Written by Tatiana Lebreton Reviewed by James Macey Updated on April 9, 2025 On this page Google Voice: Quick Summary and Scorecard What Features Do You Get with Google Voice? Core VoIP phone system features Communication features Customer service Hardware options Software integrations Security protections Google Voice Pricing Google Voice Alternatives What Businesses Is Google Voice Best Suited to? Methodology: How We Reviewed Google Voice Verdict: Why Choose Google Voice? Expand Google Voice is a great option for businesses that already use Google Workspace, since it’s a Google Workspace add-on product and integrates seamlessly with Google communication tools, such as email, video calling, and document sharing.On top of this, Google Voice is one of the cheapest VoIP phone systems on the market, costing between $10 to $30 per user per month, compared with the average $20 to $35. At this price, businesses will still get access to unlimited domestic inbound and outbound calling and core call management features, such as an auto-attendant.That said, Google Voice isn’t a great option for businesses that experience high call volumes, such as customer service teams, since it’s missing call management features, namely call queues and training features such as call monitoring.In this review, we’ll assess Google Voice’s key VoIP features, discuss pricing, and compare Google Voice to competitors. By the end, you should have a good idea of whether it’s right for your business. Google Voice 2.8 Pricing $10-$30/user/month Get Quotes Suitable for Businesses with a Google Workspace subscription Organizations that experience frequent cold-callers Businesses that use Polycom phones Not suitable for Businesses that don’t use Google Workspace Customer service teams Organizations that experience high call volumes Pricing See more See less PlanPrice Starter $10/user/month Standard $20/user/month Premier $30/user/month What Features Do You Get with Google Voice?Google Voice comes with core call management features suitable for businesses that get moderate call volumes. It’s a little light on training features, however, and doesn’t integrate with a large number of third-party hardware phones or software apps.We’ll go over Google Voice’s key characteristics in detail in the following sections, starting with all important VoIP call features. Core VoIP phone system featuresGoogle Voice has a clean, modern-looking interface, and we found the platform easy to use when we tested it. Setting up contacts was very straightforward, and we appreciated that we could customize profile images with fun icons.When it comes to all-important call handling, incoming calls appear as a pop-up in the Google Voice app, and clearly labeled icons make it easy for us to find call management features.Here, we are setting up the profile of a contact user in Google Voice, which is much simpler than some other software we've used, especially for those well acquainted with Google products. Source: Expert MarketCall management featuresGoogle Voice’s main call management features include an auto-attendant (also called a virtual receptionist), customizable greetings, customized call routing, and ring groups. These are great features for any business to have since they reduce manual effort and ensure callers are quickly diverted to the correct employee or department.Businesses also get access to voicemail transcription, which makes it easier for employees to sort through audio messages and quickly respond. Rival Dialpad goes a step further and provides AI-powered call and voicemail summaries, which make it slightly more suitable for businesses with a high call volume.In Google Voice, you'll get a transcript of voicemail messages sent to your profile. Source: Expert MarketWhile Google Voice has the essentials, it is missing call queues and a call flip feature. These are essential tools for businesses that receive a high call volume, such as call centers or customer service teams, since call queues ensure calls aren’t dropped when lines are busy, while call flip enables agents to switch devices whilst maintaining a call. For larger businesses that need more tools for handling high call volumes, we recommend RingCentral or 8×8.Read our RingCentral Review and our 8×8 Review for more information.Call minutesLike most modern VoIP systems, Google Voice allows businesses to make and receive domestic calls for an unlimited number of minutes. This includes not just calls to the US but to Canada as well, making Google Voice a great option for businesses that operate regionally.That said, international calls are metered, with rates varying depending on the country. If your business makes frequent international calls, 8×8 is a better option since it offers unlimited outbound calling to over 47 countries.TrainingGoogle Voice has very limited training and monitoring features – another reason why we don’t recommend it to customer service teams. Businesses will only get access to call recording and call analytics, which provide insights into metrics such as call lengths.Customer service teams or customer-forward businesses, such as hotels, need additional features, such as call barge, call whisper, and call monitoring, so managers can effectively train employees.Read our recommendations for the top hotel phone system suppliers for suitable alternatives. Communication featuresSince Google Voice is a Google Workspace add-on, businesses won’t get access to many new communications channels besides those already included in Google Workspace.Luckily, Google Workspace comes with a wide range of communication and collaboration tools, from email and team messaging to video calling and conferencing. It’s also easy to share documents and files between colleagues with Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms.The one extra communication channel Google Voice affords businesses is SMS communication, which is unlimited within the US. This can be used for both internal and external communication.All in all, Google Voice and Google Workspace provide businesses with an almost complete set of communication channels. The one feature Google Voice is missing is e-fax, which is widely used by businesses in the legal and medical fields. E-fax is offered by most competitors, including