Google Voice is a cloud-based telephony provider that is one of the few offering a free VoIP service for individuals. Their business plan is also one of the cheapest on the market as it starts at only $10 per user, per month, at the first paid tier. Even with the free calling solution, users are allotted a single virtual number, which is useful for businesses looking to separate their business from their personal lives. As a result, this is one of the better solopreneur voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) providers―it’s easy to get started with the free service and upgrade quickly to the more business-friendly plans.
With these tiers, there are multiple call handling features, calling within the United States and Canada, and unlimited U.S. text messaging. Google Voice is also part of the overarching Google Workspace ecosystem. This provides a more streamlined system for businesses looking for easy interoperability within their communication stacks. Let’s look at the provider and what it offers to small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). All rates and fees are current as of May 24, 2024, and are subject to change.
Google Voice
| Price: | Starting at $10 per user, per month |
| Features: | Unlimited calls between Google numbers, unlimited text messaging in U.S… |
| Compatible hardware: | Poly ATA 400 and 402; Poly Edge B10… |
| Noteworthy integrations: | Google Meet, Google Calendar, and other Google Workspace applications |
Pros
- Easily scalable
- Manageable price for small business
- User-friendly
- Free local number included with subscription
Cons
- Limited features for call management
- Lacks collaboration options
- Not many integrations offered
- Only offers a 99.9% service-level agreement (SLA)
Google Voice is almost explicitly designed for solopreneurs and very small businesses. The Starter plan accommodates up to 10 users. With this plan, smaller businesses have integration with Google Workspace apps, smartphone and web apps for communication, and voicemail transcription. These features are very useful for companies without a large number of employees or dedicated information technology (IT) organizations as the platform is user-friendly and easy to set up without programming or hardware setup expertise.
Google Voice also stands out because it’s easily compatible with VoIP devices from manufacturers, such as Polycom. This is useful for home offices looking to dial using a traditional phone setup. Every tier of the service offers a free phone number that’s usable on hardware and software applications. This is useful for busy solopreneurs who need to take their calls with them on the road.
Small businesses that are growing should understand that Google can be relatively bare-bones when it comes to some VoIP features. For example, while there is a multilevel auto attendant for their second and third tiers of service, there is no interactive voice response (IVR) option. This means that your customers will have to use their dial pad for menu prompts, and there will be no self-service menu options.
Overall, more professional features for call handling are either missing or underutilized with Google Voice. Still, inexpensive pricing and simple calling features make it very attractive to newer and smaller businesses. For those looking to make international inroads, global calling prices are cheaper than landline but more expensive than other VoIP providers and each call requires prepurchased calling credits.
Google Voice service plan overview
Google Voice has a three-plan structure for businesses that accommodates small to large companies. These plans include the Starter, Standard, and Premier, which all allow for unlimited calling in the U.S. and Canada and some international calling. Here’s a breakdown of each tier:
| Plans | Free trial or plan available? | Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | No | Up to 10 users Voicemail transcription 24/7 support |
$10 per user, per month |
| Standard | No | Unlimited users Multilevel auto-attendant Ring groups |
$20 per user, per month |
| Premier | No | Unlimited international locations Advanced reporting Automatic call recording |
$30 per user, per month |
| Starter | |
|---|---|
| No | |
| Up to 10 users Voicemail transcription 24/7 support |
|
| $10 per user, per month | |
| Standard | |
| No | |
| Unlimited users Multilevel auto-attendant Ring groups |
|
| $20 per user, per month | |
| Premier | |
| No | |
| Unlimited international locations Advanced reporting Automatic call recording |
|
| $30 per user, per month |
Best Google Voice VoIP plan for small businesses: Standard
While Google Voice has its free service and the Basic tier of their business VoIP system, for our money, the Standard plan is the best fit for small businesses. This plan outperforms these other plans because it provides local numbers in any domestic location and has an unlimited number of users while the Starter plan limits the user count to 10. Features like a virtual phone number and ring groups, which allow your calls to be forwarded to whole groups of agents, are also available at this tier. This is also the first tier that supports IP phones.
The tier has an important call handling feature: a multi-level auto attendant. This provides your business with a menu system to manage inbound calls. For example, when a customer calls in, they will be presented with a message saying something like, “Hello, thank you for calling [business name]. For sales, press 1, for support press 2. To speak with an operator, press 0.”
