Best VoIP for Small Business in 2026

Why Your Business Phone System Matters in 2026

For a small business, the phone number is the front door. It goes on the van, the website and every invoice. Customers call it, and more and more they text it. Moving a number later takes time, so this is a choice you will live with for years.

VoIP (voice over internet protocol) runs your calls over the internet, through an app or a desk phone. Most providers include unlimited US and Canada calling, mobile and desktop apps, voicemail and call routing. The differences are in the details:

• Monthly vs annual billing. Dialpad Standard, for example, is $15 per user on annual billing and $27 month to month.
• Texting. Some plans include unlimited US texting. Others give 25 or 100 texts per person per month. And every US business texting from a local number must complete A2P 10DLC registration first.
• Contracts. Some prices need a 12-month term. Some annual plans have no refunds.
• Add-ons. Toll-free numbers, call recording, CRM integrations and AI receptionists are often extra.

This guide compares Quo (formerly OpenPhone), Nextiva, RingCentral, Dialpad, Ooma Office, Grasshopper and Zoom Phone. All prices are US prices in USD from each vendor's own pages, checked in October 2026. Taxes and regulatory fees are extra everywhere.

What 1, 5 and 15 Users Actually Cost

The tables below multiply each vendor's published per-user price by the number of users. They exclude taxes, fees and texting registration.

Entry plan, billed annually (cost per month):

Entry plan, billed monthly (cost per month):

The plan most teams end up on. Once you want phone menus, call transfers, CRM links or automatic recording, the realistic plan changes. At 5 users, billed annually: Quo Business at $23 is $115 a month; RingCentral RingEX Advanced at $25 is $125; Dialpad Pro at $25 is $125; Nextiva Engage at $25 is $125 (sales demo, 12-month term). Ooma Pro at $24.95 is $124.75 a month, and Pro Plus at $29.95 is $149.75.

Notes on the math:

• Grasshopper is priced per account. Solo Plus and Small Business include unlimited users. Solo Plus has only 3 extensions (extra ones cost $3 a month on annual billing), so a 15-person team wanting one extension each will usually pick Small Business.
• Quo Starter shares a number with up to 10 users. A 15-person team on one main line needs Business: $345 a month on annual billing.
• Ooma adds a one-time $29.95 activation fee.

Texting Registration (A2P 10DLC) Explained

To text US customers from a regular 10-digit number, carriers require you to register your business (the "brand") and use case (the "campaign") with The Campaign Registry. This is A2P 10DLC registration. Until it is approved, texts to US numbers are blocked or cost extra, on every provider.

What each provider publishes:

• Quo: $19.50 one-time (paid to The Campaign Registry, not a Quo fee), then $1.50 a month for most businesses with an EIN, $3 a month for non-profits, or $2 a month for sole proprietors without an EIN. A rejected submission costs $15 to resubmit. Toll-free verification is free but required (about 2 to 3 weeks). Quo says most registrations clear in 24 to 48 hours, but its FAQ allows 5 to 7 business days up to 30+ days.
• RingCentral: brand registration $19 (charged even if rejected), campaign vetting $15 per submission, then $1.50 a month for a low-volume campaign or $10 a month for standard, with a 3-month minimum per campaign. Unregistered texts are billed $0.014 per message. RingCentral says it adds no fee of its own.
• Zoom Phone: your first brand and first low-volume campaign are free. High-volume campaigns cost $10 per campaign per month and extra brands $5 per brand per month. Zoom says brand approval takes 1 to 2 hours and campaign approval 1 to 2 weeks.
• Grasshopper: lists texting registration fees of $19.50 one-time and $1.50 a month.
• Dialpad, Ooma and Nextiva: registration is required, but the pages reviewed do not list the fees. Ask before you sign.

Practical tip: start registration on day one, before you port your number or print new cards. A one-person business on Quo Starter billed annually pays $180 for the year, plus $19.50 once and $18 over 12 months in registration fees, for a first-year total of $217.50 before taxes.

Quo (formerly OpenPhone) review

Quo is the new name for OpenPhone; openphone.com now redirects to quo.com. It is built for small businesses that want a phone number that works like a shared team inbox.

Key features. Every plan includes unlimited US and Canada calling and texting under a Fair Use Policy, one number per user (local or toll-free), and shared numbers several people can answer and text from (up to 10 users on Starter, unlimited on Business and Scale). Business adds phone menus, call transfers, ring orders, automatic call recording, HubSpot and Salesforce integrations, and AI transcripts and summaries for all calls. The Sona AI agent answers calls when nobody can; 10 calls a month are free on every plan, then $1.00 per call or a paid credit tier starting at $25 a month for 40 calls.

