One of the first major voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) brands, Vonage remains a well-known cloud communication service provider. The company, which became a subsidiary of Ericsson in 2021, offers an array of virtual contact tools to businesses, including unified communication (UC) and contact center solutions. Vonage has reliable service with plans that fit most businesses.
In this review, we will take an in-depth look into Vonage’s service plans, features, and potential customers for whom the brand represents the best fit. All rates and fees are current as of June 7, 2024, and are subject to change.
Vonage
| Price: | Starts at $19.99 per month, per line |
| Features: | Unlimited domestic calls, business texting, voicemail, and phone number porting |
| Best add-ons: | Artificial intelligence (AI) virtual assistant, business call recording… |
| Noteworthy integrations: | Salesforce, Zendesk, Microsoft Teams, and ServiceNow |
Pros
- Unlimited domestic calling from standard plan up
- Dozens of unified communication and contact center features
- Scalable pricing plans that suit most business budgets
Cons
- Upgrade required for video conferencing access
- Possible issues during signup or with cancellation
- Customer support could be better
Although Vonage mentions small businesses, we think that midsize to enterprise-level companies are best positioned to take advantage of what Vonage has to offer. In terms of per-user pricing, the plans may be too expensive for very small teams while being very affordable for a larger team with a more generous budget. It has great offerings for companies interested in incorporating AI into their contact center tools and customer experience.
Who shouldn’t use Vonage?In our reviewer’s experience and research into Vonage, they have found that the company might not be willing to meet customers of a certain size halfway, especially startups or very small companies. If you are very new to VoIP or need reliable access to sales and customer support, it is very possible you won’t get timely support. We also feel that while reliable, there are other VoIP providers with plans that provide better value for money.
Vonage service plan overview
Vonage provides three business VoIP plans that cover a wide range of cloud communication needs. Whether you simply need a virtual phone service or a more robust series of collaboration options for your team members, there should be a plan that fits within your preferred budget. We break down Vonage’s service plans in the table below.
| Plans | Free trial or plan available? | Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile | No free trial | Unlimited domestic calling Business short message service (SMS) and multimedia messaging service (MMS) Vonage Business Communications (VBC) app for desktop and mobile with admin portal Voicemail Virtual receptionist |
$19.99 per user, per month |
| Premium | No free trial | Everything in Mobile Business desk phones Self-service and single sign-on (SSO) Video meetings with up to 200 participants Team messaging |
$29.99 per user, per month |
| Advanced | No free trial | Everything in Mobile and Premium Simultaneously call multiple extensions at a time Visual voicemail On-demand call recording |
$39.99 per user, per month |
| Discounts are available with annual plans | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile | |||
| Free trial or plan available? | No free trial | ||
| Features | Unlimited domestic calling Business short message service (SMS) and multimedia messaging service (MMS) Vonage Business Communications (VBC) app for desktop and mobile with admin portal Voicemail Virtual receptionist |
||
| Pricing | $19.99 per user, per month | ||
| Premium | |||
| Free trial or plan available? | No free trial | ||
| Features | Everything in Mobile Business desk phones Self-service and single sign-on (SSO) Video meetings with up to 200 participants Team messaging |
||
| Pricing | $29.99 per user, per month | ||
| Advanced | |||
| Free trial or plan available? | No free trial | ||
| Features | Everything in Mobile and Premium Simultaneously call multiple extensions at a time Visual voicemail On-demand call recording |
||
| Pricing | $39.99 per user, per month | ||
Best Vonage VoIP plan for small businesses: Premium
After comparing all three of Vonage’s unified communications plans, we recommend the Premium tier. Although the Mobile plan is the most budget-friendly option available, it unfortunately lacks certain access to video meetings and team messaging features. For a growing number of companies, video conferencing and team messaging channels are an essential part of cross-team or cross-department collaboration. As such, Premium has the best combination of UC-as-a-service (UCaaS) and VoIP tools.
While Mobile could work for a small team that is strictly interested in voice and text, there are more affordable alternatives. The same is true for the Advanced plan and its additional features. If you are going to go for Vonage, Premium represents the best value for money for small to midsize businesses (SMBs).
Pros
- Unlimited calls and business texting
- The plan includes voice, text, video, and team chat support
- Unlimited video conferencing
- Video meetings can accommodate up to 200 people
- VoIP desktop phones available
Cons
- Plan is more expensive than what you’d pay to alternative providers offering similar features
- Upgrade to this plan is necessary if you want video conferencing, team messaging, or VoIP desk phone support
Other services Vonage offers
In addition to the calling and texting features included with its main plans, Vonage has additional business cloud communication tools worth considering. These include:
- Communications application programming interfaces (APIs): Vonage offers free-to-try APIs that provide multiple channels of engagement between businesses and their customers.
