Pros & Cons
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- Well-designed interface
- Excellent call quality
- Streamlined analytics reports
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- Some features require paid add-ons
- Advanced AI capabilities are still in development
Vonage Business Communications Specs
| Automatic Call-Back | |
| Call Monitoring | |
| E911 Service | |
| Electronic Fax | |
| SIP Phone Support | |
| SMS Messaging | |
| Software Phone | |
| Toll-Free Option | |
| Voicemail to Email | |
| Voicemail Transcription |
Vonage's voice over IP (VoIP) roots extend back several decades, so it's no surprise that its Business Communications service has a clear interface and consistently excellent call quality. Its basic video conferencing features work well, too. But while its plans have reasonable starting prices, some advanced features cost extra. Intermedia Unite and RingCentral RingEX remain our Editors' Choice winners for the category thanks to their more straightforward pricing and useful set of AI features.
How Much Does Vonage Business Communications Cost?
The entry-level Vonage Business Communications plan, Mobile, costs $13.99 per user per month (billed annually). You get a slight discount depending on the number of employees in your company; service for 25 lines brings the cost down to $10.49 per user per month (billed annually), for example. This tier provides a cross-platform softphone app, SMS and MMS messaging, unlimited domestic calling, and a virtual receptionist.
Upgrading to the Premium plan ($20.99 per user per month, billed annually) adds more SMB-oriented features, such as desk phone support, online video meetings, and team messaging. It also works with single sign-on (SSO) systems and unlocks access to third-party software integrations.
The top-tier Advanced plan ($27.99 per user per month, billed annually) adds call groups (for dialing multiple extensions at once), on-demand call recording, and voicemail transcriptions.
However, your pricing options don't end there. Vonage offers a number of à la carte features that cost extra, such as an AI virtual assistant for managing and routing calls, call bridging and conferencing, a local phone number, an international phone number, paperless faxing, and a paging system. The typical fee for each add-on is between $4.99 and $9.99 per month. That makes the total operating cost not only a bit confusing but potentially cost-prohibitive. Top competitors are clearer in this regard.
For comparison, RingEX's entry-level Core plan goes for $20 per user per month (billed annually). It supports some AI features (real-time call transcriptions and summaries of video meetings), text messaging, unlimited domestic calling, and video calls with up to 100 people. Its top-end Ultra plan, which starts at $35 per user per month (billed annually), includes advanced call monitoring (barging, monitoring, and whispering), advanced call routing, an AI Assistant that can take notes on calls and help you draft and translate text and team messages, unlimited faxing, and unlimited storage for recordings (up to a retention period).
Unite starts at $27.99 per user per month. This tier gets you an AI Assistant, business texting, one-to-one and team messaging, unlimited AI-enabled video meetings with up to 100 participants, unlimited domestic calling, unlimited international calling to 33 counties, and web faxing. Its Enterprise plan ($32.99 per user per month) increases the video meeting attendee limit to 200 and cloud storage to 200GB.
Getting Started With Vonage Business Communications
Setting up Vonage is about as easy as it gets. Once you have an account, you can access the product and start using it right away. Everything from configuring extensions to setting up a virtual receptionist to customizing reports is straightforward.
Vonage Business Communications is available on the web or via dedicated desktop (macOS and Windows) and mobile (Android and iOS) apps. I tested every experience except for the Android app.
Vonage's interface on the web is intuitive and colorful, with well-designed icons in a left-hand menu. You can start messaging coworkers, making calls, holding meetings, and even checking analytics reports in just a few clicks. This is one of its greatest strengths. Other VoIP systems I've reviewed, such as 8x8 Work, are technically more powerful but less enjoyable to use. Like RingEX and Unite, however, Vonage Business Communication's wealth of features and options means you might need to dig around a bit before you are fully comfortable with it.
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I imported contacts for a dummy user easily enough. I had to configure the related CSV file to Vonage's particular format, but that's typical for this type of software.
If you need support, Vonage offers three options: chat, phone, and support tickets. Phone support isn't 24/7, but technicians are available during extended North American business hours, even on weekends. I contacted support via chat for a minor issue during testing, and the response was instantaneous and helpful. The service also provides a library of self-service documentation and training sessions.
Desk Phones and Integration Support
Vonage claims to support seven major desk phone vendors, including Cisco, Polycom, and Yealink. You should search for your specific model before you commit to the service if hardware phones are vital to your company's operations.
Vonage Business Communications integrates with a decent number of third-party services. Many, including Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zendesk, are customer relationship management (CRM) systems that aim to make contact management as smooth as possible. Options for Microsoft Teams and Slack are also available. Some integrations are free, while others incur an extra fee. The full list of integrations is about on par with that of Unite, though RingEX offers far more options.
Voice and Video Calling
Vonage's call quality is top-notch, and I had no problems with distortion or digital hiss on my test calls. Seeing a live video quality indicator during virtual meetings was handy, though I wish there were a similar feature for ordinary phone calls, like 8x8 Work provides. The good news is that you can easily generate call quality reports for both meetings and phone calls.
Vonage provides everything you need to conduct video meetings, but its capabilities are a bit behind those of dedicated video conferencing software, such as Zoom Workplace. For example, although Vonage offers meeting transcriptions and virtual whiteboards, you can't split meeting participants into groups or get real-time meeting summaries.
The service also lacks the sophisticated AI-based features of competing products. RingEX, for example, includes an AI Assistant that can take meeting notes, create synced action items, and generate text for SMS and team messages. Unite's AI Assistant can similarly pull out key topics and action items during video meetings and transcribe call audio. A Vonage company rep suggested that similar features are currently in the works. As mentioned, Vonage offers a conversational AI for handling incoming calls.
Administration Features
Vonage's admin portal is remarkably simple to use, and the features here match or exceed those in most sophisticated VoIP systems, such as Unite. I found even the more obscure features, like paging and faxing, without any trouble.
The service's virtual receptionist feature is powerful and efficient. I didn't have any trouble recording an outgoing message to use for all incoming calls. Admins also have full control over call routing for each user and get advanced call monitoring features, including barging and whispering. You can initiate call recording for all calls to monitor a support center or customer service desk, too. Just note that you need Vonage's full call center product if you want enterprise-level features.
Verdict: Proficient Performance, Complex Pricing
Vonage Business Communications is a capable communications platform with dependable VoIP features and a good set of video conferencing tools. Its inviting interface also makes it easy to find and use all of its features. That said, it charges extra for some features that competitors include at no extra cost. RingEX and Unite offer equally engaging user experiences, more sophisticated capabilities, and simpler pricing, so they remain our Editors' Choice winners.
Final Thoughts
(Credit: Vonage)
Vonage Business Communications
Vonage Business Communications puts reliable VoIP and conferencing capabilities into a user-friendly interface, though it would benefit from streamlined pricing.