Pricing. Starter is $15 per user per month billed annually or $19 monthly. Business is $23 annually or $33 monthly. Scale is $35 annually or $47 monthly and adds AI call tags, dedicated onboarding and inbound phone support. Extra numbers are $5 a month each on annual billing. Number porting is free. There is a 7-day free trial and no free plan.

Pros. Unlimited texting stands out for businesses that confirm appointments or reply to leads by text. Shared numbers suit front desks and field teams. No long-term contract, and carrier fees are published clearly.

Cons. Starter is basic. Without phone menus or call transfers, most teams with more than two or three people will need Business. Only Scale includes phone support. International calls are billed per minute from credits.

Who should use it: service businesses, agencies, property managers, law firms and startups with 1 to about 50 people who talk to customers by phone and text. Who should avoid it: call centers and high-volume outbound sales teams.

Nextiva review

Nextiva sells phone, video, SMS and team chat in one app, and now adds reviews, social media inboxes and an AI employee called XBert.

Key features. Every plan includes voice, business SMS, video meetings, call routing, team chat and an auto-attendant. Engage adds a toll-free number with up to 2,000 free toll-free minutes, two-way customer texting, live chat and advanced reporting. Scale adds unlimited texts, up to 10,000 free toll-free minutes and AI transcription and summaries. Contact center tiers start at $75 per agent per month.

Pricing. Core is $15 per user per month with a 12-month or longer term, or $23 month to month. Engage is $25 with a term or $50 monthly. Scale is $75 either way. The annual price applies to new customers with 1 to 100 employees. Only Core can be bought online; Engage and Scale need a sales demo. A switching offer gives up to 12 months free to businesses that prove a current contract and sign 12 months of Core or Engage.

Pros. Core at $15 ties for the lowest per-user price here and includes video and an auto-attendant. Reviews and social inboxes help local businesses. Support is 24/7.

Cons. The low price needs a 12-month commitment. Core limits texting to 100 texts per user per month, and toll-free numbers, call recording and CRM integrations are add-ons with no listed price. No free trial is advertised.

Who should use it: businesses that want one bill for phone, video, texting and reputation management, and are comfortable with a year-long term. Who should avoid it: solo owners and teams that want to stay month to month.

RingCentral review

RingCentral's business phone product is RingEX, one of the most complete phone systems here.

Key features. Both plans include unlimited US and Canada calling, a multi-level auto attendant, call queues, on-demand recording, video meetings up to 300 participants, team messaging and the AI Assistant for call transcripts and summaries. Core includes 100 toll-free minutes and 25 texts per user per month. Advanced adds CRM integrations, multi-site admin, 1,000 toll-free minutes, 100 texts per user per month and automatic recording. RingCentral lists a 99.999% uptime SLA.

Pricing. RingEX Core is $20 per user per month billed annually or $30 monthly. RingEX Advanced is $25 annually or $35 monthly. The two AI Customer Engagement Bundles, which include the AI Receptionist, are contact sales, and so is any account over 100 users. Extra local or toll-free numbers are $4.99 a month. The AI Receptionist add-on starts at $39 a month with 100 minutes, then $0.50 per extra minute. There is a 14-day free trial, but SMS is not available during the trial.

Pros. A real phone system with IVR, queues and multi-site management. AI transcripts and summaries are included. Works well alongside Microsoft Teams.

Cons. 25 texts per user per month on Core is low for appointment reminders. Registration fees are passed through with a 3-month minimum per campaign. Paying monthly adds $10 per user. Desk phone rental needs a multi-year contract.

Who should use it: teams of 10 or more, businesses with several locations, and Microsoft Teams users. Who should avoid it: text-heavy businesses and solo owners who want the simplest setup.

Dialpad review

Dialpad's business phone product is Dialpad Connect, and its main selling point is AI built into every plan.

Key features. Every Connect plan includes unlimited US and Canada calling (toll-free calls excluded), AI transcripts and AI Recaps after each call, Dialpad Meetings, SMS and MMS, team messaging and Departments with IVR routing. Standard includes Google Workspace integration. Pro adds Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, Teams, Slack and Zapier integrations, APIs, 24/7 support and automatic recording on shared lines.

Pricing. Standard is $15 per user per month billed annually or $27 monthly. Pro is $25 annually or $35 monthly. Enterprise is contact sales. A US toll-free number costs $15 a month on an annual plan or $17 on a monthly plan, plus $0.02 per minute for incoming calls, and can only be added to shared lines. Porting US and Canadian numbers is free. There is a 14-day free trial.

