How to Get A Free Business Phone Number (2024)

Scheduled routing: Route incoming calls to certain numbers, menus, greetings, or people based on the time and day they are received.

Hold music: Choose from a large section of professional music tracks you can play while callers are on hold or in a queue.

Dial-by-name directory: Allow callers to be automatically transferred to an employee by entering the first or last name of the person they want to reach.

Queues: Route incoming calls to a specific group of users or phone numbers in order.

Greetings: Upload audio files to play as your greetings, menus, and hold music.

Basic: $14.99/user/month for 500 pooled minutes, one phone number, and 50 standard voice features

Plus: $21.99/user/month for unlimited minutes, voicemail transcription, and desk phone support

Pro: $31.99/user/month for call recording, call analytics, and video conferencing features

Phone.com delivers all of the modern features of an enterprise-grade phone system but at a fraction of the cost, making it an ideal, budget-friendly option for growing businesses. Starting at only $14.99 per user, monthly, you get up to 50 standard call features, including call handling rules, click-to-call, greetings, hold music, and auto-attendant. As you move up to higher-tier plans, you gain access to a wide array of VoIP features like call analytics and call recording.

There are three user types available, which you can mix and match to pay for only exactly what you need. Each type offers different levels of features and call plans to accommodate different communication needs and usage patterns. The Basic plan is a metered subscription with 500 minutes, while Plus and Pro plans support unlimited calling.

The disadvantage of using Phone.com is that it relies on a third-party service called Zapier to expand its app integrations. If you’re looking for a business phone that readily integrates with popular customer relationship management (CRM) systems, we recommend CallHippo. This provider connects with over 100 third-party apps, including Salesforce, Pipedrive, and Freshdesk.

Instant response: Automatically sends a text message to new callers when you miss their call.

Simultaneous call handling: This feature lets you accept multiple calls at the same time and directs callers to the next forwarding number when they reach a busy or unavailable line.

Live receptionist: Add Ruby’s live receptionist services to your Grasshopper account for a minimal fee and have a professional team answer your business calls.

Call forwarding: Redirect incoming calls to another phone number or send them directly to voicemail.

VoIP plus Wi-Fi calling: If you want to save your minutes or have poor call reception, activating this feature lets you make calls over the internet.

True Solo: $17/user/month for one user and one extension

Solo Plus: $34/month for unlimited users, one phone number, and three extensions

Partner: $56/month for unlimited users, three phone numbers, and six extensions

Small Business: $92/month for unlimited users, three phone numbers, and six extensions

Traditionally, VoIP providers charge virtual phone numbers based on a monthly per-user basis. However, Grasshopper stands out with its unique approach by offering multiple phone numbers in a single plan for unlimited users. An entire team can share local or toll-free vanity numbers and extensions for a fixed monthly fee. As you move up Grasshopper plans, each tier includes more virtual phone numbers. The maximum allocation is three to five numbers in one plan. Depending on the size of your business, upgrading is only needed if you need more extensions or phone lines. This benefits teams wanting to share call responsibility and phone numbers among extensions.

Unlike its competitors, Grasshopper doesn’t charge extra for vanity numbers when you sign up for a plan. With its flat-rate pricing, you can add unlimited users without incurring additional fees on your monthly bill.

On the downside, Grasshopper lacks advanced call management capabilities, such as interactive voice response (IVR) and call queues. Companies dealing with high call volumes are better off with Phone.com, which offers unlimited call minutes and a wide range of call features for managing call traffic.

Shared inbox: This feature allows teams to use a single inbox to collectively access and manage all customer communications.

Global Connect: Whenever you want to call an international number, this feature will inform you about the recipient’s country, time zone, and validity.

Smart Switch: Allow agents to switch between multiple telephony providers or choose an alternative network for better call connectivity.

Gamification: Enhance agent engagement and motivation using game-like elements, such as rewards, leaderboards, and challenges.

Outboard dialer: Use this feature to automate your outbound dialing process and minimize idle time.

Basic: Free for SMS/MMS, call mute, voicemail, and click-to-dial

Starter: $25/user/month for one free business number, 1,000 local minutes, business hours, analytics, and shared inbox

Professional: $40/user/month for unlimited minutes, IVR, custom greetings, and after-call work

Ultimate: $55/user/month for call blocking, integrations, call barging, and conference calling

CallHippo provides a large pool of local and toll-free phone numbers in more than 70 countries, making it a perfect choice for companies wanting to expand their market overseas. With an international number, you can establish a local presence in another country without the cost of having a physical office.

If you’re looking for a cheap phone number for business, CallHippo charges as low as $6 per month without setup fees. You can choose a specific area code based on the location of your target customers. You can get your number in less than three minutes, allowing you to get set up quickly and start making calls. Additional costs apply if you want to purchase multiple numbers.

Despite CallHippo’s feature-rich offerings, budget-conscious businesses may find its monthly plans expensive, ranging from $25 to $55 per user. If you’re looking to cut costs for your phone needs, consider Google Voice, which has a free version for solo users, as well as a low-cost business plan starting at just $10 per user, monthly.

Custom caller ID: Personalize your caller ID to differentiate your second number.

Group messaging: Start a group conversation with up to 10 participants.

Branded messages: This lets you add an image, link, or company logo to your text messages.

Auto-reply: This feature will automatically respond with a text message to the number you missed a call from.