- Contact center plans: In the event your business needs contact center tools, Vonage provides access to an array of features such as skills-based routing, interactive voice response (IVR), emergency call routing, an omnichannel dialer, and more. Pricing isn’t public, so you will need to reach out for a quote.
- Vonage Fusion: An award-winning solution for businesses that don’t want to choose between a UCaaS and a contact-center-as-a-service (CCaaS) setup. It provides integrations for popular customer relationship management (CRM) and productivity tools. The service is designed to fit the needs of small and large businesses alike. To learn more about the product, contact a Vonage representative.
Pro tip
Having used various VoIP products over the years, including for my own small business ventures, I think the technology is a real game-changer. Startups can have numerous channels of communication and extend their reach globally for a fraction of what it would have cost using a traditional landline system.
Toni Matthews-El, Small Business Expert and Contributing Writer
The Vonage platform and customer support
Vonage’s website is very modern, and the same is true of its apps and features. The provider is one of many brands to infuse AI into its features to help businesses streamline their phone systems better and improve customer experience.
While Vonage continues to provide somewhat reliable VoIP service, its customer support and engagement continue to be an area in which the brand falls behind. In researching customer reviews for Vonage, we found that feedback regarding Vonage’s customer support was mixed. Some satisfied customers found Vonage to be reliable and praised certain support team members by name. However, dissatisfied customers repeatedly mentioned struggling to get a hold of Vonage’s support team.
Were Vonage to address the customer support issues, then it would be a competitive boost for its service overall as competitors are offering similar VoIP features and are also known for positive customer support experiences.
Is Vonage secure?
Vonage takes various steps to ensure member data and communication security. It also routinely obtains third-party audits from Service Organization Control (SOC), Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS), International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 27001, Health Information Trust Alliance (HITRUST), and Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) STAR. Vonage is also
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)- and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant.
Vonage user reviews
We were able to find thousands of user reviews for Vonage across the web, with the overall feedback skewing somewhat positive. Customers who like Vonage talk about its features and reliability. Some customers who’d previously been unhappy gave satisfactory reviews of the brand after having issues resolved. For those who were unhappy with Vonage overall, we found that the common complaints involved difficulty signing up, trouble connecting to or hearing back from customer support, or cancellation issues.
Compare Vonage alternatives
Is Vonage right for you?
After reviewing Vonage’s features and service plans, we think that the service will probably be a good fit for midsize companies more so than small businesses, especially startups. Likewise, it will work best for brands that are already comfortable with VoIP and UCaaS and have a flexible budget.
As for companies for whom Vonage might not be the best fit, based on our research, we think that startups with tight budgets or teams with fewer than 10 people might either find the service too expensive or feel they’re not getting the best value for money.
Frequently asked questions
What does Vonage Business do?
Vonage Business is designed to support the cloud communication needs of business entities, whether they are small businesses or larger enterprises. Depending on your Vonage plan, you may be able to make unlimited calls and business texts using its mobile or desktop software. Otherwise, you might be able to purchase VoIP-compatible desktop phones.
How much is Vonage per month?
How much you pay for Vonage per month is going to vary according to your chosen plan and add-ons. The starting price for the entry-level Mobile service tier is $13.99 per month, per user, if you agree to an annual plan. That same plan starts at $19.99 if you pay month-to-month.
Is Vonage Business good value for money?
Although Vonage Business provides many of the essential VoIP, UCaaS, and CCaaS features companies need for cloud-based communication, when compared to other options within the industry, Vonage isn’t as good value for money as options, such as RingCentral or Dialpad, both of which have a wider range of virtual communication features available starting at lower prices.
Is Vonage owned by AT&T or Verizon?
Vonage is not owned by AT&T or Verizon. As of 2021, Vonage is a subsidiary of Ericsson, which purchased the cloud communication brand successfully for an estimated $6.5 billion.
About the author
Toni Matthews-El is a freelance contributor to Fortune Recommends who specializes in small business products and services. She is a Delaware native with more than ten years of professional experience writing up topics that range from business formation to cybersecurity. In recent years, she’s focused heavily on reviewing cloud-based communication and collaboration solutions for publications that include US News & World Report and Forbes. Toni is a Wilmington University graduate with a Master of Science in Management and Administration of Justice.