Pros. At $15 per user (annual), Standard includes AI call notes and IVR routing. Google Workspace integration from day one.

Cons. Monthly billing on Standard is $27, close to double. Connect lists 250 outbound texts pooled across the account, and shared-line texts have per-message fees. No refunds on annual purchases. Standard has no CRM integrations or automatic recording.

Who should use it: teams that can commit to a year and want call transcripts and summaries without paying for an AI add-on. Who should avoid it: businesses that text customers often, or want to stay month to month.

Ooma Office review

Ooma Office is the most traditional option here, and a good fit for desk phones on a front counter.

Key features. All plans include unlimited calling in the US, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico, a virtual receptionist, ring groups, virtual fax and a mobile app. Pro adds the desktop app, texting (250 messages a month per account), call recording and video meetings. Pro Plus adds AI transcription, CRM integration, 1,000 texts a month per account, call queues and hot desking. Desk phones are optional, from $59.99 for the Ooma 2602.

Pricing. Essentials is $19.95 per user per month, Pro $24.95 and Pro Plus $29.95, all billed monthly with no contract. Enterprise is contact sales. Signup shows a one-time $29.95 activation fee. Extra numbers are $9.95 a month. Ooma's pricing chart lists toll-free numbers at $9.95 a month with 500 minutes; Ooma's own pages do not agree on toll-free, so confirm at signup. Porting is free. Text overage is $0.0095 per message.

Pros. No contract and no penalty for monthly billing. Calling to Mexico and Puerto Rico is included. Hardware is optional and affordable.

Cons. Essentials has no texting or call recording, so most teams need Pro. Text allowances are per account, not per user. No free trial; the 30-day money-back guarantee covers hardware returns.

Who should use it: shops, clinics and offices that want desk phones and a predictable monthly bill without a contract. Who should avoid it: teams that rely on texting.

Grasshopper review

Grasshopper is a virtual phone system: a business number that rings on the cell phones you already own.

Key features. A business number in an app on your phone, call forwarding to any phone, a phone menu, extensions, business hours, voicemail transcription to email, virtual fax, and unlimited US and Canada texting with auto-replies to missed callers. Solo Plus and Small Business add call recording, transfers, simultaneous calls and call summaries.

Pricing. Grasshopper charges per account, not per user. True Solo is $14 a month billed annually or $18 monthly, for 1 user and 1 number. Solo Plus is $25 annually or $32 monthly, with unlimited users, 1 number and 3 extensions. Small Business is $55 annually or $70 monthly, with unlimited users, 4 numbers and unlimited extensions. Extra numbers are $9 a month on annual billing or $10 monthly. Porting is free. There is a 7-day free trial with no credit card. Professional greetings from Voice Studio cost $75 one-time.

Pros. The flat price means a family business with several people on one line pays the same as a team of two. Unlimited texting and 24/7 support.

Cons. No video meetings, team chat, call queues or CRM integrations. True Solo lacks call recording, transfers and simultaneous calls. International calling needs a $500 deposit to activate.

Who should use it: solo owners and small teams who want to keep their personal cell but separate business calls and texts. Who should avoid it: any team that needs call queues, a CRM link or a desk phone setup.

Zoom Phone review

Zoom Phone adds a business phone system to the Zoom app many teams already use for meetings.

Key features. The US & CA Unlimited plan includes unlimited inbound and outbound calling in the US and Canada, one domestic number, domestic SMS and MMS, 50 pages a month of online fax and basic Zoom meetings (40 minutes, 100 participants). Toll-free numbers are marked as included on all three plans. AI Companion adds post-call summaries, voicemail prioritization and task extraction. Salesforce, HubSpot and Microsoft Teams calling are supported.

Pricing. US & CA Unlimited is $16 per user per month billed annually or $18 monthly. Zoom Workplace Pro Plus, which bundles Workplace Pro with the phone plan, is $20.50 annually or $24 monthly and adds 30-hour meetings and 10 GB of cloud storage per user. Zoom Workplace Business Plus is $24.50 annually or $29 monthly and adds unlimited online fax, 300-person meetings and SSO. International calling is metered. Zoom says it ports compatible numbers "with no hidden fees".

Pros. Monthly billing at $18 per user is the lowest month-to-month per-user price in this guide. One app covers meetings, chat and calls. Zoom's first texting brand and first low-volume campaign are registered free.

Cons. Live phone support needs an account spending over $200 a month, which most very small teams will not reach. Team texting needs an extra pack. SMS does not work on desk phones.

