best small business cell phone plans

The 8 Best Small Business Cell Phone Plans in 2024 (With a Free Option)

By Naveed Ahmed | Reviewed by Syed Balkhi | August 26, 2024 | Reader Disclosure

As a business owner with over 15 years of experience in the tech industry, I’ve seen firsthand how crucial reliable communication is for success. Whether you’re managing a team, connecting with clients, or staying on top of your business operations, having a robust cell phone plan is essential.

In today’s competitive landscape, you need to be reachable at all times and able to quickly respond to inquiries. This is where small business cell phone plans come in. They offer features and flexibility tailored to the needs of your company, allowing you to stay connected and efficient no matter where you are.

Choosing the right plan can be overwhelming with so many options available. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into the best small business cell phone plans on the market, covering everything from traditional carriers to VoIP solutions, and highlighting the pros and cons of each.

I’ll provide you with expert insights to make an informed decision for your business. Ready to find the perfect plan? Let’s dive in!

Why You Need a Small Business Cell Phone Plan

A dedicated business cell phone plan offers several advantages over using your personal phone for business purposes. Let’s explore some key benefits:

  • Professional Image: A separate line helps you maintain a professional image. It keeps your personal life and work separate, making it easier to manage calls, messages, and data usage.
  • Improved Customer Service: Your customer support team can respond to inquiries and provide assistance on the go, leading to better customer retention and satisfaction. Imagine a customer with a pressing question about your product or service, reaching out to you while they’re on the move. Having a dedicated business line ensures you’re able to address their concerns promptly, leaving a positive impression.
  • Enhanced Team Communication: If you have a remote team, a small business cell phone plan can facilitate seamless communication. You can host webinars, meetings, and conference calls, ensuring everyone is connected and engaged, regardless of their location.
  • Flexibility and Mobility: A business phone plan gives you the freedom to conduct business anywhere, anytime. You can respond to calls, schedule meetings, and manage your operations from your smartphone, making your work more flexible and adaptable.
  • Cost-Effectiveness: Choosing a plan tailored to your business needs can actually help you save money in the long run. Traditional carriers often offer business plans with bundled features and discounts, while VoIP solutions provide flexibility and cost savings.

Overview of the Best Small Business Cell Phone Plans

To make your decision easier, here’s a quick overview of the top small business cell phone plans:

Rank Provider Best For Pricing
🥇 Nextiva Best overall for small businesses Starts at $21/mo
🥈 RingCentral Best Nextiva alternative Starts at $20/mo
🥉 Zoom Phone Zoom video users Starts at $10/mo
4 Grasshopper Solopreneurs Starts at $14/mo
5 Ooma Traditional offices Starts at $19.95/mo
6 Phone.com Small budgets Starts at $12.74/mo
7 AT&T Traditional wireless carrier Starts at $40/mo
8 Verizon AT&T alternative Starts at $30/mo
9 Google Voice Google Workspace users Starts at $10/mo

Let’s break down each of these options in detail.

How We Chose the Best Small Business Cell Phone Plans

At WPBeginner, our mission is to provide you with the best tools and resources to help your business thrive. When it comes to recommending services, we take a thorough and unbiased approach. Our team of experts evaluates each service based on several key factors, including:

  • Ease of Use: We prioritize user-friendly interfaces and intuitive features that make it simple to set up and manage your business phone plan.
  • Features: We look for a comprehensive set of features that cater to the specific needs of small businesses, such as call forwarding, voicemail, call recording, and integrations with other business tools.
  • Reliability: We ensure the service has a track record of delivering reliable and high-quality call clarity, ensuring your customers have a positive experience.
  • Pricing: We consider affordability, offering options that fit various budgets without compromising on essential features.
  • Customer Support: We value responsive and helpful customer support channels, whether it’s live chat, email, or phone, so you can easily get assistance when needed.

Our rigorous evaluation process ensures we present you with the most effective and valuable solutions for your business communication needs.

