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Best Google Voice Alternatives Of 2025

Audited & Verified: Jan 17, 2025, 4:31am

Tyler WebbStaff Writer

With three years spent researching, comparing, and testing software products, Tyler Webb is an expert on all things telecommunications. With work featured on GetVoIP.com, he's written over 150 articles on topics including VoIP, contact centers, unifi...

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Written By

Tyler Webb

Tyler WebbStaff Writer

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Staff Writer

Reviewed by

Lauren HolznienkemperStaff Editor

Lauren (Hansen) Holznienkemper is a lead editor for the small business vertical at Forbes Advisor, specializing in HR, payroll and recruiting solutions for small businesses. Using research and writing skills from her academic background, Lauren prior...

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Reviewed

Lauren Holznienkemper

Reviewed by

Lauren HolznienkemperStaff Editor

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Staff Editor

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Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.

Google Voice is one of the most cost-effective cloud phone systems, with unlimited calling and a user-friendly interface. However, Google Voice lacks many advanced customer service and team collaboration features compared to its competitors. Plus, its most affordable plan has a 10-user limit, and users may find Google Voice’s analytics overly complex.

Thankfully, several alternative VoIP platforms fill these gaps. RingCentral offers feature-rich team collaboration software and a phone system, while Dialpad offers advanced AI tools. Nextiva excels at multichannel communication, and Grasshopper is a good budget option. In this article, we’ll break down the top Google Voice alternatives of 2025.

Table of Contents

Our Top Picks

RingCentral
Dialpad
Nextiva
Grasshopper

Table of Contents

Compare the Best Google Voice Alternatives
What To Look For in a Google Voice Alternative

Best Of

Featured Partners

Zoom

$10 per user per month, $15 unlimited calling

U.S. and Canada

Unlimited in the U.S. and Canada

Zoom

On Zoom’s Website

Intermedia Unite

$27.99 per user

Voice, SMS, Team chat, Video meetings

33 countries, including the U.S., Canada, U.K., Hong Kong, Italy and India

Intermedia Unite

On Intermedia’s Website

Vonage

$19.95 per user, per month

Yes

Vonage

On Vonage’s Website

Compare the Best Google Voice Alternatives

Google Voice

4.9

Learn More

Read Forbes' Review

Superlative

Most Cost-Effective

Starting Monthly Price

$10 per user

Pros

Low starting cost, user-friendly, unlimited SMS, good option for European users

Cons

Lack of advanced features, high-tier plans get pricey, difficult to use the analytics system

Expert Take

A simple, cost-effective phone system for unlimited calling and SMS with basic features

RingCentral

4.8

Learn More

Read Forbes' Review

Superlative

Best for Unified Communications

Starting Monthly Price

$30 per user

Pros

Team collaboration channels, call routing features, call monitoring

Cons

Costlier than Google Voice, feature abundance may be unnecessary for teams seeking just voice

Expert Take

A great option for team collaboration at a decent price

Dialpad

4.8

Learn More

On Dialpad's Website

Superlative

Best AI Features

Starting Monthly Price

$27 per user

Pros

Call transcription and real-time analytics on all plans, modern interface

Cons

Costlier than Google Voice, features may be overwhelming, SMS limitations

Expert Take

Feature-rich unified communications software with AI VoIP capabilities such as analytics and AI call transcripts

Nextiva

4.6

Learn More

Read Forbes' Review

Superlative

Best for Multichannel Customer Service

Starting Monthly Price

$25 per user

Pros

Unique customer service channels, excellent social media integrations

Cons

Expensive for VoIP service, steep learning curve for all the communication channels

Expert Take

A multichannel customer service platform that feels like a contact center

Grasshopper

4.4

Learn More

On Grasshopper's Website

Superlative

Best Option for Shared Phone Numbers

Starting Monthly Price

$18 per account

Pros

Low cost, user-friendly dashboard, unlimited voice and SMS

Cons

Extremely limited features, outdated interface, limited number of phone numbers per account

Expert Take

A simple VoIP phone system with unlimited calling and SMS in the U.S., enabling you to share numbers among multiple users

