM data, during the actual interaction between the customer and agent.

Each provider will have a different set of features, so more advanced than others – so it’s wise to have a look at the feature list for different services and compare them to your business or individual needs.

Call Volume

The volume of usage and traffic between VoIP for businesses and homes is one of the key distinctions. A residential VoIP provider would assume that you won’t use as many minutes as you would with business VoIP when offering unlimited calling options. Along with increased frequency, it’s likely that a business will make more long-distance and international calls.

Please be aware of the “acceptable use policy” as well, which essentially prevents consumers from abusing unlimited calling plans.

Extra Numbers

With residential VoIP, you can either choose a new number or keep your current one (a process known as “number porting”). Additionally, business VoIP enables you to add virtual extensions or toll-free lines to your service (typically at an additional cost).

Numbers that forward to another number are referred to as virtual extensions or virtual numbers. The use of virtual extensions helps to keep remote employees connected to the same phone system without the need for additional phones or devices. They also assist in expanding your phone network and giving your company a stronger presence.

Top 5 VoIP Service Providers

Now that you know what VoIP is and the benefits it can bring to a business – it’s to pick the top 5 VoIP service providers.

1. Vonage – The Best Overall VoIP Provider For Any Size Business in 2024 due to its extensive set of features

Vonage is a true titan of the VoIP industry, and its popularity has remained intact for several years. Since its inception, it has evolved from a basic VoIP service to a full unified communications-as-a-service (UCaaS) platform.

An AI-based virtual assistant is among the new features that offer value in order to stay up with the competition. Vonage also keeps adding partners and integrating with other services, like Microsoft Teams.

Other key features include Call Monitoring, so that you can listen in or join calls, Call Continuity, a feature that allows you to reroute calls to a backup number should your internet drop or VoIP system fail, and Simultaneous Ring, a feature that allows you to set up a system in which five numbers ring at the same time, meaning calls always get answered.

Vonage offers 3 main plans, Mobile, which costs $19.99 per month per line (pmpl), Premium, for $29.99/pmpl, and Advanced, for $39.99/pmpl. If you wish to explore any of these plans, you can try them free of charge thanks to the provider’s 14-day free trial.

It’s worth noting that in contrast to other VoIP companies, Vonage charges a monthly cost in addition to the plan fee, should you wish to add on certain popular features.

2. Ooma – The Best No-subscription VoIP Solution For Small Businesses

In contrast to most voice-over-IP (VoIP) systems, Ooma operates as follows: You must pay for the device that links a regular landline phone to your Internet connection; however, unlike most providers, you aren’t required to pay a monthly subscription cost.

Ooma offers pretty much everything you’d expect from an Internet-based landline replacement service, including an incredibly simple setup, a stylish tabletop adapter with a speaker, a user-friendly Web interface, excellent audio quality, and affordable pricing.

The low cost is one of the main features, and also why it makes it so ideal for small businesses, as providers like Vonage can lead to high costs, as they charge each month for every line. Another useful feature included in Ooma Office is Ring Groups. These come in handy if you have multiple employees who could answer a specific call.

The pricing for Ooma is a little different from most other VoIP providers. With Ooma Home, you pay a one-off amount of around $149.99 for the device, and you can make calls for free – you just need to cover taxes.

For a more premium experience, or if your business begins to scale up, you could upgrade to Ooma Office Essential, which costs $19.95/month per user. Other plans include Ooma Office Pro ($24.95/month per user) and Ooma Office Pro Plus ($29.95/month per user.)

3. RingCentral MVP – A Great VoIP Provider For Large Businesses Who Need Excellent Video Conferencing Features

From voice conversations to team chat, RingCentral MVP is a powerful tool for managing all of your corporate communications. Although it’s not the most affordable choice, it provides robust security and a wide range of software integration.

Meetings are increasingly being held over video rather than in person, and RingCentral takes this into account. Up to 100 people can participate in video conferences or meetings starting with the Standard plan (200 for the Premium and Ultimate plans). Meetings are password-protected for security, and the video quality is HD.

Other useful features include the introduction of AI. This technology uses machine learning to track conversations between sales agents and customers during calls and text chat and can even provide recommended strategies. This makes it a great choice for companies of all sizes and one of the best Virtual Phone Services for Business.

There are four main price ranges aimed at supporting small to large businesses. The cheapest is the Essentials package which costs $29.99 per user per month and includes one dedicated phone number per user.

For larger businesses with over 20+ employees, try the Standard plan at $37.99 per user per month or the Premium option at $44.99/month. There is also an Ultimate plan that will set you back $59.99, but we think it’s too similar to the Premium plan to be worth that kind of money.