The 8 Best Small Business Cell Phone Plans

1. Nextiva

Nextiva is my top recommendation for small businesses looking for a reliable and feature-rich VoIP solution. It’s a cloud-based business phone system that’s easy to set up and manage. Nextiva goes beyond just being a phone system—it’s a unified communications platform (UCaaS) that brings together video, texting, voice, and collaboration tools in one place.

Nextiva offers apps for mobile phones, tablets, desktops, and even desk phones, allowing your team to use a separate business phone number or extension without needing two different devices, which helps reduce costs.

Here are some standout features of Nextiva:

  • Auto Attendant: This feature helps you create a professional greeting and route callers to the right department or individual.
  • HD Video Conferencing: Host high-quality video conferences with your team or clients, making it feel like you’re all in the same room.
  • Unlimited Nationwide Calls and SMS Messages: Stay connected with your team and clients without worrying about overage charges.
  • Free Number Porting: Easily transfer your existing business phone number to Nextiva, ensuring your customers can still reach you.
  • Toll-Free Numbers: Provide your customers with a professional and memorable way to contact you.
  • Email-to-Voicemail Notifications: Stay informed about missed calls and messages, ensuring you don’t miss anything important.
  • Cloud-Based VoIP Call Center: Manage your calls efficiently with a user-friendly call center interface.
  • Wi-Fi Calling: Make and receive calls even when you don’t have cell service, giving you added flexibility.
  • Cloud PBX: Enjoy advanced call routing and management features with a cloud-based PBX system.
  • Call Pop with Caller ID Details: See important caller information before you even answer, allowing you to better prepare for the call.

Nextiva’s VoIP service can also help your team improve communication and automate various workflows. You can set up email automation and create automated responses to quickly reply to business inquiries coming through your WordPress website.

Another benefit of using Nextiva is its seamless integration with other communication and CRM tools like Salesforce, Google Contacts, Zendesk, Oracle Sales Cloud, Zoho, and more.

Nextiva offers three small business cell phone plans to choose from:

Nextiva Plans

  • Core: Starting at $21 per user per month, you get unlimited voice and video calls, unlimited conference calls and video meetings, mobile and desktop SMS/MMS functionality, Outlook and Google contact integrations, and more.
  • Engage: At $28 per user per month, it includes all the features of the Core plan plus toll-free numbers, a call center and queues, a website chatbot, advanced reporting, Microsoft Teams integration, and more.
  • Power Suite: Priced at $42 per user per month, you get all the features that Nextiva has to offer. This plan comes with advanced interactive voice response (IVR), smart routing, supervisor dashboards, and much more.

Bonus: WPBeginner users can get a 40% discount on the Core plan using our special Nextiva coupon. This means you can get started for just $21 per user per month!

If you’re looking for a small business cell phone plan that doesn’t require purchasing a separate device and allows you to share the business phone number among multiple team members, Nextiva is the solution.

We use it for our business here at WPBeginner, and many other reputable organizations such as UnitedWay, TacoBell, YMCA, Stanford University, and others also rely on Nextiva for their business phones.

2. RingCentral

RingCentral is another top-rated small business cell phone plan that you can use for your website. This VoIP service provider enables your support team to manage customer service from anywhere using their Android and iOS mobile apps and their desktop application.

This allows you to implement a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy and let your team members use their own devices to perform work-related tasks from any location at any time.

With RingCentral, you’ll get unlimited phone calls within the US and Canada, voice-to-text features, video conferencing, business SMS, internet fax, toll-free numbers, and much more.

There’s also a self-service feature in RingCentral and advanced call management features where support agents can view the caller’s interaction history, get real-time analytics, and allow managers or another team member to take over a call.

RingCentral offers four small business cell phone plans you can use, and the best part is that you get a 14-day free trial.

