In the past, if you wanted to get a phone number you had to jump through a series of hoops.
You had to call the local phone company, have a tech come out, etc., etc.
The Internet has brought with it many amazing benefits. You can use it to search for information on just about any subject you want.
Or you can find the best prices on an item you need to buy.
Now, you can get a phone number tied to the Internet as well.
In This Article
Why Would You Want to Get an Internet Phone Number?
It might seem pointless to sign up for an Internet phone number. After all, why not just call your local phone company and get a phone number that way?
However, there are several benefits to using an independent company to get an Internet phone number.
First, you can get phone number with different area codes if you get an Internet phone number.
Having phone numbers with varying area codes could be helpful if you own a business.
Let’s say you’re doing business in your home state as well as a neighboring state.
Getting a phone number for each area you’re doing business in will help clients know you’re established in both communities.
Second, Internet phone number companies have the ability to assign you an 800 number as well.
An 800 number can be a great addition to your home or small business.
Third, having an Internet phone number allows you to conduct business transactions without giving out your personal phone number.
This is a valuable benefit if you don’t want customers calling you on your home line.
Now that we’ve talked about some of the benefits of having an Internet phone number, let’s move on.
Here is a list of some of the companies that can provide you with an Internet number.
1. Grasshopper
Grasshopper has been providing internet phone service for many years.
All Grasshopper phone pricing plans include:
- Business phone number
- Business texting
- Call forwarding
- Virtual Fax
- Voicemail
- Voicemail read
- Extensions
- Instant response
- Custom greeting
And more. You can get additional business phone numbers for $10 per month, per number.
With Grasshopper you’ve got three plans to choose from: Solo, Partner, and Small Business.
Grasshopper Solo
The Solo plan includes all of the features mentioned above. You get one phone number and three extensions for $29 per month.
If you pay annually your bill averages out to $26 per month.
Grasshopper Partner
The Partner plan includes all of the features mentioned above. The difference is that you get three phone numbers and six extensions.
You’ll pay $49 per month with this plan, and if you pay annually your bill averages out to $4 per month.
Grasshopper Small Business
The Small Business plan includes all of Grasshopper’s main features.
It comes with five phone numbers and unlimited extensions. You’ll pay $89 per month with this plan.
If you pay annually, your bill averages out to $80 per month.
Grasshopper also offers 24/7 U.S. based customer support.
Learn More: Grasshopper Phone: Is It Right For Your Business?
2. eVoice
eVoice offers Internet phone number and more. For example, with eVoice you can also have a professional receptionist answer your calls.
They can take a message for you or route the calls directly to you.
Your Live Receptionist plan ensures eVoice personnel will be trained on how to answer the phone for your specific business.
They’ll be trained to answer calls as you specify and transfer calls to you so you can speak with clients.
Here are the details on some of the varying eVoice plans.
eVoice Monthly
eVoice Monthly can be a great phone plan for the sole proprietorship, small business up to 10 users, single person or family.
The Monthly plan costs $14.00 per month, per user. Some of eVoice’s Monthly features include:
- Multiple phone numbers
- Voicemail to text
- Conference calling
- Custom greeting
- Auto attendant
- Call forwarding
- Call queuing
And more. You also get unlimited calls and 24/7 customer service access with this plan.
eVoice Annual
eVoice Annual offers the same exact features as eVoice Monthly. The only difference is that you’ll pay an annual rate of of $144, which equals $12 per month.
This is an attractive savings over the monthly price, especially if you’ve got several users.
This plan is for the lite to moderate user, but there are more plans available as well.
eVoice Custom Plan
eVoice’s also has custom planning available if you need more benefits than the basic monthly/annual plans provide.
Custom plans include features such as:
- More phone numbers
- Live receptionist
- Other business features
Great for the moderate to large-sized business or home.
You’ll need to talk with an eVoice sales representative to get more information and pricing on a custom plan.
eVoice has a plan for every size business and home. Bonus: All of the eVoice plans come with a 30-day free trial.
3. Ring Central
Ring Central also has Internet phone numbers available for homes and businesses. Here’s a rundown of their plans.
The Essentials Plan
Ring Central’s Essentials Plan costs $19.99 per month. This plan allows for up to 10 users, and you can use toll-free or local numbers.
You get 100 free minutes per month with this plan and can have video conferencing as well. Video conferencing is limited to four people.
The Standard Plan
The Standard Plan with Ring Central varies in that you can have unlimited users with the plan.
In addition, you get 1,000 free minutes of call time per month.
Video conferencing is still limited to four people, but you get unlimited fax Internet as well. This plan costs $24.99 per month.
The Premium Plan
The Premium Plan with Ring Central has a few additional features than the other plans. First, you get 2,500 free minutes of call time per month.