Custom voicemail: Record up to three voicemail greetings or use the text-to-speech feature to generate a personalized greeting.

Standard: $14.49/user/month for unlimited calls and SMS, one phone number, group messaging, and voicemail

Enterprise: $14.49/line/month for all Standard features, international calling, and auto-attendant

Sideline is an excellent choice for businesses that primarily use text messaging to connect with their clients and partners. There are no messaging caps, so you can send unlimited SMS, MMS, and group messages from your desktop or mobile phone.

Sideline takes advantage of VoIP and cellular service to help you make calls and send text messages. Texting over Wi-Fi is free, while data is consumed if you use your carrier’s plan.

Features include a wide variety of text marketing tools, such as branded messages, auto-reply, MMS, and custom signature. Companies running bulk SMS campaigns will find this particularly useful for sending alerts, coupons, promotions, and product announcements. The Sideline app is exceptionally user-friendly for mobile users, making it easy to customize SMS settings.

One major drawback of Sideline is it can be restrictive for businesses seeking broader communication capabilities aside from calling and text messaging. If you’re looking for a phone number provider that supports faxing and video conferencing, choose Phone.com. At almost the same monthly fee, you get access to voice calls, conversational text messaging, video meetings, and online fax.

Voicemail transcription: Have your voicemails automatically transcribed into text format and send the transcripts to your email.

Spam call filtering: Every time Google Voice suspects a call might be spam, a warning message will display on your screen.

Multi-level auto-attendant: Set up an automated menu that plays messages and lets callers choose options to reach a specific department or person.

Ring groups: Setting up ring groups allows multiple users to take turns answering calls from the same Google Voice number.

Usage and activity reporting: Access voice activity across your organization and review the details, costs, and duration of calls and texts.

Personal: Free for one user, one U.S. phone number, call forwarding, and voicemail transcripts

Business

Starter: $10/user/month for unlimited local calls, unlimited SMS, voicemail transcripts, Google Workspace integration, call forwarding, and usage and activity reporting

Standard: $20/user/month for multi-level auto-attendant, ring groups, desk phone support, and call recording

Premier: $30/user/month for advanced reporting

Google Voice is our overall best free business phone number provider, particularly for individual users on a budget. Google account owners can get a free business phone number upon signing up. If you’re in the U.S. or Canada, you can use your existing number to verify and claim your free Google Voice number. This is why Google Voice lands a spot on our list of the best free VoIP phone services.

With its user-friendly interface, solopreneurs and freelancers will find Google Voice a lightweight VoIP service for their entry-level communication needs, such as sending calls and texts to clients. Both desktop and mobile apps are relatively easy to use and don’t require technical knowledge, so you can easily integrate them into your workflows.

If the Google Voice personal plan is too limited for your requirements, you can upgrade to the business package for only $10 per user. This unlocks expanded features, such as a multi-level auto-attendant, ring groups, and desk phone support. Google Voice seamlessly integrates with Google Workspace apps, such as Google Meet and Calendar, giving you a unified platform for business communication.

However, Google Voice may not be ideal for businesses with complex call management needs or those needing toll-free or vanity numbers. Providers like Phone.com or CallHippo are potential alternatives if you need a comprehensive set of call features for managing high call volumes.

Call treatments: Set up rules for handling incoming calls, including forwarding calls to another Callcentric number and forcing anonymous calls to voicemails.

Anonymous call rejection: If you receive a call with an “Anonymous” caller ID, Callcentric gives you the option to direct the call to voicemail or play an error message.

Call return: Dialing the *69 feature code lets you call back the last person who called you.

External caller ID: When making an outbound call, you can use a different number that is not on your Callcentric account.

Call hunting: Have incoming calls ring up to eight numbers to avoid callers getting busy signals.

Inbound Calling

Dollar Unlimited: $1/month for unlimited minutes within select U.S. regions

Pay per Minute: $1.95/month within the U.S. and Canada (with an additional $0.015/minute for incoming minutes and a $3.95 setup fee)

Toll-Free: $3.95/month for unlimited call minutes within the U.S. and Canada (with a $3.95 setup fee)

Personal Unlimited: $5.95/month for unlimited call minutes within the U.S. and Canada (with a $5.95 setup fee)

Office Unlimited: $8.95/month for unlimited minutes within the U.S. and Canada (with $8.95 setup fee)

Service Provider Unlimited: $19.95/month for unlimited minutes within the U.S. and Canada (with a $19.95 setup fee)

International Unlimited: Rate varies by country

Callcentric is a strong contender for the best provider of free phone numbers for businesses due to its relatively cheap call rates and customization options. While most providers force users to pay for bundled plans, Callcentric provides the freedom to choose which inbound and outbound call service suits your calling patterns.

This provider offers diverse independent packages for incoming and outgoing call plans. Outbound plans include eight distinct services, each varying in minute allowances. Options include unlimited in-network calling, pay-per-minute, unlimited calls, and metered rates ranging from 120 to 2,500 minutes. On the other hand, inbound plans provide metered calls and unlimited incoming minutes but differ in phone number types.

Businesses dealing with fluctuating call volumes will appreciate Callcentric’s customizable VoIP calling services. However, its extensive flexibility can be overwhelming for those new to internet calling. If you prefer a bare-bones phone number provider, Sideline is the best option for you. The pricing structure only comprises two options—Standard and Enterprise—making it easy to choose the plan that fits your needs.