RingCentral Plans

  • Core: Starting at $20 per user per month (annual billing), you’ll get a toll-free number, unlimited calls in the US and Canada, SMS and MMS, interactive voice response (IVR), single sign-on, analytics, and more.
  • Advanced: This plan offers everything from the Core plan plus automatic call recording, advanced call tracking and management, internet fax, and more for $25 per user per month (annual billing).
  • Ultra: Priced at $35 per user per month (billed annually), you’ll get even more features, including unlimited storage, unlimited HD video conferencing solutions, file sharing, customizable business insights, and more.

3. Zoom Phone

Zoom Phone is an affordable virtual phone service you can use for your business cell phone. It’s built upon the popular Zoom Meetings platform so you can make calls, host video meetings, and chat with your team all from a single application.

It includes all the essential VoIP features, like call transfer, call forwarding, voicemail with transcription, auto attendants, directory by name dialing, holiday and business hours routing, call recording, call tracking, music on hold, integration with Slack, and more.

Zoom Phone is extremely easy to set up and use. Simply sign up for a plan, select your phone number, and you’re ready to start making calls using the Zoom mobile or desktop app.

Zoom has three different plans you can choose from based on your needs, each comes with a US and Canada number.

Zoom Phone Plans

  • US & Canada Metered: Costs $10 per user per month, and you’ll get unlimited internal calls, metered outbound calls, and multi-device usage. It also includes domestic SMS and MMS.
  • US & Canada Unlimited: Costs $15 per user per month for unlimited internal calls and unlimited outbound calls. International calls come with additional fees.
  • Global Select: Costs $20 per user per month for unlimited regional calls in one of 48 available countries, such as France, Brazil, Japan, the UK, Mexico, Germany, etc. It also includes a direct dial number.

You can also purchase an optional extension that gives you unlimited calls to 19 countries with either of the unlimited plans.

4. Grasshopper

Grasshopper is the best virtual phone service for small businesses that’s affordable and packed with valuable features.

With Grasshopper, you can get a toll-free number, a local number, and a vanity number. You can also easily transfer users to an existing virtual number. The cloud-based phone service offers a desktop and mobile phone app, so you can take calls and respond to messages from anywhere.

You can also set up custom greetings to welcome callers and ensure you never miss a call by forwarding clients to another phone or team member. The service also provides virtual fax, voicemail, inbound call controls, analytics, and more.

The only downside is that Grasshopper is only available in the United States and Canada. However, you do get a 7-day free trial with three premium plans.

Grasshopper Plans

  • True Solo: Costs $14 per month. You can choose one phone number and one extension.
  • Solo Plus: You can purchase this plan for $25 per month and get one phone number, three extensions, and unlimited users.
  • Small Business: You can use unlimited extensions, unlimited users, and up to four phone numbers for $55 per month.

5. Ooma

Ooma is an all-in-one virtual phone service for small businesses. With Ooma, you get amazing features to stay connected with your customers and remote team members.

The phone service provides HD audio, video conferencing, messaging, virtual receptionist, 1-800 toll-free numbers, and free local phone numbers. And the best part is that it has mobile apps that let you receive calls and answer your customers’ inquiries on the go.

There’s also a full-fledged Ooma Office solution that’s ready to use right out of the box and very easy to set up. With Ooma Office, you can join meetings and video conferences to keep your team connected with each other.

Other features that Ooma offers include voicemail transcription, online fax, enhanced call blocking, call recording, call forwarding, unlimited calls in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, affordable international call rates, etc.

Ooma offers three pricing plans for small business cell phones.

Ooma Plans

  • Essentials: Costs $19.95 per user per month, and you’ll get a ton of features, like a mobile app, virtual receptionist, call transfer, call logs, unlimited calls in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, and much more.
  • Pro: This plan costs $24.95 per user per month, and you’ll get additional features, like a desktop app, call recording, enhanced call blocking, caller ID matching, video conferencing, and more.
  • Pro Plus: Costs $29.95 per user per month, and you’ll get everything from the Pro plan with additional features, like CRM integration, team chat, hot desking, call queuing, and more.

