Best Mobile VoIP Providers for Business 2021

Tired of being chained to your desk phone? Want a business phone system that’s as mobile as you are? That’s one of the things VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone service does best.

Whether everyone on your team will be using their own mobile devices or using company-issued cell phones, mobile VoIP service will let everyone take calls from home, the office, or just about anywhere else.

But which mobile VoIP provider offers the most value for your business? That’s exactly what we’re here to help you decide. We’ll tell you about the best VoIP providers, what makes them unique, and why you might choose them.

Grasshopper is the best mobile VoIP provider for most businesses.

In part, that’s because Grasshopper has a very well-reviewed app for both iOS and Android. It gets great user scores for both. So while some other VoIP providers get complaints that the mobile apps feel like an afterthought (compared to the desktop app or desk phone system), businesses love how Grasshopper works on mobile phones.

But Grasshopper doesn’t just have a standout app. It also has lots of flexibility that makes it perfect for mobile users. Grasshopper lets you customize call handling rules for each extension (not just each phone number). Each extension can choose its own schedule, specify how long a call should ring for, and even decide if they want calls to connect immediately upon answering or have callers announced first.

That means that, for example, most of your team can send calls to voicemail after 6:00 p.m., while your on-call support person can keep fielding customer calls.

Now, while we love Grasshopper, we do need to point out a potential downside. First, some businesses might not like its pricing model. Rather than charge by user or by extension, Grasshopper has plans that each come with a set number of phone numbers and extensions. You can choose to add more extensions for a fee, but that still makes Grasshopper’s pricing more complicated than other providers.

If you don’t mind the unusual pricing, though, you’ll find a lot to like about Grasshopper. It includes the same features on all its plans, so you don’t have to pay more to get essential features. And all plans come with unlimited calling to the US and Canada.

So between the great apps, the added flexibility, and the generally solid plans, we think Grasshopper ought to be your first stop for mobile VoIP service.

RingCentral consistently ranks as one of our favorite VoIP providers. One reason why? All its integrations.

You probably have tons of apps on your mobile device, ranging from the essential to the, well, not-so-essential (not that we’re judging). There’s a good chance RingCentral integrates with a lot of those essential apps. In fact, RingCentral has over 200 integrations, so you can spend less time flipping between apps and more time staying connected.

For example, if your team uses Slack, you can get an integration that allows you to start RingCentral phone and video calls right from the Slack app. If you use project management software, like Trello or Jira, you can get project updates through RingCentral messaging. Likewise, RingCentral works with most Microsoft and Google products (among many, many others). 

In other words, if you’re all about synergy―especially between your apps―then you’ll love RingCentral VoIP phone service and all its integrations.

While most mobile VoIP services can help work-from-home companies, Ooma has a few extra features that make it one of the best options for them.

For starters, Ooma offers unlimited calling through North America. So it doesn’t matter whether your team is all in one state, scattered across the US, or vacationing in Mexico―you’ve got all the calling time you need. And of course, Ooma has all the usual VoIP features that make remote work easier (such as ring groups, simultaneous ring, and extension-to-extension calling).

As an added bonus, Ooma offers a free conference bridge (a direct number people can call to join in on a conference call) for all your users. That means your employees can easily gather (virtually) together in small groups whenever they need to, just like they would in the office. No scheduling virtual rooms required―just effortless collaboration for your WFH team via their mobile phones.   

Put simply, Ooma’s mobile VoIP service has what it takes to make your cell phone a powerful tool for working from home.

Nextiva makes a great mobile VoIP option for midsize businesses, thanks to its pricing and conferencing features.

Let’s talk pricing first. Some VoIP providers (including RingCentral) offer discounts for larger groups. Nextiva does this, but it stands out for allowing very large groups to use even its most basic plan. (RingCentral limits its base plan to 20 users.) So your larger team can get a great discount on an already affordable mobile VoIP plan.

With a higher-tier plan, though, you’ll still get great discounts―and you’ll get that great conferencing we mentioned. The Professional plan comes with unlimited video and audio conferencing for a limited number of participants. With the Enterprise plan, the participant limit disappears. That’s some of the best conferencing we’ve found for VoIP.

That means that Nextiva has what it takes to meet your midsize business’s budget needs―and what it takes to keep everyone in your organization connected. 

Budget-conscious businesses should take a look at 8x8’s affordable yet feature-rich Express plan.

You won’t find a much better deal for business mobile VoIP than 8x8. (Some cheaper VoIP companies don’t even offer mobile apps, and those that do get terrible app reviews.) 8x8 gives you mobile VoIP for just over $10 per user. And you don’t need a certain number of users to get that price or anything―whether you have 1 user or 50, you get the same affordable plan price.

