VoIP phone systems aren’t only for businesses—they’re also useful for residential customers. A residential VoIP system replaces your old phone line, letting you cut the cord and make calls for a fraction of the cost.
Residential VoIP systems also come stacked with dozens of features like voicemail-to-text and virtual fax, and with today’s top residential VoIP providers you don’t have to sacrifice top-quality sound and service.
VoIP (pronounced “Voyp”) stands for “Voice over Internet Protocol” and to make a long story short—it allows you to make calls through your home internet connection. When you make a call with your VoIP system, your voice is converted into data and transmitted to the caller at the other end in the form of high-quality audio. The sound and connection typically are seamless enough to where you won’t even know the call you’ve received is from a VoIP line.
That seems like a win-win situation, but how do you decide which VoIP provider to go with? Let’s take a look.
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Top Residential VoIP Service Providers: In-Depth Reviews
- PriceFrom $9.99for six months
- Money-back guarantee30-day
- Popular plansNorth America, World, US & Canada 400
Vonage Business is the biggest name in VoIP, and the good news is it’s a leader in residential VoIP too. Vonage has powerful, nationwide infrastructure, ensuring 100% uptime whenever you make or receive a VoIP call through your home IP phone or the Vonage smartphone app. All pricing packages are billed monthly, with no contracts. However, if you agree to be billed annually, Vonage will reward you with close to a 50% discount on your first 6 months.
With Vonage residential VoIP, it’s easy to include or add the following features:
- Keep your old home number
- Additional phone line to your account
- Dedicated fax line
- Toll-free number that lets others call you for free
- Virtual number that lets friends and family overseas call you for the price of a local call
- Extensions and call forwarding, so you can answer from anywhere you go with your smartphone
- Option of having simultaneous ringing on multiple devices when you have an inbound call
- Listen to your messages or have them delivered to your email
Read Vonage Full ReviewPros- 100% uptime guarantee
- No long-term contracts tying you down
- Heavy discounts for longer contracts
Cons- Extra costs for basic features
- Lacking video capabilities
- PriceFrom $26per month
- Money-back guarantee30-day
- Popular plansGrasshopper, Grasshopper Connect
Grasshopper isn’t technically a VoIP and it isn’t technically for residential customers, but it offers basically the same service for a competitive price. Technically speaking, Grasshopper is a cloud-hosted system that works on top of your existing landline or cell service so voice quality doesn’t suffer. While there’s a technical distinction, customers shouldn’t notice the difference. Grasshopper is built for entrepreneurs and small business owners who work from home. The Partner package is suitable for families, as it includes 3 separate contact numbers with up to 6 extensions.
Grasshopper’s cloud phone system includes the following features:
- Works with landlines, cell phones, or both, so you can use your number anywhere you go
- Easy setup, with no need to deal with wire rerouting or any other complicated installations
- Full message management, including voicemail transcription
- Virtual fax, connected to your number and receivable by email
- Call forwarding, simultaneous call handling, and multiple call transfers
Read Grasshopper Full ReviewPros- Easy to use anywhere and with any phone
- Fast and easy setup
- Lots of convenient features including full message management
Cons- Missing some of the features other competitors have
- A business service
- PriceFrom $24.99per month
- Money-back guarantee30-day
- Popular plansBasic, Small Business, Professional
CloudPhone is another cloud phone provider that does more or less the same thing as a VoIP provider. Like Grasshopper, CloudPhone is set up mainly for businesses, although there’s no reason it can’t be used by residential customers. CloudPhone provides a cheaper but more basic counterpoint to Grasshopper.
Here are some of CloudPhone’s top features:
- Voicemail transcription to text
- Call transfers
- Mobile app so you can take your home phone with you on the go
- Virtual fax lets you receive faxes to your number without interrupting calls
- Virtual receptionist (which is designed more for business customers, but is a cool feature to have at home)
Read CloudPhone Full ReviewPros- Get unlimited calls and texting
- International call forwarding
- Sleek mobile app
Cons- No live chat support
- No 24/7 support
- PriceFrom $8.33per month
- Money-back guarantee30-day
- Popular plansWorld Plus Calling, Home Phone Services
PhonePower is one of a handful of VoIP providers that actually specialize in residential VoIP rather than business VoIP. Although PhonePower has many plans, it’s best for calling within the US (including Puerto Rico) and Canada. That’s because it has possibly the cheapest prices in residential VoIP, providing you’re calling solely on local numbers. PhonePower also enables calls abroad, although there are cheaper options such as Vonage if you’re planning on making more than an hour’s worth of calls internationally each month.
