Cloud Phone System

Best Phone Software Guide

Did you know the market size of cloud phones is expected to grow at a 12% CAGR between 2020 and 2025?

Owing to its countless benefits, more businesses are now looking for the best cloud phone systems.

Now, while you’re preparing to transition from an on-prem PBX phone to the best cloud phone system, it’s important to choose a reliable vendor that truly maps to your unique needs when choosing the best online phone systems for small businesses.

This guide will cover the basics of cloud-based phone systems for small business owners and list down the top names you can consider signing up for. Let’s start!

What Is A Cloud Phone System?

Cloud phone systems are business communication solutions that let contact centers make and receive calls over the internet. 

Since the phone calls are managed in the cloud, your resources are freed up from expensive hardware or telecommunication equipment. Goodbye to traditional private branch exchange (PBX) or copper telephone cables.

With cloud phones, you can have business conversations with your customers over any Internet-connected device, including smartphones and desktops. 

How Does A Cloud Phone System Work?

Cloud telephony providers use internet protocol (IP) to break down customer-facing calls (analog audio signals) into tiny data packets in real-time and send them to the call’s destination. This process is called packetization.

The call then gets passed on to a voice-over-internet protocol (VoIP) network, which routes the packets through the internet to reach their destination.

The packets are then reassembled into an analog audio signal at the receiving end before being routed back to a telephone terminal for playback on a recipient’s end.

Most cloud providers have servers located in multiple countries, so your calls can be routed to the closest server, thus reducing latency and improving quality.

The Best Cloud-Based Phone Systems for Businesses

Below are some of the best cloud-based phone systems for businesses. 

Why Go For A Cloud Phone System?

If legacy hardwired business phones are still in your communication armory, it is high time to realize what the best cloud business phone system can do. 

Let’s look into how startups to industry heavyweights are turbocharging their current business communication infrastructure with the best cloud phone system.

Bring Down Costs

With cloud-based phone systems, you do not need to loosen your purse strings much for pesky hardware installations and telephone cables. 

All you need is your PC, mobile, or any internet-ready device where you can deploy your corporate communication framework using APIs.

Besides, the best cloud-based business phone system providers will charge you on a “pay as you need” basis. You pay only for the bandwidth and space your contact center needs. 

The best part, you can add user licenses and high-end features at minimal to zero cost whenever necessary.

Minimal Downtime

Human error, digital intrusion, natural disaster – despite these unwelcomed events, your call center will still be in action if your customer-facing interactions occur via the cloud. 

Providers host cloud phones through data networks that bank on multiple servers across geographies and use redundancy. 

If one server crashes, another will pick it up, and your everyday operations will go on normally.

No More Maintenance-related Headaches

With conventional PBX, the entire infrastructure is physical. Telephone lines are needed for every handset. Worse, you need to ring up a telecom expert to perform upgrades and maintenance regularly, which could be quite expensive. 

With the cloud phone system for small businesses, the vendor handles network routing and system updates and adjusts VoIP codecs remotely. 

And as you need to manage your VoIP-enabled devices, you can finally say goodbye to the costly technicians’ visits.

Smooth Integration with Go-to Business Communication Tools

The best cloud phone systems for small businesses integrate with productivity apps that your call center already uses. You can, for instance, easily monitor every call with a CRM platform like Salesforce or HubSpot. 

Such integrations simplify finding communications data, which should matter to you and your customers. 

Today, customers use six touchpoints on average to communicate with a brand. A customer journey can take off or end at any touchpoint, channel, or device. Offering consistent communication experience across channels is challenging – if not impossible – to achieve with traditional PBX, but cloud phones can make it a reality.

Go Borderless

Which business does not need constant communication today? 

As cloud-based phone systems run on the internet, your customer-support and revenue-generating teams can serve customers while on the road. 

As such, these virtual phone systems easily fit into the in-vogue “work from anywhere” trend.

What Features To Look Out For?

So far, inbound and outbound calls enjoy the top spot among contact centers’ priorities when using cloud phones. 

Fortunately, the capabilities of these virtual phone systems now stretch far beyond just processing audio conversations. Following are some can’t-miss features you should care most about while on your quest for the best cloud phone system:

IVR

Interactive voice response (IVR) uses a step-wise guide of pre-decided messages to connect customers to the right agent or department based on their inputs. Customers can enter their responses by speaking or using a touch-tone keypad. 

IVR offers total freedom and at-scale self-service to customers and ensures faster resolution of customer queries.

Call Recording

Call recordings help you draw crucial insights from the length of pauses or voice tone – things you can miss by just reading a call transcript. 

So, with this feature, never worry about missing out on any vital intel from interactions with customers or prospects. 

Stay up to speed with your customers and their needs.

Call Analytics

Call analytics uses artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor customer-facing calls and tease out essential insights. 

The intelligence gathered includes customer needs, conversation quality, and, conversation quality, and agents’ performance. 

Call analytics helps improve customer engagement and create better sales and marketing opportunities when used well. 

Also, you can leverage this data to spot top performers and those who need more coaching.

Call Forwarding

Call forwarding lets you divert inbound calls to a different phone number or Internet-ready device so that you never miss a call. 