Even better, 8x8’s cheap plan doesn’t cut corners. It gives you unlimited voice and video calling in the US and Canada, auto-attendant, smart call routing, and a decently reviewed app. In other words, you get your money’s worth and then some. (Oh, and you can get a free one-month trial to make sure 8x8 meets your needs.)

With a great combination of price and features, 8x8 offers the best VoIP service for businesses looking to save big.

Google Voice offers free mobile VoIP (and great apps, according to reviewers), but there’s a catch: Its free plan is technically a personal plan, which means it’s one number for one user. It’s pretty bare-bones, feature-wise too (outside of the unlimited calling). For anything more, you’ll have to upgrade to one of Google Voice’s (not free) Business plans.

That means that if you’re running a one-person show, Google Voice’s free plan might be all the mobile VoIP you need. But for teams or anyone who wants advanced features, we suggest looking elsewhere.

Some VoIP providers are great for smaller businesses but not so good for larger ones (or vice versa). Vonage, though, has what it takes to give your business great VoIP at any size. It has solid integrations, great customer support, and the ability to support one VoIP line or thousands.

So if you’re using mobile VoIP now for your smaller business but have plans to grow into a more robust VoIP service, Vonage might be right for you.

Do you already use Verizon business internet? Then you might want to stick with Verizon for your mobile VoIP needs too. Verizon offers bundles and perks when you bundle internet and VoIP. You can get discounted VoIP lines, Visa gift cards, and discounts on internet protocol phones (not that you’ll need one if you already have a cell phone).

For non-Verizon customers, Verizon VoIP doesn’t have super competitive pricing or features. But if you’re already in the Verizon ecosystem and you’re generally happy with its service, you might as well get some savings by bundling your products.

Quite a few VoIP providers have 24/7 customer service, but FusionConnect goes a bit above and beyond. Aside from 24/7 support for all customers (over the phone or its website), FusionConnect offers free training on its systems for new customers, helpful instructional videos, and comprehensive written guides.

Of course, not every business needs that kind of support. But if you’re one of the ones that does, then you’ll love getting mobile VoIP from such a helpful, accessible service provider.

Most VoIP providers expect all your users to use the same VoIP plan. So whether you choose a basic plan or a deluxe plan, everyone gets the same features. Not so with Mitel. It offers the ability to mix and match plans, so you can have some users on the cheaper Essentials plan, more on the mid-tier Premier plan, and maybe a couple on the high-tier Elite plan (or whatever mix makes sense for your business).

That way, you’re not paying for features some users will never need to use. Instead, you can mix things up in order to save money. Sure, it requires more planning―but for some businesses, that upfront time investment will be worth the savings.

Most cell phones don’t use VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol by default―but plenty of them can. Pretty much any phone that runs on iOS (Apple iPhones) or Android can use VoIP via an app.

A mobile VoIP app is any app that enables your phone to make and receive calls via Voice over Internet Protocol. These VoIP applications get published by different VoIP providers, like Grasshopper and RingCentral.

Keep in mind you can’t simply install any old VoIP app and start calling right away. In most cases, you’ll need to sign up for a (paid) plan first.

Without knowing the exact cell phone you have, we can’t guarantee that you can use VoIP on it―but if it’s a smartphone, you probably can. 

As we said above, tons of VoIP providers have apps for both Android and iOS phones. So if your phone runs on either of those systems (as most smartphones do), you shouldn’t have a problem. 

Keep in mind, though, that VoIP relies on having a reliable internet connection. If your phone doesn’t regularly have internet access (through wi-fi or your data plan), then your VoIP app won’t do you much good.

If your team ever travels, takes telephone calls on the go, or works from home, then mobile VoIP is probably a great option for your business. 

Mobile VoIP offers all the flexibility of normal cell phone calls, but with added perks that businesses will love (like call groups that ring multiple people at once or an auto attendant that directs customer calls). Plus, your team won’t have to worry about handing out their personal numbers.

That said, you may want to use mobile VoIP in combination with another type of phone system―like VoIP through internet-connected desk phones. That way, you can get all the perks of mobile VoIP, plus the perks of a more traditional phone system.

A VoIP phone system already lets you save money with cheap calls, but mobile VoIP software lets you take those savings anywhere you and your business operate. As long as your mobile phone has an internet connection, you’ll be able to stay plugged in and connected to your business phone system.

For most businesses, Grasshopper offers the best solution for mobile VoIP calls. It has great apps and flexible calling features. That said, we’ve given you plenty more providers we like, so you can choose the one that works for your business’s calling needs.

Not sure mobile calling should be your VoIP priority? Check out our favorite general VoIP providers on our list of the best business VoIP providers.

Disclaimer

At Business.org, our research is meant to offer general product and service recommendations. We don't guarantee that our suggestions will work best for each individual or business, so consider your unique needs when choosing products and services.