Company	Forbes Advisor Rating	Superlative	Starting Monthly Price	Pros	Cons	Expert Take	Learn More
Google Voice	4.9	Most Cost-Effective	$10 per user	Low starting cost, user-friendly, unlimited SMS, good option for European users	Lack of advanced features, high-tier plans get pricey, difficult to use the analytics system	A simple, cost-effective phone system for unlimited calling and SMS with basic features	Learn More Read Forbes' Review
RingCentral	4.8	Best for Unified Communications	$30 per user	Team collaboration channels, call routing features, call monitoring	Costlier than Google Voice, feature abundance may be unnecessary for teams seeking just voice	A great option for team collaboration at a decent price	Learn More Read Forbes' Review
Dialpad	4.8	Best AI Features	$27 per user	Call transcription and real-time analytics on all plans, modern interface	Costlier than Google Voice, features may be overwhelming, SMS limitations	Feature-rich unified communications software with AI VoIP capabilities such as analytics and AI call transcripts	Learn More On Dialpad's Website
Nextiva	4.6	Best for Multichannel Customer Service	$25 per user	Unique customer service channels, excellent social media integrations	Expensive for VoIP service, steep learning curve for all the communication channels	A multichannel customer service platform that feels like a contact center	Learn More Read Forbes' Review
Grasshopper	4.4	Best Option for Shared Phone Numbers	$18 per account	Low cost, user-friendly dashboard, unlimited voice and SMS	Extremely limited features, outdated interface, limited number of phone numbers per account	A simple VoIP phone system with unlimited calling and SMS in the U.S., enabling you to share numbers among multiple users	Learn More On Grasshopper's Website

Best for Unified Communications

RingCentral

Starting Cost

$30 monthly per user

Communication Channels

Voice, SMS, team chat, video conferencing

Monthly SMS Limitations

25 to 200 per user, depending on the plan

Read Forbes' Review

$30 monthly per user

Voice, SMS, team chat, video conferencing

25 to 200 per user, depending on the plan

Expert Take

While Google Voice focuses exclusively on VoIP service, RingCentral is more of a unified communications (UCaaS) software. Google’s team chat feature feels too removed from its calling functionality, making it a poor team collaboration option. RingCentral, on the other hand, integrates video, team chat and voice seamlessly into one dashboard on desktop or mobile. RingCentral’s team chat also offers a wider range of features such as built-in file sharing and task assignment options.

RingCentral also offers a more complex and feature-rich phone system than Google Voice. Google Voice’s Starter plan has no advanced features, while the Standard plan adds ring groups and IVR menus. By comparison, RingCentral includes these features on all plans and adds more: real-time business analytics, call monitoring and hundreds of native software integrations.

If cost is your main objective and you only need basic routing features, go with Google Voice. But if you want to integrate with a CRM system, communicate internally and customize a more robust phone system, go with RingCentral.

Learn more: Read our full RingCentral review and our best RingCentral alternatives list.

Google Voice SMS vs. RingCentral messaging
Google Voice (left) only offers SMS and calling, while RingCentral (right) enables internal team messaging.

Best AI Features

Dialpad

Starting Cost

$27 monthly per user

Communication Channels

Voice, SMS, team chat, video conferencing

Monthly SMS Limitations

250 per user

On Dialpad's Website

$27 monthly per user

Voice, SMS, team chat, video conferencing

250 per user

Expert Take

Dialpad’s VoIP phone system has more advanced AI capabilities and user-friendly analytics than Google Voice. Each Dialpad plan includes live call transcription, providing agents and supervisors with a record of all calls. While using Google Voice, I felt that its BigQuery analytics were way too complex, since they require coding to set up. On the other hand, Dialpad’s analytics dashboards are premade, customizable and visually appealing, with various graphs, charts and other visual display styles to customize and drill down into the data you want to see.

Dialpad’s main downside compared to Google Voice is that it costs a lot more. Dialpad’s cheapest plan costs almost three times as much as Google’s, making Google a better option for those seeking simplicity at a low cost. Further, Google enables unlimited SMS in the U.S., while Dialpad limits users to 250 monthly texts. If you plan to text your customers, Google is a better choice. Dialpad is a better option if you want more detailed customer insights and call records and don’t mind paying extra.

Learn more: Read our full Dialpad review.

Google Voice voicemail vs. Dialpad AI
Google Voice (left) offers voicemail transcription, but Dialpad (right) transcribes call audio live, with AI-based post-call summaries.

