Want to dive right in? Phone.com is a budget-friendly VoIP phone system provider that is great for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
As working remotely becomes more common and more popular, so do Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone systems. They allow businesses complete communication flexibility and the ability to stay in touch with employees and clients alike via phone calls, conference calls, and video meetings, all via the internet.
Phone.com is one of the top VoIP phone systems in the market today. In particular, they are a great solution for small or growing businesses and entrepreneurs. However, if you’re looking for a provider with wider-ranging capabilities or that is more suited to larger businesses, Phone.com may not be the one for you.
In any case, this review is going to break down the best and the worst of Phone.com and will show you how they measure up to other top providers in the market today.
Let’s dig in.
Phone.com Pros and Cons
Pros
- Competitive pricing plan
- Easy-to-use interface
- 24/7 customer support
- Use existing hardware
- Voicemail to email
- Live receptionist
- 50+ standard features available
Cons
- Limited advanced features on basic plan
- Limited video conferencing
- Additional fees for many features that other companies include
How Phone.com Compares to Top VOIP Phone Systems
Phone.com is a solid choice for small businesses looking for a cost-effective and reliable VoIP phone system. It’s easy to set up, user-friendly, and compatible with all phones.
Its key draw as a standout in the list is definitely its price point. For just $9.99 per user, per month you’ll have access to a reliable VoIP service from any device. From where we are standing, this is pretty darn great for small or new businesses.
However, truth be told, Phone.com is somewhat limited when we compare it to some of the top VoIP providers out there such as RingCentral and Nextiva.
Simply put, RingCentral is the best for most. Although it’s priced higher than Phone.com, it offers a range of great features and also wins best video conferencing software in our books. With varying pricing solutions, RingCentral is suitable for just about any business size.
On the other hand, Nextiva is a great solution for businesses who want to tie in their VoIP phone services, with their sales software, and service CRM software too. They’re also renowned for their top-notch customer service. Although Nextiva is suitable for small businesses, their pricing plans really cater to enterprises and call centers.
Want to know more about the best VoIP phone systems out there? Click the link to read more.
Phone.com Hardware Requirements
It’s important to understand that not all VoIP phone services allow you to use your existing hardware. Some allow you to use an existing device so long as it is IP-Enabled, while some require you to use their hardware.
The best ones though, are the providers who allow you to use any existing device, regardless of whether it is IP-Enabled. These are the ones we like the most.
We’re happy to report that Phone.com is one of these likable providers that allows you to use your existing hardware. If you want to receive calls through a desktop phone that is not IP-Enabled, you’ll still need an adapter, but Phone.com provides one for free!
Phone.com Pricing
There are a few things to consider outside of the bottom line when it comes to choosing the most cost-effective VoIP provider.
Of course, we should consider the price of the plan. How much is it going to cost you per user, per month to run this service? But outside of this, we also need to consider any limitations on the plans and whether you’re signing up for a contract or can choose a month-to-month payment option.
Phone.com is one of the best out there for budget pricing. As we mentioned earlier, you can get started for as little as $9.99 per month. What is not to love about that? And although there may be cheaper plans out there, they aren’t ones that we’ve been able to recommend for various reasons.
Now, here is where we need to scrutinize Phone.com just a little. Although the base pricing is great, the limitation of the included call minutes (300 minutes per month) on the lead-in plan is likely going to cause some issues for most businesses. So, businesses who are expecting even a moderate call volume will need to look at the higher tiers to gain access to unlimited minutes.
The upside to this is that Phone.com does allow users some flexibility to discover how many minutes they’re going to need.
They provide options to either pay annually and thereby commit to an annual contract, or choose to pay slightly more for a month-to-month contract, meaning you can re-evaluate your requirements as each month rolls around.
Phone.com Setup and Ease of Use
The last thing anyone needs these days is a lengthy set-up process or a software tool that you simply cannot get your head around.
Thankfully, Phone.com stands up well against its competitors in both of these aspects.
Regardless of whether you’re using existing hardware or are switching to new hardware, the setup process is the same. In fact, there are three easy steps to be followed which are heavily detailed on the Phone.com website. If you get stuck, Phone.com can set it up remotely for you.
Once the setup is complete, you’ll be able to manage your new phone system from an easy-to-use web-based interface that allows users to customize voicemail greetings, set extensions, and set phone-operating schedules.
Phone.com Features
Now, it’s not that Phone.com doesn’t have extensive features to offer–they do. In fact, they have over 50+ standard features to provide.
But the thing that lets them down in this area is that many, more advanced features that are included by other providers’ base plans (such as unlimited minutes and unlimited video conferencing), are not included in Phone.com’s lead-in plan.
This won’t be a dealbreaker for everyone. You might be fine with this lack of included features because the price is right!
However, if you’re looking for a provider who takes the cake when it comes to features, you should have a further look into RingCentral. Yes, their plans are more expensive from the outset. But, they include a lot of features that other VoIP providers charge extra for (such as those mentioned above).
At the end of the day, there is no reason to pay for features you won’t use. Our recommendation to help you figure out which ones you can and can’t live without is to utilize as many free trials as you can, before making your final purchasing decision.
Product Offerings
Phone.com Business Phone System
The bread and butter of Phone.com’s product offerings is very obviously their phone system.