Along with the other features of the Standard plan, you also get a bonus on your conference calling.
You can have up to 100 people conference calling at the same time instead of just four. This plan costs $34.99 per month as of this writing.
The Ultimate Plan
The Ultimate Plan with Ring Central costs $49.99 per month. This plan is definitely for big businesses.
You get up to 10,000 free minutes per month with this plan, automatic call recording and Internet fax.
You also have the option to have up to 200 people in a conference call at once. Great plan for the large business.
Lots of options with Ring Central with small and large plans alike. Ring Central offers a 15-day free trial with all of their plans.
4. Phone.com
Phone.com has a mix and match plan that helps you customize your internet phone service for your specific needs.
There are three plans to choose from with Phone.com: Basic, Plus, and Pro.
Phone.com Basic
The Basic plan costs $12.99 per month, per user and includes the following features:
- 300 pooled minutes
- 1 phone number per account
- 1000 pooled text segments (each segment includes a max of 160 characters)
- Video conferencing with up to 10 participants
- Mobile and web apps
- 50 standard voice features
If you pay annually, your bill averages out to $10.39 per month, per user.
Phone.com Plus
The Plus plan costs $19.99 per month, per user, and includes the following features:
- Unlimited minutes
- One phone number per user
- Unlimited text messages
- Video conferencing for up to 25 participants
- Everything offered in the Basic plan
If you pay annually for the Plus plan, your bill averages out to $15.99 per month.
Phone.com Pro
The Pro plan costs costs $29.99 per month, per user, and includes the following features:
- Everything the Plus plan offers
- Video conferencing for up to 100 participants
- Call recording
- Call Analytics
And more. If you pay annually for the Pro plan, you’ll pay an average of $23.99 per month.
All plans come with a 30-day money back guarantee.
5. Google Voice
Google Voice will give you a free Internet phone number with your Google account.
You can use your Google phone number for call, text messaging and voice mail access.
It works on smart phones and on your home computer, and you can sync your devices to have access anytime.
The Google Voice number is available for Android, iOS and on the Web. This option isn’t as comprehensive as the paid for plans, but it is available.
Note that Google Voice does have options for both business and personal use.
6. Freedom Voice
Freedom Voice has three different Internet phone number plans. You can get 800 numbers, vanity numbers or local numbers with them.
Here is the rundown on what each one offers and how much it costs.
The Start Plan
The Start Plan from Freedom Voice costs $9.95 per month. It includes 400 minutes of phone time.
This plan – along with all of the Freedom Voice plans – includes these additional features:
- Call forwarding
- Virtual auto attendant
- Unlimited voice mail boxes
And more. The main different between the Start Plan and the other Freedom Voice plans is the cost and number of minutes.
If the 400-minute plan isn’t enough for your needs, you can go with one of the other two plans they offer.
The Edge Plan costs $19.95 per month and includes 1200 minutes of talk time.
Purchasing additional minutes for either of these plans will cost you 3.9 cents per minute.
The Max Plan costs $29.95 per month, but it does include unlimited minutes.
Like eVoice, Freedom Voice offers a 30-day free trial with all of their plans.
Related Post: Best Ways to Get an 855 Number
7. Call Centric
Call Centric has free plans and paid plans as well. Here is a brief summary of some of Call Centric’s Internet phone plans.
IP Freedom
The IP Freedom plan allows unlimited calls to Call Centric and other VOIP networks. This Call Centric plan is totally free.
Pay Per Call
Call Centric also has a pay-per-call plan. There are no monthly fees with this plan, but you will pay a per-minute charge on any calls.
Per-minute rates vary by city and/or state.
North America Basic
The North America Basic plan costs $1.95 per month. With this plan you get 120 free minutes for calls to the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.
Other calls or calls outside of your 120 minutes will be charged varying rates.
North America 500
The North America 500 plan costs $6.95 per month. With this plan you get 500 minutes worth of free calls to the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.
Additional minute rates vary by area.
North America Residential
The North America Residential plan costs $19.95 per month. This plan gives you unlimited residential calling throughout the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. For residential customers only.
World Select Residential
Call Centric’s World Select Residential plan costs $29.95 and gives you unlimited calling to over 35 countries. This plan is for residential use only as well.
Summary
As you can see, there are many companies and plans to choose from when considering getting an Internet phone number.
Which company and plan you’ll use depends largely on your needs.
If you want an Internet number for residential use and don’t make many calls, a free number will probably suffice.
However, if you want an Internet number for business use you’ll need to research more carefully.
Since all businesses have different needs, you’ll want to take the size of your business into account.
How many calls you make and receive is important too. Whatever your phone needs,
I’m sure you’ll be able to find a company and plan that’s right for you.