Best for Multichannel Customer Service

Nextiva

Starting Cost

$25 monthly per user

Communication Channels

Voice, SMS, team chat, video, live chat and chatbots, social media, review sites, email

Monthly SMS Limitations

0 to unlimited per user, depending on the plan

Read Forbes' Review

$25 monthly per user

Voice, SMS, team chat, video, live chat and chatbots, social media, review sites, email

0 to unlimited per user, depending on the plan

Expert Take

While Google Voice only includes calling and SMS, Nextiva offers an impressive selection of customer service channels: live chat, automated chatbots, social media, email and review sites. You can embed a live chat widget directly into your website or mobile app and answer emails from the same inbox where you handle calls. You can post to and interact with customers on social media sites such as X (Twitter) and Instagram and comment on reviews that customers leave for your company.

Most business phone systems, including Google Voice, don’t include any of these channels—and most contact center software charges almost double Nextiva’s rates. If you want to integrate live chat and social media into your unified customer service strategy, Nextiva boasts incredible value. However, while Nextiva’s plans start at $25 monthly per user, they only include voice on plans costing $36 and up. If cost is your main objective and you don’t need extra channels, you’re better off with Google Voice.

Learn more: Read our full Nextiva review.

Google Voice SMS vs. Nextiva live chat
Google Voice (left) supports SMS texting, while Nextiva (right) lets you embed live chat into your website.

Best Option for Shared Phone Numbers

Grasshopper

Starting Cost

$18 monthly per user

Communication Channels

Voice, SMS

Monthly SMS Limitations

Unlimited in the U.S.

On Grasshopper's Website

$18 monthly per user

Voice, SMS

Unlimited in the U.S.

Expert Take

Grasshopper and Google Voice are two of the simplest VoIP phone systems available regarding features and communication channels. Both platforms offer unlimited calling and SMS in the U.S. without team chat. However, Google Voice’s interface feels much more modern, while Grasshopper’s feels outdated and visually unappealing. Further, Google Voice includes ring groups and IVR menus for call routing, while Grasshopper has no call routing tools. If you want to set up different departments and offer your callers an automated menu, go with Google.

Google’s Starter plan is cheaper than Grasshopper’s low-tier True Solo plan. However, Grasshopper’s pricing is unique because it charges per account, not per user, and lets you use extensions to share phone numbers between multiple users. If your company has basic calling and texting needs and doesn’t mind sharing phone numbers between multiple users, Grasshopper could offer a lower per-user cost than Google.

Learn more: Read our full Grasshopper review.

Google Voice interface vs. Grasshopper interface
Both Google Voice (left) and Grasshopper (right) offer spacious phone-system dashboards.

What To Look For in a Google Voice Alternative

When choosing a Google Voice alternative, look for a platform that offers the features and channels you plan to use—with a minimum of “extras” that you won’t. Make sure your chosen software supports unlimited calling, and if you plan to text customers frequently, choose a plan with unlimited SMS.

Here’s what to look for when choosing a Google Voice alternative.

Channel offerings: Choose a provider and plan that offer only the channels you plan to use. You may want voice only with a provider such as Grasshopper, or you may want to offer multichannel customer service through live chat, email and social media.
Call routing features: Google Voice offers ring groups and call queues, which are important capabilities to handle inbound calls. If you want even stronger call routing features, look for a provider with call queueing or advanced call distribution rules.
Low cost: Google Voice’s pricing already includes a low cost Starter plan. If you want a more feature-rich alternative, however, look for one under $25 monthly per user. Zoom Phone, OpenPhone and Grasshopper are cost-effective options.
User-friendly dashboard and interface: Before making your final choice, see if you can access a free trial or YouTube tutorial for the platform you plan to use. This way, you can test the app dashboard and ensure it feels comfortable for your users.
Real-time analytics: One of Google Voice’s major shortcomings is that its BigQuery analytics is difficult to use and only comes with the $30 plan. When choosing an alternative, look for one that includes real-time analytics such as Dialpad or RingCentral.

If you’re questioning whether Google Voice is the right choice for your small business, there are plenty of Google Voice alternatives available. It all depends on which gap in its service offerings that you want or need to fill to better suit your business communication needs.

Next Up In VoIP

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Tyler Webb

Staff Writer

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