6. Phone.com

Phone.com is a versatile virtual phone service perfect for small businesses and startups. It offers affordable pricing plans and lets you combine plans based on your company’s needs.

The VoIP service offers mobile and desktop business apps so you can manage customer service from an office or on the go.

With Phone.com, you’ll get additional features like audio conferencing, call analytics, call recording and broadcasting, call forwarding, text messaging, fax-from-phone options, and much more.

Phone.com offers three pricing plans with a monthly billing cycle, and you can mix and match these plans based on what you need. Additionally, every plan includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Phone.com Plans

  • Basic Users: Starting at $12.74 per user per month (annual billing), you’ll get 500 minutes. It also includes video conferencing for up to 10 participants, document sharing, fax-from-phone functionality, and much more.
  • Plus Users: Costs $18.69 per user per month (billed annually) and includes everything from the Basic Users package plus unlimited minutes, desktop IP phone support, voicemail transcription, and business text messaging.
  • Pro Users: This plan costs $27.19 per user per month (billed annually), and you’ll get all the features that Phone.com has to offer. Additionally, you’ll get advanced call management features like call recording, call analytics, and CRM integrations.

7. AT&T

AT&T is one of the largest mobile carriers in the United States and offers unlimited domestic mobile data, talk minutes, and text messages. It’s a great alternative to VoIP small business cell phone plans and offers exceptional call quality.

With AT&T, you’ll have no roaming charges and unlimited talk time and instant messaging in Mexico and Canada. There are also shared data plans where you can share data among up to 25 phones, tablets, and other devices.

There’s also an international add-on that allows you to make calls and send messages to over 210 countries. Additionally, all mobile plans include 5G and 5G+ access, so you don’t have to worry about slow internet speeds.

Aside from that, AT&T offers a video streaming feature, but the quality of video will depend on your plan. It also offers robust security measures to protect your business. For instance, spam and fraudulent call blocking, identity monitoring, secure browsing, etc.

There are three small business cell phone plans from AT&T, and you can choose up to 10 lines per plan. However, the prices drop if you select from 6 to 10 lines per plan. Additionally, if you go over your data limit, your internet speed drops to 128 Kbps. We’ll show you the prices for more than 6 lines.

AT&T Plans

  • Business Unlimited Standard: Priced at $40 per month per line, you get basic security features, 5G/5G+, standard definition video streaming quality, 5 GB of mobile hotspot data per line, and much more.
  • Business Unlimited Advanced: Costs $45 per month per line, and you’ll get HD video streaming, 100 GB of mobile hotspot data per line, and advanced security features.
  • Business Unlimited Premium: This plan costs $55 per month per line. It offers advanced mobile security features, business fast track, HD and 4K video streaming, and 200 GB of mobile hotspot data per line.

8. Verizon

Verizon is another mobile carrier you can use for your small business cell phone needs. It also offers some of the best cell phone plans and features like unlimited calling, texting, and data plans within the US.

With Verizon, you get expanded high-speed data coverage throughout the US and in select international countries. It even offers flexible plans to add unlimited data for tablets. However, you’ll need compatible devices and 5G network coverage available in your area.

The business mobile carrier also offers different security measures. For example, you can use its call filter to block spam, protect your device against identity theft and online risks, Wi-Fi protection alerts, etc.

There are three different Verizon pricing plans for businesses, and you can choose the number of lines you need. The more lines you add, the lower the prices will be.

Verizon Plans

  • Business Unlimited Start 5G: Costs $30 per month per line, and you’ll get unlimited calling, texting, and data. It also includes 5G/4G LTE, an unlimited mobile hotspot, and a spam blocker with call filter. You can also save $5 per month for paperless billing and autopay.
  • Business Unlimited Plus 5G: You can select this plan for $40 per month per line. It includes 5G Ultra Wideband, 100 GB of premium data, and more security features.
  • Business Unlimited Pro 5G: This unlimited plan is priced at $45 per line per month. On top of everything the Start and Plus plans offer, you get unlimited premium network access and more perks. Since you get unlimited data, there are no overage charges.