4. Mighty Call – Great Residential VoIP Service That Can Seamlessly Integrate With Third-party Applications

MightyCall is a popular cloud-based phone system that makes it easier to handle business communications. Its entry-level service, which offers basic voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) features like call forwarding, call recording, and interactive voice response (IVR), starts at $15 per user, making it great for small businesses on a budget.

It’s a great option for entrepreneurs and small companies who require a straightforward communication platform. Virtual phone numbers, voicemail transcription, business messaging, call reporting, and call flow are just some of its primary features.

This provider is very popular and well-known due to its ability to seamlessly integrate with a host of third-party applications. For example, it can be linked to Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho CRM, Pipedrive, and Slack via Zapier – this makes it a useful tool for those based in sales and marketing. Plus, all of this can be controlled via a simple-to-use app, as MightyCall is one of the best VoIP apps in 2024.

There’s a useful 7-day trial for those who want to try before they buy, and paid plans start from just $15 to $20 per user, paid monthly. You can also pay a flat fee of $150/month for unlimited users, so it can be used by larger businesses as well.

5. Nextiva – A Great VoIP Service for New Users Thanks to its User-friendly Interface

Nextiva is another cloud-based VoIP phone service that offers an extensive selection of integrated audio, video, and messaging options. For businesses with one employee to 100 or more, Nextiva has options that scale effectively as your company expands.

The service advertises a 99.999% uptime rate and uses TLS and SRTP-improved privacy encryption to safeguard its system. Nextiva offers all the services you would want from a top VoIP provider, such as unlimited calling, texting, faxing, and audio and video conferencing, as well as extensive call analytics.

Its simple-to-use interface makes it a great option for those just getting started with VoIP, as these systems can be a little complex to start with. But don’t be fooled into thinking its simplicity means it doesn’t have quality features!

Nextiva actually has some very useful quirks that make it one of the best internet phone services, for example, in order for you to more effectively manage your organization’s calling requirements and workflow patterns, Nextiva’s Enterprise and Professional subscriptions feature customized reports and dashboards.

The support team is on hand to help you with any issues that might arise, and we found them to be pretty decent in their response time and guidance. You get in touch using live chat, email, or call phone support.

In terms of cost, the cheapest package available with Nextiva is the Essential plan, which will set you back $18.95/month per user. This is ideally tailored for small businesses or sole traders, and for larger businesses, consider trying the Professional plan for $22.95/month per user or the Enterprise plan for $32.95 per user.

How To Get a VoIP Number

Once you’ve decided which VoIP provider you want to go with, getting up and running is pretty straightforward. No matter which provider you choose to go with, the setup process should be nice and simple. We’re using our top pick Vonage as an example:

1. Pick your plan

Most VoIP service providers have a variety of plans from which to pick. Look over all of the pricing options your supplier provides to choose the one that provides the features you require for the best price. Here is an example of the plans from Vonage:

Vonage’s plans start from as little as $19.99/month. Below is their full list of plans available:

Mobile – $19.99 per user a month, great for those who want to receive calls on the go

Premium – $29.99 per user a month, collaborate and communicate with desktop and mobile apps plus your IP desk phones.

Advanced – $39.99 per user a month, level up and gain productivity with included premium calling features.

2. Create an account

Once you’ve decided which plan you want to incorporate for yourself or your business, complete the signup process on the Vonage website or mobile app. Typically, this entails giving basic information about your company and your payment details.

3. Add any additional numbers and features

Once you’re in your workspace, you can choose to add on any extra features you might want or receive more phone numbers for your company, such as individual numbers for each team member or lines just for sales and support.

Every user of Vonage receives a free number. Any more numbers can be purchased for $5 per month, and other features will need to be discussed with a specialist sales team.

4. Assign access

Invite your team colleagues to your workspace after everything is set up. You can choose to give your teammates a shared number so they can call and text each other using the same phone number, or you can give them a brand-new number.

That’s it – you’re now up and running with Vonage, and you can start utilizing VoIp for your business needs.

Conclusion

VoIP is undoubtedly a must-have in today’s world, and now that you know all there is to know about residential and business VoIPs, plus how to get a VoIP number, you’re all set for crystal clear, cheap international calling. 

Many businesses are implementing VoIP into their everyday operations, with many having these systems in place for years. VoIP software grants you or your company complete autonomy, excellent call quality, and more affordable phone calls.

If you’ve decided to give VoIP a try, we recommend trying Voange due to its affordable pricing, seamless integration with third-party applications, and it’s AI capabilities.

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