This helps your customers reach their desired department without being routed incorrectly, and while it doesn’t have voice prompts or self-service, the feature is critical for a small business looking to provide positive customer experiences.
This plan is fairly affordable; the Standard plan only costs $20 a month, per user. Standard is available in 14 countries and has a session initiation protocol (SIP) link to connect phone numbers from external carriers to Google Voice accounts.
Pros
- Unlimited users
- Unlimited domestic locations
- Includes multi-level auto-attendant
- 24/7 customer support
Cons
- Automatic call recording requires a higher tier
- Advanced reporting not available with Standard plan
- International locations unavailable
Other services Google offers
As you might expect, Google Voice isn’t the only service offered by Google. Google Workspace has multiple solutions for businesses looking to communicate with coworkers and customers. Here are a few important ones:
- Google Meet: This video meeting software integrates into the Google Workspace ecosystem for a more unified communications style of functionality.
- Google Calendar: This app helps coordinate meetings and appointments. It has several calendar views and provides notifications when events are scheduled.
- Google Drive: Designed for file storage and sharing, Google Drive has storage options for up to two terabytes of files. Their most premium plan also incorporates their Gemini Advanced AI system.
- Google Chat: As a means to coordinate with customers and colleagues, Google Chat is a system that provides chat as well as link and file sharing.
The Google Voice platform and customer support
Google Voice offers a clean and simple design that is very user-friendly. Navigation of the app, via desktop or mobile, does not require any training, and the setup process only takes a few minutes.
When there is a need for support, Google provides 24/7 access via their community and help center, and it’s relatively easy to get help on the platform through this resource. For more problematic issues, the service offers phone support, but this is only available between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern time.
Is Google Voice secure?
Google Voice uses transport layer security (TLS) version 1.2 to ensure that calls and texts are protected as they are being sent from endpoint to endpoint. It also protects this data as it’s at rest and not being actively sent. Texts on the platform are end-to-end encrypted, but it’s important to understand that calls are not. For those working with patient-protected health information (PHI), Google Voice isn’t Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant.
Google Voice user reviews
Google Voice is liked amongst users who need a phone system to make or receive calls for their business. If you want to keep your personal and business phone calls separate, you can do so easily with a Google Voice number. In addition, many agree that the platform is easy to use and integrates well with other Google products.
Meanwhile, many Google Voice reviews noted that the service lacks several phone features that are offered by alternative providers. With that being said, Google Workspace does allow messaging and other collaboration options, but Google Voice itself does not. Overall, collaboration and integration options with external third-party solutions are limited. Even with these limitations, Software Advice gives Google Voice a star rating of 4.5 out of 5.
Compare Google Voice alternatives
 Google Voice |
 Grasshopper |
 Zoom Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Starting pricing | Starting pricing | Starting pricing |
| $10 | $18 | $10 |
| Unlimited domestic calling and texting? | Unlimited domestic calling and texting? | Unlimited domestic calling and texting? |
| Yes | Yes | Extra charge for calling, unlimited messaging |
| International calling supported? | International calling supported? | International calling supported? |
| Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Read our Grasshopper review | Read our Zoom Phone review |
Learn more: Compare cheap VoIP services
Is Google Voice right for you?
Google Voice provides a stable calling solution for businesses starting out with small teams. While it has a somewhat limited 99.9% uptime guarantee, its inexpensive price point and integration into the larger Workspace world make it an attractive option for VoIP. Google Voice doesn’t offer a trial for its business service, but it’s addable to any Workspace account without risk.
Frequently asked questions
What are the requirements for using Google Voice?
Google Voice is available on desktop through a web app or as a smartphone app on both Android and iOS. To use the service, you’ll also need a Google account and a valid U.S. or Canadian landline or mobile telephone number. Currently, there isn’t a nonbrowser-based desktop app.
Is there a free version of Google Voice?
There is a free personal version of Google Voice for Google account holders. This service assigns you a local number within your jurisdiction and has virtually zero call handling capabilities. That being said, this is a free, easy-to-set-up option for those looking for a separate number for business use.
How can I get a Google Voice number?
You can get a Google Voice number at the company’s website. This is available as a free service for personal use. If you’re using this for a business and need the service for more than one individual, you’ll have to sign up for either the Starter, Standard, or Premier plans.