Each PhonePower calling plan includes the following features:
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Keep your current phone number
- Mobile phone app for taking your home number with you wherever you go
- Send faxes
- Free activation and setup
- Free cloned second line
Read Phone Power Full ReviewPros- Inexpensive plans
- Unlimited calling to US & Canada
- Free cloned second line
Cons- Amateur style to the app and site
- Lacks some sophisticated features
- PriceFrom $12.99per month
- Money-back guarantee30-day
- Popular plansBase, Plus, Pro
Phone.com straddles the line between business and residential VoIP with a bunch of pricing plans suited to families. It structures its packages a little differently than its competitors. Customers can choose between pay-per-minute plans, which are cheaper but have fewer functions, or unlimited plans, which are more expensive but all-inclusive. The pay-per-minute plans come with a 30-day money back guarantee.
Here are some of the features you’ll find in Phone.com’s packages:
Add a local or toll-free number
- Large number of SMS messages, starting from 5,000
- 40+ standard features including call queuing, voicemail transcription to email, and more
Read Phone.com Full ReviewPros- Loaded with useful features
- Reasonable pricing
- Plenty of online material for DIY troubleshooting
Cons- Some features only available for additional fees
- UI is basic
- PriceFrom $10.00per month
- Money-back guarantee2-year price guarantee
- Popular plansWorld Plan 500, Unlimited, Per-Minute
Verizon is a household name when it comes to all things calling, and its residential VoIP services don’t disappoint. You can get both unlimited or per-minute calling plans from this communications solution giant. Verizon uses advanced fiber-optic networks to deliver the most crystal-clear sound quality too. So, you’re never struggling to hear and understand what someone on the other line is saying to you.
Using Fios Digital Voice from Verizon, you can make direct-dialed domestic calls to anywhere in the United States, Puerto Rico, and outlying territories. You can even make overseas calls for less.
Verizon’s Fios Digital Voice plans offer you a 99.9% network reliability guarantee. What’s also nice about Verizon’s plans is that they come with excellent features for both your privacy and your convenience. Some of the best features include:
- Stick with your regular phone number
- Built-in caller ID even on call waiting
- Call forwards to any number you want
- Access your account and manage it effortlessly online through your account management dashboard
- Caller ID
- Spam alerts
- Spam blocking
- Outgoing caller ID blocking
Verizon makes the entire process as streamlined as ever with its online account management. Plus, you’ll get a whole slew of features that will make your life so much more convenient than ever before.
Read Verizon Full ReviewPros- Tremendous, trusted name in VoIP industry
- Full nationwide calling coverage
- Can be bundled with Fios internet services
Cons- A lot of options, so it has a big learning curve
- Not a stand-alone service, gets pricey as a bundle
- PriceFree service premium service starts at $9.99
- Money-back guarantee30-day
- Popular plansFree and Premium Plans
Ooma is a popular VoIP solution for businesses, and now that there’s a residential option, Ooma is even a great option for you at home. With this new addition to its services, Ooma has traditional phone companies running scared. After all, you just can’t compare the features, quality, and service that you get from a top-of-the-line brand name like Ooma. To begin with, the service is totally free. You read that correctly; Ooma’s residential VoIP is totally free. If you need more advanced features, you’ll have to pay for them. But even the Premium plan is very affordable. With both plans, you’ll get crystal clear sound quality, basic features like call waiting, online call logs, call return, and 911 services bundled into the plan. More advanced features include voicemail forwarding and monitoring, Ooma mobile calling, international calling, and custom ring patterns.
Here are some of the neat features you can enjoy from an Ooma VoIP plan:
- Free US calling
- Free mobile HD app
- PureVoice technology for fewer dropped calls, better acoustics, and crystal-clear sound quality
- Integrates with Amazon Echo
- Free Ooma to Ooma calling
- Choose your own US number or port your old one
- Advanced security features
- Works with Smart devices
Read Ooma Office Full ReviewPros- HD sound quality
- Smart device and security device integrations
- Totally free service
Cons- Slightly confusing pricing structure
- Have to pay local taxes
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How To Choose the Best Residential VoIP
Make Sure You Have the Right Connection
Not every internet connection is VoIP ready, so before you sign up, make sure that your line will provide you with the level of VoIP speed and service you need. You can easily find resources online for checking the speed and call quality of your connection. The quality of your connection can potentially impact the clarity of your calls, so pay close attention.
