Vonage is a leading VoIP service provider that offers solutions for businesses of all sizes. Its most affordable plan starts at $19.99 per user, although volume discounts are available, and all plans are highly scalable. Vonage stands out for its attractive mobile interface, excellent functionality, and integration with third-party CRMs and other platforms. Live support is somewhat limited, but the self-help resources are excellent.
PROS
- Highly scalable
- Attractive mobile apps
- Excellent CRM integrations
CONS
- No free trial
- Limited live support
Features Available with Vonage Business VoIP
Vonage lacks some minor features in its more affordable plans, but there are many offerings in the Premium and Advanced subscriptions.
Vonage Meetings
All of Vonage’s VoIP plans include access to the Vonage Meetings video conferencing app. It’s a great tool for running team meetings smoothly. If necessary, invitations can be sent to participants, and there are tools for screen sharing and meeting recording.
Integrated Admin Tools
It also includes an advanced management portal, which is especially useful for large companies. This allows you to manage all aspects of the phone system from a centralized platform, simplifying operations. Furthermore, the portal allows you to control access permissions and view account activity in real time.
Business Inbox
Vonage’s Business Inbox is a separate app that costs $9.99 per month, but it’s worth considering. It lets you collect SMS, MMS, and Facebook Messenger conversations into a single inbox for efficient management and response.
Voicemail to Email
The Voicemail to Email tool does exactly what its name suggests: it transcribes any voice message and sends it to a specified email address. The MP3 recording is also sent as an attachment so you can listen to it or save it for later.
Call Recording
Vonage offers excellent call recording options. You can set the app to record all calls or use on-demand recording to save the most important ones. You can also record incoming and outgoing business calls according to certain rules that you can set up.
Vonage Security and Reliability
Vonage claims to implement various security measures to protect its customers’ data. While it doesn’t specify the exact standards it uses, Vonage is certified by various organizations, including HITRUST, ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, and SOC. It is also GDPR compliant.
Vonage Integrations
Vonage offers 20 integrations with various CRM and enterprise applications. Enterprise applications like Microsoft Teams and Surfly are available on all plans. However, to access CRM integrations like Bullhorn, G Suite, HubSpot, Office 365, Salesforce, SugarCRM, Zendesk, Zoho, and more, you’ll need to upgrade to one of two premium plans.
Some of Vonage’s integrations are free, but many require an additional monthly fee. Connecting your applications to Vonage is a simple process that doesn’t require specialized technical knowledge. Many of the integrations are also customizable.
Vonage App
Vonage has a highly functional mobile app for iOS and Android devices. It offers text, voice, and video calling, as well as team messaging, call forwarding, and other tools. It also lets you sync accounts across multiple devices.
The mobile interface is attractive and easy to use. It includes a variety of VoIP tools that are smartly distributed throughout the app, so it never gets confusing or cluttered. Another notable feature is the App Center, which allows you to integrate mobile VoIP with various business and productivity apps.
Vonage Customer Support
Vonage offers support via live chat, phone, and email. You can view email tickets through your admin portal. Phone support is available Monday through Friday (8:00 AM to 12:00 PM EST) and Saturday and Sunday (9:00 AM to 9:00 PM EST). Live chat is only available through a built-in chatbot and is very slow. We once tried to ask a simple question about Vonage’s call recording features. However, we had to give up after not receiving a response for over an hour.
On the positive side, the Business Support Center offers a wealth of self-help resources. There are several articles and guides, including a comprehensive “Getting Started” section and an extensive FAQ. You’ll also find other informative and educational content on the “Resources” page on the main website.
Pricing & Special Offers
Vonage offers three unified communications plans, with prices ranging from $19.99 per month to $39.99 per user. The price per user decreases as you add users, and all plans with more than 100 users have special prices.
The most affordable mobile plan starts at $19.99 per month per user and includes unlimited calling and texting, as well as access to the Vonage App Center. The Premium plan (starting at $29.99 per month) includes CRM integrations and a multi-level auto attendant, while the Advanced subscription (starting at $39.99 per month) includes call recording and visual voicemail.
Phones and other products can be purchased through the Vonage website. Several additional features are available during the purchase process, including toll-free phone numbers ($49.99 per month), voicemail transcription ($4.99 per month), and a call queuing tool ($14.99 per month). You can also purchase premium support services if needed.
Vonage vs RingCentral
RingCentral is another leading VoIP service provider and, like Vonage, offers options for businesses of all sizes. RingCentral is a bit more expensive, but it boasts hundreds of integrations compared to Vonage’s 20, and its 24/7 support is excellent. RingCentral is also very transparent about its security practices, which are among the best we’ve seen.
Vonage vs Ooma Office
Ooma Office is a bit more expensive than Vonage, but it offers many more advanced features. For example, it supports analog phones (with additional hardware) and has an excellent IVR system. Ooma Office also offers a 30-day free trial, which Vonage does not.
Vonage vs Grasshopper
Grasshopper is a very affordable VoIP service provider and is great for small and medium-sized businesses. It offers a convenient free trial and an easy-to-use mobile app, but some features are somewhat limited. For example, Grasshopper does not offer integrations or video conferencing capabilities, two areas where Vonage excels.
Bottom Line
Vonage is a highly rated VoIP service provider, and it’s easy to see why. It’s relatively affordable compared to its competitors, offers a lot of useful features, and boasts a user-friendly interface and mobile app. While some aspects of live support are somewhat limited, it does have a comprehensive help center with helpful guides, tutorials, FAQs, and other resources.
Some of Vonage’s standout features include Business Inbox, the Vonage Meetings video conferencing tool, and a voicemail-to-email conversion tool. While full details about its security practices aren’t available on its website, Vonage is certified by a number of leading organizations and is GDPR compliant.
The downside is that it doesn’t offer a free trial or the ability to test the platform without a paid subscription. But if you’re looking for a scalable VoIP solution or a reliable phone company, Vonage is definitely worth considering.