RingCentral and GoTo Connect.Read our GoTo Connect Review for more information.Google Workspace users should already know the integration potential between different Google apps possible with Google Voice. Source: Expert Market Customer serviceThe level of customer support you get with Google Voice depends on your Google Workspace subscription.Every Google Workspace plan, except the Enterprise plan, comes with “Standard Support”, which includes phone support and access to a user forum and vast knowledge center.Google Voice doesn’t offer support via live chat or email, but businesses can upgrade to “Enhanced Support” or “Premium Support” to get access to faster call response times and other forms of priority support.Overall, Google Voice and Workspace’s customer support could be better. Competitors RingCentral and 8×8 offer support channels that Google Voice doesn’t, including email and live chat, making them more accessible. Hardware optionsGoogle Voice only integrates with Poly desk phones, and hardware integration isn’t available on Google Voice’s $10 per month Starter plan. This means that businesses that don’t already own Poly phones will have to upgrade their hardware if they want to use it with Google Voice.It’s quite unusual for a VoIP system to integrate with only one desk phone brand, and most Google Voice competitors integrate with at least three. Zoom Phone and Dialpad integrate with the widest range of desk phones and are compatible with eight and four brands, respectively.Read our Zoom Phone Review and our Dialpad Review for more information. Software integrationsGoogle Voice doesn’t integrate with any third-party apps. However, businesses can integrate third-party apps with other Google Workspace apps, such as Gmail or Google Calendar.For example, Google Workspace integrates with popular CRM platforms, Salesforce and Zoho CRM, as well as third-party communication apps such as Zoom Video and Microsoft Teams.That said, since Google Voice itself doesn’t integrate with third-party apps, we wouldn’t recommend the platform to businesses that need to sync call data with other platforms, such as customer service teams using helpdesk software. These businesses would do better with VoIP providers RingCentral or 8×8, which integrate directly with a wide array of software. Security protectionsSince Google Voice is run by Google, a company worth trillions that operates on a global scale, it shouldn’t be surprising that it has excellent security measures in place.Google Voice has several security certificates, including ISO/IEC 27001, which indicate it meets global standards for excellence in data security. Google Voice users also get access to multi-factor authentication and can set user permissions and unique password rules to ensure their account stays secure.Businesses can also reduce the number of spam or cold callers they receive, thanks to Google Voice’s caller ID, call blocking, and automatic call screening technology. How Much Does Google Voice Cost?Google Voice only has three pricing plans that cost between $10 and $30 per user per month. Here are their differences: Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward Google Voice Starter Google Voice Standard Google Voice Premier Price $10/user/month Price $20/user/month Price $30/user/month Key Features 10 user limitsUnlimited domestic minutesFree calls to US from any countryFree calls to Canada from USAnalytics/reporting Key Features Everything in the Starter plan + Unlimited usersVirtual receptionistCustomizable call routingRing groupsCall recordingDesk phone integration Key Features Everything in the Standard plan +Automatic call recordingAdvanced reporting Google Voice generally costs less than competitors. For example, rival Dialpad’s pricing starts at $15 per user per month, compared to Google Voice’s $10, while RingCentral starts at $20 per user per month.The best value for money Google Voice plan is the $20 per user per month Standard plan, since it gives businesses access to unlimited users and more call management features than the Start plan, such as an auto attendant and customizable call routing.There isn’t much of a difference in features between the $30 Premier plan and the $20 Standard plan, besides the Premier plan’s more advanced reporting and analytics tools, so most small businesses should do just fine on the Standard plan. What Alternatives Are There to Google Voice?If you’ve decided Google Voice isn’t the right VoIP phone system for your business, here are some alternatives to consider. We’ve selected plans from rival VoIP providers that are suitable for small businesses: Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward Most affordable alternative Google Voice Zoom Regional Unlimited Nextiva Core Net2Phone Essentials Dialpad Standard RingCentral Core 2.8 4.6 4.0 3.8 3.7 3.7 Price $10-$30/user/month Price $15/user/month Price $30/user/month Price $19.99-$23.99/user/month (price decreases based on user numbers) Price $15/user/month Price $20/user/month Domestic Calls Unlimited inbound and outbound to US and Canada Domestic Calls Unlimited inbound and outbound to US and Canada Domestic Calls Unlimited inbound and outbound to US and Canada Domestic Calls Unlimited inbound and outbound to US, Canada, and Mexico Domestic Calls Unlimited inbound and outbound calls Domestic Calls Unlimited inbound and outbound to US and Canada International Calls None included (variable rates) International Calls Metered calls International Calls Metered calls International Calls For unlimited calls to 40+ countries, upgrade to Professional International Calls Metered calls International Calls Metered calls Get free quotes Get free quotes Get free quotes Get free quotes Get free quotes Get free quotes For a more in-depth comparison of these VoIP systems with Google Voice, read our piece on the best Google Voice alternatives. What Businesses Is Google Voice Best Suited to?To help summarise what businesses we think Google Voice is best suited to, we’ve created the table below:Suitable forNot suitable forBusinesses that already use Google Workspace:Since Google Voice is a Google Workspace add-on, it only makes sense for Google Workspace users to use it, especially if they want easy integration between their VoIP system