Who should use it: teams already paying for Zoom Workplace. Who should avoid it: businesses that need hands-on phone support or shared texting without add-ons.

Head-to-Head: Key Matchups

Quo vs Dialpad. Both start at $15 per user on annual billing. Quo includes unlimited US and Canada texting and costs $19 monthly; Dialpad pools 250 outbound texts across the account and costs $27 monthly. Dialpad includes AI transcripts and summaries on its entry plan, while Quo puts them on Business. Pick Quo for texting and flexibility, Dialpad for AI call notes on an annual plan.

Quo vs RingCentral. RingCentral is the bigger phone system, with queues, multi-site admin, video for 300 people and a 99.999% uptime SLA. Quo is simpler and better for texting. For a 5-person team on annual billing, Quo Business is $115 a month and RingCentral Advanced is $125.

Nextiva vs RingCentral. Both bundle phone, video and chat. Nextiva Core is cheaper at $15 against $20, but only with a 12-month term. Month to month, Nextiva Core is $23 and RingCentral Core is $30. Nextiva adds reviews and social inboxes; RingCentral adds stronger Microsoft Teams calling.

Ooma Office vs Grasshopper. Ooma is per user and supports desk phones. Grasshopper is a flat price per account on your existing cell. A 5-person office paying monthly pays $99.75 for Ooma Essentials (no texting) or $32 for Grasshopper Solo Plus.

Porting, Contracts and Trials

Porting your number. Quo, Ooma Office and Grasshopper list number porting as free. Dialpad ports US and Canadian local and toll-free numbers at no charge, with a fee for international ports. Zoom says porting has no hidden fees. The RingCentral and Nextiva pricing pages reviewed do not list a porting price, so ask during signup. Whichever you choose, keep your old service active until the port completes, or the number can be lost.

Contracts. Quo, Ooma Office and Grasshopper have no long-term contract. RingCentral, Dialpad and Zoom Phone offer monthly or annual billing. Nextiva's low prices need a 12-month or longer term. Dialpad has a no-refund policy on annual purchases. RingCentral desk phone rentals require a multi-year contract.

Trials. RingCentral and Dialpad offer 14 days; Quo and Grasshopper offer 7 days. Zoom shows a free trial button but does not state the length on the pricing page. Nextiva and Ooma do not advertise a free trial. RingCentral does not allow texting during its trial.

How to Choose: Decision Framework

Step 1: Decide on billing. If you will pay month to month, compare the monthly column. Dialpad, Nextiva and RingCentral get much more expensive; Quo, Zoom Phone and Ooma stay close to their headline price.

Step 2: Estimate your texting. For reminders, quotes and replies by text, look at Quo or Grasshopper. RingCentral Core (25 per user), Nextiva Core (100 per user) and Dialpad Connect (250 per account) can run out.

Step 3: Shared number or queues? If a front desk or several technicians answer one number, Quo's shared numbers and Grasshopper's unlimited users fit. RingCentral and Dialpad use queues and departments, which suit larger teams.

Step 4: Price must-have add-ons. Toll-free number, call recording, CRM link, AI receptionist.

Red flags to watch for:

• A headline price that requires a 12-month term you did not plan on.
• "Unlimited" texting that is really a per-account allowance.
• Add-ons with no published price.
• No refunds on annual plans when you have not tested the service yet.

What to test during a trial:

• Call quality on your mobile app over Wi-Fi and cellular.
• How the team shares calls and texts on one number.
• Voicemail transcription accuracy.
• Whether your CRM or calendar connects on the plan you will actually buy.
• How long support takes to answer a real question.

The Verdict: Final Recommendations

For most small businesses, Quo is the best place to start. It has published prices, no contract, free porting, shared numbers and unlimited US and Canada texting. Plan on Business at $23 per user (annual) or $33 (monthly) if you need phone menus, call transfers or CRM integrations.

Choose Dialpad for AI call notes at $15 per user on annual billing. Choose RingCentral if you are growing past 10 people, have several locations or use Microsoft Teams. Choose Nextiva for reviews and social messages alongside your phones, with a 12-month term. Choose Ooma Office for desk phones without a contract, Grasshopper for one flat price as a solo owner, and Zoom Phone if your team already lives in Zoom.

Conclusion

The cheapest-looking VoIP plan is not always the cheapest one to run. Before you choose, price your real team size on the billing term you will actually use, check how many texts are included, and start A2P 10DLC registration early. Use the free trial to test the features you rely on, not just call quality. Then port your number, and keep your old provider active until the port is done.