This flexibility means your call center staff can always attend business calls irrespective of their current location.

Number Porting

The best cloud-based business phone system providers allow you to keep your existing contact number when switching to a new solution. 

This feature especially benefits call centers serving many customers who are used to dial a specific number. Moreover, it helps sustain service continuity as your team will not miss calls during the transition.

Call Screening

Cloud phones without the call screening feature are non-negotiable. Know who is calling your contact center beforehand to prep up better. 

Decide whether to escalate or send any incoming call to voicemail. And more importantly, avoid wasting productive time taking spam or unwanted calls.

Voicemail to Email

This feature forwards voicemails straight to your email folder as audio files. You can check your voicemails from any internet-enabled device via email – without having to call your voicemail service.

Call Routing

Line up incoming calls and forward them to the right agent based on pre-determined rules with call routing

This feature assesses aspects like time of day, customer’s language preference, and agent availability before dispersing inbound calls. For instance, you can have the first available or the most qualified agent take up the call.

Recommended Read: 19 Important VoIP Phone Features Every Business Needs

Which Is The Best Cloud Phone System?

Below are some of the best cloud telephony systems you must try for better efficiency. 

JustCall

JustCall - Best Cloud Phone System

JustCall is a popular cloud phone system and one of the best virtual phone systems, trusted by 6,000+ businesses worldwide. Its offerings fuse outbound, inbound, and omnichannel call flow.

Why Choose JustCall?

JustCall offers an SMS feature that lets your team send automated messages to customers and prospects. In addition, it has several advanced features and AI capabilities, including its flagship Sales Dialer conversation intelligence. Check out its complete list of features of this best cloud phone service for small businesses.

JustCall can natively integrate with 100+ CRMs, help desk software, and business tools. This includes integration with HubSpot, Salesforce, Slack, Zoho, Intercom, Pipedrive, and more.

As the best cloud-based phone system for thousands of users, it perfectly balances user-friendly and feature-laden. Getting started is extremely simple and takes only a few minutes. Ongoing administration is easy as well. 

Pricing 

With JustCall’s remote-first features and design, it is the best cloud-based phone system for small businesses you can rely on to flourish.

The Essentials plan costs $19 per user/month billed annually; the Team plan is priced at $29 and the Pro plan is priced at $49 per user/month. Check out the pricing here.

We also offer new JustCall iQ pricing plans with AI capabilities.

justcall-ai-product-pricing 

Key Features 

  • Web, browser, and mobile (Android and iOS) apps
  • Custom contact properties, internal threads, and contact notes
  • Voicemail transcriptions
  • Call recording
  • Affordable international rates

RingCentral

RingCentral Overview
Source: RingCentral

RingCentral’s cloud phone solution is laden with all the communication and collaboration features you would expect, like call logs, call analytics, hold music, and virtual receptionists. 

Why Choose RingCentral?

With RingCentral, you can integrate your business phone with Salesforce, Dropbox, and Google Workspace CRM platforms. Plus, this software offers unlimited calls within Canada and the US and includes voicemail-to-email, call reports, and HD voice.

Pricing

RingCentral’s cloud phone system comes in four plans, with the basic Essentials package costing $19.99/month/user. The prices fluctuate based on the number of users and features your contact center requires. 

Key Features

  • Unlimited calling and call forwarding
  • Caller ID, call waiting, texts, and online faxing
  • Automatic call recording and video conferencing with screen sharing
  • Voicemail greetings and G Suite and Office 365 integrations.

Check out RingCentral features here. Learn about their pricing here.

Aircall

Aircall offers a comprehensive communication center for handling calls, video, and messaging in the same place.

Aircall
Source: Aircall

Why Choose AirCall?

It boasts integrations with well-known helpdesk and productivity tools like Slack, Zendesk, Copper, and HubSpot. Also, Aircall supplies APIs and webhooks. Furthermore, all Aircall packages come with IVR, call recording, help center access, and live onboarding sessions.

Pricing

Aircall’s cloud phone systems come at three price levels that require at least three users. The two transparent plans will cost you $30 and $50 per month per user, which renews every year. You can also tailor your plan to your business needs. 

Key Features

  • Virtual receptionist, extension dialing, and a mobile app
  • Dropbox, Microsoft Office 365, Salesforce, and other services
  • Toll-free calling plans
  • Easy to transfer calls and enable team collaboration 

Check out Aircall features here. Learn about their pricing here.

Dialpad

Dialpad
Source: Dialpad

Dialpad’s cloud telephony solutions are layered with voice intelligence functionality, which studies your customer-facing conversations.

Why Choose Dialpad?

Post customer calls, the virtual phone system offers transcripts fed into CRM platforms like Okta, Azure, Front, and Zendesk are some of the primary reasons you must use Dialpad. 

Some of Dialpad’s popular features include web conferencing, CSAT survey, post-call automation, data backup, and call routing.

Pricing

Dialpad offers three pricing plans: Standard, Pro, and Enterprise. Standard starts at $15 per user per month, while it’s $25 for the Pro plan.