Bonus: Google Voice

Google Voice is the last small business cell phone plan on our list, and it’s a virtual phone service you can use for your business. With Google Voice, you can work from anywhere since it works on your mobile device, laptop, and compatible desk phones.

Google Voice also offers ease of use with a simple interface that helps manage workflows, assignments, and billing from a single platform.

Currently, the mobile phone service is only available in the US. However, you get free calls to the US from any country, free calls to Canada from the US, and unlimited SMS within the US.

Other features of Google Voice include spam call blocking, voicemail transcription, and Google Workspace integration. You can easily use Google Voice with Google Meet and Calendar.

You can choose from three monthly plans for Google Voice.

Google Voice Plans

  • Starter: Costs $10 per user per month, and up to 10 users can use the service in 10 domestic locations. However, you won’t be able to use Google Voice internationally if you use this plan.
  • Standard: You can get this plan for $20 per user per month. It includes an unlimited number of users and domestic locations along with all the basic features. It also has auto attendant, ring groups, desk phone support, and eDiscovery for calls, voicemails, and SMS logs.
  • Premier: Priced at $30 per user per month, this plan offers unlimited users, domestic and international locations, and advanced features like advanced usage and activity reporting.

Which Small Business Cell Phone Plan is Best?

If you’re looking for a business VoIP service that offers a lot of flexibility and features, I recommend Nextiva. It’s easy to use and allows you to stay in touch with your customers and team from anywhere. Plus, it offers apps for mobile phones, desktops, and tablets, so you can take calls, host meetings, organize workflows, and deliver a great customer experience on the go.

RingCentral and Zoom Phone are great alternatives to Nextiva and round out the top three providers on our list.

On the other hand, if you want to use a traditional mobile carrier, you can consider using AT&T. It offers unlimited texting, talking, and data, along with an extension to include international calling and messaging. Additionally, if you’re an Apple iPhone or Samsung Galaxy phone user, there are no limits to 5G wireless service when using traditional carriers.

Note: We also researched many other small business cell phone plans that aren’t listed in this post such as T-Mobile, Boost Mobile, and others. We decided it wasn’t best to list all of them in this article because we don’t want to cause analysis paralysis.

Small Business Cell Phone Plan FAQs

I’ve helped thousands of small business owners find the best cell phone plans for their needs. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about small business cell phone plans based on my experience.

What’s the Average Cost of Small Business Cell Phone Plans?

The total cost of your small business cell phone plan will depend on the features you need and the number of lines you require.

On average, a small business cell phone plan can cost between $19 and $50 per user per month. The prices vary depending on the features you need, and additional fees may apply based on the terms and conditions of the plan you select.

Can I Use My Cell Phone as a Business Phone?

Yes, if you already have a cell phone, you don’t need to buy a new one for your business.

Providers like Nextiva offer apps so you can use a separate business phone number or extension for your current cell phone.

Can I Use a Prepaid Phone for a Business?

It’s possible to use a prepaid phone, also known as a pay-as-you-go phone, for your business.

However, prepaid phones only offer basic consumer services. You won’t have the advanced business features you need.

Who Has the Best Small Business Cell Phone Plan?

Based on my expert research, the best small business cell phone plans are Nextiva, RingCentral, and Zoom Phone.

Conclusion

Choosing the right small business cell phone plan is crucial for staying connected, efficient, and professional in today’s business environment. With so many options available, consider the features, pricing, and support options that align with your needs.

I hope this guide has provided you with valuable insights to help you make the best decision for your business. Remember, choosing a plan that prioritizes reliability, affordability, and features will set your business up for success.

If you’re interested in learning more about tech news, feel free to visit my website: www.naveedahmed.me.

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