Know Your Needs
Unless you’re running a major business out of your house, chances are you won’t need or be interested in the ability to do video conferencing with dozens of people at the same time. The same goes for an auto attendant and business software integrations. First decide which features are priorities for you (unlimited calling, voicemail-to-email, international calling plans, etc.) and then take a look at what each company offers. After all, there’s no sense in paying for features that you don’t need.
What’s Your Budget?
Figure out how much you’re willing to spend on your VoIP and this will help you better hone in on the company that’s right for you. Your residential VoIP should cost less than your current landline, but it’s still smart to do some price comparison and see which companies offer special deals (for instance, many companies will offer you a better rate if you sign up for a year plan rather than a month-to-month plan). Take a look at your monthly phone bill and the features you’re paying for, and compare that side-by-side with what you’d be signing up for with a VoIP plan.
Is it Flexible?
Few things in life are set in stone, and the same should be true of your VoIP plan. It’s wise to find a plan that is scalable and which you can easily expand if need be. You’ll want to know if you can break your contract early if you find a better deal elsewhere, or if you can easily switch plans with the same company in order to take advantage of more features, or to get rid of some you don’t need.
What About the Money-Back Guarantee and Customer Service?
Sometimes things don’t go exactly according to plan and it’s good to have all your bases covered. Check if the company you’re signing with has a money-back guarantee and to what extent they back up their promises. You should also favor one that has multiple avenues for customer service—around the clock if possible—and read online reviews about the customer service the company provides.
Ok, but How Much Can I Actually Save?
To get a better picture of the savings of VoIP for home use, here's a real life example: Long distance calls with a VoIP provider can be as little as $10 per month, if not less. Major telecommunications corporations typically charge more for such packages, even 2 or 3 times as much. If you look at this over the course of a year, that’s no small change.
For instance, while AT&T offers landlines with unlimited phone calls for $33.99/month, with RingCentral you can get the Essentials plan, which includes unlimited phone calls starting at just $19.99 per person per month, and you can also enjoy a more extensive list of features. On Grasshopper, the introductory plan costs as little as $26/month, but that includes 3 extensions. With residential VoIP, you have a bundle of features you couldn't find with traditional landlines. Also, because of technology's continual advancements, the features continue to improve every year without a sharp rise in costs. VoIP for home use makes sense because you derive so much more value than what the traditional phone companies of today are offering.
Not Just Savings - Why Sign up for Residential VoIP?
With a VoIP system you won’t have to deal with the cords and clutter that you may associate with a residential landline. Also, most residential VoIP providers make the system mobile-ready so you can enjoy all the benefits of VoIP no matter where you are.
What About the Features?
While regular phone companies come with limited options and charge extra for basic features, even the most pedestrian VoIP companies include dozens of standard features in even their introductory plans.
These include features like voicemail-to-email (and/or fax to email) which will automatically take your voicemail messages and send them as audio files to your email, making you much less likely to miss important messages. Many companies can also provide you with voicemail transcription to text, which will automatically convert the messages to text in an email, saving you even more time.
Like the rest of us, you probably don't like to get hassled with unwanted phone calls when you’re at home. You can also implement “enhanced call forwarding” to reroute and block the numbers that you specify, without the caller having any idea. You also can set up your phone to block international and directory assistance calls, so they don’t bother you at home.
VoIP companies can supply you with a toll-free number or a virtual number which allows people to call you for free, and a dedicated fax line which will allow you to send faxes without worrying about tying up the phone line.
You can also set up your VoIP account to integrate with programs like Microsoft Office, Google, Box, and Salesforce, which can help you stay organized if you’re running a small business out of your home.
Now, business VoIP companies supply a number of features that you probably don’t need for your home VoIP system—such as the ability to video conference with dozens of people at the same time.
Nonetheless, for residential users the list of available features is quite impressive, and makes VoIP that much more appealing than the old landline you’ve been using.
Ok, I’m Sold, but How Flexible Are These Plans?
Each VoIP provider is unique, but you should be able to find one that you can get you set up quickly and affordably without requiring a long-term commitment.
Most residential VoIP providers will allow you to run it through your pre-existing phone number, and no one who calls you should know the difference.
You’ll also want to take a look at the scalability of your plan. After all, you may want to add more extensions down the road. You may also find that you need international or toll-free minutes, as well as features that at first you didn’t see the need for.
Your Phone Lines - Your Call
Setting up a residential VoIP system can mean big savings on your phone bill, especially if you make a large number of long distance and international calls. In addition, these systems are mobile-optimized, and provide a wealth of features that may just change the way you think of your home phone service. Take a look at the features you need and the budget you can handle, and make the decision that’s right for you.