Let’s cut to the chase here. Although we’ve briefly discussed some of the limitations of the features of Phone.com’s standard package, when it comes to the best VoIP phone system for small businesses, they take the cake.
They offer all the important modern features of a larger phone system but are extremely affordable and easy-to-use for entrepreneurs and growing businesses. Some of the features you can expect to have access to include:
- Business phone number
- Voicemail to Email
- SMS text messaging
- Call routing
- Call queuing
- Hold music
- Mobile applications
- Audio conferencing
If you’ve already got a business phone number and don’t want to go through the hassle of changing it, Phone.com will help you transfer your existing number to their services. And if you don’t have a toll-free number, they’ll give you one of those too.
Furthermore, the implementation process is incredibly smooth so you’ll be up and running in no time. A key highlight of Phone.com is the ability to use existing hardware, mobile device, or PC. There are literally no barriers to getting started for new business owners which is a huge drawcard for those just getting started.
Finally, their VoIP pricing plans are not only affordable, but also scalable, so business owners can grow with Phone.com if they want to.
Are there providers out there with better VoIP services? Yes. But do those providers offer a cost-effective solution to even the newest of business owners, not quite.
Phone.com Video Meetings
Having access to a great video conferencing service has become vital to most businesses’ success–especially in current times.
The good news is that most top VoIP phone providers do offer video conferencing or meetings as a part of their services, including Phone.com.
Although all of Phone.com’s plans include unlimited video conferencing, there are limits as to how many participants can attend the video meeting at one time. On the Basic plan, this is just 10 participants, compared to the Plus plan which allows 25, and the Pro which allows up to 100 participants.
Other features you can expect to find with Phone.com’s video meetings are:
- Browser-based web conferencing for ease-of-use
- Personalize your meeting environment with a custom URL
- Screen and document sharing
- Encryption and security codes to protect privacy
These features are pretty standard across the board for video conferencing. For some businesses, these video conferencing features and participant limitations will work fine.
However, let’s say you’re on a Basic plan and it suits the size of your business most of the time. But sometimes you need to hold a video conference with all of your clients at once. It’s most likely that the participant limit of 10 is not going to suit your needs, right?
In this instance, we have to once again recommend RingCentral as the contender with the better offering in this area. Although there is a 40-minute limit on group meetings, you can have up to 100 participants involved, and it will cost you $0 to do so.
Phone.com Mobile Applications
For those who prefer the mobility of using their mobile as a business phone, but may be sick of clients having their personal number to call at all hours of the day and night, this product offering is designed just for you.
Phone.com’s mobile application allows you to access and manage your account from your mobile phone. You’ll have access to all the same features with the added benefit of making calls over your carrier network or using Wi-Fi. This means you’ll be able to make international calls without fees and you won’t have to worry about going over your monthly call limits included in your plan.
Furthermore, you’ll also be able to send and receive SMS messages using your business phone numbers. The texts will filter through the Phone.com app, so you won’t need to worry about mixing business with personal texts either.
In a nutshell, the mobile application is a great offering from Phone.com. In our research, we’ve not seen this product offered by many other providers in the market, so it does lend Phone.com a decent advantage. It’s also a standard feature and is included even in the Basic plan.
Phone.com VoIP Phones
Even though Phone.com does enable users to utilize existing hardware, if you are looking to upgrade to a VoIP phone, they can help you with that too!
In fact, they claim to be able to offer competitive pricing on some of the top names in the industry such as Polycom, Cisco, and Yealink. All business phones are tested and certified to be compatible with Phone.com’s communication services.
In our research, we’ve not come across many VoIP phone service providers who do offer to provide you with an IP-Enabled phone. This may be because many of the top providers can work through many different hardware options or simply through a mobile phone or the internet.
However, if you like the reliability of an old-fashioned desktop phone instead of (or as well as) your mobile phone, Phone.com allows you to source both your phone and your VoIP service in one place.
Phone.com Live Receptionist
If your business receives high call volume or you have multiple extensions to transfer to, the Live Receptionist product offering is for you. Phone.com has a team of US-based professional receptionists (real people) who will answer your calls and then transfer callers to wherever they need to go.
Your Live Receptionist can also schedule appointments for you, block spam calls, and take messages to be sent via email or text. In a nutshell, they are there to tend to your customers with professionalism, even when you’re closed or busy.
It’s important to note that this is an add-on feature, so it’s not included in any of Phone.com’s standard package offerings. As you can see in the screenshot above, the pricing is based on the number of minutes your Live Receptionist spends on the phone with your clients. The more minutes you require, the more cost-effective it becomes.
We think this is a pretty great offering from Phone.com. Sure, it won’t fit the budget of most of the smaller businesses who may be utilizing their service, but it gives businesses peace of mind knowing that someone can be there to pick up the workload, should they ever need them to.
So, would we recommend Phone.com for your next VoIP phone service provider? Yes.
It’s definitely a great option for entrepreneurs and no-fuss small businesses who want the flexibility and extra features of a VoIP service compared to a traditional landline phone. They’re cost-effective, easy to use, and provide great customer service.
However, if you’re a business owner who is looking for advanced features or extensive requirements, you are better off looking into a provider like RingCentral or Nextiva. If you’re still not sure what you’re after, check out our post on the best VoIP phone systems for your business to help you decide.