Key Features

  • AI-driven cloud-based phone system
  • Valuable integrations, such as Zapier and Slack
  • Messaging and voicemail functionality
  • Unlimited domestic calling and voicemail transcriptions

Check out Dialpad features here. Learn about their pricing here.

8×8

8×8
Source: 8×8

8×8 provides a highly flexible and scalable approach to forward-looking communications. You can build the tech suite you need, accessing everything from collaboration and communication tools to contact center support, holistic analytics, and more. 

Why choose 8×8?

8×8 is a cloud-based phone system that offers skills-based routing, contact center analytics, and post-call surveys. You can 8×8 with popular CRM platforms like Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, and 1CRM.

Pricing

A monthly subscription is $15 per user (Express plan) and boasts features like call routing, auto-attendant, and voicemail. 

Moreover, 8×8 cloud phone service is available in six X-series plans, ranging from $24/user/month to $140/user/month.  

Key Features

  • One-on-one or group discussions with your contacts using the audio, text, or video features
  • High-definition calls and HD video conferences
  • Unlimited calls in 14 countries
  • Availability of mobile applications for both iOS and Android smartphones

Check out 8×8 features here. Learn about their pricing here.

Grasshopper

Grasshopper-Official-Website
Source: Grasshopper

Unlike other cloud phone services, Grasshopper does not provide a truly unified communications (UC) system. Instead, it focuses more on optimizing call flow management. Its simple interface makes it a popular name in the market.

Why Choose Grasshopper?

A dedicated business phone number masks your regular contact number to give your call center a more professional touch. Along with that basic functionality, Grasshopper also offers to call features like business texting, call transfers, and voicemail transcription

Pricing

Its cloud phone comes in three price buckets – Solo, Partner, and Small Business. Signing up for the Small Business plan can help you enjoy unlimited extensions across five phone numbers.

Key Features

  • Seamless business conversations and conferences
  • Numerous options to connect with GSuite, Salesforce, Outlook, Office 365, Zendesk, and many other apps
  • Call forwarding, call routing, caller ID, text messaging, voicemail to email

Check out Grasshopper features here. Learn about their pricing here.

Nextiva

 Nextiva Overview
Source: Nextiva

Nextiva’s cloud calling solutions is an excellent pick for call centers looking to bring their phone setups and CRM services to a single platform.

Why choose Nextiva?

Alongside offering integrations with top CRM software, Nextiva has developed its own in-built CRM solution. 

That said, its basic package only connects to Google Contacts and Outlook. You will have to pick a higher-tier plan to unlock more integrations, including Zendesk, Salesforce, and the proprietary software.

The web-based dashboard lets you track calls in real time. That way, you can always have ample agent availability and avoid missing customer calls.

Pricing

Nextiva’s basic Essential plan costs $17.95/month/user for annual billing and $31.95 if you choose the Enterprise plan.

Key Features

  • Multiple third-party app integrations, including Salesforce
  • Call forwarding, conference calling, text messages, voicemail to text
  • Free calls in the continental part of the US
  • You can tailor plans, selecting additionally paid features 

Check out Nextiva’s features here. Learn about their pricing here.

Level Up Your Business Communication with the Best Cloud Phone System

There are many cloud phone providers, and it could be a big hassle to compare various offerings and settle on one. 

But given how path-defining the right phone system provider can be for your business success, the effort of research is very well worth pursuing.

So, take your time, consider all the various factors, and signup for the best cloud phone system right for you. With the new-age capabilities of a modern phone system, level up your sales and customer service to 10x your revenue.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is cloud telephony & how does it work?

Cloud telephony solutions are essentially communication software that empowers contact centers to connect with prospects and existing customers via the internet – the cloud. You can attend customer calls from any Internet-enabled device like tablets, PCs, smartphones, and even conventional office landlines.

When your customer-facing reps dial the phone number they want to call, your cloud phone service provider converts analog audio signals into data packets and sends them via the internet to the recipient. The best cloud-based phone system for small businesses ensures superior voice quality and low latency.

Should you get a cloud-based phone system?

If your business deals with dozens or hundreds of customer calls and you wish to offer a smoother experience to your customers and your team, a cloud phone can help you achieve so. The best cloud phone system will streamline your communication system and help scale your operations while letting you and your reps work from anywhere.

Are cloud phones VoIP?

There’s little difference between the terms’ business VoIP’ and ‘cloud phone system.’ They’re used interchangeably by most people in the industry because they describe the same thing: a phone system that uses VoIP technology to connect your office phones to your internet connection.

What is the best cloud phone?

Different businesses have their own unique needs and requirements. So, based on what they want, the definition of the “best cloud phone system” may vary for them. A simpler way to go about here is to list what type of phone system you’re looking for, what features you want, and what your biggest priority is.

Are you looking for the cheapest cloud phone system? Or are you fine paying more for advanced features? Once you know what you want, check out some of the top cloud phone providers and see if they map to your needs and budget. Pick one that checks most of your boxes.

With a foundational role at Saas Labs, Anand has been a key player in establishing the Product Management function and spearheading the launch of our Conversation Intelligence solution. His expertise in AI innovation guides both the strategic direction of the products and a team committed to excellence.

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