and their Google apps.Businesses that don’t use Google Workspace:Businesses that don’t already use Google Workspace software will need to sign up for a plan and migrate their files, calendar, and email to Google Workspace if they want to use Google Voice. This will be more trouble than it’s worth for a lot of businesses.Businesses that experience moderate call volumes:Google Voice has enough call management features to meet the needs of small businesses or teams with moderate incoming call volumes, such as sales or marketing teams. Key features include an auto-attendant and customizable routing.Customer service teams:Google Voice comes with very limited training and monitoring features, missing key tools such as call barge and whisper. It also doesn’t integrate directly with any helpdesk software, so it’s not the best option for customer-facing teams.Businesses that want to avoid cold-callers:Google Voice comes with excellent call filtering features, including caller ID detection, call blocking, and call screening technology. This can help businesses reduce nuisance callers and focus on answering important calls from partners, clients, or customers.Businesses that experience high call volumes:Google Voice is missing call queues and ring groups, which are key tools to help businesses manage high call volumes. For this reason, it’s not the best option for teams or businesses, such as call centers, with constantly ringing phone lines. Methodology: How We Reviewed Google VoiceIn our latest assessment of VoIP systems, we've researched 11 market-leading VoIP service providers so we can make the most useful recommendations to US businesses in 2025. Using our in-house research framework and ranking process, we evaluated each VoIP system across eight core categories of interest, each weighted differently, and then combined the results to come up with a final score. We asked some key questions to get to the answers that will help your operations most.Our Decision-Making Criteria with Assessment WeightingInformed by readers and businesses we speak to regularly, as well as our own experiences using major VoIP platforms, we designed a research framework to assess each VoIP provider plan. It consists of eight overarching assessment categories, each designed to answer a specific question a buyer might have.Which VoIP service offers the best call handling features for US businesses?Call management (25%): We assessed features like call routing, queues, custom greetings, voicemail screening, and spam call blocking to see how well each provider handles inbound traffic. VoIP-using organizations often deal with high call volumes. They rely on call management features to create a better experience for these callers.Can this platform support internal communication across remote or hybrid teams?Communication channels (20%): We looked at the availability of tools like video conferencing, team messaging, SMS, and mobile app functionality, since VoIP is often purchased to streamline communication into one application rather than separate tools.Will this system help me onboard and train staff effectively?Training features (20%): We tested tools for live coaching (e.g. call whisper/barge), call recording, and performance dashboards — crucial for service and sales teams. VoIP-using businesses often train their employees on telephone etiquette.Is the pricing clear and competitive for small and medium businesses?Pricing (10%): We reviewed subscription tiers, user discounts, setup fees, and whether unlimited minutes are included or capped.Will this VoIP system work with the software we already use?Software integrations (10%): We checked how well each provider integrates with platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, Google Workspace, and Microsoft Teams. VoIP software is often used with customer-data applications and other communication technologies in order to increase operational efficiency.Can we keep using our existing phones and hardware?Hardware integrations (5%): We reviewed compatibility with desk phones, speaker systems, and headsets from major brands. VoIP software is often used with standalone hardware.What level of customer support is available if we run into issues?Customer support (5%): We tested the availability of live chat, phone, and email support, as well as help centers and user communities, and how they perform in terms of accessibility and convenience.How secure is this system for business use?Security options (5%): We assessed features like multi-factor authentication (MFA), encryption, and compliance with US data protection laws. Organizations can be put at risk if sensitive information is leaked due to a breach of security.Where possible, we've also completed usability testing for VoIP services that we could get hands-on with. Testers put VoIP software through its paces to assess how well each could complete certain prescribed tasks. Verdict: Why Choose Google Voice? Google Voice is a logical choice of VoIP phone system for businesses that already use Google Workspace since the two systems integrate seamlessly, and Google Voice is an add-on product of Google Workspace.With an affordable price point and enough core call management features to manage a moderate call volume, Google Voice is a great option for small businesses that don’t need a specialized VoIP system for customer service or call center purposes.Larger businesses, or ones that experience high call volumes and need advanced routing and integration capabilities, should consider other options, such as RingCentral, 8×8, or Nextiva.If you need guidance finding a VoIP phone system provider, we can help. Just tell us what you need using our free quotes form, and we’ll match you with providers. They’ll reach out with custom quotes. Written by: Tatiana Lebreton Senior Grow Online & Business Software Expert Tatiana is Expert Market's resident payments and online growth expert, specialising in (E)POS and merchant accounts, as well as website builders. Reviewed by: James Macey Senior Business Software Researcher James draws on more than four years experience as a researcher to offer specialized advice on a wide range of categories from CRM to fleet management. He believes all businesses can grow if they use the right tools and services.